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Garlic and garlic components have recently been proposed as ruminal activity modulators to reduce the enteric methane emissions of ruminants, but little is known of their influence on milk coagulation properties, nutrient recovery, cheese yield, and sensorial and rheological characteristics of milk and cheese. The present study assessed the effects of garlic and diallyl sulfide supplements on dry matter intake (DMI), productive performance, milk coagulation properties, cheese yield, milk and cheese sensory profiles, and rheological characteristics. Four dairy cows were fed a total mixed ration either alone (control) or supplemented with 100 or 400 g/d of garlic cloves or 2 g/d of diallyl sulfide in 4 consecutive experimental periods in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The diallyl sulfide dose was established to provide approximately the same amount of allyl thiosulfinate compounds as 100 g of fresh garlic cloves. The total mixed ration was composed of 0.29 corn silage, 0.23 corn-barley mixture, 0.17 sunflower-soybean mixture, 0.12 alfalfa hay, 0.12 grass hay, 0.04 sugar beet pulp, and 0.02 other additives, and contained 0.253 starch, 0.130 crude protein, and 0.375 neutral detergent fiber, on a dry matter basis. Each experimental period consisted of 7 d of transition and 14 d of treatment. On d 18 and 21 of each period, milk samples (10 L) were collected from each cow for chemical analysis and cheese-making. The organoleptic properties of the milk and 63-d-ripened cheeses were assessed by a panel of 7 trained sensory evaluators. The experimental treatments had no effects on DMI, milk yield, feed efficiency (milk yield/DMI), milk coagulation properties, nutrient recovery, or cheese yield. Garlic-like aroma, taste, and flavor of milk and cheese were significantly influenced by the treatments, particularly the highest dose of garlic cloves, and we found close exponential relationships between milk and cheese for garlic-like aroma (R2 = 0.87) and garlic-like flavor (R2 = 0.79). Diallyl sulfide and 400 g/d of garlic cloves resulted in lower pH, shear force, and shear work of ripened cheeses compared with the other treatments. Garlic cloves and diallyl sulfide had opposite effects on cheese color indices. We conclude that adding 400 g/d of garlic to the feed of lactating dairy cows highly influences the sensory and rheological characteristics of cheese.

As double-muscled Belgian Blue (BB) and Piemontese (PIEM) breeds are heavily selected for different objectives (the former mainly for muscularity, the latter for ease of calving), the aim of this study was to compare sexual dimorphism in 56 crossbred young bulls and heifers obtained from dairy cows mated to bulls of the two beef breeds. Young PIEM- and BB-sired bulls had similar fattening performances and beef traits, although the BB crossbreds were slightly more muscular. Otherwise, the BB-sired heifers exceeded the PIEM-sired heifers in growth rate (1.12 vs. 0.98kg/d), feed efficiency (0.129 vs. 0.121kg/kg DM), increases in muscle scores (1.45 vs. 0.98 SEUROP scores) and carcass yield (0.612 vs. 0.605), but not in fatness, retail cut proportions and meat quality traits. Sexual dimorphism is, therefore, less distinct in BB than in PIEM crossbreds. In conclusion, BB sires are to be preferred for "product quality", and PIEM sires for "process quality", on account of welfare and ethical issues.

Growth, conformation, carcase and meat quality traits of crossbred calves obtained in the Alps from selected Belgian Blue sires (BB) and Brown Swiss (BS), Simmental (Si) and Rendena (Re) dams were studied, emphasising differences on dairy and dual purpose maternal breed. Six pens with five heifers (3 BB × BS, 1 BB × Si, 1 BB × Re) and six pens with four young bulls (2 BB × BS, 1 BB × Si, 1 BB × Re) were used. In total 53 crossbred calves were tested: 30 from BS dams and 23 from dual purpose (12 from Si and 11 from Re dams). Growth performances were measured, carcases were scored for muscle conformation and fatness, the fifth rib was dissected, and the Longissimus thoracis (LT) was analysed. The maternal breed had significant effects when the calves from dairy cows (BB × BS) were compared to those of the dual purpose breeds (BB × Si and BB × Re), as at slaughter the former were 1.2% taller, 6.0% less in vivo muscle score, 5.0% less carcase muscle score, with a 13% greater proportion of bone in the rib, and their LT had 12.5% less drip losses, but 3% greater cooking losses and 25% greater shear force. It was concluded that when using a BB as a sire, the dam breed has influence on the growth performance traits of the derived crossbreds, but the major influence would regard the carcase and meat quality traits. In the Alps, these differences are reflected in different sold prices of the crossbred calves from dairy and dual purpose breeds at local auctions.

The tissue-specific response to rumen-protected conjugated linoleic acid supply (rpCLA) of liver, two muscles, and three adipose tissues of heavy lambs was studied. Twenty-four lambs, 8 months old, divided into 4 groups of 6, were fed at libitum on a ration supplemented without or with a mixture of rpCLA. Silica and hydrogenated soybean oil was the rpCLA coating matrix. The lambs were slaughtered at 11 months of age. Tissues were collected and analyzed for their FA profiles. The dietary rpCLA supplement had no influence on carcass fatness nor on the fat content of the liver and tissues and had little influence on the FA profiles of these tissues. In the adipose tissues, rpCLA increased the proportions of saturated FAs, 18:0 and 18:2t10c12, and decreased the proportions of monounsaturated FAs in the adipose tissues. In muscles, the effects were the opposite. The results suggest that Δ9 desaturase activity is inhibited by the rpCLA mixture in adipose tissues to a greater extent than in the other tissues.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the replacement of about 70% of soybean meal (SBM) with extruded (ES) or toasted (TS) full-fat soybean seeds in diets for lactating cows on milk quality, fatty acid profile, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content. Eighteen lactating cows were assigned to 3 groups which received a basal diet, supplemented with 1.8, 2.1 and 2.1 kg/head, respectively, of SBM, ES and TS. There was no significant effect on milk yield, calculated as the difference between daily yield during the experimental period and the mean of the last 5 days of adaptation (-1.65, -1.29 and -0.20 kg/d, respectively, for SBM, ES and TS; P>0.10) and milk quality parameters (fat, protein, urea and cheese making parameters) among treatments. In the ES group there was a decrease in the short chain FA content (from C4 to C13) in milk fat (9.2 vs 11.0 and 10.8 g/100 g lipids, respectively, for ES, SBM and TS; P

Growth performance and N excretion of double muscled Piemontese (DMP) bulls were investigated. Forty-eight DMP bulls (LW 279 kg), divided in 4 groups, housed in 12 pens, were fed 2 rations (TMR) differing for crude protein density (diets HP: CP=14.7% DM; diets LP: CP=11.0% DM) and top dressed with 80 g/d of rumen protected CLA (CLA) or with 65 g/d of hydrogenated soybean oil (HSO). DM intake was measured, weekly and on pen basis, from the weights of feed distributed and orts. Bulls were weighted monthly. Trial lasted 334 d. Data were analysed by ANOVA. Over the whole trial, no effects due to CP, to additive (A) or to CPxA were found on final LW (670 kg), average daily gain (1.187 kg/d), DM intake (8.50 kg/d), and on SEUROP (5.2 points) and cold dressing (67.3%). Interaction CPxA affected (P

Four hundred piglets were housed in 20 pens and offered for 42 days a pre-starter and then a starter compound supplemented with trace elements given as sulphates (SULF) or proteinates (PROT) at a common level (100) or at a reduced level (20) of inclusion. The common level supplied 278, 148, 315 and 98 mg/kg and the reduced level supplied 128, 38, 135 and 50 mg/kg of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn), respectively, taking into account the natural food contents. Proteinates used in the trial were analysed and described in terms of content and quality of different potential ligands. Piglet growth was not affected by any treatment. At the end of the trial blood samples were collected from eight pigs for each treatment. These animals were slaughtered and their livers were removed, weighed and analysed. Compared with SULF, PROT increased significantly plasma levels of Fe (25·1 v. 15·7 μmol/l), haemoglobin (10·9 v. 10·4 g/dl) and the number of red blood cells (6·4 v. 6·1 millions per μl) but the liver recovery of Fe was not affected by any treatment. In piglets receiving PROT the liver content of Cu and Zn increased significantly compared with those receiving SULF. On reducing the dosage, Cu in the liver significantly decreased with SULF but not with PROT and the amount of Zn decreased more with SULF than with PROT. The results may reflect a better availability of Cu and Zn when proteinates rather than sulphates were used as mineral supplements.