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International audience; De nombreuses études au cours des 30 dernières années ont montré les effets des pratiques agricoles sur les composés du lait. Des combinaisons de pratiques peuvent avoir des effets antagonistes ou synergiques sur les composés du lait, mais ces effets combinés restent sous-étudiés. La recherche doit se concentrer sur la qualité intrinsèque globale du lait (incluant les dimensions sensorielles, technologiques, sanitaires et nutritionnelles) et identifier les combinaisons qui peuvent l'optimiser. L'objectif de cette étude était d'identifier quelles combinaisons de pratiques d'élevage obtenaient les meilleurs scores pour les dimensions sensorielles, technologiques, sanitaires, nutritionnelles et pour la qualité intrinsèque globale du lait. Quatre-vingt-dix-neuf fermes privées ont été visitées une fois chacune pour échantillonner leur lait en vrac et étudier leurs pratiques agricoles. Les pratiques enquêtées concernaient les caractéristiques du troupeau, la gestion de l'alimentation, les conditions d'hébergement, et les conditions de traite et de stockage du lait le jour de l'essai. Des analyses de lait de tank ont ​​été conçues pour évaluer la qualité intrinsèque globale du lait pour 2 produits cibles : le fromage au lait cru et le lait demi-écrémé UHT. Des arbres de régression ont ensuite été utilisés pour identifier les combinaisons de pratiques agricoles qui ont obtenu les meilleurs scores sur chaque dimension et sur la qualité intrinsèque globale du lait. La race et le régime alimentaire (type de fourrage) étaient les facteurs les plus influents pour les dimensions sensorielles et sanitaires et pour les scores des dimensions technologiques et nutritionnelles, respectivement, dans l'évaluation du fromage. La qualité globale du fromage était fortement corrélée positivement avec ces scores à 4 dimensions. Par conséquent, la race et le régime alimentaire sont apparus comme les pratiques les plus influentes dans l'arbre de régression pour la qualité globale du fromage. Cependant, les combinaisons de pratiques ayant abouti aux meilleurs scores de qualité diffèrent selon la dimension étudiée et le produit visé. Cela suggère que les conseils sur les pratiques d'élevage pour améliorer la qualité intrinsèque du lait doivent être adaptés en fonction de la destination finale du lait collecté. Cette approche innovante combinant des données à la ferme et des arbres de régression fournit aux gestionnaires d'exploitations un outil précieux et pratique pour hiérarchiser les pratiques en fonction de leur rôle dans l'élaboration de la qualité du lait, et pour identifier les combinaisons de pratiques qui favorisent une bonne qualité du lait et les seuils ou modalités de pratique. nécessaires pour y parvenir. Cela suggère que les conseils sur les pratiques d'élevage pour améliorer la qualité intrinsèque du lait doivent être adaptés en fonction de la destination finale du lait collecté. Cette approche innovante combinant des données à la ferme et des arbres de régression fournit aux gestionnaires d'exploitations un outil précieux et pratique pour hiérarchiser les pratiques en fonction de leur rôle dans l'élaboration de la qualité du lait, et pour identifier les combinaisons de pratiques qui favorisent une bonne qualité du lait et les seuils ou modalités de pratique. nécessaires pour y parvenir. Cela suggère que les conseils sur les pratiques d'élevage pour améliorer la qualité intrinsèque du lait doivent être adaptés en fonction de la destination finale du lait collecté. Cette approche innovante combinant des données à la ferme et des arbres de régression fournit aux gestionnaires d'exploitations un outil précieux et pratique pour hiérarchiser les pratiques en fonction de leur rôle dans l'élaboration de la qualité du lait, et pour identifier les combinaisons de pratiques qui favorisent une bonne qualité du lait et les seuils ou modalités de pratique. nécessaires pour y parvenir.

International audience; We present a preliminary study of a wearable system to monitor biomarkers for dairy and suckling cattle. Finding the optimal location on the cow body (ears) and designing the adapted microneedles to reach the interstitial fluids underneath the cow skin are the two points addressed here.For the selection of the location, 4 breeds of suckling cows (Aubrac, Charolaise, Lim-ousine, Salers) and 3 breeds of dairy cows (Abondance, Montbe ⠁liarde, Holstein) were chosen. Measurements of the thickness of the ear tissues were conducted on three areas of the ear (top, apex and base of the pinna), on the external and internal sides. Results show that the apex of the pinna, external side, is the best area for microneedle implantation with an implantation window of 1403 +/- 589 mm (DeepDe), considering all breeds. To reach this implantation window located between the stratum corneum and the cartilage, the microneedle has to pass through 1323 +/- 404 mm of tissues (SupDe), considering all breeds. From these results, a microneedle design was made on SolidWorks. With a conical shape 2.89 mm in height and a conical channel 300 mm in diameter (at the tip of the microneedle), the model was made using 3D printing. The resulting microneedles respect the SolidWorks design with fair accuracy. They were connected to a microfluidic channel for sampling or releasing fluids.

International audience; In context of global challenges facing agriculture, our article addresses the extent to which the synergistic nature of agroecological innovations may reconcile environmental and technical efficiency of farms. We develop an empirical model, namely conditional efficiency framework, which explicitly accounts for context-dependent drivers like synergy and complementarity of innovations. Using a sample of 567 banana farms in the French West Indies, our estimates confirm the complementarity effect since the joint adoption of agroecological innovations increases the technical efficiency scores much more than other drivers and each of the innovations taken in isolation. We also show that advice and extension services as well as human capital variables are key adoption levers for public policy since they reduce the variability of production and thus the risk associated with the joint adoption of the agroecological innovations.

IntroductionToday, agriculture and livestock farming are facing environmental, social and health challenges. The agroecological transition is a possible response to these challenges. It requires changes in practices but also an evolution in farmers' ways of thinking and relationships with living things. Some diagnostics of farms, such as the global analysis of farms, behaviors and practices.MethodsWe therefore propose a holistic approach combining a global analysis of farms and a pragmatic approach to understand the functioning of agricultural production systems. This pragmatic turn enables to integrate the ways in which the farmer's reality is established, the performance of the system, the associated metrics and the farmer's relationship with life.Results and discussionUsing the example of a farm in transition, we show that it is the combination researcher's stance and allows for a renewed dialogue between research and farmers in the field.

International audience; The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of tannins on plant protein during sheep digestion using a digestomic approach combining in vivo (rumen) conditions and an in vitro digestive system (abomasum and small intestine). Ruminal fluid from wethers infused with a tannin solution or water (control) was introduced into the digester, and protein degradation was followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC−MS/MS). Tannin infusion in the rumen led to a clear decrease in protein degradation-related fermentation end-products, whereas ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) protein was more abundant than in control wethers. In the simulated abomasum, peptidomic analysis showed more degradation products of RuBisCo in the presence of tannins. The effect of RuBisCo protection by tannins continued to impact Rubisco digestion into early-stage intestinal digestion but was no longer detectable in late-stage intestinal digestion. The peptidomics approach proved a potent tool for identifying and quantifying the type of protein hydrolyzed throughout the gastrointestinal tract.

International audience; Metabolome profiling in biological fluids is an interesting approach for exploring markers of methane emissions in ruminants. In this study, a multiplatform metabolomics approach was used for investigating changes in milk metabolic profiles related to methanogenesis in dairy cows. For this purpose, 25 primiparous Holstein cows at similar lactation stage were fed the same diet supplemented with (treated, n = 12) or without (control, n = 13) a specific antimethanogenic additive that reduced enteric methane production by 23% with no changes in intake, milk production, and health status. The study lasted 6 wk, with sampling and measures performed in wk 5 and 6. Milk samples were analyzed using 4 complementary analytical methods, including 2 untargeted (nuclear magnetic resonance and liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer) and 2 targeted (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography coupled to a flame ionization detector) approaches. After filtration, variable selection and normalization data from each analytical platform were then analyzed using multivariate orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis. All 4 analytical methods were able to differentiate cows from treated and control groups. Overall, 38 discriminant metabolites were identified, which affected 10 metabolic pathways including methane metabolism. Some of these metabolites such as dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylsulfone, and citramalic acid, detected by nuclear magnetic resonance or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods, originated from the rumen microbiota or had a microbial-host animal co-metabolism that could be associated with methanogenesis. Also, discriminant milk fatty acids detected by targeted gas chromatography were mostly of ruminal microbial origin. Other metabolites and metabolic pathways significantly affected were associated with AA metabolism. These findings provide new insight on the potential role of milk metabolites as indicators of enteric methane modifications in dairy cows.

International audience; In sheep, the bond between the dam and her lambs is established during the first hours of a lamb's life. Genetic variability for behavioural reactivity of ewes assessed in an arena test performed 24 hr after lambing has already been reported. However, there is no evidence that this reactivity represents the ewe's maternal reactivity at lambing in outdoor conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate whether or not the behavioural reactivity of ewes in the arena test is genetically related to their maternal reactivity measured at lambing. A total of 935 Romane ewes were studied. The maternal reactivity of ewes at the outdoor lambing site was recorded in response to a human approach and to the handling of the lambs. Their behavioural reactivity was also recorded 24 hr post-lambing in the arena test that involved a separation from the litter and a human presence. Flight distance, aggressive reaction, time to restore contact with the litter, maternal behaviour scores and vocalizations recorded at the lambing site were heritable (0.12-0.34). All of these behaviours were genetically correlated with the behavioural reactivity in the arena test. The highest genetic correlations (from 0.60 to 0.90) were found amongst maternal behavioural scores, flight distance and high-pitched bleats. In conclusion, behavioural reactivity in the arena test can be used to assess early maternal reactivity in standardized conditions. Phenotyping of ewes' behavioural reactivity with a simplified arena test can be performed for genetic improvement in maternal behaviour in sheep.

The rumen harbours countless bacteria, archaea, ciliated protozoa, fungi and viruses: various microorganisms that have established multiplicity of relationships to efficiently digest complex plant fibres and polysaccharides to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs), microbial proteins and vitamins, essentials for the host’s health, growth and performances. Recent studies using omics-based techniques have revealed that changes in rumen microbiota are associated with changes in ruminants’ production and health parameters such as feed efficiency, methane yield, milk composition and ruminal acidity. However, traditionally, rumen microbes were unveiled using anaerobic culture-based techniques, which are at the origin of most of the basic concepts and understanding of the rumen functioning. Isolating and culturing microbes is frequently more difficult and time-consuming and requires more training than molecular techniques, which explains why culture seems to be abandoned in favour of sequencing. Microbial cultures enable the study of substrate preferences and product output, essential growth requirements, biocide production and susceptibilities; obtaining a pure culture also enables genome sequencing of these strains. We propose here, after a brief report of published rumen isolates, a comprehensive review of current advances in molecular methods to identify novel rumen microbes and discuss how culturing and mathematics could enhance our understanding of rumen microbiology.

International audience; Nutritional strategies, including feed management measures, are promising methods for CH4 and overall GHG reduction. Evidence from literature is reviewed in this article in relation to the effects of forage quality (digestible organic matter, DOM) and forage type (grasses vs. legumes, and maize). The major determinants of forage quality are botanical composition and phenological stage, i.e., at advanced growth stages of plants, the fibre content increases while DOM decreases. Methane yield (g/kg DMI) decreases with increased digestibility of forages in both dairy cattle and sheep, and also CH4 intensity (g/kg milk) decreases with increased digestibility of forages for dairy cattle. Using forage legumes in ruminant feeding systems can reduce overall GHG emissions due to decreased N fertilizer use and related emissions. Recommended dietary mitigation measures are often related to a reduction in N excretion such as better matching of dietary protein to animal needs, shifting N excretion from urine to faeces (by tannin inclusion at low levels) and reducing the amount of excreted fermentable organic matter. Methane decreases with increasing intake of forage legumes rich in tannins and there is a shift of N partition from urinary N towards faecal N. Reduced CH4 emissions from ruminants fed on forage-based diets will decrease the carbon footprint of livestock and agriculture and improve the efficiency of productive ruminants in both developing and developed countries. Likewise, estimations of net CH4 output should account for enteric CH4 emissions and soil carbon (C) sequestration of land used for feed production (i.e., grasslands and croplands).

International audience; Herbivore farming systems in the Auvergne region (north of the French Massif central) are highly diverse as the result of history and strong pedoclimatic contrasts. Among agroecological principles, system diversification is assumed to increase farm economic and environmental performances, but we still lack knowledge on how to manage these systems. Here we report the result of farm surveys that were conducted across a range of systems from the same areas: beef-crop, mixed cattle-sheep and cattle-horse systems. We also use a bioeconomic optimization model to provide further information on mixed beef-dairy systems, including their carbon footprint and resilience to market hazards. Grazing two livestock species on the same farm leads to a better utilization of grasslands and can dilute parasite burden, and doing this decreases inputs and production costs.Integrated crop-livestock management also decreases feeding costs, and so production costs and farm carbon footprint. Equipment and housingcosts were reduced in mixed cattle-sheep systems, where mixed farming also buffered farm income variability. Equipment largely differ betweenthe beef and crop enterprises, which limits economies of scope in beef-crop systems. Buffer capability was reduced in mixed beef-dairy systemswhere both enterprises produce meat and thus rely on the same market. Finally, workload was more evenly distributed along the year in mixedcattle-sheep systems. Farmers also mentioned the pleasure of varied work and flexibility of work organization in mixed systems as a matter ofsatisfaction. We conclude that in spite of various amplitudes in the effects observed, the diversification of herbivore farming systems can enhancesystem efficiency and increases options for adapting to change, and that this can occur at a constant workload; Les systèmes d’élevage en Auvergne associent souvent plusieurs productions du fait de la géographie et de l’histoire régionale. Avec latransition agroécologique, la diversification des systèmes d’élevage herbivores est considérée comme un levier pour répondre à leurs enjeuxproductifs et environnementaux, mais les références techniques et organisationnelles manquent encore. Ici nous rapportons de nouvellesconnaissances issues d’enquêtes réalisées dans trois types de systèmes diversifiés : polyculture-bovins viande, mixtes bovins-ovins et mixtesbovins-équins. Un modèle d’optimisation sous contrainte étend l’analyse au système bovins lait-viande, et simule l’empreinte carbone etla résilience des différents systèmes. Conduire deux espèces animales au sein d’une même exploitation permet de mieux gérer l’herbe etle parasitisme digestif, et peut ainsi réduire les intrants et les charges variables de l’exploitation. De même, l’association de cultures à unélevage bovins viande conduit à acheter moins d’aliments, et réduit les charges variables et l’empreinte carbone de l’exploitation. La mixitébovins-ovins dilue les coûts d’équipement pour la récolte des fourrages, les besoins en bâtiments, et sécurise le revenu. Peu d’équipementssont en revanche communs aux ateliers d’élevage et de cultures ce qui limite les économies de gamme en polyculture-bovins viande. Lesfluctuations annuelles du revenu sont les moins tamponnées dans le système bovins lait-viande où les deux ateliers partagent le mêmemarché de viande bovine. Enfin, la mixité d’espèces permet de mieux répartir le travail durant la campagne annuelle, la satisfaction liéeà un travail varié étant également mise en avant par les éleveurs bovins-ovins et bovins-équins. Ainsi malgré des bénéfices d’amplitudevariable selon les systèmes, la diversification des systèmes d’élevage herbivores peut accroître leur efficience et offre des clés d’adaptationface à la variabilité du contexte de production, sans nécessairement générer plus de travail.

International audience; The ability of mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR) to predict indicators (1) of diet composition in dairy herds and (2) for the authentication of the cow feeding restrictions included in the specification of 2 Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses (Cantal and Laguiole) was tested on 7,607 bulk milk spectra from 1,355 farms located in the Massif Central area of France. For each milk sample, the corresponding cow diet composition data were obtained through on-farm surveys. The cow diet compositions varied largely (i.e., from full grazing for extensive farming systems to corn silage-based diets, which are typical of more intensive farming systems). Partial least square regression and discriminant analysis were used to predict the proportion of different feedstuff's in the cows' diets and to authenticate the cow feeding restrictions for the PDO cheese specifications, respectively. The groups for the discriminant analysis were created by dividing the data set according to the threshold of a specific feedstuff. They were issued based on the specifications of the restriction of the PDO cheese. The pasture proportion in the cows' diets was predicted by MIR with an coefficient of determination in external validation ((RV)-V-2) 0.81 and a standard error of prediction of 11.7% dry matter. Pasture + hay, corn silage, conserved herbage, fermented forage, and total herbage proportion in the cows' diets were predicted with a (RV)-V-2 >0.61 and a standard error of prediction = 50%, and pasture >= 57% in the cows' diets achieved an accuracy and specificity >= 90%. A sensitivity and precision >= 85% were also observed for the pasture proportion discrimination models, but both of these indexes decreased at increasing thresholds from 0 to 50, and 57% pasture in the cows' diets. An accuracy >= 80% was also observed for pasture + hay >= 72%, herbage >= 50%, pasture hay >= 25%, absence of fermented herbage, absence of corn silage, and corn silage 90%. Both the regression and discriminant MIR models for bulk milk can provide useful indicators of cow diet composition and PDO cheese specifications to producers and consumers (farmers, dairy plants).

International audience; The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of concentrate supplementation on the production and chemical composition of milk from 12 crossbred F1 dual-purpose cows (½ Bos taurus – ½ Bos indicus) and estimate the emission of CH4, N2O, and CO2 gases. The study included 12 crossbred F1 dual-purpose cows over 60 days of lactation. The cows grazed on 28% tropical native grassland and 72% Brachiaria spp. and Cynodon neumfluensis, supplemented with 0, 150, 300, and 450g of concentrate per kg daily milk production, during three experimental periods of 15 days each in a crossover design. Pasture and concentrate samples were collected and were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber. Milk production (kg d-1) was recorded daily, nitrous oxide (N2O), and emissions from excreta and daily CH4 production were calculated. Results were analyzed with the SAS MIXED procedure. Concentrate supplementation in tropical crossbred dairy cows did not improve milk yield but increased CH4 and N2O production (P < 0.0001) per cow as the concentrate increased in the diet; the Ym factor from the tropical region yielded less CH4 than the IPCC Ym model (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the calculation of CH4 using specific emission factors for the tropical climate region is better than the IPCC default emission factors in order not to overestimate the CH4 emissions.

This work aims to identify the rearing practices which increase the carcase weight according to slaughter age. For this purpose, an innovative statistical method, the decision tree method, was used to identify the most influential action levers on the carcase weight, with associated thresholds values and modalities, among the rearing practices applied throughout the animals’ life. The data of 636 heifers carcases were collected from the slaughterhouse and the rearing practices from 45 farms by survey. Firstly, classifications were done to define slaughter-age classes and carcase-weight classes. Three slaughter-age classes (younger, mid-age, older) and 3 carcase-weight classes (lighter, intermediate, heavier) were defined, then these two classifications were crossed. The decision tree method highlighted that the influence on carcase weight of the life periods of the animals (i.e. suckling, growth, and finishing periods) and the related rearing practices were different according to the slaughter age of the heifers. For the younger-slaughtered animals, the most influential rearing practices on the carcase weight were the suckling duration, the concentrate supply during growing, the distributions of compound feed and grass silage in-stall during growing. For the mid-age slaughtered animals, the rearing practices identified as the most influential were the concentrate amount distributed in-stall during finishing, the meal supply in-stall during finishing and the cereals supply at pasture during growing. For the older-slaughtered animals, the compound feed supply at pasture during finishing and the concentrate amount distributed in-stall during growing were the most influential on the carcase weight.HIGHLIGHTS Decision tree: an innovative statistical method to identify action levers on carcase weight among the applied rearing practices throughout the life. The influential periods and rearing practices were distinct according to the slaughter-age of the animals.

Data Paper; International audience; Winter soil cover by vegetation is associated with multiple benefits, such as increasing soil carbon storage and reducing erosion and nutrient leaching. This dataset provides an estimate of winter soil cover before spring-sown crops at municipality level for mainland France for two years (2018 and 2019). These estimates were obtained through the monitoring of all plots with spring-sown crops, declared within the context of the European Common Agricultural Policy. Detection of plots with winter soil cover was achieved through the analysis of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series, computed from Sentinel-2 multispectral images. For this dataset, it was considered that soil cover had to exceed 50% for a plot to be considered as covered by vegetation. Based on the literature, this corresponds to a threshold NDVI value between 0.45 and 0.59. To allow for sensitivity and uncertainty analyses for future studies that may be conducted using these data, three estimates of winter soil cover are given: minimum (based on the cultivated area exceeding the upper NDVI threshold of 0.59), maximum (considering the lower NDVI threshold of 0.45) and best estimate (mean NDVI threshold of 0.52). This dataset may be useful primarily to researchers working on biogeochemical cycle modeling or to government agencies, as several public policies (such as the Nitrates Directive) aim at developing winter cover crops.

International audience; The protein degradation of alfalfa hay after tannin supple-mentation was monitored during wethers digestion. Three rumen-cannulated wethers were infused a tannin solution, and water for control, through the cannula. The digestion time-points samples were collected in vivo in the rumen and in vitro in the abomasum, and the small intestine com-partments. The digestomic dataset was acquired by identi-fying and quantifying the peptides resulting from the pro-tein degradation, using high-resolution LC-MS/MS mass spec-trometry and label-free quantitation. The digestomic dataset is the compilation of proteomic data acquired in the rumen and peptidomic data acquired in the abomasum and in the small intestine. The proteomic analysis identified 20 Med-icago proteins in the rumen fluid, based on 169 peptides of which 140 are unique. The peptidomic analysis identified 28 Medicago proteins in the abomasum, based on 575 peptides of which 363 are unique, and 11 Medicago proteins in the small intestine, based on 94 peptides of which 63 are unique. This digestomic dataset of proteolysis during sheep post ru-men digestion after tannin supplementation reveals the pro-tein regions protected by tannin supplementation, and could be reused in studies related to the protein use efficiency by ruminants.

International audience; AbstractDespite the benefits associated with winter soil cover before sowing a spring crop, this practice is adopted unevenly by farmers. The goal of this paper is to identify and hierarchize the main soil-climate factors that hinder the adoption of cover crops. It is the first study to carry out this analysis at the scale of France, which is a country with a wide variety of soil types and climates. For this country, maps of vegetated winter soil cover prior to the establishment of a spring crop were previously produced for years 2018 and 2019, using Sentinel-2 multispectral images. For approximately half of France’s acreage with spring crops, the estimation concerning the presence or absence of a winter cover crop was correlated here with the main soil-climate factors of each field. The inclusion within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones is another potentially important variable to explain cover crop adoption, as regulatory requirements of the Nitrates Directives strongly encourage winter soil cover in these zones to reduce nitrogen losses. Because of the regulatory requirements of the Nitrates Directives regarding winter soil cover, the influence of being located in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone was also evaluated. But despite these incentives for winter soil cover, inclusion in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone had little influence on cover crop adoption. Principal component analyses performed for different crop rotations showed that the clay content was the soil-climate factor most negatively correlated with the adoption of cover crops. Cover crops were more frequently established on sandy fields with high organic carbon stocks, which corresponds rather to the characteristics of livestock regions. The development of technical solutions for the establishment and destruction of winter cover crops on clay soils could facilitate the adoption of these crops, and thus improve global water quality.

International audience; This paper investigates the conditional technical and managerial efficiency of European banks through the lending channel using a robust nonparametric frontier approach. We select the largest commercial banks in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Greece over the period 2005–2013 for our study. The estimates show significant technical inefficiency in the use of available resources for banks in our sample. The overall measure of managerial efficiency suggests sound managerial performance. However, at a detailed level, we find that, for each country examined, banks exhibit large proportions of poor managerial performance. This may explain why some banks could not resist the 2008 financial crisis. Regarding institutional factors, we find capital requirements and bank size are associated with bank efficiency in a nonlinear manner. These findings provide support for contextual factors in determining bank efficiency and rethinking financial reforms.

The lean-to-fat ratio is a major issue in the beef meat industry from both carcass and meat production perspectives. This industrial perspective has motivated meat physiologists to use transcriptomics technologies to decipher mechanisms behind fat deposition within muscle during the time course of muscle growth. However, synthetic biological information from this volume of data remains to be produced to identify mechanisms found in various breeds and rearing practices. We conducted a meta-analysis on 10 transcriptomic data sets stored in public databases, from the longissimus thoracis of five different bovine breeds divergent by age. We updated gene identifiers on the last version of the bovine genome (UCD1.2), and the 715 genes common to the 10 studies were subjected to the meta-analysis. Of the 238 genes differentially expressed (DEG), we identified a transcriptional signature of the dynamic regulation of glycolytic and oxidative metabolisms that agrees with a known shift between those two pathways from the animal puberty. We proposed some master genes of the myogenesis, namely MYOG and MAPK14, as probable regulators of the glycolytic and oxidative metabolisms. We also identified overexpressed genes related to lipid metabolism (APOE, LDLR, MXRA8, and HSP90AA1) that may contribute to the expected enhanced marbling as age increases. Lastly, we proposed a transcriptional signature related to the induction (YBX1) or repression (MAPK14, YWAH, ERBB2) of the commitment of myogenic progenitors into the adipogenic lineage. The relationships between the abundance of the identified mRNA and marbling values remain to be analyzed in a marbling biomarkers discovery perspectives.

International audience; Background: Implementation of proteomics over the last decade has been an important step toward a better understanding of the complex biological systems underlying the conversion of muscle to meat. These sophisticated analytical tools have helped to reveal the biochemical pathways involved in fresh meat colour and have identified key protein biomarkers.Scope and approach: Until recently, there have been no detailed or critical studies on the role of protein biomarkers in determining meat colour. This review presents an integromics of recent muscle proteomic studies to investigate pathways and mechanisms of beef colour. A database was created from 13 independent proteomic-based studies including data on five muscles and a list of 79 proteins which were significantly correlated with colour traits. The database was subjected to a multistep analysis including Gene Ontology annotations, pathway analysis and literature mining. This report discusses the key protein biomarkers and the biological pathways associated with fresh beef colour. Biomarkers were prioritised by the frequency of identification and the need for future validation experiments is discussed.Key findings and conclusions: This review identifies six pathways involved in beef colour including energy metabolism, heat shock and oxidative stress, myofibril structure, signalling, proteolysis and apoptosis. The data-mining of the list of the putative biomarkers showed that certain proteins, such as beta-enolase (ENO3), Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6), HSP27 (HSPB1), Phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1), Superoxide Dismutase [Cu-Zn] (SOD1) and mu-calpain (CAPN1) were consistently reported by multiple studies as being differentially expressed and having a significant role in beef colour. This integromics work proposes a list of 27 putative biomarkers of beef colour for validation using adapted high-throughput methods.

International audience; The control of meat quality traits constitutes an important target for any farm animal production, including cattle. Therefore, better understanding of the biochemical properties that drive muscle development and final outcomes constitutes one of the main challenging topics of animal production and meat science. Accordingly, this review has focused on skeletal muscle fibers in cattle and their relationships with beef qualities. It aimed to describe the chemical and structural properties of muscle fibers as well as a comprehensive review of their contractile and metabolic characteristics during the life of the animal. The existing methods for the classification of muscle fibers were reviewed, compared, and discussed. Then, the different stages of myogenesis in cattle were defined. The main factors regulating fetal and postnatal growth and the plasticity of muscle fibers were evidenced, especially the role of myostatin growth factor and the impact of nutritional factors. This review highlights that the knowledge about muscle fibers is paramount for a better understanding of how to control the muscle properties throughout the life of the animal for better management of the final eating qualities of beef. Accordingly, the associations between bovine muscle fibers and different meat eating qualities such as tenderness, pH decline, and color traits were further presented.

In the mountains, the traditional practice of transhumance is common in dairy production systems to make use of the high-altitude summer pastures. Although the effects of highland grazing have been intensively studied with respect to cow performance and milk and cheese quality, the actual moving of the animals to the highlands and the consequences of this stressor for performance and milk quality in the days immediately following transhumance has not been investigated in detail. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of a 6-km walk (lasting 1.5 h) to those of a truck transport of 10.5 km (lasting 1 h), simulating cow movement in transhumance systems, as well as a control treatment in which cows were not moved. The experiment included 12 late-lactating Valdostana Red Pied, 12 Montbéliarde, and 12 Holstein cows (i.e., breeds contrasting in genetic merit for milk production). Each cow was subjected to each treatment in a 3-wk Latin square design. Milk yield was measured, and milk and blood samples were taken around the transhumance simulation events. Cows of the 3 breeds responded similarly to both movement treatments. Walking decreased milk yield by 1 kg/milking, but truck transport did not affect milk yield. Both treatments led to an increase in plasma nonesterified fatty acids and milk somatic cell count compared with controls, and truck transport increased milk fat content. Milk coagulation properties were better for Valdostana Red Pied and Montbéliarde cows than for Holstein cows but were not affected by walking or truck transport. Further studies aiming to compare the 3 breeds should include a wider range of response variables over a longer term, including reproduction performance and repeated transhumance.

International audience; One strategy for improving fertility in cattle is administration of GnRH or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) during the luteal phase, which increases progesterone (P4) secretion and delays luteolysis. To provide an overview of how GnRH or hCG treatment between 4 and 15 d after artificial insemination (AI) improves pregnancy per AI (P/AI) in cows, a meta-analysis was performed on 107 different trials from 52 publications. Data from 18,082 treated cows and 18,385 untreated controls were meta-analyzed. The meta-analysis explained the relative risk for P/AI with GnRH or hCG treatment under various circumstances. The results did not show any difference in P/AI between cows treated with hCG and cows treated with GnRH. Compared with no treatment, treatment with GnRH or hCG improved the chances of P/AI in cows with very poor (60.1%). Moreover, treatment with GnRH and hCG improved the chances of P/AI in primiparous cows. The improvement was much better in primiparous cows with very low fertility. Treatment with buserelin at a dose above 10 p,g and with hCG at a dose above 2,500 IU was associated with increased chances of P/AI compared with lower doses. Treatment with GnRH 10 d after AI was also associated with increased chances of P/AI compared with earlier treatment. The present meta-analysis showed that the use of GnRH and hCG after AI should be focused on cows expected to have low or moderate fertility. Day and dose of treatment have to be considered as well.

Les ruminants sont des animaux sensibles, doués de capacités émotionnelles et cognitives, pouvant être soumis à différents types de douleur (excès de nociception ou neuropathique) et ceci dans différents contextes (élevage/expérimentation). L’évaluation de ces douleurs est bien souvent délicate car, pour la plupart des cas, il n’existe pas d'indicateur unique et spécifique mais plutôt un ensemble d'indicateurs dont les valeurs informatives sont souvent complémentaires. Une évaluation adéquate de la douleur est essentielle afin d'optimiser sa prise en charge et utiliser au mieux l'arsenal thérapeutique actuellement à la disposition des prescripteurs. En effet, les molécules ayant des mécanismes d’action différents, il est nécessaire de pouvoir quantifier l’intensité douloureuse et évaluer le type de douleur mis en cause. A travers cette synthèse, nous montrerons en quoi : i) l’évaluation du type et du niveau de douleur est indispensable à une prise en charge optimale de la douleur, ii) qu’une évaluation reposant sur une approche multiparamétrique est la plus adaptée à notre objectif., Ruminants are sentient beings, endowed with emotional and cognitive abilities, which can perceive different types of pain (nociceptive or neuropathic) in different types of contexts (breeding / experimentation). Assessing pain is often difficult because, in most situations of pain, there is not a unique and specific indicator but rather a set of complementary indicators. An accurate assessment of pain is essential to optimize care and use of the therapeutic arsenal currently available to prescribers. Indeed, the therapeutic arsenal with different mechanisms of action, it is necessary to quantify pain intensity and the type of pain assessment. Through this review, we will show how: i) accurate assessment is essential for optimal management of pain, ii) method of assessment depends on the type of pain that is suspected and can be based on a multiparametric approach, a limited number, or even a single indicator as appropriate.

Qu’ils soient élevés à des fins commerciales ou expérimentales, les animaux de rente sont confrontés tout au long de leur vie à des pratiques potentiellement sources de douleurs : interventions de convenance et d’élevage (castration, écornage…) ; interventions chirurgicales (césariennes, implantation en chronique de cathéters…). L’élaboration d’outils d’évaluation des douleurs ressenties par les animaux et de traitements pharmacologiques nécessite une bonne connaissance des mécanismes impliqués dans l’apparition et la modulation de ces douleurs. L’objectif de cette revue est de rapporter les connaissances acquises au cours des dernières années qui ont de l’intérêt pour la gestion de la douleur des animaux d’élevage. Les connaissances présentées sont en grande partie issues d’études conduites chez les rongeurs dont les conclusions sont applicables aux animaux de rente. La revue est constituée de trois parties complémentaires. La première décrit les différentes étapes d’élaboration, de transmission et d’intégration sensorielle et émotionnelle des messages nociceptifs impliqués dans l’apparition de la douleur. La deuxième partie décrit les différents types de modulation qui peuvent activer ou inhiber la transmission des messages nociceptifs. La troisième partie décrit les différents processus neurophysiologiques qui accompagnent la douleur et peuvent la moduler (inflammation, activation du système nerveux autonome et du système neuroendocrinien)., Whether bred for commercial or experimental purposes, farm animals are subjected, throughout their lives, to potentially painful practices: interventions for convenience or for livestock care (e.g. castration, dehorning) or surgery (e.g. caesarian section, implantations of permanent catheters). The development of tools to assess pain experienced by the animals and of pharmacological treatment requires good knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the onset and modulation of pain. The objective of our review is to report knowledge obtained in recent years that have an interest for pain management in livestock animals. The knowledge presented is largely derived from studies conducted on rodents and applicable to farm animals. Our review consists of three complementary parts. The first part describes the various stages of development, transmission and sensory and emotional integration of nociceptive messages involved in the onset of pain. The second part describes the different types of modulation that can activate or inhibit the transmission of nociceptive signals. The third part describes the neurophysiological processes that accompany pain and that can modulate it (inflammation, activation of the autonomic nervous system and neuroendocrine system).

Cette synthèse présente l’influence des caractéristiques des animaux et de leurs conditions d’élevage sur les qualités des viandes et des chairs des principales espèces animales d’élevage (porc, bovins, ovins, poulets, poissons). Les dimensions intrinsèques (composition des carcasses, qualités sensorielle, nutritionnelle et technologique) et extrinsèques (interactions entre productions animales et environnement, bien-être des animaux, origine des produits, authenticité des pratiques de production…) de la qualité des produits sont considérées. Dans toutes les espèces, le type génétique et la conduite alimentaire sont les principaux déterminants de la composition des carcasses. La nature de l’alimentation des animaux constitue le principal levier pour moduler la qualité nutritionnelle, toutefois le niveau d’enrichissement des viandes et chairs en acides gras, minéraux ou vitamines favorables à la santé humaine varie selon les espèces. Pour une espèce donnée, les caractéristiques des animaux, leurs conditions d’élevage et d’abattage interagissent pour déterminer les propriétés (teneurs en lipides, glycogène, myoglobine…) et le métabolisme péri et post-mortem des muscles, et consécutivement la qualité sensorielle des viandes ou chairs et de leurs produits. A l’inverse, la qualité technologique, composante importante dans les filières porc, poulet et poisson résulte essentiellement du type génétique et des conditions d’abattage des animaux et de transformation des viandes. Dans les différentes filières animales, les qualités extrinsèques des produits font partie intégrante de certaines démarches collectives ou privées et sont garanties aux consommateurs au travers des signes officiels de qualité. Elles visent à améliorer les interactions favorables entre les productions animales et l’environnement et/ou le bien-être des animaux, garantir l’origine des produits et/ou valoriser l’authenticité des méthodes de production et de transformation. Différents exemples sont développés pour illustrer la prise en compte par les acteurs des filières de cette demande croissante des consommateurs et plus largement des citoyens envers leur alimentation., This review describes the influences of the characteristics of animals and their rearing conditions on the quality of meat and flesh in the main livestock species (pig, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish). Both the intrinsic (carcass composition and sensory, nutritional and technological qualities) and extrinsic (interactions between animal production and the environment, animal welfare, origin of products, authenticity of production practices…) dimensions of quality of meat and flesh products are considered. In all animal species, the genotype and feeding practices are the main factors determining carcass composition. Feed composition is the main factor modulating nutritional quality, even though the enrichment level of meat or flesh with fatty acids, minerals or vitamins favorable for human health depends on the species considered. Within species, interactions between the characteristics of animals and their rearing and slaughtering conditions determine the properties (intramuscular fat, glycogen, myoglobin contents…) and peri and postmortem metabolism of muscles and, consequently, the sensory quality of meat or flesh and their products. Conversely, the technological quality of meat, which is important especially for pig, poultry and fish mainly results from the animal genotype and the slaughtering and processing techniques. In all meat animal chains, some productions are differentiated on claims on extrinsic qualities of products and are guaranteed to consumers by official quality schemes. They aim at improving the positive interactions between animal production and environment and/or animal welfare, or guaranteeing products origin or authenticity of production and processing methods. Some examples are described to underline the awareness of meat chain actors about the increasing demand from consumers and more generally citizens towards their diet.

La viande et la chair de poisson constituent une source essentielle de protéines, de vitamines et de micronutriments pour l’alimentation humaine. Les produits carnés représentent une activité économique importante au niveau mondial ; le niveau et l’évolution de leur consommation varient fortement selon les espèces et les zones géographiques. Le volume des productions doit répondre à l’accroissement de la population mondiale, tout en considérant les composantes environnementales, sociétales et économiques du développement durable. Cet article constitue une introduction générale au numéro spécial « Le muscle et la viande ». Il définit les principales composantes de qualité des carcasses, de la viande ou de la chair communes aux différentes espèces animales. Dans les articles suivants les principales filières (bovin, ovin, porc, poulet, poisson) sont présentées : production, consommation, problèmes de qualité spécifiques et attentes des acteurs, enjeux et questions de recherche prioritaires., Meat and fish flesh are important suppliers of proteins, vitamins and micronutrients in the human diet. Meat and fish products play an important economic role at the world level. The level and evolution of consumption highly differs according to species and geographical areas. Production level needs to fulfill the increasing population worldwide, while considering the environmental, societal and economic components of sustainable development. This manuscript presents a general introduction of the main common quality components of carcasses, meat and fish flesh. In the next papers, each main meat/flesh chain (cattle, sheep, pork, poultry and fish), is described: production, consumption, specific meat quality components and expectations of chain actors, main issues and research topics.

Bien que la consommation de viande bovine ait diminué au cours des dernières années au niveau européen, la France demeure le premier producteur et consommateur de l’Union européenne. La filière française se distingue par la diversité de ses productions qui s’appuient sur des types d’animaux divers : vaches, génisses, taurillons et boeufs de diverses races et conduits dans différents systèmes de production. Cette diversité est à l’origine de qualités sensorielles et nutritionnelles variées. L’objectif de cet article est de faire le point sur les principales qualités demandées à la viande bovine et de présenter les questions de recherches majeures., While beef consumption has declined in recent years in Europe, France is the first producer and consumer in the European Union. The French sector is characterized by its diversity of productions that are based on various types of animals: cows, heifers, bulls and steers of various breeds and conducted under different systems. This diversity is at the origin of different sensory and nutritional qualities. The purpose of this article is to review the main qualities required of this meat and present major research questions.

International audience; Gentle handling seems to elicit positive states in sheep. The study investigated whether spatial distance alters sheep responses to brushing and whether spatial distance is influenced by reactivity. Twenty Romane ewes were assessed in three sessions: in Sessions 1 and 3, one grid separated the test animal from pen mates, with no distance between them, and in Session 2 two grids separated the test animal from pen mates by a distance of about 1.7 m. Ewes had been genetically selected for low (R−) or high (R+) behavioural reactivity to social isolation. Body postures, head orientation, ear postures, closed and half-closed eyes, tail wagging and feeding behaviour, in addition to heart rate (HR) and HR variability, as the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), standard deviation of all normal-to-normal (NN) intervals (SDNN), RMSSD/SDNN ratio and ratio between low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) powers (LF/HF) were assessed. Data were analysed using generalized linear models and linear mixed models. Session, genetic line and phase (pre-, brushing and post-brushing) were considered fixed effects. Increased distance in Session 2 might not have influenced ewes’ responses. Fewer changes in ear postures were noted in Session 3 than 1 (P

International audience; Strongyle infection is an important issue in horse breeding. It impairs horse health and performance, with young horses being the most sensitive. Strongyle control has long relied on the systematic use of chemical treatments. However, expanding anthelmintic resistance among strongyles calls for alternative options. Mixed grazing is assumed to reduce strongyle load on the pasture as the result of a dilution effect. This has been shown in small ruminants grazing with cattle, but the putative benefits of co-grazing between horses and cattle have not yet been evaluated. Here, we conducted field surveys and face-to-face interviews on 44 farms from two contrasted saddle-horse production areas, Normandy and northern Massif Central, to compare equine strongyle management practices between specialized systems and mixed horse-cattle systems. Our goals were (i) to quantify breeders' awareness of the putative benefits associated with the co-grazing of horses and cattle, (ii) to establish whether mixed farming was associated with different strongyle management strategies and (iii) to test whether strongyle egg excretion was reduced in horses grazed with beef cattle. Every breeder relied on systematic calendar treatments, and only 8 out of the 23 mixed breeders were aware that co-grazing of horses with cattle could be used as part of their strongyle control strategy. Management practices were similar across both systems in Normandy. In Massif Central, mixed breeders formed a distinct cluster from their specialized counterparts: deworming was less frequent and stocking density was higher in mixed farms, while specialized breeders seemed more willing to integrate herd and plot management into control strategies. Faecal egg counts measured in horses from Massif Central were significantly reduced when horses were grazed with cattle. This was the result of an increased reliance on macrocyclic lactones in mixed farms (P < 0.01) and a significant dilution effect (P < 0.01). When considering a subsample of horses treated with macrocyclic lactones only, young horses grazed with cattle had 50% fewer strongyle eggs excreted in their faeces than horses grazed in equine-only pastures (P < 0.01). This is the first evidence of the benefits of mixed grazing with cattle as an alternative to control strongyle infection in horses, although this promising alternative remains largely unknown by horse breeders.

International audience; Food matrix interactions with polyphenols can affect their bioavailability and as a consequence may modulate their biological effects. The aim of this study was to determine if the matrix and its processing would modulate the bioavailability and the postprandial nutrigenomic response to a dietary inflammatory stress of apple flavan-3-ol monomers. We carried out an acute randomized controlled study in minipigs challenged with a high fat meal (HFM) supplemented with raw fruit, puree, or apple phenolic extract with matched content of flavan-3-ol monomers. Fasting and postprandial blood samples were collected over 3 h to quantify flavan-3-ol monomers in sera by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for assessing the changes in the gene expression profile using a microarray analysis. When compared to the extract-supplemented meal, the peak of the total flavan-3-ol concentration was reduced by half with both raw apple and puree supplements. The apple matrices also affected the gene expression profile as revealed by the Principal Component Analysis of the microarray data from PBMCs which discriminated the supplementation of HFM with the polyphenol extract from those with raw apples or puree. A total of 309 genes were identified as differentially expressed by the apple-derived products compared to HFM, with 63% modulated only in the presence of the food matrix (apple and puree). The number of differentially modulated genes was higher with the puree (246) than with the unprocessed apple (182). Pathway enrichment analyses revealed that genes affected by the apple-derived products control inflammation and leukocyte transendothelial migration both involved in the onset of atherosclerotic processes. Overall, this study showed that the two apple matrices reduce the postprandial serum concentration of flavon-3-ols whereas they increase the nutrigenomic response of PBMCs. The biological processes identified as modulated by the apple products suggest an attenuation of the transient proinflammatory response induced by a HFM. The differences observed between the nutrigenomic responses support that the apple matrix and its processing affect the nutrigenomic response, probably by increasing the bioavailability of other apple phytochemicals. To conclude, this study raises awareness for considering the impact of the food matrix and its processing on the biological response of polyphenols in nutritional studies.

Data Paper; International audience; This data article reports the level of expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) obtained from a set of 18 skeletal muscle samples using Affymetrix Genechips Exon arrays. Data were obtained from Gastrocnemius muscle of C57BL6 male mice at 3 distinct age groups, 2, 11 and 25 months old representing young, mature adult and aged groups. The data submitted to GEO constitute a large dataset of 15,300 mRNA levels. The data include eighteen .CEL files obtained after scanning mouse exon arrays and one .xls file obtained after processing with Genespring GX 14.9. Three distinct files containing affymetrix data processed using Genespring and analyzed for differences between stages 2 per 2 are provided as supplementary data.

International audience; Following the Paris agreement in 2015, the European Union (EU) set a carbon neutrality objective by 2050, and so did France. The French agricultural sector can contribute as a carbon sink through carbon storage in biomass and soil, in addition to reducing GHG emissions. The objective of this study is to quantitatively assess the additional storage potential and cost of a set of eight carbon-storing practices. The impacts of these agricultural practices on soil organic carbon storage and crop production are assessed at a very fine spatial scale, using crop and grassland models. The associated area base, GHG budget, and implementation costs are assessed and aggregated at the region level. The economic model BANCO uses this information to derive the marginal abatement cost curve for France and identify the combination of carbon storing practices that minimizes the total cost of achieving a given national net GHG mitigation target. We find that a substantial amount of carbon, 36.2 to 52.9 MtCO2e yr−1, can be stored in soil and biomass for reasonable carbon prices of 55 and 250 € tCO2e−1, respectively (corresponding to current and 2030 French carbon value for climate action), mainly by developing agroforestry and hedges, generalising cover crops, and introducing or extending temporary grasslands in crop sequences. This finding questions the 3–5 times lower target of 10 MtCO2e.yr−1 retained for the agricultural carbon sink by the French climate neutrality strategy. Overall, this would decrease total French GHG emissions by 9.2–13.8%, respectively (reference year 2019).; Suite à l'accord de Paris en 2015, l'Union européenne (UE) a fixé un objectif de neutralité carbone à l'horizon 2050, et la France a fait de même. Le secteur agricole français peut contribuer en tant que puits de carbone par le stockage de carbone dans la biomasse et les sols, en plus de réduire les émissions de GES. L'objectif de cette étude est d'évaluer quantitativement le potentiel de stockage supplémentaire et le coût d'un ensemble de huit pratiques de stockage du carbone. Les impacts de ces pratiques agricoles sur le stockage du carbone organique du sol et sur la production agricole sont évalués à une échelle spatiale très fine, à l'aide de modèles de cultures et de prairies. La surface de base associée, le bilan GES et les coûts de mise en œuvre sont évalués et agrégés au niveau de la région. Le modèle économique BANCO utilise ces informations pour dériver la courbe des coûts marginaux de réduction pour la France et identifier la combinaison de pratiques de stockage du carbone qui minimise le coût total pour atteindre un objectif national donné de réduction nette des GES. Nous trouvons qu'une quantité substantielle de carbone, 36,2 à 52,9 MtCO2e an-1, peut être stockée dans le sol et la biomasse pour des prix raisonnables du carbone de 55 et 250 € tCO2e-1, respectivement (correspondant à la valeur actuelle et 2030 du carbone français pour l'action climatique), principalement en développant l'agroforesterie et les haies, en généralisant les cultures de couverture, et en introduisant ou en étendant les prairies temporaires dans les séquences de cultures. Ce résultat remet en cause l'objectif 3 à 5 fois inférieur de 10 MtCO2e.an-1 retenu pour le puits de carbone agricole par la stratégie française de neutralité climatique. Globalement, cela permettrait de réduire les émissions totales de GES de la France de 9,2 à 13,8 %, respectivement (année de référence 2019).

Background: In addition to their great optical properties, nanodiamonds (NDs) have recently proved useful for two-photon-excited photodynamic therapy (TPE-PDT) applications. Indeed, they are able to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) directly upon two-photon excitation but not with one-photon excitation; Methods: Fluorescent NDs (FNDs) with a 100 nm diameter and detonation NDs (DNDs) of 30 nm were compared. In order to use the gems for cancer-cell theranostics, they were encapsulated in a bis(triethoxysilyl)ethylene-based (ENE) periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) shell, and the surface of the formed nanoparticles (NPs) was modified by the direct grafting of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and amino groups using PEG-hexyltriethoxysilane and aminoundecyltriethoxysilane during the sol–gel process. The NPs’ phototoxicity and interaction with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were evaluated afterwards; Results: Transmission electronic microscopy images showed the formation of core–shell NPs. Infrared spectra and zeta-potential measurements confirmed the grafting of PEG and NH2 groups. The encapsulation of the NDs allowed for the imaging of cancer cells with NDs and for the performance of TPE-PDT of MDA-MB-231 cancer cells with significant mortality. Conclusions: Multifunctional ND@PMO core–shell nanosystems were successfully prepared. The NPs demonstrated high biocompatibility and TPE-PDT efficiency in vitro in the cancer cell model. Such systems hold good potential for two-photon-excited PDT applications.

International audience; We collected data on the behaviour of dairy cows in barns, clinical signs of diseases as well as events that may stress or agitate the cows. A Real-Time Locating System gives the position of individual cows every second. The position of the cow is determined by triangulation based on radio waves emitted by a tag fixed on each cow neck collar and captured by antennas in the barn. The cow's activity is inferred from its position: 'eating' if the cow is positioned at the feeding table, 'resting' if the cow is in a resting area (typically cubicles), else 'in alleys'. We aggregated this information to get the time spent in each activity per hour. We also calculated the activity level of the cow for each hour of the day by attributing a weight to the time spent in each activity. For each cow and day, we collected information on health events or other events that may affect behaviour. There were 11 types of events. Six events were linked to health: lameness; mastitis; LPS (i.e. administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the mammary gland, an experimental treatment to induce udder inflammation); subacute ruminal acidosis; other diseases (such as colic, diarrhoea, ketosis, milk fever or other infectious diseases); and accidents (such as retained placenta or vaginal laceration). Two events were linked to reproduction: oestrus and calving. Three events were stress events: animal mixing, disturbance (i.e. mild intervention on animals such as late feeding, alarm test) and marginal management changes (ration changes, fill bed). In addition, a Boolean sums up whether this hour was considered as normal or not. Data contain four datasets. It consists of univariate time series. Each time series corresponds to the hourly activity level of a cow. Datasets 1 and 2 are from the INRAE Herbipôle experimental farm and include data from experiments; datasets 3 and 4 are from commercial farms. They contain data on respectively 28, 28, 30 and 300 cows monitored for 6 months, 2 months, 40 days and one year. The data can be used to study the links between health, reproduction events and stress on the one hand and cow behaviour on the other hand. More specifically, it can be used to build and test tools for an earlier detection of health and disturbances, with a view to inform caretakers so that corrective actions can be rapidly put in place.

International audience; In two different goat farms, producing Picodon and Mutschli cheese respectively, two groups of lactating goats were fed alfalfa pellets (ALF) or sainfoin pellets (SNF) for 6 weeks. The cheeses produced at the end of the trial were analysed for sensory properties, composition, fatty acid profile, proteolysis, and rheology. The SNF Picodon had higher "goat" and "farm" aroma and odour, and higher bitter taste, compared with the ALF Picodon. The SNF Picodon showed lower dry matter than the ALF Picodon, leading to differences in texture and mouthfeel. The SNF Mutschli had a different mouthfeel than the ALF Mutschli. In a triangle test, consumers were able to perceive a difference in both Picodon and Mutschli between ALF and SNF groups. In both Picodon and Mutschli, feeding sainfoin increased cheese proteolysis and modified cheese fatty acid profile, resulting in higher polyunsaturated fatty acids proportion and lower n-6/n-3 ratio.

International audience; This chapter focuses on the opportunity to use plant bioactive compounds in ruminant diets for their potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, particularly enteric methane. Nitrous oxide emissions related to urinary nitrogen waste are addressed when information is available. The main families considered are plant lipids and plant secondary compounds (tannins, saponins, halogenated compounds and essential oils). The effects of these compounds in vivo, their mechanisms of action, and their potential adoption on farms are discussed, and future trends in this research area are highlighted.

International audience; Ruminant production is predominant in mountainous areas, where grassland plots are often difficult to reach or non-machinable. Many mountain-area livestock systems combine a dairy-cow herd with a sucker-cattle herd. Here we posit that mixed herds allow better utilization of grazed grass than specialized herds on plots with constraints. To determine the influence of herd composition on grassland valorization, animal production and economic performance, we studied the functioning of two farms derived from two farm types representative of real mixed cattle mountain systems in the south of the Auvergne (France). Farm_1 is a medium-sized operation with a summer mountain pasture, and Farm_2 is a large operation with fragmented plots of grassland and cereal crops. We used modeling to vary the proportion of herd livestock units (LU) between the dairy herd and the suckler herd. We used the bioeconomic optimization model ‘Orfee’ (Optimization of Ruminant Farm for Economic and Environmental Assessment) modified for mountain conditions by integrating geographical constraints and the heterogeneity of grassland plots based on the French permanent grassland typology. The experimental design used 5 simulations defined by percentage of LUs found in the dairy (D) herd: 100D, 75D, 50D, 25D, and 0D. The results show better utilization of grazed grass with mixed herds than specialized herds. Based on total amount of pasture grass available in each farm, Farm_1 had the maximum grazed grass utilization rate at 85%, while Farm_2 had total valorization by grazing (rate of 100%). This better utilization of grazed grass increases average profit per Annual Work Units, especially when the difference in profitability between dairy and suckler herds is small. In addition, mixing herd reduces profit variability, taking into account market and policy variations over the period 2000–2015. This study shows that understanding the farm structure is key for getting the right herds mix to improve grazed grass utilization with good economic performance.

International audience; We studied herder practices in a pastoral system of the Mongolian Gobi, to assess its degree of integration in commercial networks and reliance on monetised resources (purchased inputs, machinery and salaried workers). Little infrastructure is present, few inputs are bought, herders primarily rely on standing grass and natural water sources, and labour is primarily provided by household members. As a result, the monetised items only account for five per cent of the production costs. Conversely, the monetary value of the products sold (live animals and fibre), and those consumed for subsistence (meat and milk products), are almost similar (sold: 59 per cent/subsistence: 41 per cent). Herders are therefore well connected with markets in terms of outputs produced, despite a small amount of integration in terms of inputs, which is made possible by the family workforce and the ecosystem services of provision of grass and water.

Modern ruminant production systems have to meet the sustainability challenge. Achieving this aim will require changes in all part of the production systems, including feeding. Today, diet formulation for ruminants has to supply a diet balanced in all nutrients and free from harmful substances, to meet production objectives and thereby generate, using ecological practices, animal products that are safe for humans. This requirement implies extending the ruminant diet evaluation concept to cover new dimensions other than feed value, such as impact on animal health, emitted wastes and the quality of ruminant products. Here, we present the concepts of a multi-criteria evaluation of ruminant diets, and the method we used to define the criteria and their indicators. Twenty-four criteria adapted to dairy ruminants and ranked in four categories of impact (animal production and health, wastes emitted and quality of the animal products) are proposed. Then, we discussed the type of indicators required to assess these criteria and identified the works to be carried out on indicators development. Finally, we discuss the steps remaining for the construction of the multi-objective diet evaluation tool., L’alimentation des ruminants ne peut plus être raisonnée uniquement comme la satisfaction des besoins nutritionnels, mais doit tenir compte d’autres réponses en lien avec la santé animale, l’environnement ou la qualité des produits. Cela nécessite d’identifier de nouveaux critères pour évaluer les rations sur ces réponses et pose la question des indicateurs à mesurer à l’échelle des aliments pour évaluer ces critères.

International audience; A direct comparison of cow and goat performance and milk fatty acid (FA) responses to diets that either induce milk fat depression or increase milk fat content in cows suggests species-specific regulation of lipid metabolism, including mammary lipogenesis. This experiment was conducted to highlight potential mechanisms responsible for the differences in mammary lipogenesis due to diet and ruminant species. Twelve Holstein cows and 12 Alpine goats were fed a basal diet containing no additional lipid (CTL) or a similar diet supplemented with corn oil [5% dry matter intake (DMI)] and wheat starch (COS), marine algae powder (MAP; 1.5% DMI), or hydrogenated palm oil (HPO; 3% DMI), according to a 4 × 4 Latin square design with 28-d experimental periods. Milk yield, milk composition, FA profile, and secretions were measured. On d 27 of each experimental period, the mRNA abundance of 21 genes involved in lipid metabolism or enzyme activities or both were measured in mammary tissue sampled by biopsy. The results showed significant differences in the milk fat response of cows and goats to the dietary treatments. In cows, fat content was lowered by COS (−45%) and MAP (−22%) and increased by HPO (+13%) compared with CTL, and in goats only MAP had an effect compared with CTL, with a decrease of 15%. In both species, COS and MAP lowered the yields (mmol/d per kilogram of body weight) of C16 FA in goats but not in cows, and the >C16 FA yield decreased with MAP in both species. Supplementation of HPO increased the yield of milk C16 FA (mmol/d per kilogram of body weight) in cows. These variations in milk fat content and FA secretion were not associated with modifications in the mammary expression of 21 genes involved in major lipid pathways, except for 3 transcription factors: PPARA, INSIG1, and SP1. This absence of large changes might be due to post-transcriptional regulation of these genes and related to the time of sampling of the mammary tissue relative to the previous meal and milking or to differences in the availability of substrate for the corresponding proteins. However, the abundance of 14 mRNA among the 21 encoding for genes studied in the mammary gland was significantly different among species, with 5 more abundant in cows (FADS3, ACSL1, PPARA, LXRA, and PPARG1) and 10 more abundant in goats (FASN, CD36, FABP3, LPL, GPAM, LPIN1, CSN2, MFGE8, and INSIG1). These species specificities of mammary lipid metabolism require further investigation.

Excessive flavour in lamb meat is undesirable for consumers and can prompt purchase resistance. Volatile indoles responsible for off-flavours accumulate more in the fat of lambs on pasture than on grain and are enhanced when lambs graze alfalfa. Here, we investigated whether barley supplementation of lambs grazing alfalfa influences meat sensory quality. Using three groups of 12 male Romane lambs, we compared three feeding regimes: alfalfa grazing (AG), alfalfa grazing + daily supplementation with barley (29 g/kg live weight0.75, AGS) and stall feeding with concentrate and hay (SF). As some of the compounds involved in meat sensory traits may act as dietary biomarkers, we also investigated potential implications for meat authentication. Although barley represented 38% of the diet in AGS lambs, it did not offer any advantage for animal average daily gain or parasitism level. Animal performance, carcass weight and fatness did not differ between feeding regimes. Dorsal fat firmness tended to be greater in AG than AGS and greater in AGS than SF. Skatole and indole concentrations in perirenal and dorsal fat were lower in SF lambs than in AG and AGS lambs (Plt;0.01 to Plt;0.0001), but did not differ between AG and AGS lambs. Yellowness, chroma and hue angle of perirenal fat were lower in SF lambs than in AG and AGS lambs (Plt;0.001), but did not differ between AG and AGS lambs. Absolute value of the mean integral for both perirenal fat and subcutaneous caudal fat (AVMIPF and AVMISC), quantifying the intensity of light absorption by carotenoids in perirenal and subcutaneous caudal fat, respectively, were lower in SF lambs than in AG and AGS lambs (Plt;0.0001 for both comparisons), but did not differ between AG and AGS lambs. Meat colour was unaffected by the treatment. We confirm that lambs grazing alfalfa accumulate high levels of volatile indoles in their fat, but we show that barley supplementation to lambs grazing alfalfa is not effective in reducing fat volatile indoles concentration and excessive odour/flavour in the meat. We also confirm that both perirenal fat skatole concentration and AVMIPF are of interest for discriminating lambs that grazed alfalfa from lambs that were stall-fed, and we show that they are not effective for discriminating supplemented from non-supplemented grazing lambs.

Introduction De nombreux cas d’engelures ont ete rapportes depuis le debut de la pandemie de Covid-19. Cependant, la RT-PCR et la serologie ne mettaient pas en evidence d’infection a SARS-CoV-2 chez la majorite des patients. L’hypothese d’une reponse interferon-mediee au SARS-CoV-2, permettant une clairance rapide du virus qui ne pourrait alors pas activer l’immunite humorale, a ete soulevee et pourrait expliquer la seronegativite. Notre objectif etait de rechercher une association entre les engelures survenues pendant le premier confinement en France et l’exposition au SARS-CoV-2 au sein des foyers. Materiel et methodes Dans cette etude cas-temoins multicentrique, les cas etaient les 102 individus adresses entre mars et mai 2020 aux CHU de Rennes, Nantes, Angers, Tours, et Brest pour des engelures. Les temoins etaient recrutes a partir des fichiers de volontaires sains tenus par ces hopitaux. Tous les membres de ces foyers etaient inclus, constituant ainsi 77 foyers cas (262 individus) et 74 foyers temoins (230 individus). L’exposition des foyers au SARS-CoV-2 lors du premier confinement etait categorisee en 3 niveaux : faible, intermediaire ou eleve, a partir d’un algorithme prenant en compte les symptomes, les contacts a risque et les activites hors du foyer des individus de chaque foyer. Une serologie SARS-CoV-2 etait proposee a tous les individus. Resultats Apres ajustement sur l’âge, l’association entre engelures et exposition au SARS-CoV-2 au sein des foyers de confinement etait estimee a 3,3, intervalle de confiance a 95 % (1,4–7,3), pour un niveau d’exposition intermediaire, et a 6,9 (2,5–19,5) pour un niveau d’exposition eleve au SARS-CoV-2. Parmi les 57 foyers cas ayant eu une serologie, 6 (11 %) avaient developpe des anticorps anti- SARS-CoV-2, alors que tous les foyers temoins testes etaient seronegatifs (n = 50). Discussion Cette etude cas-temoin demontre l’association entre engelures et exposition des foyers au SARS-CoV-2 durant le premier confinement. Notre critere de jugement etant declaratif, un biais de memorisation etait possible. Cependant, meme si 20 % des patients etaient classes exposes au SARS-CoV-2 par erreur, la mesure d’association resterait significative.

In pasture-based systems, there are nutritional and climatic challenges exacerbated across lactation; thus, dairy cows require an enhanced adaptive capacity compared with cows in confined systems. We aimed to evaluate the effect of lactation stage (21 vs. 180 days in milk, DIM) and Holstein genetic strain (North American Holstein, NAH, n = 8; New Zealand Holstein, NZH, n = 8) on metabolic adaptations of grazing dairy cows through plasma metabolomic profiling and its association with classical metabolites. Although 67 metabolites were affected (FDR < 0.05) by DIM, no metabolite was observed to differ between genetic strains while only alanine was affected (FDR = 0.02) by the interaction between genetic strain and DIM. However, complementary tools for time-series analysis (ASCA analysis, MEBA ranking) indicated that alanine and the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) differed between genetic strains in a lactation-stage dependent manner. Indeed, NZH cows had lower (P-Tukey < 0.05) plasma concentrations of leucine, isoleucine and valine than NAH cows at 21 DIM, probably signaling for greater insulin sensitivity. Metabolic pathway analysis also revealed that, independently of genetic strains, AA metabolism might be structurally involved in homeorhetic changes as 40% (19/46) of metabolic pathways differentially expressed (FDR < 0.05) between 21 and 180 DIM belonged to AA metabolism.

Residual feed intake (RFI) is one of the preferred traits for feed efficiency animal breeding. However, RFI measurement is expensive and time-consuming and animal ranking may depend on the nature of the diets. We aimed to explore RFI plasma biomarkers and to unravel the underlying metabolic pathways in yearling bulls fed either a corn-silage diet rich in starch (corn diet) or a grass-silage diet rich in fiber (grass diet). Forty-eight extreme RFI animals (Low-RFI, n = 24, versus High-RFI, n = 24, balanced per diet) were selected from a population of 364 Charolais bulls and their plasma was subjected to a targeted LC-MS metabolomic approach together with classical metabolite and hormonal plasma analyses. Greater lean body mass and nitrogen use efficiency, and lower protein turnover were identified as common mechanisms underlying RFI irrespective of the diet. On the other hand, greater adiposity and plasma concentrations of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) together with lower insulin sensitivity in High-RFI animals were only observed with corn diet. Conversely, greater plasma concentrations of BCAA and total triglycerides, but similar insulin concentrations were noted in efficient RFI cattle with grass diet. Our data suggest that there are diet-specific mechanisms explaining RFI differences in fattening Charolais yearling bulls.

International audience; Mass spectrometry has proven to be a valuable tool for the accurate quantification of proteins. In this study, the performances of three targeted approaches, namely selected reaction monitoring (SRM), parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) and sequential windowed acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion mass spectra (SWATH-MS), to accurately quantify ten potential biomarkers of beef meat tenderness or marbling in a cohort of 64 muscle samples were evaluated. So as to get the most benefit out of the complete MS2 maps that are acquired in SWATH-MS, an original label-free quantification method to estimate protein amounts using an I-spline regression model was developed. Overall, SWATH-MS outperformed SRM in terms of sensitivity and dynamic range, while PRM still performed the best, and all three strategies showed similar quantification accuracies and precisions for the absolute quantification of targets of interest. This targeted picture was extended by 585 additional proteins for which amounts were estimated using the label-free approach on SWATH-MS; thus, offering a more global profiling of muscle proteomes and further insights into muscle type effect on candidate biomarkers of beef meat qualities as well as muscle metabolism.

co-signature avec un laboratoire étranger; International audience; This chapter focusses on the performance characteristics a welfare measure should possess in order to be considered valid for the assessment of animal welfare. It presents a choice of validation measures that can be used to assess the welfare of cattle and discusses ways they can be collected in practice. The chapter also presents the various definitions of animal welfare and how these definitions can affect the measures that are chosen.

The mutation T3811 → G3811 (TG3811) discovered in the myostatin gene of the Blonde d’Aquitaine breed is suspected of contributing to the outstanding muscularity of this breed. An experiment was designed to estimate the effect of this mutation in an F2 and back-cross Blonde d’Aquitaine × Holstein population. By genotyping all known mutations in the myostatin gene, it was ensured that the TG3811 mutation was indeed the only known mutation segregating in this population. Fifty-six calves (43 F2, 13 back-cross) were intensively fattened and slaughtered at 24.0 ± 1.4 wk of age. The effects of the mutation were estimated by comparing the calves with the [T/T] (n = 18), [T/G] (n = 30), and [G/G] (n = 8) genotypes. Highly significant substitution effects (P < 0.001), above + 1.2 phenotypic SD, were shown on carcass yield and muscularity scores. Birth weight (P < 0.001) was positively affected by the mutation (+0.8 SD) but not growth rate (P = 0.97), while carcass length (P = 0.03), and fatness (P ≤ 0.03) were negatively affected (–0.5 to –0.7 SD). The characteristics of the Triceps brachii muscle were affected by the mutation (P < 0.001), with lower ICDH activity (oxidative) and a higher proportion of myosin type 2X muscle fibers (fast twitch). The effects of the TG3811 mutation were similar to those of other known myostatin mutations, although the Blonde d’Aquitaine animals, which are predominantly [G/G] homozygous, do not exhibit extreme double muscling.

National audience; Avoir l’ambition d’améliorer le bien-être des animaux d’élevage nécessite de pouvoir évaluer le niveau de bien-être ou de mal-être d’un animal ou d’un ensemble d’animaux. Cette volonté peut être motivée par un souhait d’autodiagnostic de l’éleveur, mais aussi par des processus de certification comme l’étiquetage du niveau de bien-être dans les élevages, visant à informer les consommateurs et à permettre des actes d’achat éclairés. Certains besoins réglementés des animaux peuvent par ailleurs faire l’objet de contrôles.Pour évaluer le bien-être animal de façon la plus objective possible, des référentiels ont été conçus par un large éventail d’acteurs concernés. Basés sur des indicateurs différents selon l’espèce, le type de production, l’âge des d’animaux ou encore le type d’élevage, ces référentiels servent de guides pour adapter les évaluations sur le terrain.Ce fascicule explique en quoi consistent les indicateurs de bien-être, leur mesure et le processus d’intégration permettant d’obtenir une information fiable sur le niveau de bien-être d’un élevage.Cet ouvrage est le deuxième d’une série de trois fascicules consacrés au bien-être animal.

International audience; Combined results from 2 survey studies were used to obtain information useful for the industries and retailers involved in the milk production and selling chain in North Italy. The first survey identified different clusters of fluid milk purchasers by examining their preferences and attitudes toward 12 intrinsic–extrinsic and credence milk attributes, by applying best–worst scaling methodology, whereas the second survey characterized the fatty acid (FA) profiles of commercial milk sold by large-scale retailers to verify the correspondence between the actual FA profile and the direct and indirect claims on the labels. To summarize information about the FA profile of milk, which may be considered an advanced attribute of milk quality, the milk FA index (MFAI) was calculated for each milk sample. A total of 130 milk samples (around 85% of the labels in northern Italy) and a total of 502 participants who answered a face-to-face questionnaire were considered in the 2 surveys. The milk samples were 13.1% organic, 9.2% certified as being of mountain origin, and over 50% noncertified but linked to cow grazing or to a mountain environment on their labels. The FA profiles showed a wide range of variation, with saturated FA ranging from 63.4 to 71.8, and polyunsaturated FA from 2.76 to 5.85. The FA profile and MFAI index of certified milk (organic or mountain-derived) were significantly different from the profiles of noncertified milk, whereas no correspondence was observed between the retail price and milk quality. When ranked on the basis of MFAI, which proved to be a good discriminating tool, the certified milks presented a bimodal distribution, indicating that certification does not always guarantee a real difference. The consumers chose milk considering the origin of the product, brand, expiration date, and process certification as the most important attributes, whereas they rated price and organic certification as the least important attributes. The study showed that about 20% of the consumers had a high propensity to buy milk on the basis of its quality. However, this attribute is often incorrectly indicated or not indicated at all on the milk label, with misleading images or claims that do not correspond to the actual FA quality of the milk. Having a clear index that offers information about the FA profile could thus be an interesting tool to improve the awareness of buyers and to valorize and differentiate milk products.

International audience