Organic poultry breeding allows for increased exposure of birds to soil, faeces, and wildlife, which have been associated with the transmission of mycobacterial infections. Therefore the aim of this ...study was to investigate the spread of the major pathogenic mycobacteria in organically reared broilers in Greece using a diagnostic algorithm that relied on a combination of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP).
Liver, spleen and gonads from 81 to 150 days old broilers were aseptically collected post-mortem. 500 broilers from a population of 35,370, reared in the 25 registered as organic farms in Greece for the 2005 were used. DNA was isolated and incorporated to PCR targeted to 16S-rRNA gene (for
Mycobacterium spp.), IS6110 (for
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex—MTBc), IS1245 (for
Mycobacterium avium complex—MAC), IS901 (for
M. avium subsp.
avium—MAA) and hsp65 (for
Mycobacterium genavense, by PCR-RFLP). The mean prevalence of mycobacteria detected by PCR with a 95% confidence interval was estimated to 4.4–8.8%. The relevant percentage with regard to the mycobacterial species that were included in this study was 0.17–2.03% for MAC, 2.11–3.39% for MTBc and 0.66–3.08% for mycobacteria not belonging to any of the above groups. None of the mycobacteria detected were identified as MAA or
M. genavense.
Considering that avian tuberculosis has been eradicated from conventional farms, the level and the pattern of positivity recorded here, indicates that our results may be associated with the specific conditions that apply to organic breeding.
•The whole sesame seeds in goats’ diets (10%) improve their milk fatty acids profile.•The whole sesame seeds in goats’ diets (10%) improve oxidative stability of milk.•The whole sesame seeds in ...goats’ diets (10%) improve organism antioxidant status.
Whole sesame seeds (WSS), although rich in linoleic acid, have not been studied for their impact on the milk fatty acid (FA) profile. Twenty-four goats were divided into three homogeneous subgroups. A control (CON) group and treated groups, in which WSS were incorporated in the concentrates of the CON at 5% (WSS5) and 10% (WSS10), respectively, by partial substitution of both soybean meal and corn grain, were evaluated. Significant increases in the milk fat and total solids contents of goats fed the WSS10 diet compared with the CON were found. In the milk of WSS10-fed goats, the proportions of long-chain fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) were increased, while those of medium-chain fatty acids and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) were decreased compared with those of the CON group. Significant decreases in the proportions of short-chain fatty acids, in the SFA/UFA ratio and in the atherogenicity index value in milk of treated goats were observed. The proportions of C15:0 and C17:0 FAs in the blood plasma of WSS10-fed animals compared with CON-fed animals were reduced significantly. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities increased significantly in the blood plasma of WSS10-fed goats compared with CON-fed goats. Additionally, in the treated goats, the protein carbonyls (PC) in blood plasma and both PC and malondialdehyde contents in milk declined significantly. A significant enhancement in the total antioxidant capacity measured by the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) in the milk of WSS10-fed goats compared with the CON was found. Similarly, an increase in the FRAP value of milk of WSS5-fed goats compared with CON-fed goats was observed. In conclusion, the highest inclusion level of WSS (WSS10) in goat diets improves the FA profile and the oxidative stability of milk and improves the organism's antioxidant status.
•SOM alone or combined with Se or VitE reduces the MCFA and SFA in goats’ milk.•SOM alone or with vitE or Se and VitE simultaneously, reduces the SFA/UFA ratio.•SOM alone or with vitE or Se and VitE ...simultaneously increases the UFA content.•SOM with VitE and Se simultaneously modifies more effectively the milk FA profile.
Although sesame oil meal is rich in linoleic acid, and both selenium (Se) and vitamin E (VitE) protect prone-unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) from oxidation, their influence on goats’ milk fatty acids (FAs) profile have not been studied. Thus, thirty dairy goats were divided into five groups and fed with alfalfa hay and concentrates. Two types of concentrates were used; one for the control (CON) and another for the treated groups. In the concentrate of the treated groups which contained sesame oil meal, apart from the quantities of VitE and Se included in the trace mineral-vitamin premix, either no extra VitE and Se (SOM) or extra 60 mg of VitE/Kg of concentrate (SOME), or 0.1 mg organic Se/Kg of concentrate (SOMSe) or its combination (60 mg of VitE and 0.1 mg organic Se/Kg of concentrate) (SOMESe) were incorporated. In blood plasma, the proportion of C14:0 reduced significantly in the SOME-fed goats compared with CON-fed goats while that of C16:0 reduced significantly in those goats fed the SOM, SOMSe, SOMESe diets. The proportions of medium-chain FAs (MCFA) and saturated FAs (SFA), and the atherogenicity index value reduced significantly in the milk of treated animals. Significant was also the decline in the SFA/UFA ratio in the milk of goats fed with the SOM, SOME and SOMESe diets. On the contrary, the proportions of long-chain FAs in the milk of SOM and SOMESe fed goats increased significantly. A significant increase in the proportions of UFA in the milk of SOME and SOMESe-fed goats and in the proportions of MUFA in those goats fed the SOM, SOME and SOMESe diets was found. In conclusion, the SOMESe diet can be considered as the most effective nutritional strategy to affect positively the goats’ milk FAs profile since the sharpest modifications in the aforementioned FAs were observed with this dietary treatment.
•Effect of different dietary olive pulp inclusion rates during grower and finisher phases on broiler chickens was studied.•Dietary olive pulp at 50 g and 80 g/kg during grower and finisher phase, ...respectively, impaired feed efficiency.•Dietary olive pulp at 25 g and 50 g/kg during grower and finisher phase, respectively, did not affect growth performance.•Breast meat oleic acid was increased by dietary olive pulp addition in a dose dependent manner.•Breast meat oxidative stability, pH24, and color were impaired by dietary olive pulp at 80 g/kg during finisher phase.
Two hundred 10-d-old broiler chickens were used to study the effects of different dried olive pulp (DOP) inclusion rates on growth performance and meat quality. Broiler chickens were assigned to 4 experimental treatments (5 replicates of 10 broiler chickens each) for 32 d. The broiler chickens of each treatment were offered a different combination of grower (d 11 to 22; grower phase) and finisher (d 23 to 42; finisher phase) diets in terms of DOP content. The experimental treatments were: control (C), grower and finisher diets with no DOP; treatment 1 (T1), grower and finisher diets with 25 and 50 g DOP/kg, respectively; treatment 2 (T2), grower and finisher diets with 50 g DOP/kg; and treatment 3 (T3), grower and finisher diets with 50 and 80 g DOP/kg, respectively. Feed intake and body weight were recorded to calculate weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Fatty acid (FA) composition, oxidative stability, pH at 24 h post-mortem (pH24), color properties, cooking loss, and tenderness (as shear force) were determined in the breast muscle obtained from 2 broiler chickens/replicate pen of each treatment at d 42. The FCR was greater in T2 and T3 compared to C (P = 0.013) during the grower phase. During the finisher phase, FCR was greater in T3 when compared to C (P = 0.014), and to T1 and T2 (P = 0.031). The addition of DOP increased 18:1n-9 and total monounsaturated FA (P < 0.001) in the breast muscle in a dose dependent manner. Reduced oxidative stability, lower pH24, and increased lightness of breast meat in T3 compared with C (P = 0.003, 0.004, and 0.001, respectively), and with T1 and T2 (P = 0.004, 0.020, and 0.012, respectively) were observed at d 42. In conclusion, broiler chickens utilize DOP supplemented diets more efficiently when dietary DOP inclusion is increased gradually with age, i.e., by using a combination of grower and finisher diets with a maximum of 25 and 50 g DOP/kg, respectively. Breast meat can be enriched with 18:1n-9 FA by DOP addition; however, DOP should not exceed 50 g/kg diet because it can be detrimental to breast meat oxidative stability, pH24, and color.
Greek Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses are characterised by high nutritional values and origin traits. The aim of the study was to determine the content of 65 elements, of Greek PDO ...cheeses, through inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and examine the elemental metabolome as a potential authenticity marker. One hundred twelve samples from 21 PDO, one potential PDO and nine non-PDO cheeses were assessed. Discriminant analysis based on total fingerprinting was able to determine the geographic origin with 99.1% accuracy. The most significant variables of the model were Ce, Dy, Eu, Gd, Ho, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, Y, Yb, Pd, As, Ba, Co, Fe, Ga, Mo, Ni, Ti, Zr, Ca and P. The results demonstrate that elemental metabolomics can be successfully applied for cheese authentication. The elemental fingerprint could provide a reliable discrimination while rare earth elements are promising authenticity markers.
Meat quality is related to a variety of muscle types consisting of different muscle fibers which are a reflection of its energy requirements and lipid content. Due to that, factors such as source of ...suckled milk, age and sex which affect the fatty acid (FA) profile and associated with meat quality should be determined in different muscles, since humans consume different parts of the carcass. A total of 40 goat kids of Damascus breed were used to determine the effect of rearing system, age and sex on the FA profile of Semimembranosus proprius (SP), Longissimus dorsii (LD) and Triceps brachii (TB). The goat kids were assigned into two groups balanced for body weight and sex. The first group (n=20), (10 male and 10 female goat kids) underwent natural rearing and received only maternal milk until weaning. The second group (n=20) (10 male and 10 female goat kids), was subject to artificial suckling with a commercial milk replacer. At weaning (49 days of age), 10 animals from each group were weighed and slaughtered. The remaining goat kids of both groups, after weaning were fed daily 100g barley hay per animal and a commercial concentrate diet ad libitum up to 98 days of age, where they were also weighted and slaughtered. The results showed that the body weight and the growth rate were significantly higher in males than females goat kids when fed with maternal milk. Moreover, the growth rate was significantly higher in the naturally compared with the artificially goat kids. The muscles FA composition, especially the branched chain FA, saturated FA and n-3 FA, reflects that of the milk source (maternal or artificial). Significant differences were found among the three muscles (SP, LD and TB) of goat kids for several individual FAs. The concentrations of C18:0 and trans C18:1 FA increased significantly whereas n-3 FAs decrease in the fat of goat kids slaughtered at 98 compared 49 days of age, due to the shift from milk to a fodder diet. Sex did not affect the FA profile of goat kids. In conclusion, naturally reared goat kids is better slaughtered at younger age before a shift from milk to a fodder diet whereas a fodder diet compared with a milk replacer can improve muscle FA profile of goat kids.
•The FA profile of goat kid muscles reflects that of suckled milk.•Naturally reared goat kids is better slaughtered at younger age.•A fodder diet compared with a milk replacer improve muscle FA profile of goat kids.•Differences exist among muscles of goat kids for several individual FAs.
Threshold (Th) is a neurophysiological parameter frequently used in TMS studies. The present study was designed to investigate the repeatability of the Th measurements by reexamining healthy subjects ...over various time points. Overall, 82 subjects (median age: 19 years, range: 12–65) entered the study. Following a baseline examination, there were six retest sessions: S0 (
n = 8 hemispheres reexamined, mean interval
x = 19 min), S1 (
n = 34 hemispheres reexamined, mean interval
x = 4 days), S2 (
n = 32 hemispheres,
x = 29 days), S3 (
n = 30 hemispheres,
x = 106 days), S4 (
n = 30 hemispheres,
x = 183 days) and S5 (
n = 30 hemispheres,
x = 1867 days). Stimulation was performed with a figure of eight coil and Th was defined at 1% steps. At baseline, controls had an MT of 41.1 ± 8. Mean difference of MT from baseline was 0.62 on S0 (95% confidence interval (CI) of the difference: –1.04 to +2.29), 0.13 on S1 (95% CI: –1.2 to +1.5), –0.03 on S2 (95% CI: –1.1 to +1.06), –2.07 on S3 (95% CI: –4.33 to +0.19), 0.15 on S4 (95% CI: –0.98 to +1.28) and 0.87 on S5 (95% CI: –0.49 to +2.23). None of these differences were statistically significant (repeated measures ANOVA,
P > 0.05). The upper limit of MT difference that an individual subject might have with a probability of 95% (measurement error) was 8. The repeatability of the method was found to be independent from the age of the subjects, the magnitude of threshold or the test–retest interval. The topography of corticomotor threshold was also investigated. Minimal threshold values were obtained from a restricted area of scalp sites that always included the fixed stimulation point of the current protocol. Therefore, using a fixed stimulation point is an adequate technique for measuring threshold. In conclusion, threshold is a stable parameter on an individual and group basis. These data quantify the repeatability of the method and may prove useful in the interpretation of findings during longitudinal studies.
Le seuil (Th) est un paramètre fréquemment utilisé dans les TMS. L’objet de la présente étude est d’explorer la réapplicabilité d’une mesure Th en réexaminant à différents moments des sujets sains. Dans l’ensemble, l’étude a pris en compte 82 sujets (âge moyen : 19 ans – rang 12–65). L’examen de base a amené à six sessions de répétition du test : S0 (
n = 8 hémisphères réexaminés dans un intervalle,
x = 19 minutes), S1 (
n = 34 hémisphères,
x = 4 jours), S2 (
n = 32 hémisphères,
x = 29 jours), S3 (
n = 30 hémisphères,
x = 106 jours), S4 (
n = 30 hémisphères,
x = 183 jours), et S5 (
n = 30 hémisphères,
x = 1867 jours). La stimulation a été pratiquée au moyen d'une bobine « en 8 », et le seuil a été défini par pas de 1 %. A l’examination de base, les contrôles avaient un MT de 41,1 ± 8. Le plus petit écart de MT enregistré était de 0,62, remarqué entre l’examen de base et la S0 (95 % intervalle de confiance de la différence : –1,04 to +2.29
P > 0.05), 0,13 à S1 (95 % Cl : -1,2 à +1,5,
P > 0.05), –0,03 à S2 (95 % Cl : –1,1 à +1,06,
P > 0.05), –2,07 à S3 (95 % CL : –4,33 à = 0,19,
P > 0.05), 0,15 à S4 (95 % Cl : –0,98 à +1,28,
P > 0.05) et 0,87 à S5 (95 % Cl : –0,49 à +2,23,
P > 0.05). La limite extrême de la différence de MT qui pouvait présenter un sujet, avec une probabilité de 95 % (erreur de mesure), était de 8. La réproductibilité de la méthode s’est montrée indépendante de l’âge des sujets, de la grandeur du seuil ou de l’intervalle entre les répétitions des tests. En conclusion, le seuil (Th) mesuré suivant la méthode présentée est un paramètre stable au niveau individuel aussi bien que collectif. Ces données quantifient la réproductibilité de la méthode qui pourrait se montrer utile dans l’interprétation des données relevées pendant des études à long terme.
•The starch/NDF ratio of concentrates had no effect on goats milk chemical composition and caseins.•The starch/NDF ratio of concentrates modified some individual fatty acids of goats milk.•The ...starch/NDF ratio of concentrates had no effect on rennet clotting properties of goats milk.
The partial substitution of corn grain (rich in starch) with agro-industrial by-products (rich in NDF) could be a good strategy to reduce ruminant dietary costs with no negative effects on milk properties. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of different starch/NDF ratios of concentrates, with fixed forage proportions, on the chemical composition and fatty acid profile as well as on the relative proportions of individual caseins and rennet clotting properties of goat’s milk. For this purpose, sixteen crossbred dairy goats were divided into two homogeneous sub-groups based on their mean body weight and milk fat corrected yield. Each goat of each group was fed individually with alfalfa hay, wheat straw and concentrates. The two concentrates of the two dietary treatments were formulated to produce difference starch/NDF ratios, which were 1.2 and 0.3 for high starch (HS) and low starch (LS), respectively. The results showed no significant effect on milk chemical composition between the two dietary treatments. Moreover, the different starch/NDF ratios of the concentrates had no effect on the casein profile and coagulation properties of goat’s milk. A significant reduction of κ- and αs2- casein percentages in the milk throughout the experimental period was found. Finally, the different starch/NDF ratios of the concentrates did not reveal remarkable differences in milk fatty acids except for the individual proportions of C4:0, C6:0, C18:0 and C18:2n:6t, which were significantly higher, while those of C14:1, C15:0, C16:1, C17:0, C17:1 and C20:3n-3 were significantly lower, in goats that were milk fed with the HS diet compared with those who consumed the LS. In conclusion, the 4 times decrease in the starch/NDF ratio of the concentrates without changing the forage/concentrate ratio of the goat’s diet could reduce the feeding cost without causing any problems in the rennet clotting properties of milk and consequently in the milk industry.
Algit Super®, an extract ofAscophyllum nodosum, was found to be an effective stimulant for the germination ofOrobanche ramosa seeds. The biological activity of Algit Super® was tested at a wide range ...of concentrations from 2.5 v/v to 1.2 × 10^sup -3^ v/v. The seed germination in all studiedO. ramosa populations showed a concentration dependence, with an inhibitory effect at higher concentrations. The response ofO. ramosa to Algit Super® resembled its response to the reference stimulant GR24. VariousO. ramosa populations demonstrated differential response to the stimulant.PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
