Dietary Administration of Animal Diets with Aromatic and Medicinal Plants: Influence on Meat Quality

Aromatic plants are gaining importance in recent years as potential sources of natural food preservatives due to the growing interest in the development of safe and effective natural food preservation. The use of vegetal substances with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties to increase the shelf life in meat and meat products is a promising technology. Taking into account that the diet with antioxidant may be absorbed and prevent lipid oxidation and colour deterioration, the possibility of feeding animal diets contains aromatic and medicinal plant (as thyme leaf, rosemary and sage) as natural antioxidants and antimicrobials represent a very interesting opportunity to replace synthetic antioxidants. In this sense, herbs of the Labiatae family, such as rosemary and sage, have been extensively studied for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in a variety of systems. This review gives an overview of the current knowledge and recent trends in the use of plant-derived compounds from aromatic and medicinal as antimicrobials and antioxidant in animal diet and its effect on meat quality, their potentials and challenges

Biodisponibilidad de los ácidos grasos de cadena corta: mecanismos de absorción

Los ácidos grasos de cadena corta (AGCC) son ácidos monocarboxílicos con una cadena de uno a seis átomos de carbono saturados. Son los principales aniones del colon. Se presentan como ácidos libres en el tracto gastrointestinal de los mamíferos, siendo el producto fi nal de la digestión microbiana de los carbohidratos. Los índices de producción microbiana y de absorción son tan altos que los AGCC son la mayor fuente de energía (70-80%) en mamíferos como la vaca. La contribución de los AGCC a los requerimientos del metabolismo basal de los animales monogástricos depende de factores como la concentración y las cantidades totales de los mismos, índices de producción y absorción y la capacidad relativa del segmento intestinal considerando el peso del cuerpo del individuo. Además de su papel energético, van a intervenir en diversos procesos como el transporte de agua y electrolitos en el colon. Debido a su carácter hidrofílico, los ratios y mecanismos de absorción de estos ácidos son claramente diferenciables de los ácidos grasos de cadena larga liposolubles. En este artículo se hace un repaso a la funcionalidad de los ácidos grasos de cadena corta y sus mecanismos de absorción por difusión pasiva como por transporte activo.Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are monocarboxylic acids with a chain from one to six carbon atoms saturated. Are the major anions of the colon. Present as free acids in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals, the final product of microbial digestion of carbohydrates. The rates of microbial production and absorption are so high that the SCFA are the major source of energy (70-80%) in mammals such as cows. The contribution of SCFA to the requirements of basal metabolism of monogastric animals depends on factors such as concentration and the total amounts thereof, production and absorption rates and the relative ability of the intestinal segment considering the individual’s body weight. Besides its role energy will participate in various processes such as transport of water and electrolytes in the colon. Due to their hydrophilic nature, the rates and mechanisms of absorption of these acids are clearly distinguishable from long chain fatty acids liposoblubles. This article gives an overview of the functionality of short chain fatty acids and their mechanisms of uptake by passive diffusion and active transport

Bioactive Components of Human Milk: Similarities and Differences between Human Milk and Infant Formula

Nowadays, there is an increasing awareness regarding the relationship between food, nutrition, and health. It is obvious that this relation starts from the birth. In the early stage of life, breastfeeding is considered the preferred choice for infant feeding and human milk is the optimal food for an infant to keep its nutritional and health status. Because it contains a large group of bioactive compounds such as proteins, vitamins, nucleotides, oligosaccharides, immunoglobulins, and some of the bioavailable minerals beyond its content of the essential nutrients, human milk is classified as the first functional food in the infant life. The various bioactive components of human milk play a pivotal role in preventing the gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, anemia, and bone-related problems as well as it enhances the immune function and helps in the maturation of the digestive system. The exclusive breastfeeding pattern during the first 6 months of infant life and introducing complementary foods after this period have a potential role in protecting against certain diseases in the adult stage of life. This chapter is underlying the great potential of breastfeeding for mothers and babies. Moreover, it discusses the functionality of some components of human milk and its similarities and differences between human milk and infant formulas

Longitudinal study of cytokine expression, lipid profile and neuronal growth factors in human breast milk from term and preterm deliveries

Breast milk (BM) is considered as a reference for infant nutrition. The role of bioactive components, such as cytokines, hormones, growth factors (GFs) and fatty acids (FAs) is poorly known, but they might be implicated in immune response development. The aim of this study was to identify the lipid profile and the spectrum of cytokines and neuronal GF in BM samples and analyse the influence of gestational age and lactation time on these components. This study used a longitudinal prospective method for the characterization of cytokines, FAs and GFs global profiles in 120 BM samples from 40 healthy mothers (20 preterm and 20 term) collected as colostrum, transitional and mature milk. The cytokines were analysed by protein array (Ray Bio® Human Cytokine Array G6. Ray Biotech, Inc. Norcross, GA, USA) and the FAs were analysed by gas chromatography. The FA profile was similar between the term and the preterm BM samples. Omega-3-α-linoleic and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and omega-6-linoleic acid were the most abundant in the term and preterm samples during lactation. Omega-3 ETA and omega-3 EPA we observed exclusively in the preterm samples. The cytokine profile showed a different trend based on gestational age. A significantly higher expression of neurotrophic factors was found in the mature preterm milk samples as compared to the mature term samples. Our study is the first to identify the influence and interactions of perinatal factors on cytokine, GFs and FAs in human milk. © 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.We acknowledge support by the CSIC Open Access Publication Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer reviewe

Long-term effects of fishing on physiological performance of the Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) in the Lagoon of Venice

The Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) is an important economic resource for fisheries in the Lagoon of Venice, where this species is fished and farmed. With the aim of evaluating possible fishing-induced long-term effects undergone by clam populations subjected to fishing efforts, physiological biomarkers were measured at organism level (clearance and respiration rates, scope for growth and survival-in-air test). Clams were collected on a seasonal basis from sites characterized by various fishing management practices: a free fishing area at S. Angelo and an area licensed for clam farming at Chioggia, where a non-fishing sub-area was established. R. philippinarum collected at S. Angelo generally showed reduced filtering activity and higher oxygen consumption, revealing general worsening in clam well-being in comparison with individuals from both Chioggia areas. This condition, resulting in lower standardized scope for growth values, may be explained by both environmental and fishing effort differences. Comparing Chioggia samples, better physiological performances were exhibited by clams from the non-fishing area, though no significant differences were observed. In winter, the survival-in-air test revealed the detrimental effects of fishing on clams, whereas in the other seasons this response generally seemed to be mostly related to other exogenous and endogenous factors. Although differences among sites and seasons were always statistically significant, all physiological parameters indicate the great tolerance of R. philippinarum to changing environmental conditions.European Commission [99/062