Effect of the Addition of Donkey Milk on the Acceptability of Caciotta Cow Cheese

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Caciotta is a very popular cheese in Italy that can be made with cow, sheep, goat or buffalo milk. In this study, we investigated the effects of donkeys’ milk addition in the production of this cheese, considering a short- and a medium-ripening period. Two batches were considered for cheesemaking: cows’ milk only and cows’ milk with the addition of 5% donkey’s milk. With the longest ripening period, the cheese with donkey milk received the highest ratings for color, aroma, flavor, and overall liking. ABSTRACT: This study investigated the effects of adding donkey milk in cheesemaking on the acceptability of a Caciotta cow cheese after 10 and 45 days of ripening. The cheeses produced were: a control cheese with cow’s milk only and experimental cheese with the addition of 5% donkey’s milk. The acceptability of Caciotta was determined by the judgement of 80 habitual cheese consumers. The acceptability of the Caciotta cheese was significantly influenced by the addition of donkey milk, with the exception of the texture parameter. At a ripening time of 10 days, the control cheese scored significantly higher than the experimental cheese for aroma, flavor and overall liking; conversely, at the longest time, the experimental cheese had significantly higher scores for color, aroma, flavor, and overall liking. Our results confirm that the use of donkey milk in cheesemaking can improve cheese acceptability. In addition, the known benefits of using donkey milk in cheesemaking, such as the reduction of blowing defects and the probiotic properties, could increase interest in innovative products among both processors and consumers. Processors could reduce, if not eliminate, the use of additives in cheesemaking, while cheese could also appeal to consumers of probiotic and fermented products

Short communication: Sensory profile and acceptability of a cow milk cheese manufactured by adding jenny milk

The addition of jenny milk during cheesemaking has been recommended as a viable alternative to egg lysozyme for controlling late blowing defects. However, little is known on the sensory properties of the cheeses made with jenny milk. In this study, the effect of the addition of jenny milk during cheesemaking on sensory properties and consumer acceptability of cheese was evaluated. A sensory profile was carried out by 10 trained panelists on 4 cow milk cheese types. Two types of cheeses were made by adding jenny milk to cow milk during cheesemaking; the cheeses were then left to ripen for 45 and 120 d. The remaining 2 cheese types were made with only cow milk and were also left to ripen for 45 and 120 d. The attributes generated by a quantitative descriptive analysis sensory panel were effective for discriminating the 4 products. Among them, added jenny milk samples aged for 45 d had the highest intensity of some appearance descriptors (structure and color uniformity), as well as the highest intensity of sweetness. The analysis of acceptability data obtained from 89 consumers showed that added jenny milk aged for 45 d was the most preferred type of cheese, whereas no significant differences were found among the other products, which had higher intensity of bitter, salty, acid milk, and so on. © 2016 American Dairy Science Association

Effect of donkey milk addition on the acceptability of Caprino, a typical goat cheese from Basilicata region, Italy

In this preliminary study we evaluated the effect of different donkeys’ milk additions in cheese making on the acceptability of fresh Caprino, a typical goat cheese produced in a region of southern Italy. In cheese making three batches were considered: A1 only goats’ milk, A2 and A3 with the addition of 5% and 10% of donkeys’ milk, respectively. With the exception of colour, the lowest donkeys’ milk addition improved the acceptability of Caprino cheese. In particular, significant highest ratings (P < 0.05) were observed on odour, flavour, texture and on overall likin

Effect of different physical treatments on antioxidant activity of jenny milk

The shelf life of food can be extended by employing several physical treatments. Among them, pasteurization and condensation are widely adopted for prolonging the shelf-life of milk by reducing the microbial load. However, these treatmens could affect the antioxidant activity of the product. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of pasteurization and condensation on the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) of raw and pasteurised jenny milk. Using 2,2’-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. TAC was also measured after condensation at 40 and at 20% of the initial volume. ABTS assay was found to be more accurate and reproducible than DPPH. Pasteurisation reduced significantly (P<0.05) the total antioxidant capacity from 84.15to 82.09% (ABTS test). The TAC decreased with the increase of condensation in raw and pasteurised milk. Overall, the TAC was reduced by only 3 and 4%, in pasteurised and in raw milk, respectively (ABTS test). Therefore, both pasteurization and condensation are recommended as physical treatments to prolong the shelf-life of jenny milk

Diet of the Italian hare ( Lepus corsicanus ) in a semi-natural landscape of southern Italy

The food habits of the endangered Italian hare have not received adequate attention from researchers. In this study, the diet composition of this species and its seasonal variation were assessed by analysing faecal pellets in a semi-natural landscape in the south of Italy. The results showed that hares feed on 62 species of plants during the year, with a conspicuous presence of herbaceous ones (e.g., Trifolium pratense , Brachypodium sylvaticum , Festuca arundinacea ) as these occurred at high frequencies in most of the faecal samples. In spring, diet composition was characterised by a high percentage of Graminaceae ( > 37%). In the other seasons, hares also included fruits (e.g., Prunus spinosa , Pyrus piraster , Malus sylvestris ), which, in autumn, accounted for > 27%. There were significant differences among seasons (p < 0.001) in terms of Margalef ’ s richness, Shannon diversity, and Buzas and Gibson ’ s evenness. The smallest values of richness and diversity were observed in spring. Dietary overlap was low between spring and the other seasons; conversely, there was substantial overlap ( > 70%) in the diets during the other seasons with a more pronounced similarity between summer and autumn (S ø rensen, C s = 0.80; Morisita-Horn, C MH = 0.73)

Il latte d'asina nella cosmesi: indagine conoscitiva tra innovazione e tradizione

Nell’ambito di una più ampia ricerca inerente alla Conservazione della Specie Asinina e la salvaguardia delle aree marginali tramite la valorizzazione in prodotti di onocosmesi è stata svolta una prima indagine quantitativa di mercato. Il latte di asina, oltre ad essere un eccellente sostituto del latte umano, è anche un buon costituente di base per la preparazione di cosmetici. Infatti, è un tensore naturale, ricco in vitamine e sali minerali essenziali per la rigenerazione delle cellule. Lo studio, effettuato in Basilicata, ha avuto come obiettivo la conoscenza di alcuni aspetti quali-quantitativi del prodotto. L’indagine ha evidenziato la propensione di oltre il 75% dei consumatori intervistati all’acquisto di cosmetici innovativi prodotti con sostanze naturali

Sensory Profile and Consumer Liking of Sustainable Salamis Differing in Wild Boar Meat and Seasoning Ingredients Addition

: The production of game meat is a proven way of promoting sustainable food, which is also consistent with the proper management of the expansion of the wild boar population in Italy. In the present study, we investigated consumer response to sensory attributes and consumer preference for ten types of "cacciatore" salamis prepared with different mixtures of wild boar/pork (30/50 or 50/50) and spice ingredients. PCA analysis showed a clear characterization of the salamis based on the first component with the hot pepper powder and fennel types differing from the others. For the second component, salamis without flavorings could be discriminated by those flavored with aromatized garlic wine or with black pepper only. The main findings of the hedonic test revealed that products with hot pepper and fennel seeds received the highest ratings, as well as satisfactory acceptance in the consumer test sensory analysis for eight out of ten products. The panelists and consumers' ratings were influenced by the flavors used, but not by the ratio of wild boar to pork. This gives us the opportunity to produce more cost-effective and environmentally friendly products, as doughs with a high proportion of wild boar meat can be used without affecting product preference

Diet Selection by the Italian Hare (Lepus corsicanus de Winton,1898) in Two Protected Coastal Areas of Latium

Abstract: This study was focused on the diet and feeding behaviour of Lepus corsicanus in two protected coastal areas of Latium, Castelporziano Presidential Estate (CPE) and Circeo National Park (CNP). Plant frequency was assessed by the quadrat method, while diet composition was determined by microhistological analysis of faecal samples. Over the year, the Italian hare fed on 185 of the 229 plant species identified in vegetation, with most of them ingested in low percentages (1%). During the dry season (DS), in both areas, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Cynodon dactylon, and Avena fatua were among the most consumed species. In the wet season (WS) the most common plant species in diet were B. sylvaticum, Poa trivialis, and Carex distachya in CPE and Dactylis glomerata, Cynosurus echinatus, and Spartium junceum in CNP. In both sites, considering the annual selection of life forms, grasses and leguminous forbs were preferred, while non-leguminous forbs and shrubs were used less than expected according to their availability. ANOSIM analysis showed significant differences between sites in DS and WS diets. Our study evidenced that the Italian hare behaved as generalist, revealing its capability for exploiting several plant species and to adapt its diet preferences to space-time variation of food availability

Comportamento alimentare di Capreolus capreolus italicus nella Tenuta Presidenziale di Castelporziano

In questa ricerca è stata studiata la composizione della dieta invernale di Capriolo italico in due siti compresi nella Tenuta Presidenziale di Castelporziano. La composizione della dieta è stata determinata mediante analisi microistologica dei pellet fecali. Per valutare le differenze nella composizione della dieta tra i siti sono state utilizzate misure univariate di alfa e beta diversità. Oltre il 60% delle specie vegetali identificate (90) è statoritrovato nella dieta e le specie legnose hanno rappresentato oltre un quarto della dieta. Le specie più consumate sono risultate Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Pyrus communis, e Rubia peregrina. Gli indici di alfa diversità hanno evidenziato, in entrambi i siti, una composizione della dieta ricca e diversificata. L’indice di selezione di Manly ha mostrato in entrambi i siti: a) selezione positiva per gli alberi e cespugli sempreverdi e per gli alberi e cespugli caducifogli; b) selezione negativa per le erbacee spontanee a foglia larga e le graminoidi. Dall’analisi della similarità (ANOSIM) emergono differenze significative fra le diete dei due siti. I nostri risultati hanno confermato che questa sottospecie ha adeguato il suo comportamento alimentare, in relazione alle disponibilità di risorse alimentari. Per le specie endemiche, come il Capriolo italico, la conoscenza del comportamento alimentare può fornire indicazioni utili per la conservazione e la gestione delle popolazioni relitte

L'allevamento bovino e ovicaprino nei Parchi della Basilicata

Gli allevamenti di tipo estensivo gestiti con criteri razionali possono esercitare azioni peculiari nella conservazione di alcuni habitat e permettono nel tempo di contenere le specie invasive e con scarso valore alimentare, consentendo di mantenere una elevata diversità vegetale (Cosentino et al., 2010; Pirani et al., 2008). Nelle direttive europee si evidenzia il valore intrinseco della diversità biologica e dei suoi componenti ecologici, genetici e socio-economici, nella salvaguardia di ambienti naturali o semi-naturali di particolare pregio. La conservazione della biodiversità zootecnica si basa sulla conoscenza di un territorio di riferimento, della sua biodiversità storica, o che in tale territorio è possibile realizzare, nonché delle criticità e dei punti di forza del settore zootecnico. Determinare il carico sostenibile con il mantenimento delle biocenosi è fondamentale, specialmente quando si opera all’interno di aree protette. Il Domestic Animal Information System (DAD-IS) della FAO aggiorna e suddivide i tipi genetici a rischio di estinzione e attualmente rileva 233 razze di interesse zootecnico in più rispetto ai dati censiti nel 2000. Gli ovini registrano il più alto numero di nuove razze inserite (+39), seguono i caprini (+31) e i bovini (+28). I tipi genetici autoctoni a forte rischio di erosione genetica potrebbero avere un’importante occasione di ripresa attraverso il PSR 2007/2013 indirizzato al “miglioramento dell’ambiente" e rafforzando le azioni volte alla valorizzazione del paesaggio rurale. L’indagine effettuata ha riguardato le principali specie di interesse zootecnico e la loro distribuzione nell’anno 2012, desunta dall’Anagrafe Nazionale Zootecnica (Banca Dati Nazionale, BDN), nelle quattro aree protette regionali: Parchi Nazionali dell'Appennino Lucano Val d'Agri Lagonegrese e del Pollino; Parchi Regionali di Gallipoli-Cognato e Piccole Dolomiti Lucane e delle Chiese Rupestri del Materano. Le estensioni dei territori comunali ricadenti nelle aree protette sono state fornite dagli Enti Parco e la perimetrazione è stata realizzata in Ambiente GIS. Risulta che il 20% della superficie totale regionale ricade nei parchi regionali, nazionali e riserve naturali per un totale di circa 200.000 ha. Dal monitoraggio sulle attività zootecniche è emerso che la maggior parte delle aziende zootecniche è a conduzione diretta, con elevata frammentazione fondiaria e con sistema di allevamento prevalente semibrado per tutte le specie allevate e l’età media degli imprenditori è in contro tendenza rispetto al quadro nazionale caratterizzato da una senilizzazione del settore; ciò è in parte dovuto alla attivazione della Misura 112 “Primo insediamento". Nel 2012 in tutta la regione sono allevati e iscritti alla BDN: 260.679 capi ovini, 89.103 bovini, 62.008 caprini. Nelle aree protette si concentra il 40% dei bovini, il 37% dei caprini e il 30% degli ovini. In questo contesto di rivalutazione dell’attività silvo-pastorale il modello produttivo emerso è la piccola impresa agricola dove l’allevatore riveste ancora un ruolo focale rispetto ai processi di pianificazione e per il presidio e il governo delle aree parco