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AbstractFour groups each consisting in 440, 60 days old rabbits, were fed, respectively, four experimental diets: (1) MOS_0.5 (Bio-Mos® at 0.5 g/kg); (2) MOS_1.0 (Bio-Mos® at 1.0 g/kg); (3) MOS_ 1.5 (Bio-Mos® at 1.5 g/kg) and (4) antibiotics (AGP, colistin sulphate 144 mg/kg; tylosin 100 mg/kg and oxytetracyclin 1000 mg/kg). Up to slaughter age (82 days of age) mortality rate was recorded daily. For each group, 64 rabbits were controlled weekly for live weight to calculate daily weight gain (DWG). Feed intake (and, by consequence feed conversion ratio) was measured, weekly, per group. At 82 days 16 rabbits per group were slaughtered and carcass traits were recorded. No differences were recorded among groups in live weight at different age and in daily weight gain but, in particular during the last week, AGP and MOS_0.5 groups showed higher feed intake and less favourable feed conversion ratio. MOS_1.0 group showed significantly higher incidence of empty gastro-intestinal tract but not differences were found for dressing out percentage. Perirenal fat showed a lower incidence in MOS than in AGP groups.

AbstractPeripheral blood cultures were performed to study the sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in samples from 15 cows (Valdostana x Piedmontese crossbreds) showing average milk values of dioxins+furans+PCBs higher (18.56 pg/g of fat as WHO-TEQ) than those permitted (6.0 pg/g of dioxins+furans+PCBs as WHO-TEQ) and the results were compared with samples from 16 Valdostana dairy cows (1.75 pg/g of fat as WHO-TEQ) used as control. Significant (P<0.01) higher mean number of SCE/cell (7.10°2.8) were found in cows showing higher levels of dioxins and PCB compared to those achieved in the controls (SCE/cell=5.24°2.51).

AbstractItalian typical products of animal origin are strictly linked to native breeds. Their protection requires control of their reproductive and productive abilities. Hence the need for karyological studies to identify subjects with chromosome abnormalities linked to hypofertility or sterility. We report the results of karyological analyses carried out from January 2008 to December 2008 on 145 cattle of native breeds (Agerolese, Cinisara, Modicana and Podolica) reared in Southern Italy so as to evaluate and characterize the presence of chromosome abnormalities in subjects with normal phenotypes. Besides the 128 karyologically normal subjects (2n=60, XY and 2n=60, XX), 17 were carriers of rob (1;29) and one male was a carrier of cellular chimerism 2n=60, XX/XY. According to our data there is a high frequency of rob (1;29) in Cinisara and Podolica breeds while in Agerolese there was only one case of rob (1;29) and none in Modicana.

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to verify chromosome fragility in freemartin cattle using chromosome aberration (CA) and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) tests. A total of eighteen co-twins were investigated. Fourteen animals were identified as cytogenetically chimeric (2n=60, XX/XY) while 4 were classified as normal. Freemartin cattle showed a higher percentage of aneuploid cells (18.64%) and highly significant statistical differences (P< 0.001) in mean values of gaps (4.53 ± 2.05), chromatid breaks (0.26 ± 0.51), and significant statistical differences (P< 0.005) in mean values of chromosome breaks (0.12 ± 0.43) when compared to 10 control animals from single births (aneuploid cells, 11.20%; gaps, 2.01 ± 1.42; chromatid breaks, 0.05 ± 0.22; chromosome breaks, 0.02 ± 0.14).

AbstractIn order to find an alternative source of inoculum to caecal content for studying the in vitrofeed digestibility in domesticated ostriches, caecal content and faeces of 4 male birds were used as inocula for an in vitrogas production trial. Three alfalfa (hay, AH; green , GA; dehydrated, DA) were used as substrates. Caecal content and faeces, diluted respectively 1:2 (CI) and 1:4 (FI) with an anaerobic medium and were used as inocula. Gas production was recorded 22 times up to 120 h of incubation and fermentation characteristics (e.g. degraded organic matter, OMd; potential gas production, A; maximum fermentation rate, Rmax; volatile fatty acid, VFA) were studied by inoculum and substrate. CI showed a higher OMd (67.90 vs 64.60 %, respectively for CI and FI, P < 0.01) but lower A (200.6 vs 212.6 ml/g, respectively for CI and FI, P < 0.01) and Rmax (5.94 vs 6.56 ml/h, respectively for CI and FI, P < 0.05) than FI. No differences were found in tVFA production. The significant higher value of branched chain proportion [(isovaleric + isobutyrate)/tVFA] for CI (0.039 vs 0.032 respectively for CI and FI, P < 0.05) indicate a higher degradation protein for this inoculum.

AbstractThe present study reports on the expression and localization of “fragile sites” (FS) on prometaphase chromosomes of two groups of river buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis, 2n=50; Mediterranean Italian breed), reared in two different farms, with the aim to characterize chromosome fragility in this species. Totally, 400 aphidicolin induced breakages were identified and localized on the standardized ideogram of the river buffalo karyotype. Preliminary results can be synthesized as follows: (a) aphidicolin showed a remarkable decondensing effect on chromosome structure, enabling further studies at high resolution level; (b) the chromosomal expression of the breakages was not different in the two groups of animals; (c) the most fragile chromosomes were the inactive-X, chromosomes 9, 8 and active-X, showing 42, 32, 31 and 30 breakages, respectively; (d) the breaks were localized in the RBG-negative bands (corresponding to eterochromatic regions) or at the band-interband regions; (e) the chromosomal distribution of the break sites was not random and only partially related to chromosome length. The study is in progress to determine the relative incidence of the fragile sites at chromosomal band level, in order to construct a ‘fragile-site map’ of river buffalo, which could be utilized for genetic improvement programs of the species.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the correlation between in vitrocrude protein digestibility coefficients of insect meals from Tenebrio molitor(TI) and Hermetia illucens(HI) and their chemical composition traits as well as to develop regression equations able to estimate the in vitrocrude protein digestibility (CPd) from proximate analysis of insect meals. Twelve samples of insect meals (6 from TM larvae, TM 1-6 and 6 from HI larvae, HI 1-6) were obtained from different producers and analysed for chemical composition and in vitrocrude protein digestibility by a two-step enzymatic method (digestion with pepsin and trypsin-enriched pancreatin). For both insect meal samples, CPd was negatively correlated to ADF and chitin contents, while just for HI there was a positive correlation (P<0.01) between CP percentage of the samples and CPd. For both insect meals the former variable chosen in the stepwise analysis was the chitin, explaining the 79.45% of CPd variability for Tenebrio molitorsamples and the 98.30% for Hermetia illucens. In the second step, the amount of protein linked to ADF was added in the model for T. molitorand CP for H. illucenssamples. The coefficients chitin is the main constituent of insect body able to affect the crude protein digestibility of Tenebrio molitorand Hermetia illucenslarvae meals estimated by an in vitroenzymatic method.