Around 10.5 million tonnes of sheep milk are produced worldwide, and around 3.1 million tonnes in Europe. In Europe, sheep milk production has stagnated slightly in recent years and currently ...accounts for around 1/3 of the global production. Due to its high content of dry matter, milk fat, total protein and casein, sheep milk is an excellent raw material for cheese production. Milk processing and cheese making are not only economically important, but also part of the cultural heritage based on a long tradition, often taking place in rural and less developed areas. Milk production and quality are very complex and are influenced by numerous factors, the most important of which are breed, feeding and body condition, parity and stage of lactation, milking and udder health, and environmental factors. In addition, different types of stress such as heat stress, nutritional stress, weaning stress, shearing stress, stress of regrouping, etc. have a significant impact on the welfare and health of the sheep as well as on the quantity of milk produced, its chemical composition, processing characteristics and the economic efficiency of the flock. In recent years, due to climate change, there has been an increasing number of studies on the effects of heat stress on the reproductive and production characteristics of sheep, as well as on their welfare and health. In addition, heat stress is often associated to the feed and the lack of water. The effects of stress are particularly pronounced in extensive sheep farming and milk production, which are prevalent in sheep farming. The aim of this paper is to describe the effects of the main types of stress on the quantity and chemical composition of sheep milk and on animal welfare.
The aim of the present study was to determine the acid-base balance in the blood of the Lacaune sheep during different lactation stages. Thirty lactating Lacaune sheep were involved in the research, ...and were monitored in the early (day 60), medium (day 120), and late lactation stages (day 180). The following parameters were determined in the blood plasma: pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide – pCO2, partial pressure of oxygen – pO2, total pressure of carbon dioxide – tCO2, oxygen saturation – sO2, actual base excess Cbase – B, standard base excess Cbase – Ecf and electrolytes (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl- and HCO3- – bicarbonate), while total proteins – TP and albumin ALB were determined in the serum. Also, strong ion difference - SID, z value, anion gap - AG, weak anions, and cations - ATOTtp and ATOTalb, strong ion gap - SIG, unmeasured anions – XA and globulin concentrations were calculated. A significant effect of the lactation stage on most of the acid-base parameters in the blood of the Lacaune sheep was determined, except for pCO2, Cl-, z values and the SID. A significant increase of pO2, sO2, ATOTtp, ATOTalb, AG, SIGalb, SIGtp, XA, Na+, total proteins and albumins, as well as the decreased concentrations of K+ and Ca2+, were determined in the blood of the Lacaune sheep during lactation. During the medium stage of lactation, significant changes were determined in most of the acid-base parameters in the blood of the Lacaune sheep when compared to the other stages. A lactation stage may significantly affect the acid-base balance parameters in the blood of the Lacaune sheep, although the calculations of SIG, base excess (BE), and unmeasured anion (XA) values should also be included for the obtainment of a more comprehensive picture of the acid-base balance.
Cilj rada bio je utvrditi acidobaznu ravnotežu u krvi lakon ovaca tijekom različitih stadija laktacije. Za istraživanje je odabrano 30 lakon ovaca u laktaciji, koje su praćene u ranome (60. dan), srednjem (120. dan) i kasnom stadiju laktacije (180. dan). U krvnoj plazmi utvrđeni su pH, parcijalni tlak ugljičnoga dioksida (pCO2), parcijalni tlak kisika (pO2), ukupni tlak ugljičnoga dioksida (tCO2), saturacija kisikom (sO2), stvarni i standardni višak baza (Ea i Ecf) i elektroliti (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl- i HCO3 - – bikarbonati), a u serumu ukupni proteini (TP) i albumini (ALB). Također su izračunane sljedeće vrijednosti: razlika jakih iona (SID), z-vrijednost, anionski procjep (AG), slabi anioni i kationi (ATOTtp and ATOTalb), jaki ionski procjep (SIG), nemjereni anioni (XA) i koncentracije globulina. Utvrđen je značajan utjecaj stadija laktacije na većinu pokazatelja acidobazne ravnoteže u krvi lakon ovaca, osim sadržaja pCO2, Cl- , z-vrijednosti i SID-a. Utvrđeno je značajno povećanje sadržaja pO2, sO2, ATOTtp, ATOTalb, AG, SIGalb, SIGtp, XA, Na+, ukupnih proteina i albumina te smanjenje koncentracija K+ i Ca2+ u krvi lakon ovaca kako je laktacija odmicala kraju. Tijekom srednjega stadija laktacije utvrđene su značajne promjene većine pokazatelja acidobazne ravnoteže krvi lakon ovce u odnosu na druge stadije. Stadij laktacije može značajno utjecati na pokazatelje acidobazne ravnoteže krvi lakon ovaca te bi za potpuniju sliku pri izradi acidobazne ravnoteže trebalo uključiti i izračun SIG-a, viška baza (BE) i nemjerenih aniona (XA).
Heavy metals cause serious problems in the environment, and they can be accumulated in organisms, especially in the higher fungi. The concentration of Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Hg in 10 species of edible ...mushrooms in Medvednica Nature Park, Croatia was therefore determined. In addition, the similarity between the studied species was determined by cluster analysis based on concentrations of the aforementioned metals in the fruiting bodies. The contents of nickel, chromium, lead, cadmium, and mercury in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms were obtained by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The highest concentrations of Ni (3.62 mg kg
−1
), Cr (3.01 mg kg
−1
), and Cd (2.67 mg kg
−1
) were determined in
Agaricus campestris
. The highest concentration of Pb (1.67 mg kg
−1
) was determined in
Macrolepiota procera
, and the highest concentration of Hg (2.39 mg kg
−1
) was determined in
Boletus edulis
. The concentration of all heavy metals significantly differed (
p
< 0.001) between examined saprophytic and ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. Considering anatomical part of the fruiting body (cap-stipe), a considerably higher concentration of the analyzed elements was found in the cap for all mushroom species. According to calculated bioconcentration factors, all the examined species were found to be bioexclusors of Ni, Cr, and Pb and bioaccumulators of Cd and Hg. Cluster analysis performed on the basis of the accumulation of the studied metals revealed great phenotypic similarity of mushroom species belonging to the same genus and partial similarity of species of the same ecological affiliation.
Seasonal reproduction in sheep greatly limits the possibilities of continuous year-round production and equitable supply of sheep products on the market. The begging of breeding season in sheep is ...associated with melatonin secretion under the darkness influence. Melatonin, through specific G protein coupled receptors, MT1 and MT2, affects target tissues and organs. MTNR1A gene is located on 26th chromosome and has two polymorphic sites in sheep. The presence of polymorphism (M/M, R/R) is related to non-seasonal presence of estrus, while absence of polymorphism (m/m, r/r) is related to seasonal estrus presence. Individuals with "M" or "R" allele in homozygous or heterozygous form are characterized by more successful reproduction during long photoperiod or outside the usual breeding season.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of sex and slaughter weight of Istrian sheep lambs on pH value and meat colour. The study included 118 lambs of both sexes (64 male and 54 ...female) which were, prior slaughter, divided into two groups: light (17.76 kg; 28 male and 32 female) and heavy (20.17 kg; 3 male and 22 female). Carcass weight was determined immediately after carcass processing and after 24 hours, while the pH value and meat colour were determined 45 minutes and 24 hours after slaughter. Average hot and cold carcass weights in light lambs were 9.76 and 9.47 kg, and in heavy lambs 11.80 and 11.49 kg, with chilling loss of 2.96 and 2.60% respectively. Istrian sheep lambs carcasses are quite uniform in relation to sex in terms of all the investigated traits, except value of L* and a* colour parameters. For the production of larger lamb meat quantities it might be recommended to increase lambs slaughter weight since the higher slaughter weight has the positive effect on carcass weight and chilling loss while retaining the desirable values of meat quality parameters.
Ear length in sheep (Ovis aries) shows a wide range of natural variation, from the absence of an outer ear structure (anotia), to small outer ears (microtia), to regular ear length. Up until now, the ...underlying genetics of this phenotype has been studied in four sheep breeds from China, Jordan and Italy. These studies revealed a broad range of genes significantly associated with ear length, potentially indicating genetic heterogeneity across breeds or geographic regions. In the current study, we performed genome‐wide SNP genotyping and haplotype‐based mapping, in a population of 340 individuals, to identify loci influencing ear length variation in additional sheep breeds from Slovenia, Croatia, Cyprus and Greece. Additionally, two previously described candidate variants were also genotyped in our mapping population. The mapping model without candidate variant genotypes revealed only one genome‐wide significant signal, which was located next to HMX1 on OAR6. This region was previously described as being associated with ear length variation in the Altay and Awassi sheep breeds. The mapping model including the candidate duplication genotype near HMX1 as a fixed effect explained the phenotypic variance on OAR6 and revealed an additional genome‐wide significant locus on OAR13 associated with ear length. Our results, combined with published evidence, suggest that a duplication in the evolutionarily conserved region near HMX1 is the major regulator of ear length in sheep breeds descended from a larger region from Central Asia, to the Middle East, Cyprus, Greece and to the Alps. This distribution suggests an ancient origin of the derived allele.
The abundant biomass growth of aquatic macrophytes in wetlands is one of the major concerns affecting their residing biota. Moreover, the biomass degenerates within the wetlands, thereby causing a ...remixing of nutrients and emission of greenhouse gases. Therefore, it is crucial to find sustainable methods to utilize the biomass of aquatic macrophytes devoid of environmental concerns. The present study investigates the utilization of the biomass of three aquatic macrophytes, including the lake sedge (CL: Carex lacustris Willd.), water hyacinth (EC: Eichhornia crassipes Mart. Solms), and sacred lotus (NL: Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) to produce oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida) mushrooms. For this purpose, different combinations of wheat straw (WS: as control) and macrophyte’s biomass (WH) such as control (100% WH), CL50 (50% WH + 50% CL), CL100 (100% CL), EC50 (50% WH + 50% EC), EC100 (100% EC), NL50 (50% WH + 50% NL), and NL100 (100% NL) were used for P. florida cultivation under controlled laboratory conditions. The results showed that all selected combinations of wheat straw and macrophyte biomass supported the spawning and growth of P. florida. In particular, the maximum significant (p < 0.05) growth, yield, bioefficiency, proximate, and biochemical parameters were reported using the WH substrate followed by CL, NL, and EC biomass, which corresponds to the reduction efficiency of the substrate parameters. Therefore, the findings of this study reveal that the biomass of selected aquatic macrophytes can be effectively utilized for sustainable mushroom cultivation while minimizing the risk associated with their self-degeneration.
This paper investigated the impact of the combined use of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) biochar and plant-growth-promoting rhizobia (PGPR) on the growth, yield, and biochemical response of ...cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis). A preliminary study was conducted under greenhouse condition using six treatments (sextuplicate) as control (no addition), T1 (PGPR), T2 (5 g/Kg biochar), T3 (5 g/Kg biochar + PGPR), T4 (10 g/Kg biochar), and T5 (10 g/Kg biochar + PGPR) under greenhouse conditions. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-Zeiss), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier’s transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses showed that biochar produced from slow pyrolysis of SMS had advantageous structural, functional, and morphological properties for agricultural use. Results showed that SMS biochar addition aids the acceleration of soil nutrient properties. SMS biochar and PGPR application also significantly (p < 0.05) improved the selected growth, yield, and biochemical parameters of cauliflower. In particular, the highest cauliflower yield (550.11 ± 10.05 g), fresh plant biomass (1.66 ± 0.04 Kg), dry plant biomass (149.40 ± 4.18 g), plant height (22.09 ± 0.14 cm), root length (11.20 ± 0.05 cm), plant spread (28.35 ± 0.18 cm), and the number of leaves (12.50 ± 0.50) were observed in T5 treatment. Similarly, the best values for biochemical parameters and enzyme activities such as total chlorophyll (TC: 3.13 ± 0.07 mg/g), superoxide dismutase (SOD: 79.12 ± 1.29 µg/g), catalase (CAT: 55.70 ± 2.52 µg/g), peroxidase (POD 30.18 ± 0.37 µg/g), total phenolics (TP: 19.50 ± 0.31 mg/g), ascorbic acid (AA: 14.18 ± 0.55 mg/g), and total carotenoids (TCT: 150.17 ± 8.20 µg/100 g) were also recorded in the T5 treatment. The application of SMS biochar and PGPR showed a positive correlation with growth, yield, and biochemical response of cauliflower, as indicated by the Pearson correlation analysis. The findings of this study suggest efficient recycling of mushroom industry waste for biochar production and the use of PGPR to improve nutrient utilization in sustainable agriculture.
There is an increased production and demand for ewes’ milk in the Republic of Croatia, as well as globally. There is also a growing concern about its quality, since milk from farm animals may become ...contaminated with mercury and other toxic elements. Thus, the aim of this paper is to determine the influence of lactation stage on the ewes’ milk quality in western Croatia by considering concentrations of mercury and other elements in ewes’ milk. The research was conducted on 36 Travnik pramenka sheep during different lactation stages. The digested milk samples were analysed with continuous flow hydride generation technique by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Samples were taken during 40th, 80th and 120th d of lactation. Yield and quality of ewes’ milk was within lactation curve. As lactation progressed, significantly lower concentrations of Hg (on 80th d compared to 40th d) and of Cd (120th d compared to 80th d) were noted, and Hg on 120th d was below the detection limit. Concentrations of Ca and Cu were lower on the 120th d compared to 40th d, while P, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Se were lower on the 80th and 120th d compared to the 40th d. Concentrations of K, Mo, and Cr differed among all stages of lactation. Regarding toxic elements, the observed low concentrations of Hg, Co, Cd and As suggest that ewes’ milk in western Croatia is safe for human or animal consumption.
•Yield and chemical composition of ewes’ milk was within lactation curve.•Hg and Cd decreased in ewes’ milk with lactation progress.•Majority of macro and trace elements in ewes’ milk decreased during lactation.•Hg in Ewes’ milk from W Croatia does not pose a health risk for human consumption.
The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations of essential trace and toxic elements in the milk of Lacaune sheep during lactation in intensive rearing systems. This research was ...conducted with 30 Lacaune sheep that were monitored in the early (60 days of lactation), medium (120 days of lactation), and late (180 days of lactation) stages of lactation. The sheep were fed a pelleted feed mixture (1 kg/day), a cereal mixture (600 g/day), and alfalfa hay (ad libitum). The essential (Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, Mo, Se, Cr, and Ni) and toxic element (heavy metals: Cd, Pb, As, and Hg) concentrations in the feed and milk were determined using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Significant variations in the main essential trace and toxic elements, except for the Mo, Se, Ni, As, and Hg concentrations, were found in the milk of Lacaune sheep during lactation. As lactation progressed, in the late stage of lactation, significantly higher concentrations of Co, Mn, Mo, Cr, and Pb were found, while Zn and Cu in the milk of Lacaune sheep decreased significantly (4.15 and 0.21 mg/kg) compared to their concentrations in the early stage of lactation (5.66 and 0.43 mg/kg). Significantly lower concentrations of Fe and higher concentrations of Cd were found in the medium stage (0.23 mg/kg and 1.08 µg/kg) of lactation compared to both the early and late stages of lactation. An analysis of the correlation coefficients between the essential trace and toxic elements in Lacaune sheep milk during lactation determined a significantly positive correlation between Fe:Cr, Fe:Mn, Fe:Co, Fe:Se, Zn:Ni, Zn:Se, Cr:Mn, Cr:Co, Cr:Se, Cr:Mo, Mn:Co, Mn:Pb, Co:Ni, Co:Se, Ni:Se, Se:Mo, Se:Pb, and Cd:Pb. A significantly negative correlation was also found between Cu:Mn, Zn:Mo, Cg:Hg, and Hg:Pb. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended that the influence of the stage of lactation, as well as the breed of sheep, should be included when designing experiments. In general, sheep milk is rich in essential trace elements, but it also contains a very low content of toxic elements, which provides justification for increasing the breeding of Lacaune sheep and indicates the convenience of consuming their milk without risking the consumer's health.
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