Effect of dietary Lippia citriodora extract onproductive performance and meat qualityparameters in hares ( Lepus europaeus Pall. )

Abstract. Three different dietary doses of Lippia citriodora natural extract were tested in order to verify their effect on productive performance and the meat quality of intensively-reared hare (Lepus europaeus Pall.). The 240 day-trial was conducted on 20 male hares, divided into 4 homogeneous groups of 5 animals each. A control group received a basal diet without any supplementation, and the other three experimental groups received a natural extract of Lippia citriodora, titrated in verbascoside, in the following amounts: 1 g, 1.5 g and 2 g of natural extract/kg feed in the low (LNE), medium (MNE), and high natural extract (HNE) groups, respectively. Natural extract enhanced the quality of the meat: there was a significant decrease (P<0.05) in saturated fatty acids and a significant increase (P<0.05) in mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. The oxidative stability of the meat improved, thus highlighting a possible link between the decrease (P<0.05) in TBARS values and an increase (P<0.05) in lipid vitamin content. The cholesterol content of the meat decreased markedly (P<0.01) after the dietary verbascoside treatment, thus improving the health benefits of the meat. These results clearly show the important role of Lippia citriodora extract, titrated in verbascoside, in improving the quality of the meat of intensively-reared hares. In addition the present paper underlines how the use of natural antioxidant in the animal feeding system may provide healthier and low-oxidized products to the final consumer

Evaluation of milk production and some blood parameters in lactating autochthonous goat extensively reared in Molise region

The trial, lasted 7 months and was performed on 60 lactating autochthonous goat populations (Montefalcone and Valfortorina) extensively reared in Molise Region. Goat milk yield and composition, and pasture chemical and floristic composition were recorded monthly. At the beginning (30d), at half (105d) and at the end (210d) of trial body weight and body condition score (BCS) were recorded; besides jugular blood samples were taken at 30, 105 e 210 d to determined the following parameters: glucose, total protein, albumin, urea, triglycerides, total and HDL cholesterol, NEFA, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. The two populations showed a milk yield of 275 kg e 258 kg (Montefalcone e Valfortorina goat, respectively) throughout 180 days of lactation, which was similar or higher than mean milk yield of other goat breeds (Sarda, Ionica, Argentata dell'Etna). BCS increased significantly (P<0.01) during lactation in both populations. Blood parameters displayed significant changes (P<0.01) during the trial in Montefalcone goat for glucose, albumin, urea, triglycerides, total and HDL cholesterol, NEFA, sodium and potassium instead Valfortorina goat showed significant differences in total protein, urea, total and HDL cholesterol, NEFA, magnesium, sodium (P<0.01) and albumin and potassium (P<0.05). In both population, milk yield and quality showed promising results for autochthonous goats preservation

Fatty acid composition of light lamb meat from Leccese and Comisana dairy breeds as affected by slaughter age

Forty lambs of two Italian dairy breeds were used to study the effects of slaughter age and breed on meat fatty acid composition. Lambs were subdivided into four groups (n. 10) according to a factorial scheme of two breeds (Leccese and Comisana). ×. two slaughter ages (45 and 60 days). The lambs were fed maternal milk supplemented with hay and concentrate from the 30th day to the slaughter. Leccese lambs at 45 days exhibited a FA profile more compatible to nutritional requirements for human health. They displayed a lower SFA proportion, a higher UFA/SFA and MUFA/SFA ratios than Comisana. The delay of slaughtering age at 60 days improved FA composition in Comisana lambs which had lower SFA content, AI and TI indexes and higher UFA/SFA and MUFA/SFA ratios and n-3 PUFA content than in Leccese. In both the breeds, the slaughter age at 60 days improved the CLA content

Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of Aloysia polystachia: an in vivo study in rabbits

In the search of new compounds useful for the treatment of neurological disorders, medicinal plant research has progressed widely in the last decade, particularly because of the hypothesis that natural extracts possess a low or absent toxicity. Aloysia polystachia (Griseb.) Moldenke belonging to the family of Verbenaceae has been used in the traditional medicine for a variety of indications and as a sedative. Recently, some evidence reported that it exhibits some antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects involving the modulation of GABA system in preclinical studies in mice (1). However no investigations have been performed on its (geno)toxicity in long-term studies as it would be required for its use in neurological pathologies. In this study, we investigated the genotoxic potential of a water soluble extract of Aloysia polystachia leaves, administered orally every day for 90 days to 20 New Zealand white rabbits homogeneous for weight and age. Subjects were divided into four groups: the control group, and three experimental groups fed with a diet supplemented with 1g/kg; 1.5 g/kg and 2g/kg of Aloysia Polystachia, then peripheral blood was drawn from the vein auricularis marginalis before and after 45 and 90 days of treatment. Cytogenetic analysis was performed on each subject at each time point and chromosome aberrations (structural and numerical) and mitotic index were used as a measure of DNA damage and cytotoxicity (2). Results indicated that Aloysia polystachia extract induces a significant increase in the percentage of aberrant cells as well as in the aberration frequency (mainly chromatid breaks and fragments) associated with a decreasing trend of the mitotic index. The DNA damage was particularly higher after the first 45 days of treatment whereas it remains significantly high but almost unvaried until the end of the treatment. These data suggest that Aloysia polystachia extract has genotoxic and cytotoxic activity, even though further investigations are required to assess which compound of the extract could be responsible for the observed effects

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements