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The use of animals in research elicits a diverse range of attitudes and emotions, with some people demanding the abolition of research on animals and others expressing strong support[...]

This review summarises the use of the Ankom DaisyII incubator (ADII; Ankom Technology Corporation Fairport, NY, USA), as presented in studies on digestibility, and its extension to other species apart from ruminants, from its introduction until today. This technique has been modified and adapted to allow for different types of investigations to be conducted. Researchers have studied and tested different procedures, and the main sources of variation have been found to be: the inoculum source, sample size, sample preparation, and bag type. In vitro digestibility methods, applied to the ADII incubator, have been reviewed, the precision and accuracy of the method using the ADII incubator have been dealt with, and comparisons with other methods have been made. Moreover, some hypotheses on the possible evolutions of this technology in non-ruminants, including pets, have been described. To date, there are no standardised protocols for the collection, storage, and transportation of rumen fluid or faeces. There is also still a need to standardise the procedures for washing the bags after digestion. Moreover, some performance metrics of the instrument (such as the reliability of the rotation mechanism of the jars) still require improvement.

The aim was to determine the absence of gluten in pet food samples marked as ‘grain-free’ and ‘gluten-free’ diets, to assess the reliability of manufacturer labelling of such products. A total of 15 diets labelled as grain- or gluten-free and 2 commercial diets containing wheat were sampled. An analytical procedure using high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry with high power of resolution was developed and applied to determine specific markers of wheat gluten. The results are expressed as mg of wheat flour type ‘00’ present in 1 g of feed. The quantification limit (LOQ) obtained in the flour for ion m/z 894.5043, z = 2, is 4 mg of flour per gram. In 14 out of the 15 samples from a grain- or gluten-free diet the quantifier ion signal was

This study investigates the effect of two dietary fats, namely linseed oil (LO) and lard (LF), and supplementation with pumpkin seeds (PS) on the performance, oxidative status, and blood serum metabolites of broilers, along with the composition, oxidative stability, and fatty acid (FA) profile of broiler meat. Ninety-six 64-d-old naked neck chickens were randomly distributed into four groups of 24 chickens each (8 chickens per cage, three cages per treatment) and fed a LO diet, a LO diet supplemented with 50 g PS kg−1, a LF diet, and a LF diet supplemented with 50 g PS kg−1. The antioxidant system is increased and reactive oxygen species decreased in chickens fed PS diets. Glycemia and cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the chickens fed PS diets than in those given diets without supplementation; the cholesterol levels were also significantly lower in the chickens fed LO diets than those fed LF diets. However, the LO diet affected the fresh meat quality by decreasing pH values of the meat at 24 h after slaughter. Adding PS to the LO diet improved the oxidative stability of the muscle at day 3 of refrigerated storage. The use of LO instead of LF favourably modulates the FA profile of meat, by increasing both linoleic and α-linolenic acid content and reducing the n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated FA ratio, atherogenic and thrombogenic index.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is mostly cultivated for grain in Asia, South and North America and it may be grown to be used as high-protein forage for grazing, haying or ensiling. Field trials with the soybean cultivar Eiko were conducted in North-West Italy to determine its chemical composition, gross energy, in vitro true digestibility (IVTD), neutral detergent fibre digestibility (NDFD) and fatty acid (FA) profile during growth. Herbage samples of cultivar Eiko were collected at seven progressive morphological stages, from the early vegetative to the seed-pod stage, during the 2014 growing season. The effect of plant growth was analysed by polynomial contrasts. Crude protein and ash decreased with increasing stage, whereas neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and lignin increased with progressive growth stage. No differences in lipid content during growth cycle were observed. IVTD decreased, whereas NDFD did not change with advancing growth stage. The most abundant FA during growth was a-linolenic (C18:3n-3), which accounted for 464-538 g/kg of total FA. It decreased with advancing growth until the late vegetative stage when it increased. Significant differences were also found for c-linolenic acid (C18:3n-6) and stearidonic acid (C18:4n-3), while no differences in the content of minor and unknown FAs were noted during growth.

Simple Summary This paper investigates the potential use of rabbit feces as a source of nutrition for ruminants and as an energy source. Feeding rabbit feces to ruminants or biogas production with rabbit manure may reduce the competition between human food and animal feed, provide a partial solution to some environment problems, and reduce treatment and disposal cost of manure. The in vitro rumen digestibility of rabbit feces was experimentally measured to assess its value as a feed for ruminants. In parallel, in order to extract the information about its potential nutritive and energetic value, the whole and partial relationships between the nutrient constituents of the rabbit feces and/or crop forages were investigated by chemometric analysis and also validated by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The results of this work indicated that rabbit feces has potential value as a ruminant feed and for biogas production. Abstract There are prospects for using novel feeds from various sources to provide ruminants with alternative sources of protein and energy such as by-products, and animal wastes. Rabbit feces are a concentrated source of fiber and could have commercial potential both as input biomass in anaerobic processes for biogas production, as well as a fibrous source for ruminal degradation. The aims of this work were to assess the potential as ruminant feeding and as biogas production of rabbit feces, in comparison with 12 crops. The chemical composition and the potential and experimental in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) of 148 feces samples were determined by using chemical methods, Daisy system digestibility and/or NIRS predictions. The average biomethane potential (BMP) was 286 ± 10 lCH4/kg SV with −4% vs. the crops average. Milk forage unit (milk FU), IVTD and NDFD of feces were 0.54 ± 0.06 milk FU/kg DM, 74% ± 3% and 50% ± 5%, respectively, with comparisons of −19%, −11% and −24% vs. the crops average. Reconstruction of the potential values based on the chemical constituents but using the crop partial least square model well agreed with the NIRS calibrations and cross-validation. In a global NIRS calibration of the feces and crops the relative predicted deviation for IVTD, NDFD and milk FU were 3.1, 2.9 and 2.6, respectively, and only 1.5 for BMP. Running the Daisy system for rabbit feces in rumen fluid gave some inconsistencies, weakened the functional relationships, and appeared not to be correlated with the potential values of IVTD and NDFD. Nevertheless, the energetic potential of feces appears to be similar to some conventional crops at different degrees of maturity. Thus we conclude that rabbit feces has potential value as a ruminant feed and for biogas production.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is native to the Andean region and belongs to the group of crops known as pseudocereals. It has great potential for improving food for humans and animals due to its interesting nutritional value. Quinoa was studied to determine the fatty acid (FA) composition, chemical composition, gross energy, in vitro dry matter (DM) digestibility (IVDMD) and neutral detergent fibre digestibility (IVNDFD) of the seeds and plant during growth. Herbage samples were collected six times at progressive morphological stages from the early vegetative to the grain fill stage. Effects of plant ageing was analysed by polynomial contrasts. The chemical composition of quinoa is closely connected to development of the plant with the quality of crop decreased with increasing morphological stages. Dry matter, organic matter (OM), and neutral detergent fibre (NDFom) content increased linearly from the mid vegetative to the grain fill stage, while acid detergent fibre (ADFom) content increased linearly from the first to the last stage. The pattern of FA in the seed was characterised by: palmitic acid (PA, C16:0), oleic acid (OA, C18:1 n-9) and linoleic acid (LA, C18:2 n-6). Among main FA of the plant during growth, α-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3 n-3) was the most abundant FA (from 385 to 473 g/kg of total FA), while LA content, which ranged from 146 to 176 g/kg of total FA, decreased with increasing growth until the shoot stage and then increased, while PA, OA and stearidonic acid (C18:4 n-3) did not show differences in their content during growth. IVDMD and IVNDFD decreased linearly with increasing growth stage. The first summer cut of quinoa, whose lipid fraction is rich in ALA and other polyunsaturated FA, should be before shooting, since its nutritional quality deteriorates when cutting is delayed.

In this study, 160 Hycole weaned rabbits (35 days old) were randomly divided into four groups of 40. The rabbits were studied throughout a 54-day experimentation period in order to determine the impact of dietary supplementation from herbs composed of 0.2%, 0.4% dry ground Lythrum salicaria leaves (LS) and 0.3% Cunirel(®) (CR; a commercial herb mixture containing LS as the main ingredient) on performance, digestibility, health and meat quality. The basal diet was given to the control group. No significant differences were found in performance, 10 rabbits from each group were selected for evaluation regarding apparent digestibility. The rabbits fed the control diet and the diet with the low level of LS had a higher level of CP digestibility than did the animals that were supplemented with the high LS levels and CR (85.7% and 84.9% v. 84.0% and 84.0%, respectively; P

Acid soluble bio-organic (SBO) substances have been extracted from plant bio-waste. The SBOs have been tested as feed additives for reared animals. Two trials (T1 and T2, lasting 63 and 56 days, respectively) were carried out to evaluate the effect of different doses of SBOs as feed additives in diets for fattening rabbits (131 and 120 animals from 35 days of age, respectively) and as binders for the manufacturing of diet pellets to improve their physical properties. The effect of different SBO doses (0, 0.5, 2.5 g/kg for T1 and 0, 5, 10 g/kg for T2) on the growth performance, health status, diet digestibility, carcass and meat traits of rabbits was studied. The aggregating effect of SBOs on feed particles during pelleting was studied by adding 50 and 100 g/kg of SBOs to a feed, and then measuring the shear and compression force on the pellets. The results have shown that SBO supplementation of rabbit diets at a concentration of 0.5-10 g/kg does not affect the live and slaughtering performances, except for the intestinal tract absorption area (higher in the intestines of rabbits fed with a high supplementation of SBO; P < 0.05) or the dry matter, organic matter, ether extract, fibre and gross energy apparent digestibility of the feed (lower in diets with low or no supplementation of SBO; P < 0.05). The rabbits fed with the lower SBO dose showed higher values of total anaerobic bacteria and Bacteroides (P < 0.05) and a higher cadmium meat content (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than all others groups. SBOs included at concentrations of 10 and 20% were also found to affect the physical properties of the pelleted feed. These pellets are more resistant to shear (P < 0.05) and compression force (P < 0.01) in the presence of added SBO. It can be concluded that SBO may be used as a feed additive for rabbits, without any adverse effects on animal productivity and health, as well as to improve the physical properties of pelleted feeds.

This review outlines the knowledge on the nutritional and zootechnical aspects of Nigella sativa (NS), which is an annual herbaceous plant native to Turkey, Pakistan and Iran. The popularity of this plant is due to its beneficial actions. NS is considered one of the most important medicinal plants in the world. Its seeds have many therapeutic effects, including antimicrobial, anticoccidial and anthelminthic activities, most of which are due to the presence of thymoquinone, which is the major bioactive component. NS seeds are also a significant source of proteins, carbohydrates and fatty acids, and thus could be added as an ingredient to formulate balance rations for farm animals. NS had positive effects on productive and reproductive performances, mortality rate, digestibility, blood chemistry parameters, milk yield and composition, compositional characteristics of eggs and carcass traits.

Evening primrose (Oenothera paradoxa) was studied to determine its chemical composition, in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), and fatty acid (FA) content during growth. Herbage samples were collected five times at progressive morphological stages from the rosette to the early seed-pod stage. The dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) increased with increasing growth stage, while the crude protein (CP) and ash decreased with increasing stage. Ether extract (EE) decreased only to the bud stage and gross energy (GE) increased to the bud stage. The nutritive quality of evening primrose decreased with advancing stages. The fatty acid profile in the plant during growth differs from the oil in the seeds, with α-linolenic (C18:3n−3), linoleic (C18:2n−6) and palmitic (C16:0) acids dominant in the total fatty acid content of the plant. There was a lack of γ-linolenic acid (C18:3n−6) at all stages of evening primrose plant during growth.

The aim of this study was to assess the apparent digestibility of broken rice using total collection of feces and the pepsin-cellulase in vitro technique to provide updated and more accurate digestion coefficients for this by-product when fed to horses. The in vivo digestibility trial was consecutively performed, using five adult geldings, weighing 555.6 kg on average. Firstly, hay was given as the only feedstuff, while secondly, the experimental diet consisted of the same hay plus broken rice at a forage-to-concentrate ratio of 70/30 (on dry matter basis). Feces were collected over 6 days preceded by a 14-day adaptation period. The digestibility trial was carried out to determine the digestion coefficients for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein and gross energy in both diets, while apparent digestion coefficients for the same parameters were calculated for broken rice alone, using the difference between the two sets of results. At the same time, an in vitro trial was carried out using pepsin-cellulase technique on the samples of hay and broken rice tested during the in vivo trial. As expected, supplementation with broken rice increased digestibility according to all the parameters used. The high OM digestion coefficients of broken rice were confirmed both by the calculated in vivo method and by the predicted results of pepsin-cellulase technique (92.6 and 87.1%, respectively), underlining the high digestibility of this by-product when fed to horses.

The aims of the study were to utilize vibrational spectroscopy as a rapid predictive tool of forage quality; to compare two preparation methods, freeze- (FD) vs. oven-dried (OD); to focus on the progression of intra- and inter-family maturity by adopting a multivariate crop maturity index (CMI) based on composition, digestibility and tillage traits. A panel of forages (n = 158) composed of 12 crops (borage, chia, false flax, flax, galega, hemp, perilla, quinoa, ravizzone, safflower, sunflower and white lupin) derived from 8 botanic families, sampled at different vegetative stages, and which were FD or OD, were examined. Two spectrometers were used at different spectral regions: a Perkin Elmer IdentiCheck™ (PE, B-band, 714–1025 nm; C-band, 1026–2500 nm, D-band, 2501–3333 nm) and a portable Analytical Spectral Device (ASD, A-band, 350–713 nm, UV–Vis; B-band, as above). The absorption spectra were constantly higher in the OD samples and showed very high discriminability. The average prediction response (RPD, defined as the performance-deviation ratio) was better with the PE instrument, because of its enhanced band capabilities. However, the response over the spectral regions differed on the basis of which instrument was used and according to the preparations. The ASD instrument was more efficient in the B-band, for the OD preparation and better than PE in the pooled calibration (RPD:1.63 vs. 1.20; P=0.0005). A significant superiority in the NIR C-band for the FD preparation was observed (RPD: 2.46 vs. 1.95; P=0.004), while, unexpectedly, the MIR D-band was 25% more performing (RPD: 2.78 vs. 2.21; P=0.0005). The ash, the neutral detergent fiber (NDFom) and its indigestible part (INDF) were placed at the highest prediction rank in both instruments, albeit at different precision levels, caused by the different instrumental capabilities, with an overall 1-VR avg. of 0.81 (1-VR, defined as the r-square of internal cross-validation). In a composite FD-OD equation, the best prediction was made by the INDF (1-VR of 0.91 and 0.88 for the PE and ASD instruments, respectively). The worst performances were observed for the digestible neutral detergent fiber (DNDF) prediction. The CMI was influenced by the INDF (R2 0.91) and was accurately predicted by vibrational spectroscopy (RPD 5.2 and 2.9 for PE and ASD, respectively). CMI was able to summarize the botanical differences and highlight a rank between the eight families from the less mature pole: Boraginaceae and Chenopodiaceae

In this study, the effects of the inclusion of artichoke bracts (AB) in rabbit diets on the carcass characteristics and rabbit meat quality were studied. A total of 120 rabbits aged 38 days were used and divided into three groups that were fed with different isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets supplemented with AB at 0%, 5% and 10%. The animals were single housed in wire cages at a temperature of 22±2°C and had free access to clean drinking water. At 96 days of age, 12 rabbits/group were slaughtered in an experimental slaughterhouse without fasting. The carcass was weighed and the weights of the skin and full gastrointestinal tract were recorded. Carcasses were chilled at +4°C for 24 h in a refrigerated room. The chilled carcass weight (CCW), dressing out percentage (CCW as percentage of slaughter weight), and the ratio of the head and liver were determined as a percentage of CCW. The reference carcass weight was also calculated. Carcasses were halved and the two longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles were excised. The left LD muscle was divided into two parts. The fore part was used to measure pH, colour and cooking losses. The hind part of the left LD was vacuum-packed, frozen at -20°C and then freeze-dried. Proximate composition, fatty-acid profile and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances values were determined on freeze-dried samples. Results showed that carcass characteristics, LD muscle traits and its oxidative status were not affected by the AB supplementation, except for the meat ether extract content that increased from 0.68% to 0.94% on fresh matter basis with the increase of the AB supplementation (P

The effects of dietary supplementation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii (CNCM I-1079 strain, LSB) at 0, 300 and 600 mg/kg on apparent digestibility, growth performance, caecal fermentation, carcass characteristics and meat quality of broiler rabbits were studied from 37 to 84 days of age. One hundred and fifty New Zealand White rabbits were single housed and randomly allotted into three groups. Animals were fed isocaloric and isonitrogenous basal diets ad libitum, supplemented with different levels of concentrated live yeast LSB (0, 3×106 and 6×106 colony forming unit (CFU)/g diet, respectively). Protected LSB was resistant to the pelleting process and to passage through the rabbit digestive tract as far as the caecum, where it showed an 86% survival rate in the 600 mg/kg supplementation level group. Significant differences were found only for the fibrous fractions digestibility that were lowest (P=0.001) in the animals fed 300 mg/kg supplemented diet, while yeast and mould populations in the caecum increased (P=0.001) in the animals fed 300 and 600 mg/kg supplemented diets (4.16 and 4.76 log CFU/g, respectively). Mortality did not differ amongst dietary treatments being 10%, 8% and 6% for groups fed LSB at 0, 300 and 600 mg/kg, respectively.

La valutazione dell'’energia grezza è fondamentale per la stima dell’energia digeribile, metabolizzabile e netta degli alimenti. Fra i vari metodi di determinazione vi è quello che prevede il ricorso alla bomba calorimetrica adiabatica. Mentre per i fieni e gli insilati con s.s. superiore al 40% la combustione è sempre completa, per gli insilati con s.s. inferiore al 40% è necessario il ricorso ad un coadiuvante la combustione. Scopo del lavoro è la determinazione della corretta quantità di primer e di insilato da utilizzare per ottenere una completa combustione degli insilati in funzione del loro tenore in s.s. Vengono formulate due equazioni di regressione impiegate con successo per la determinazione rispettivamente della quantità di primer e di insilati di trifoglio violetto, erba medica e dactylis glomerata realizzati a diversi livelli di appassimento.

Thirty crossbred rabbits were randomly allocated to three groups with ten animals each (five male and five female rabbits each), and kept individually in separate cages. Three isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated with increasing levels of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seeds (SHS) (0, 10, and 15%). The digestibility coefficients of the dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE), nitrogen free extract (NFE), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and gross energy (GE) were calculated according to standard procedures following the indirect digestibility method, using acid insoluble ash as an internal marker. The results showed that the addition of SHS improved the digestibility of the both SHS diets for DM, OM, NFE and GE, while the EE and ADF digestibilities of the 10% SHS diet were higher than those of the other diets.

[EN] A portable Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) instrument was applied to 40 growing rabbits to determine body and tissue differences induced by experimental factors. The rabbits were examined at 2 live sites, in 7 warm carcass tissues and in longissimus dorsi muscle samples prepared in ethanol. For this purpose, the method was applied in a bi-factorial experiment concerning the dietary oil source (O) (maize vs. palm oil) and Curcuma longa (C) supplementation (0 and 3 g/kg, respectively). Significant chemical differences emerged for palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids in the longissimus dorsi muscle due to the O factor and for linolenic acid due to the C factor. The NIRS spectra and chemical analyses were elaborated by the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method, and the rsquares in cross-validation (R2cv) were retained as measure of the unoriented differentiation between the levels of the planned factor for each landmark and fatty acid (FA) profile. Multivariate PLS analysis of the FA muscular fat showed that the O factor induced strong differentiation (R2cv: 0.96), while less influence (0.33) was observed for the C factor. The model based on the NIRS radiation of the landmarks clearly shows the O factor effects, not only in the perirenal (0.90) and scapular (0.85) fats, but also in the belly (0.76), liver (0.73) and hind legs (0.72). Whereas the C effects were only expressed in the live animals (ears: 0.66 and abdominal wall: 0.58) and in post-mortem (liver: 0.60). It was concluded that a preliminary NIRS scan of the carcass and of live rabbits can point out the presence of intrinsic experimental effects concerning the lipid metabolism of polyunsaturated FA of the n-6 series (O factor) and n-3 series (C factor).

In the Molise region (Italy), some autochthonous populations are still bred and, between them, some wild horses named 'Pentro horses.' The breeding area is a natural pasture. It is 2200 ha extended including a broad plane surrounded by wooden hills. The aim of this research was to determine the nutritional characteristics of this area over a 2-year period to improve the management of the herd and to define the stocking rate in relation to the forage production in terms of production and quality. The forage samples were collected over two successive years during the grazing period (May to October) from five experimental areas and analysed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), acid-detergent fibre (ADF), acid-detergent lignin (ADL) and gross energy (GE). Horse feed units (HFU) and horse-digestible crude protein (HDCP) were also predicted. Data were analysed with a one-way ANOVA test using month and area as factors. The DM, HFU and HDCP total production was determined to be compared with the total nutrient requirements of the herds from May to October. The results show that seasonal and yearly climatic variations significantly affect chemical composition and nutritive value of the pasture. The parameters most influenced were DM, CP, ADF and to a less extent NDF, while OM, ADL and GE show smaller differences during the observed period. The results show a low production per ha; nevertheless, because of the low stocking rate (0.3 to 0.6 head per ha), nutrient production meets the nutrient requirements of the horses regarding DM and energy. The differences among the areas have to be ascribed to the different botanical compositions and to the different draining capacity of the soil, and also in this case the greatest variations are for DM, CP and ADF.

Simple Summary Polyunsaturated fatty acids in human foods have been shown to have health benefits. We investigated the potential to incorporate them into rabbit meat by adding them to the diet. Good relationships between dietary fatty acids (FAs) and their content in longissimus dorsi muscle and perirenal fat of rabbits was established, especially the latter. The results should make it possible to enhance the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of rabbit meat, with benefits to the health of human consumers. Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various raw materials (spirulina, curcuma, tomato pomace, false flax, linseed, chia, perilla seeds) as suitable polyunsaturated fatty acid n-3 (n-3 PUFA) sources, on the lipid traits in the longissimus dorsi muscle and perirenal fat of growing rabbits. The fatty acid (FA) analyses of the diets, carried out by gas chromatography, differed over a wide range on the basis of the highly varied ingredients in 27 experimental formulations. Among the 29 identified FAs, three from feeds were catabolized in the rabbits, five were de novo synthesized and stored chiefly in the muscle. It was possible to linearly characterize the incorporation from the feed to the muscle of 16 FAs. This study has confirmed that the dietary inclusion of various raw materials could be considered as a way of enriching the n-3 PUFA of rabbit meat. A proposal for the prediction of n-3 PUFA from dietary α-linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) and a panel of another 10 FAs has been made for intramuscular fat (R2 = 0.94) and perirenal fat (R2 = 0.96).

Several studies have reported data on comparisons between two methods: the total collection of feces and the internal markers method. The aim of this study was to assess the apparent digestibility of two concentrates and to compare the apparent digestion coefficients using the total collection of feces and acid-insoluble ash (AIA) as the internal marker method. In 2009, six adult geldings aged between 3 and 11 years, with an average weight per trial of 543, 540 and 542 kg, respectively, were used to determine the apparent digestibility by means of three in vivo digestibility trials on hay, hay plus wheat bran (60 : 40) and hay plus extruded flax (80 : 20). Feces were collected over a 6-day period with a previous 14-day adaptation period. The three digestibility trials were carried out to determine the digestion coefficients of the three diets and, indirectly, of the two concentrates. The digestion coefficients of the diets were determined for the dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and gross energy, whereas the apparent digestion coefficients of the same parameters were calculated for wheat bran and extruded flax, by calculating the difference from the previous results. The data were analyzed using the Student t-test for paired samples. The digestion coefficients obtained were similar when the total collection of feces and the AIA method were used. Higher data variability, confirmed by a greater standard deviation, was observed using the AIA method to estimate the apparent digestion coefficients. It can be concluded that the use of AIA as an internal marker in digestibility trials on average leads to values similar to those obtained with the total collection of feces and can therefore be considered a less-expensive method to determine apparent digestion coefficients. Nevertheless, the total collection of feces should still be considered the best choice to determine the digestibility of some specific feedstuffs.

An experiment has been conducted to study the effects of increasing levels of Perilla frutescens L. seed (PFS) in the diet on the performance, meat quality traits, lipid oxidation and fatty acid profile of rabbit fat and meat. Thirty weaned, crossbred (Carmagnola Grey × New Zealand) rabbits aged thirty days and weighing on average, 1120 ± 193 g, were divided into three groups of 10 (five male and five female rabbits each). Three levels of PFS (0, 5, or 10%) were included in isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets. The experimental period lasted 50 days. The performance and meat quality traits were not affected by the dietary treatments. The impact of the PFS enrichment of the diets on the oxidative stability of frozen rabbit meat was significant, but with low values and without any important effect on the meat quality. The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) concentration in the longissimus dorsi muscle and perirenal fat was significantly increased with increasing PFS inclusion, while the saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) decreased. The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio of the rabbit meat decreased from 6.53 in the control group, to 1.00 in the 10% PFS group. These results shown that the use of a diet supplemented with PFS is effective in reducing the saturation, atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes in the rabbit tissues.

An experiment has been conducted to study the effects of the inclusion of plant oil in rabbit diets. This study was aimed at evaluating the beneficial effects of the inclusion of maize oil (MO), rich in unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), compared to palm oil (PO) containing saturated fatty acids (SFAs), on the meat fatty acid (FA) profile. As UFAs are susceptible to rancidity, Curcuma longa (CL), which is known for its antioxidant properties, was also added (3 g/kg) to the diet with two plant oils. CL contains curcuminoids, volatile oils, sugars, proteins, resins and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). We also evaluated the influence of CL inclusion in the diet on the FA profile of the meat. Furthermore, the possibility of using these oil-enriched diets and the ability to assimilate CL in rabbits was evaluated by analysing the performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality. At the end of the experiment, there were no significant differences between the groups concerning the live weight, live weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, carcass yield or the percentages of edible organs. The hind legs, forelegs, loins and abdominal wall, breast and ribs, skin and limbs and head were not affected by the oil type or by the inclusion of CL. The chemical composition, pH and oxidative status of the Longissimus dorsi muscle of the rabbits fed the experimental diets were not affected by the oil source or by the CL supplementation. Conversely, it has been shown that it is possible to modify the FA profile of rabbit meat and fat by dietary means. The SFA/PUFA ratio significantly decreased from −18% to −16% in the meat and from −25% to −23% in the perirenal fat of the rabbits fed diets containing MO without or with CL supplementation, respectively, compared to same tissues of the rabbits fed diets containing PO without or with CL supplementation, respectively. Similar trends were found for the atherogenic index, which decreased from −20% to −17% in the meat and from −26% to −23% in the perirenal fat, respectively, and the thrombogenic index, which decreased from −19% to −24% in the meat and from −24% to −23% in the perirenal fat, respectively. CL increased the α-Linolenic acid and PUFA n-3 contents and reduced the vaccenic acid content and the n-6/n-3 ratio in the meat of the rabbits fed the PO or MO diets.

Spirulina platensis (SP) is a useful raw material for human and animal nutrition due to its high protein content. It is also a source of minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyl, pigments and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as γ-linolenic acid (GLA). The effects of four levels (0, 50, 100, or 150 g/kg of SP) included in the diet to replace soybean and alfalfa on some carcass characteristics and the meat quality of growing rabbit have been investigated. The modifications of the diet composition did not significantly influence the carcass yield or the proportions of the various carcass parts and organs. The chemical composition of the meat was unaffected, with the exception of the lipid content, which was lower in the control group than in the groups fed the SP diets. The fatty acid (FA) profile of the perirenal fat and longissimus dorsi muscle was determined to evaluate the effect of SP supplementation on the GLA content of these tissues. The content of this FA increased in the perirenal fat and meat with increasing SP supplementation. As a direct result of the diet composition, the FA profiles and the atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes of the rabbit tissues showed significant differences. These indexes were lower in the meat of the rabbits fed the SP diets than those found in the control group. The results of this study suggest that SP could potentially be used in rabbit nutrition with consequent benefits on the nutritional quality of rabbit meat for consumers.

Three groups of ten young rabbits each received an enriched diet with false flax (Camelina sativa L.) seeds at 0% (C), 10% (M), and 15% (H), respectively. At the end of the experimental period, which lasted 50 days, all the rabbits were slaughtered. The longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle and perirenal fat samples were collected at 24 h post mortem from each carcass and analysed with a GC method for the fatty acid (FA) profiles and their indexes. Spectroscopy was conducted using a Model LSP LabSpec-Pro portable UV-Vis.NIR spectrophotometer (350-2500nm). The perirenal fat was directly examined. The samples derived from thawed LD muscles (2 cm ø x 2 cm long.) were previously fixed in 95% ethanol, stored for 3 days and finally scanned after 2 and 24 hours air exposition of the tissues. Discrimination of individuals between couple of groups, fitted 1 or 2 dummy values, was performed by a Modified Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis by the WinISI II software (Infrasoft International, Port Matilda, PA, USA) allowing one passage for the removal of the outliers. The cross-validated 1-VR (Variance Ratio) coefficient was retained for comparative purposes..................

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seed (SHS) dietary supplementation is effective in improving the nutritional quality of rabbit meat for consumers and could contribute to the novel concept of “functional food” in human nutrition. A trial has been conducted in order to verify the effects of three levels (0, 10, or 15%) of SHS inclusion in a rabbit diet on the meat quality, oxidative stability and sensory traits. The dietary treatment did not induce any differences in the ultimate pH, chemical composition, drip losses of the longissimus dorsi muscle or the initial and ultimate pH of the biceps femoris muscle, but the SHS supplementation increased cooking losses of the rabbit meat. The inclusion of SHS also reduced oxidative stability during meat storage. No adverse effects were observed on the meat quality or customer acceptability. The inclusion of SHS in rabbit diets, which is effective in improving the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids content of meat, increased the lipid oxidation in the hind leg meat. An improvement in tissue oxidative stability could be obtained by feeding rabbits with higher levels of antioxidants.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of three levels (0, 5 and 10%) of perilla (Perilla frutescens L.) seeds (PFS), included in isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets, on the apparent digestibility in rabbit aged of 73 days. The trial was carried out on 30 crossbred (Carmagnola Grey x New Zealand) rabbits randomly divided in three groups of ten animals each (five male and five female rabbits). Each of them was kept in individual cages. The faeces were collected during the last week of a growing trial that lasted 50 days. No obvious health problems were encountered during the experiment and no rabbits died during the trial. The measured parameters were digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and gross energy. The only parameter that was modified by the inclusion of PFS was the ether extract digestibility; it resulted higher in the 10% PFS diet (83.9%) than in the other two diets. Perilla seed may be used satisfactorily as a nutrient supplement for rabbits at levels of up to 10% in the diet with a better digestibility of ether extract than in the other two diets.

The digestibility of horse feeds and rations can be determined using different techniques such as calculations based on the chemical composition, in vivo or in vitro methods. The marker methods overcome difficulties like discomfort for the animals and longer experimental times encountered using the ingesta/egesta method. In field conditions, a natural indigestible marker like acid-insoluble ash (AIA), with no changes in the normal ration, could be a very useful tool for digestibility trials. A group of six standardbred horses was used in a set of seven apparent digestibility trials. The diets were based on a first-cut meadow hay added to three different cereals (barley for trials 1 and 2; oats for trials 3 and 5 and corn for trials 6 and 7), the hay : concentrate ratio being 60 : 40 or 70 : 30 on a dry matter basis. Feedstuffs and faeces were analysed to determine the AIA content, using 2N HCl or 4N HCl technique. No differences about AIA concentration were found between the two methods for means and accuracy in each diet. Digestion coefficients for each diet did not differ with AIA method, even if in some trials interfering factors consistently lowered the overall values. Consequently, the AIA 2N HCl can be considered the easier and cheaper method to state apparent digestibility in field conditions, and a good tool for digestibility trials in horses fed hay-based diets.

The fatty acid (FA) profile, chemical composition, gross energy and organic matter digestibility of chia ( Salvia hispanica L.) have been determined in the seed and in the plant collected at five progressive morphological stages from early vegetative to budding stage. The FA analyses disclosed quantitative differences between the plant stages that were characterised by a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which made up from 752 to 623 g/kg of the total FA of the plant during the growth cycle. The α-linolenic acid (ALA, C 18:3 n –3 ) decreased from 649 g/kg, at the early vegetative stage, to 499 g/kg of the total FA, at the budding stage, while all the other FAs increased with increasing growth stage. The chia seed FAs were also highly unsaturated, with their main components being ALA (641 g/kg of the total FA) and linoleic acid (LA, C 18:2 n –6 ; 188 g/kg of the total FA). The evolution of the quality of chia is closely related to the ageing of the plant. The chia plant provides a forage with a good nutritive value when harvested at a stage before the shooting period. After this, the nutritional quality of the plant considerably decreases with an increase in the fibrous fractions and a dramatical decrease of the crude protein content.

The aim of this work was to examine whether faecal profiling using NIRS could be profitable for promote the Best Available Techniques (BAT) in the rational feeding of rabbits. A set of 51 feed samples, taken from 12 experimental diets, and of 66 dried grouped faeces samples, belonging to four nutrition experiments, with 130 ad libitum registered feed intakes (CV=25%), were submitted to a UV-Vis-NIRS scan (350-2500 nm) in order to calibrate the chemical composition and nutritional parameters, the ingestion aptitude and digestibility. A chemometric system has made it possible to contemporary use the spectrum of the input diet concatenated together with the spectra of the related output pool of the dried faeces. The daily measured feed intake, in absolute or in relative terms as ingestion per unit of metabolic weight, obtained a good resolution for the spectra of the feeds (R2 cv=0.80 and 0.75, respectively), for the faeces (0.81 and 0.80) and for the joint evaluation of the concatenated spectra (0.87 and 0.81). The intake was positively correlated to the mineral, insoluble ash, protein, gross energy, crude fiber and acid detergent fiber (ADF) content in the feeds, and negatively correlated to the N-free extract, lignocellulose and all the digestibility coefficients, except crude fiber. Very significant improvements, on average equal to 0.20 R2 points, were also provided to the digestibility coefficients when using the concatenated method; in decreasing order: neutral detergent fiber (R2 cv=0.00, 0.18 and 0.50 for the feeds, faeces and concatenated, respectively), ADF (0.00, 0.45 and 0.62), ether extract (0.53, 0.52 and 0.86), crude protein (0.53; 0.53 and 0.75), and gross energy (0.61; 0.74 and 0.83). The results corroborate previous knowledge and show the possibility of using NIRS faecal profiling in rabbit nutrition, which together with the NIRS of the feeds, could contribute to nitrogen monitoring.

The efficiency of diets with the inclusion of Spirulina platensis (SP) for rabbit growing has been tested. The trial was carried out on 40 crossbred rabbits that were randomly allocated to four groups each with ten animals (five male and five female rabbits each), kept in individual cages. Three isoproteic and isoenergetic diets were formulated with an increasing level of SP (5%, 10% and 15%); the diets were tested against a control diet without microalgae. The experimental period lasted 24 days and the faeces were collected during the last week. No obvious health problems were encountered during the experiment and no rabbits died during the feeding trial. The measured parameters were growth performance and digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and gross energy (GE). The results show that the final weight, weight gain and feed efficiency did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) among the dietary treatments, but an SP inclusion level of 10% gave the highest feed intake. The DM, OM, CP, GE, NDF and ADF digestibilities of the control diet were higher than those of the SP-containing diets.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performances and the flesh quality of Pagellus bogaraveo fed with diets containing rice protein concentrate [RPC, 70% crude protein (CP) and 10% ether extract]. Three isoproteic and isoenergetic (CP 47%, 22 MJ/kg DM) diets were formulated with an increasing level of RPC: 0%, 20% and 35%. The fish (mean weight 75 g) from the Messina Straits were randomly distributed in 12 tanks (3 diets · 4 replications, 10 fish/tank). The daily ratio (1.5% of the fish biomass) was updated every 15 days. Biomass gain showed an opposite trend to the RPC diet inclusion. No differences appeared in the somatic indexes. Differences appeared between fatty acid profiles of the dorsal muscle. Fatty acid of series n-6 increased and fatty acid of series n-3 decreased in fillets of fish fed with increasing levels of RPC. The inclusion of RPC in the diets, as a partial replacement of fish meal (20%), is possible without affecting the growth performance and fillet quality.

False flax ( Camelina sativa L.) was studied to determine the fatty acid (FA) composition, chemical composition, in vitro organic matter digestibility, and gross energy of the seeds and of the plant during growth. Herbage samples were collected five times at progressive morphological stages from the vegetative to the ripe seed–pod stage. The fatty acid analyses disclosed quantitative differences between the plant stages. The linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 n-6) and palmitic acid (PA, 16:0) increased with increasing growth stage, while the α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3 n-3) content ranged from 560 g/kg of total FA, at the vegetative stage, to 484 g/kg of total FA at the ripe seed–pod stage. The pattern of fatty acids in the plant during growth, characterised by these three dominant fatty acids, was also differed from that of the seeds, where the average contents of oleic acid (18:1 n-9), LA, ALA, and gondoic acid (20:1 n-9) were 129, 177, 373, and 144 g/kg of total FA, respectively. The n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio of the plant increased from 0.18, at the vegetative stage, to 0.38, at the ripe seed–pod stage, while in the seed it was 0.59. The dry matter content (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fibre (NDFom), acid detergent fibre (ADFom), lignin (lignin (sa)) and gross energy (GE) increased with increasing growth stage, while the crude protein, ash, and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) decreased with increasing stage and the ether extract content decreased from the vegetative stage to the early seed–pod stage and then increased at the ripe seed–pod stage.

An experiment has been conducted to study the effects of various levels of false flax (Camelina sativa L.) seed (FFS) in the diet on the growth performance, some carcass characteristics and fatty acid profile of rabbits meat and fat. In the experiment, a total of 30 weaned crossbred rabbits aged 70 days and weighing, on average, 2316 g were equally divided into three groups of 10 (five male and five female rabbits each). Three levels (0%, 10%, or 15%) of FFS were included in isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets. The experimental period lasted 50 days. At the end of the experiment, there were no significant differences among the groups in live weight, live weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, carcass yield and the percentages of edible organs. The percentage values of head, skin and limbs, fore legs, hind legs, breast and ribs, loin and abdominal wall were not affected by the inclusion level of FFS. Although the chemical composition of the meat was not significantly affected by the dietary treatment, the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) concentration in the longissimus dorsi muscle and perirenal fat was significantly increased with the increasing of FFS inclusion, while saturated fatty acid (SFA) decreased. The n−6/n−3 PUFA ratio of the meat decreased from 3.86 in the control group, to 1.19 in the 15% of FFS group. These results showed that the use of a diet supplemented with FFS was effective in reducing the saturation, atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes, with consequent benefits on the nutritional quality of rabbit meat for consumers, without significant adverse effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics.

Commercially mixed feeds for light horse feeding are being used more and more and, in recent times, a particular role has been played by mixed feeds characterized by high fibre percentages together with pre-biotic or pro-biotic supplements. Consequently, more data about these new feeds are required. The apparent digestibility of a commercially mixed feed containing about 14% crude fibre (CF) as a feed and 1% lactulose was determined by means of 3 in vivo digestibility trials each performed on 4 saddle horses weighting about 550 kg over a 6 day faeces total collection period with a previous 14 day adaptation period. The diets were based on first cut meadow hay – whose digestibility was estimated in the first trial – and a mixed feed at a feeding level close to maintenance. The forage to concentrate ratios were 100 : 0, 75 : 25 and 50 : 50, respectively, in the three trials. The apparent digestibility of the dry matter, organic matter, gross energy, crude protein, NDF, ADF and CF were measured by the ingesta/excreta procedure. The data was processed using ANOVA. Significant differences were only found for the concentrate in the apparent digestibility coefficients of the dry matter (P = 0.021), gross energy (P = 0.023), ADF (P = 0.041), NDF (P = 0.006) and cellulose (P = 0.031).

The apparent digestibility of hays plus two commercial mixed feeds containing about 14% and 11.8% crude fiber (CF), respectively as feeds was determined by means of two in vivo digestibility trials, each performed on 4 or 5 saddle horses weighing on average about 550 and 535 kg, respectively, over a 6 day feces total collection period with a previous 14 day adaptation period. The diets were based on a first cut meadow hay – whose digestibility was estimated in each trial – and different percentages of the mixed feeds at a feeding level close to maintenance. The two mixed feeds were rich respectively in a by-product from the citrus fruit industry (citrus pulp) and in a by-product from the apple fruit industry (apple pectin pulp). The forage to concentrate ratio was, respectively, 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0 on a dry matter basis (Diets 1, 2 and 3) in the first trial and, 50:50 and 100:0 (Diets 4 and 5) in the second trial. The apparent digestibility of the dry matter, organic matter, gross energy, and crude protein was measured by the ingesta/excreta procedure and using the most abundant n-alkanes (C27, C29, and C31) as internal markers for all the rations and the hays. No differences were found among the digestibility coefficients obtained by the total collection method or using the different n-alkanes. The use of n-alkanes for digestibility determinations in horses is neither precise nor accurate, but can be advised for free ranging animals, when the total collection of feces is impossible. Taking into account that the accuracy of this later method is comparable, we suggest selecting n-alkanes with a high concentration and the highest fecal recovery; C29 and C31 n-alkanes (the first in particular) resulted to be the best choice.

I foraggi di leguminose rappresentano un’importante risorsa alimentare per i bovini da latte allevati in Italia. Tra le leguminose l’erba medica, caratterizzata da ottime caratteristiche nutrizionali e buone rese agronomiche, è quella maggiormente coltivata nelle aziende agro-zootecniche padane, per l’impiego come fieno o insilato. L’obiettivo del lavoro è stato di predisporre equazioni di calibrazione NIR capaci di stimare accuratamente in erba medica il tenore in proteina grezza, ceneri, NDF, digeribilità della sostanza organica, energia grezza, carboidrati solubili in acqua e potere tampone. I risultati analitici ottenuti con 302 campioni di erba medica raccolti a diversi stadi, hanno consentito di predisporre buone calibrazioni, confermate da coefficienti di determinazione in validazione (r2) superiori a 0,90, per la stima del tenore in ceneri, proteine grezze, NDF, digeribilità della sostanza organica ed energia grezza, mentre per carboidrati solubili e potere tampone si sono ottenuti valori di R2 di 0,81 e di 0,78. Si può quindi confermare la validità del metodo NIRS per una stima precisa dei principali parametri qualitativi del foraggio di erba medica, ottenendo inoltre stime delle caratteristiche di insilabilità.

Different lots of perennial ryegrass haylages were controlled for dry matter, buffering capacity, pH, soluble and ammonia nitrogen, lactic and monocarboxylic acids, alcohols, crude protein, crude fiber, gross energy, and ash. Net energy (UFC), and organic matter, were calculated. These forages were then fed to seven ponies, weighing on average 330 kg, during two different digestibility trials at maintenance or submitted to different workloads. Voluntary intake was measured, and digestibility coefficients were calculated for dry matter, organic matter, gross energy, crude fiber, and crude protein, using acid-insoluble ash as internal marker. Differences were found for the chemical composition of the three studied haylages; these differences can be ascribed to the different vegetative stage of the perennial ryegrass at harvesting. The conservation quality of these haylages was good or very good. Intakes were similar to those observed with hays. The OM digestibility of the haylages have been found to be lower than those measured for silages, and similar to those measured for good hays in literature. Increasing workloads decreases the dry matter and organic matter digestibilities; the same trend was found for gross energy, and crude fiber.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of three levels (0, 8, or 16%) of the golden variety of flaxseed (GFS; Linum usitatissimum L.), included in isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets, on the carcass characteristics, meat composition and fatty acid profile of rabbit meat and perirenal fat. The trial was carried out on 30 weaned crossbred rabbits aged 9 weeks, weighing on average 2074 g. The animals were divided equally into three groups of 10 (five male and five female rabbits each) and kept separate in individual cages. At the end of the experiment, which lasted 5 weeks, there were no significant differences between the groups in the carcass yield or the proportions of various carcass parts and edible organs. Although the chemical composition of the meat was not significantly affected by the dietary treatment, the saturated fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid proportion in the longissimus dorsi muscle (-22% and -24%, respectively) and perirenal fat (-34% and –29%, respectively) decreased and the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) increased (+36% in the muscle and 43% in the fat, respectively) with increased GFS inclusion. GFS dietary supplementation has shown to be effective in improving the n-3 PUFAproportion (76% in the muscle and 77% in the fat, respectively), decreasing the n-6/n-3 ratio and reducing the saturation, atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes of the meat, with consequent benefits on the nutritional quality of rabbit meat for consumers.