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Visfatin is an adipokine with mediatory effects on inflammation. It is expressed at low levels in the pig stomach, but its role in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is not well understood. This study explored visfatin expression and localisation in the stomach and duodenum of piglets fed varying levels of polyphenols derived from olive mill waste extract, known for their antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. Twenty-seven piglets were assigned to three dietary groups: control (commercial feed), low polyphenol (120 ppm), and high polyphenol (240 ppm) groups. After 14 days of feeding, samples from the glandular stomach and duodenum were collected from 13 piglets. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), digital image analysis (DIA) using QuPath software, and double-labelled immunofluorescence were performed to detect visfatin-positive cells and co-localise them with serotonin. Additionally, relative gene expression of visfatin was assessed via RT-qPCR. Visfatin-positive cells were identified in 5 out of 13 piglets, localised mainly in the basal portion of gastric and intestinal glands. The morphology of those cells was consistent with neuroendocrine cells and confirmed by co-localisation of visfatin and serotonin. No significant differences were found in cell positivity or morphology between dietary groups or between tissues. However, visfatin transcript levels increased with the dose of polyphenolic extract. These findings suggest that dietary polyphenols may modulate visfatin gene expression in the GI tract. The study also highlights the value of digital anatomy for enhancing the accuracy and reproducibility of anatomical research. Further studies are needed to elucidate the functional role of visfatin transcript and protein in the porcine GI tract., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Several scientific publications have highlighted the importance of feeding management practices in improving the nutritional properties of milk from dairy ewes. Meat production quality from suckling lambs is based on the use of milk as exclusive or near exclusive dietary component. There is considerable evidence that lamb meat contains many important nutrients and bioactive compounds that play an important role in consumer health. This paper examines the different quality characteristics of lamb meat from ewes fed different diets to improve milk quality. To conduct this research, we consulted different scientific databases and acquired relevant documents that studied the relationships between the dietary treatment of lactating ewes and the performance of their suckling lambs (growth and carcass traits) as well as the meat quality in terms of nutrient content (fat and protein in particular), bioactive compounds content (fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidant molecules), color, odor and flavor. The extent of change in meat carcass traits and meat quality of suckling lambs due to different feeding strategies applied to ewes was evaluated and discussed. This overview of the knowledge on the relationship between the milk quality and suckling lamb quality can be useful for production and communication strategies development for the lamb meat industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The increase of meat production in dairy sheep farms, has been evaluated by the extension of the suckling period from the traditional 28 days to 75 days to obtain a new product, the heavy suckling lamb. Nineteen single-born Sarda (S) lambs (10 male, 9 female) and 20 single-born Dorper x Sarda (DS) lambs (9 male, 11 female), randomly selected from autumn lambing season, were fed exclusively with maternal milk until slaughtering at 20 ± 0.28 kg of body weight (BW, mean ± standard deviation, SD) and approximately 11 weeks of age. Body weight were recorded at birth and every 15 days until slaughter to estimate average daily gain (ADG). At slaughter, carcass measurements, pH and colour traits were recorded from the left side of the carcass. Proximate composition, fatty acid (FA) profile, cooking and drip losses were evaluated using the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle. In addition, Visual Panel Test (VPT) and Taste Panel Test (TPT) were performed. Experimental results evidenced that ADG did not differ between pure and crossbreed lambs and between sexes. The S lamb carcasses showed a higher fat content and rib fat thickness compared to that of crossbreed. No significant differences were found between genetic types and sex for colour and pH determinations, cooking and drip losses, whereas LTL fat of DS displayed a higher nutritional FA profile with higher content of 22:5n-3, 22:6n-3, branched-chain FA, and odd- and branched chain FA. No differences emerged during VPT and TPT, demonstrating that both DS and S lamb meats present no distinguishable visual and eating quality characteristics. The production of heavy suckling lambs from Sarda and Dorper crossbreed by the extension of suckling period appeared a promising strategy for producing meat of high quality, well appreciated by the consumers., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this quantitative review is to highlight the effects of feeding strategies using some mineral, vitamin, marine oil, and vegetable essential oil supplements and some agri-food by-products to reduce SCCs in the milk of sheep and goats. According to the results, only specific dietary factors at specific doses could reduce SCCs in the milk of dairy sheep and goats. The combination of Se and vitamin E in the diet was more effective in sheep than in goats, while the inclusion of polyphenols, which are also present in food matrices such as agro-industrial by-products, led to better results. Some essential oils can be conveniently used to modulate SCCs, although they can precipitate an off-flavoring problem. This work shows that SCCs are complex and cannot be determined using a single experimental factor, as intramammary inflammation, which is the main source of SC in milk, can manifest in a subclinical form without clinical signs. However, attention to mineral and vitamin supplementation, even in the most difficult cases, such as those of grazing animals, and the use of anti-inflammatory substances directly or through by-products, can improve the nutritional condition of animals and reduce their SCCs, offering undeniable benefits for the milk-processing sector as well.

Individual dry matter intake (DMI) is a relevant factor for evaluating feed efficiency in livestock. However, the measurement of this trait on a large scale is difficult and expensive. DMI, as well as other phenotypes, can be predicted from milk spectra. The aim of this work was to predict DMI from the milk spectra of 24 lactating Sarda dairy sheep ewes. Three models (Principal Component Regression, Partial Least Squares Regression, and Stepwise Regression) were iteratively applied to three validation schemes: records, ewes, and days. DMI was moderately correlated with the wavenumbers of the milk spectra: the largest correlations (around ±0.30) were observed at ~1100-1330 cm -1 and ~2800-3000 cm -1 . The average correlations between real and predicted DMI were 0.33 (validation on records), 0.32 (validation on ewes), and 0.23 (validation on days). The results of this preliminary study, even if based on a small number of animals, demonstrate that DMI can be routinely estimated from the milk spectra.

The aim of the study was to compare odd and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFA) of milk from sheep, goat, cow, buffalo, donkey, human, and formula milk. Ruminant, monogastric, and human milks have different concentrations of these fatty acids (FA). To highlight the differences on OBCFA, a total of 282 individual milk samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. The OBCFA were found higher in ruminant than non-ruminant milks (p < 0.05). Among ruminants, sheep milk had the highest OBCFA (4.5 g/100 g of total FAME), whereases the lowest values were found in formula milk (0.18 g/100 g of total FAME). Regarding individual linear odd-chain FA (linear-OCFA), C11:0 was found higher in donkey milk than others, while sheep and buffalo milks had the greatest concentration of C15:0. Among BCFA, the iso-BCFA were higher than anteiso-BCFA in all considered milks. The isoC17:0 showed the highest concentration in all milks except for donkey and buffalo, which showed higher concentration of isoC16:0 than others. In conclusion, ruminant milks are different in terms of these FA compared to human milk and its substitutes. However, the greatest differences were found with formula milk, suggesting that this product needs the implementation of these FA to be more similar to human milk composition.

Colostrum is a major source of immunity in ruminants. It allows the transfer of antibodies from the mother to the fetus, and it is the exclusive source of nutrients for the newborn. The objectives of this study were (i) to characterize the macro and the micro composition of colostrum; (ii) to analyze the antioxidant capacity, fatty acid profile, and essential and toxic mineral content of colostrum; and (iii) to compare FA profiles and the amount of trace elements between colostrum and mature milk. For these purposes, samples of colostrum and milk were collected from a representative sample of animals from eight sheep dairy farms in the north of Sardinia (Italy). Fat, proteins, and seven essential and toxic minerals were measured in all samples of colostrum and milk. Furthermore, the FA profile was also measured in both matrices, while total antioxidant capacity was measured only in colostrum samples. The average amounts of fat and protein (TP) concentration in colostrum were 7.8% and 16%, respectively. Additionally, an average amount of 40 ± 20 g dm -3 was found for immunoglobulin G (IgG). As regards the antioxidant capacity of colostrum, a large variation was observed between samples from different farms for test 2, 2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), which was 30 ± 10% (mean ± standard deviation). High levels of selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) were found in colostrum (200 µg kg -1 , 25,000 µg kg -1 , and 1200 µg kg -1 , respectively). A strong positive correlation between TP and IgG was observed (r = 91%). In colostrum, the amount of IgG is positively correlated with Se and Zn, as they are essential minerals to the immune system. The FA profile demonstrated higher levels of medium and long chain fatty acids in colostrum than in mature milk, and this is mainly true for arachidonic acid (ARA), ecosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This study provided new information on the quality of colostrum in Sarda dairy sheep and showed the different composition of fatty acids between colostrum and mature milk.

The aim of this study was to estimate the methane-linked carbon footprint (CF) of the suckling lamb meat of Mediterranean dairy sheep. Ninety-six Sarda dairy ewes, divided into four groups of 24 animals each, were assigned to 2 × 2 factorial design. The experiment included the suckling lamb feeding system: traditional (TS), in which lambs followed their mothers on pasture during grazing time, vs. separated (SS), in which lambs remained indoors, separated from their mothers during the grazing time. Each group was divided into high (HS) and low (LS) supplemented ewes (600 g/d vs. 200 g/d of concentrate). The estimated CH 4 emission of the ewes, calculated per kg of body weight (BW) gain of the lamb during the suckling period, was then converted to CO 2 eq with multiplying factor of 25. The TS lambs showed lower methane-linked emissions than SS ones ( p < 0.05). The sex of lambs affected their methane-linked CF, with males having lower ( p < 0.05) values than females. Twins displayed much lower methane-linked CF than singles (4.56 vs. 7.30 kg of CO 2 eq per kg of BW gained), whereas the level of supplementation did not affect greenhouse gases (GHG) emission. Interaction displayed lower and not-different GHG emissions for both indoor- and outdoor-reared twins. In conclusion, the methane-linked CF of the suckling lamb meat can be reduced by maintaining the traditional lamb rearing system and by improving flock prolificacy.