Comparison of fatty acid profile in lamb meat and baby food based on lamb meat

The aim of this study was to compare the fatty acid (FA) profile of fresh lamb meat with those of baby foods based on lamb meat. For this purpose, samples of commercial homogenized (HO) and lyophilized (LIO) baby food based on lamb meat and fresh lamb meat (FM) were analyzed for their FA composition. All fatty acids, except for oleic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), differed among the three baby products tested. The sum of omega-6 FA and the ratio omega 6/omega 3 FA were lower in FM and LIO meat compared to HO samples. The content of total PUFA n-3 was the highest in FM, because of its highest content of C18:3 n3, EPA, DPA and DHA compared to LIO and HO baby food. The content of arachidonic acid was more than 6-fold higher in FM compared to LIO and HO. This study evidenced the possibility of enhancing the FA profile of commercial baby food based on lamb meat by using meat with healthier FA profile

Designing milk fat to improve healthfulness and functional properties of dairy products: from feeding strategies to a genetic approach

The present review, in the first part, deals with the most effective feeding strategies applied to dairy ruminants in order to enhance the healthfulness of milk fat. The largest changes in milk fatty acid (FA) composition have been obtained either by changing the amounts and the nature of forages in the diets of ruminants, particularly pasture, or by adding plant or marine oils to the diet. Alpine and legume based pastures are associated with high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), omega-3 FA and with low levels of saturated FA, but further studies are needed with the aim to better explain the effect of some plant species on milk FA composition. Linseed, soybeans safflower and sunflower are the most effective sources of unsaturated plant lipids used to enhance CLA and unsaturated FA content in milk fat. Among animal sources, marine oil is more effective than plant oils for enhancing CLA, vaccenic acid (VA) and omega-3 FA in milk fat, especially when fish oil is fed in combination with oil supplements rich in linoleic acid. In the second part of the review the potential contribute of genetic improvement to modifying milk FA composition is discussed. Recent studies have suggested that the genetic improvement of the nutritional quality of milk based on FA profile may be possible. At this aim, genetic parameters of milk FA composition have been estimated in Dutch, US and Italian Holstein populations and in a Belgian multiple breed population of dairy cows. In dairy sheep and goat there is still a lack of knowledge about genetic parameters and correlations of milk FA. The develop of specific selection indexes aimed to improve the nutritional properties of milk could be supported by the new insight about potential candidate genes able to affect a significant quote of the milk FA variability. Increasing evidences indicate the Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase (SCD) and Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT-1) genes as possible sources of FA variation in milk. Evidences from quantitative and molecular studies suggest a potential future animal selection, but some question about the kind of selection mechanism and the economic incentive for the improvement should be preliminarily answered

Is a hydrolysable tannin extracted from chestnut wood efficacious against necrotic enteritis?

A hydrolysable tannin extracted from chestnut (SaviotaN®) was tested for efficacy in controlling the proliferation of Clostridium perfringens in the gut of broiler chickens challenged via oral gavage first with coccidia (Eimeria tenella, Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima) at the age of 10 days, and then with Clostridium perfringens at the age of 15 days. We randomly allocated 150 broiler chickens within 5 poultry isolators (30 birds each). Dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet (C) composed of corn [575 g/kg on dry matter (DM)] and soybean meal (100 g/kg DM), barley bran (220 g/kg DM), corn gluten feed (30 g/kg DM), soybean oil (25 g/kg DM), vitamin mineral premix (49.5 g/kg DM), and four other diets obtained by adding chestnut tannin extract (1.5, 3, 5, and 12 g/kg during week 1, 10.0 g/kg during week 2, and 8.0 g/kg during the last two weeks, respectively) to C. At the age of 20 days, 15 birds/group were euthanised and individually examined for the level of gut infection by counting Clostridium perfringens and macroscopic gut lesions. Results demonstrated that chestnut tannin gave significant results even at low concentration levels in the feed (1.5 to 3.0 g/kg), but was actually efficient in controlling necrotic enteritis at levels ≥5.0 g/kg. The treatment (12.0 g/kg during the first week and 8.0 g/kg during the last two weeks of age) resulted very efficient in controlling the proliferation of Clostridium perfringens and in reducing the severity of gut damage compared to the untreated infected group

Lipid requirements in the nutrition of dairy ewes

The aim of this review was to contribute to the knowledge of lipid requirements in dairy ewes, by reviewing experi- mental papers about lipid supplementation in dairy ewe feeding. The number of trials in ewe feeding is lower than that in dairy cow feeding and, leaving calcium soap of palm oil out of consideration, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the effects of protected and unprotected lipid sources on milk yield and quality from dairy ewes. On the basis of data reported in the literature, the optimal dose of calcium soap of palm oil resulted to be 100-120 g/d. Also, milk fatty acid composition may be improved by adding calcium soap of fatty acids to ewe diets. The general effect of calcium salt sup- plementation is an increase in milk unsaturated fatty acids and a decrease in saturated ones. However, more research is needed in order to explain the effect of different fat sources (protected and unprotected) on milk yield and quality from dairy ewes

Genetic aspects of enteric methane emission in livestock ruminants

3This review summarizes the importance of enteric methane (CH4) emission in ruminants and summarizes the current state of knowledge relevant to genetic aspects on enteric methane production, highlighting future research needs and directions. Global average temperature has increased by about 0.7°C in the last century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG), including carbon dioxide (CO2), CH4, nitrous oxide (N2O) and halocarbons, have been responsible for most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the twentieth century. Agriculture, particularly livestock, is increasingly being recognized as both a contributor to the process and a potential victim of it. Policy interventions and technical solutions are required to address both the impact of livestock production on climate change and the effects of climate change on livestock production. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), declared that in the next 50 years, the world’s farmers will be called upon to produce more food than has been produced in the past 10,000 years, and to do so in environmentally sustainable ways. Therefore, the GHG reduction should be treated as a public good. The United States congress is prospecting to define a price on GHG emissions. Limiting the concentration of CO2 and other GHG in Earth’s atmosphere requires a technological and economic revolution. A costeffective way could be the genetic improvement of livestock, which produces permanent and cumulative changes in perfor mance. Animal variation in enteric CH4 emission has been reported in the literature, providing potential for improvement through genetic selection.openopenCassandro M; Mele M; Stefanon BCassandro, M; Mele, M; Stefanon, Brun

Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF) and Non Structural Carbohydrate (NSC) requirements in the nutrition of dairy ewes

The aim of this review was to contribute to the knowledge of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and non structural carbo- hydrate (NSC) requirements in the nutrition of dairy ewes. NDF and NSC requirements were evaluated by analysing a dataset that involved 30 experimental trials carried out from 1985 to 2003. The dataset included chemical composition of the experimental diets, individual milk yield, body weight, milk protein and fat content. These selected papers regard 10 different dairy ewe breeds (Valle del Belice, Bergamasca, Comisana, Delle Langhe, Massese, Sarda, Chios, Manchega, Lacaune and Friesian) and lactating ewes in mid lactation, kept under non homogeneous environmental and feeding conditions. Results substantially confirmed that which was recently reported in literature: NDF requirements are higher in late lactation than during early lactation and they vary between 33-38% on DM, while NSC requirements are higher during early lactation than in late lactation when the energy from NSC promotes an increase in fat deposits

Comparison of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in milk of ewes and goats with the same dietary regimen

Milk fat is an important source of potential anticarcinogens named conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The c9, t11-CLA is the major isomer and it is produced by ruminal hydrogenation of linoleic acid that leads first to vaccenic (11t-18:1) and finally to stearic acid (18:0). An alternative CLA pathway is related to the action of the mammary Δ9-desaturase enzyme on 11t-18:1. Diet is considered the main factor that influence the CLA concentration in milk fat. Differences in CLA content of sheep (Antongiovanni et al., 2002) and goats milk (Nudda et al., 2002) have been hypothesized, but results are difficult to compare due to different experimental condition in which the trials are carried out. The aim of this work is to compare the composition of milk fatty acids and CLA content in goats and sheep maintained in the same environmental condition and dietary regimen

Cheese making aptitude and the chemical and nutritional characteristics of milk from Massese ewes

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of season, locality and the different altitudes at which farms are located, on the physico-chemical composition, morphometric characteristics of fat globules, fatty acid composition and cheese making aptitude of milk of Massese ewe's raised in 11 flocks from two provinces of north-west Tuscany (Massa Carrara and Lucca). The winter lactation shows higher percentages of casein, lactose and not fat dry matter (P≤0.01); curd firming time (k20) is significantly lower and there is a greater curd firmness (a30) (P≤0.01); while in the summer there is a higher percentage of lipids (P≤0.01). The effect of the season significantly influences (P≤0.01) the size of the fat globules and impacted significantly on the fatty acids composition of the milk. In the hills the milk has a higher percentage of dry matter, protein, casein, fat, phosphorous and not fat dry matter (P≤0.01), whereas it has a lower percentage of lactose and calcium (P≤0.05). The Somatic Cell Count (SCC) and the Total Bacterial Count (TBC) are statistically greater on the plains (P≤0.01), while milk produced in the hills shows higher quantity of α-linolenic acid and lower saturated fatty acids (P≤0.05). In the two typical rearing areas for Massese ewes we found differences amongst dry matter, fat, phosphorous and SCC, higher (P≤0.01) in the province of Massa Carrara that also had the best rheological parameters, but we found the highest cheese yield (P≤0.05) in the province of Lucca where there are also the greatest weight loss (P≤0.01). The milks produced in the winter season and in hilly areas present the best physico-chemical and nutritional characteristics. However, we found that the technological side should be improved by diversifying cheese-making techniques in relation to the characteristics of milk. In fact, currently these techniques do not fully exploit the potential to transform those milks with the best qualitative characteristics

Histological Characteristics, Fatty Acid Composition of Lipid Fractions, and Cholesterol Content of Semimembranosus and Triceps Brachii Muscles in Maremmana and Limousine Bovine Breeds

This study examined the histological properties of Semimembranosus and Triceps brachii muscle in two different bovine breeds, Maremmana (an autochthonous breed from Tuscany, Italy) and Limousine. The animals were grazed in two adjoining pastures, received the same feed supplementation and were weighed monthly. The experimental period lasted from weaning (six months old) to slaughter (19 months old). Muscle samples were collected immediately after slaughter, before carcass cooling. Regarding the histological properties, the number of fibres (TNF), mean sarcolemma perimeter (MSP), cross section area (CSA), and total sarcolemma perimeter (TSP) were determined. Samples were also analysed for proximate composition, fatty acid profile of total lipids, phospholipids and neutral lipids and for total cholesterol content. Breed was a significant variation factor for the performance parameter and histological muscle fibre properties. Interestingly, despite that Maremmana being a less extensively genetically improved breed than Limousine, it showed higher weight at slaughter (+18%) and daily weight gain (+19%). Maremmana also showed smaller muscle fibres than Limousine and, consequently, the TSP was higher. This difference affected the lipid fraction distribution (Limousine was higher in phospholipids and lower in neutral lipids than Maremmana) and, consequently, the fatty acid composition of total lipids (Limousine was high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, while Maremmana was high in monounsaturated fatty acids). The results of this experiment highlight the importance of environmental and management conditions on the full expression of genotypic potentia

Cholesterol and fatty acids oxidation in meat from three muscles of Massese suckling lambs slaughtered at different weights

Eighteen Massese male lambs fed mainly with maternal milk were slaughtered at 11, 14 and 17 kg. Samples of Longissimus dorsi (LD), Triceps brachii (TB) and Semimembranosus (Sm) muscles were collected. Total intramus- cular lipids were extracted by means of a mix- ture of chloroform methanol 2/1. Cholesterol content and its oxidation product (COP) were determined by a gas chromatography appara- tus equipped with an apolar 30 m column. Fatty acid oxidation was evaluated by means of thio- barbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) extracting the sample with aqueous acidic solution. The effect of slaughter weight on oxi- dation of intramuscular lipids was found only in TB muscles. In this muscle the cholesterol content showed a decreasing trend, while the content of COPs significantly increased with the age of animals. Among the COPs, the 7- ketocholesterol and 7β-hydroxycholesterol were the most abundant, followed by α- and β- epoxy-cholesterol and cholestan-triol. The con- tent of TBARS did not vary owing to a similar fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat across weight of slaughter. In any case, the val- ues of TBARS did not reach the threshold of the detection of off-flavour in meat