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Camelina has been used from ancient times, but recently has re-emerged as a valuable plant with the potential for successful replacement of conventional oilseed crops. The utilisation of camelina and its by-products in animal feed is a matter of scientific study due to their excellent nutritional potential. The present study aimed to investigate the nutritive value of two Serbian camelina seed genotypes (NS Zlatka and NS Slatka) as a potential alternative to commonly used oilseed crops in animal feeding. For that purpose proximate composition, fatty acid profile, amino acid profile and tocopherols were analysed. The study also included the investigation of the content of anti-nutritive compounds that can adversely affect the nutritional value of feed. The results showed that camelina seeds had a high amount of proteins (around 28%), amino acids and gtocopherols. Camelina genotypes were characterized by unique fatty acids composition, with its oil consisting of approximately 57% polyunsaturated fatty acids, of which the highest proportions were a-linolenic acid (~37%) and linoleic acid (~17%). An optimal ratio of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids (0.5) was also reported in this study. The concentration of anti-nutritional factors and heavy metals in camelina seeds was below the maximum set limit for feedstuff. To conclude, the investigated Serbian camelina genotypes can be used as a valuable source of proteins, essential fatty acids and tocopherols in animal nutrition and has a great potential to replace conventional oilseeds.

The focus of this study is on the physical quality traits and starch composition of various maize kernel genotypes grown in Serbia. Furthermore, the aim was to determine the relationship among these quality traits. Results obtained from the Stenvert hardness test showed great variability among the maize samples. The portion of the hard endosperm fraction (HE) ranged from 53.29% to 76.28%. Test weight (TWt) and 1000-kernel weight (KWt) of 10 different ZP maize genotypes ranged from 782.69 to 907.39 kgm-3 and from 128.40 to 376.50 g, respectively. The specialty maize genotypes had the highest content of amylose (27.8% and 28.9%). Yellow dent genotype, ZP 606, had the lowest amylose content in the kernel (22.3%). The results suggested that the composition of starch granule differed depending on the hardness of the endosperm. The amylose content was highly correlated with the physical traits such as TWt, KWt, density and HE.

This research aimed to develop a reliable, easy-to-perform and cheap method for measuring protein oxidation in complex samples such as aquaculture feed within various protein sources. For that purpose modified 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-based method for quantification of protein carbonyls was employed whilst the modification of the method consisted of using different solutions for the extraction (distilled water and different concentrations of KCl and NaCl solutions), time of protein extraction (after homogenization and over the night) and concentration of trichloroacetic acid (10 and 25% TCA) for protein precipitation. Extraction during the night, higher TCA concentration and the use of 0.5 M KCl extraction solution resulted in the highest protein amount measured by the Lowry method and 280 nm protein estimation. On the other hand, the lowest protein yield was obtained by using distilled water for the extraction. Furthermore, the lowest amount of protein carbonyls was in the case when extraction was performed with distilled water (DW), while the highest content of protein carbonyls was reached with 0.15 M KCl and 0.5 M KCl extraction solutions. It was observed that the amount of proteinbound carbonyls compounds was increasing during storage under accelerated conditions and, in comparison to the original method, the modified method for measuring protein oxidation resulted in a higher amount of carbonyls during all points of storage.

A global increase in the demand for livestock products suggests that there will be a consequent rise in demand for feed, not only of cereals but of other feeds and particularly proteins. In the present study, oil industry by-products such as soybean meal, soybean cake and sunflower meal were analysed as sources of amino acids in animal nutrition. From among oilseed byproducts, the soybean meal content the most of crude protein up to 44% and the best of amino acid composition, while content of crude cellulose (about 6%) is lower in comparison to other oilseed meals. The results showed that the total amino acids in the examined samples ranged from 31.87 to 41.01%, and the total essential and nonessential amino acids varied from 13.41 to 17.38% and from 18.46 to 23.76%, respectively. Generally, the protein contained in soybean meal and cake was rich in essential amino acids. However, because of the lowest amino acid score, methionine was considered as a limiting amino acid in both soybean by-products. On the other hand, soya's meal contained higher level of lysine than other protein-based vegetable alternative to soya like sunflower meals examined in this study. Glutamic acid, aspartic acid, leucine and valine were the most abundant amino acids in all tested by-products of the oil industry. Therefore, partial substitution of protein sources in feeds with proteins from the oil industry by-products may improve feed quality.

Oxidative changes in fish feed during storage are a major problem in aquaculture nutrition. The current study aims to present fast and simple spectrometric method to measure thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the commercial rainbow trout feeds without hydrolysis step, as a method for determination of lipid peroxidation. The proposed test was validated and relevant method characteristics which were evaluated within the validation protocol were: linearity (range), limit of detection, limit of quantification, precision (repeatability and intra-laboratory reproducibility), accuracy and method performance (Xand R-control charts). The obtained results indicated that presented TBARS test was linear in the range of 1.11-13.33 nmol/mL and precise under both repeatability and reproducibility test conditions. The method was characterized by acceptable accuracy considering low analyte concentration in the samples. The method also showed to be stable in terms of changes in the average level and variability. The results in the present work indicated that the proposed test could be successfully applied for TBARS quantification in rainbow trout feed for routine quality control in aquaculture sector, especially in case when need to analyse a great number of samples in a short time.

In the past few decades the diet preparation in feed production has evolved towards more complicated technological operations, which include different liquid addition. A wide scale of different liquids is used in contemporary animal feed production, from oils and glycerol to more expensive products in a liquid form, such as enzymes, flavourings, amino acids, vitamins and others. In the presented study the liquid addition in feed production was observed, with a specific goal to investigate the spraying systems in order to better understand the effects of fluids, such as soybean oil and glycerol, on feed production. The dispersion angles of spraying nozzle for glycerol and soybean oil were determined as an indicator of the uniform application of liquids during feed production. Dispersion of the material was accomplished using the two-fluid nozzle. The performance of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was compared with experimental data in order to develop rapid and accurate method for prediction of dispersion angle. The ANN model showed high prediction accuracy (r2 = 0.945). [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III46012]

Sunflower meal, a by-product of oil extraction from sunflower seeds, is an important protein source in domestic as well as European feed industry. There is a common interest for the proper utilization of sunflower meal and for the development of an effective fractionation process in order to obtain a nutritionally improved sunflower meal. This paper proposes and compares two dry fractionation processes for the improvement of sunflower meal protein content on a laboratory scale. The first phase of both processes included two step milling using a hammer and roller mill. In the second phase, the ground sunflower meal was fractionated by sieving or by air classification. Results indicated that the implementation of any of the suggested processes improved protein content of the starting sunflower meal to a level sufficient to categorize it as "high-protein" according to current national regulation on animal feed quality, with the fraction yields over 50%. For the air classification process the most promising result was achieved for air flow of 7 m3 /h (12.8% relative protein enrichment, 56.42% fraction yield). For the fractionation process with sieving as a separation step, when fractions smaller than 350 µm were conjoined, relative protein enrichment of 28.5% and fraction yield of 51.17% were achieved. The high protein content (48.81% on dry basis) of the joined fraction enables enough space for optimizing the protein content - fraction yield ratio of obtained sunflower meal. By applying sieves with larger aperture, it is possible to obtain higher yields of sunflower meal categorized as high-protein on account of a slight decrease in protein content, which gives this process a certain flexibility and potential for application on a larger scale.

Physical quality traits (1000-kernel weight, density, milling response and soft endosperm portion), basic chemical (starch, protein, oil, cellulose and ash) and amino acids composition of ten ZP maize genotypes differing in kernel hardness and colour were studied. The objectives of this study were to characterize differences in ZP maize genotypes regarding to various physical traits and nutritional quality parameters such as basic chemical and amino acid composition and the data was correlated to find the interrelationship between these parameters. Kernel physical traits and chemical composition significantly varied among tested genotypes. A significant negative correlation was found between protein content and portion of soft endosperm as well as a significant positive correlation between protein content and two physical traits, milling response and density. Protein content showed a non-significant negative correlation with starch content. The results showed that the protein content exhibited negative correlation with lysine as well as positive correlation with methionine. It has not been observed a significant improvement in the amino acid composition regarding the specialty genotypes such as the selected white and red kernels and popping maize genotypes. The information presented in this study could be useful for the utilization improvement of maize kernel and the development of maize-based ingredients to prepare nutritious feed and food products.

Honey consumption is influenced by many factors such as health benefits, product characteristics, or demographic and sociological characteristics. The aim of the research was to identify factors that influence the volume of honey consumption, consumers' purchasing intentions, as well as to define the consumer profile in Romania, Italy, and Serbia. The research was conducted in the period from 2014 to 2016 through a questionnaire. The statistical significance of the difference in the consumption of honey in Serbia (Province of Vojvodina), Italy (the Province of Lombardy, which geographically resembles Vojvodina) and Romania was investigated. For the selection of a representative sample, random selection method was used, and the obtained data were processed using the SPSS program. The strongest motives for honey consumption were the satisfaction related to the taste honey provides and the perception that it is a healthy food. The chi-squared test showed that there was a significant difference among the countries in terms of demographic and economic characteristics of consumers, trends, and tendencies in the consumption of honey and sociological characteristics of consumers.

For many years, linseed has been attracted a great attention in animal nutrition because of its exceptionally favourable fatty acid composition and high content of essential α-linolenic acid. However, the presence of antinutritive components, cyanogenic glycosides, limits its inclusion in the animal's diet. Several ways of linseed detoxification were observed in literature, emphasizing extrusion as one of the most effective processes. In the presented study, the application of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been observed, as a tool for prediction of process influence on the deterioration of cyanogenic glycosides during the extrusion process of linseed-sunflower meal co-extrudate. The content of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) was determined according to the AOAC method as an indicator of cyanogenic glycosides in the produced co-extrudate. Extrusion of the material was performed on a laboratory single screw extruder. The performance of ANN model was compared with experimental data in order to develop rapid and accurate method for prediction of HCN content in co-extrudate. According to the experimental results, the highest HCN content (126 mg/kg) was determined at the lowest moisture content (7%) and the lowest screw speed (240 rpm). With the increase of moisture content and temperature during extrusion, the content of HCN drastically decreased. The ANN model showed high prediction accuracy (r2> 0.999), which indicates that the model could be easily and reliably applied in practice.

Aflatoxins (AFs), fumonisins (FUMs), zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) have been recognized as major contaminants of maize. Therefore, the presence of AFs, ZEA, DON and FUMs was examined in a total of 100 maize samples from the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. Sample analyses were performed using the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay method. The results obtained indicate that 74 % of the maize samples were contaminated with FUMs (540.1-5076 μg/kg), followed by 52 % contaminated with DON (275.2-882.1 μg/kg), 15 % contaminated with ZEA (35.6-183.5 μg/kg) and 5 % contaminated with AFs (2.28-4.31 μg/kg). Although 78 % of the samples were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, the concentration of FUMs exceed the maximum level (ML) proscribed by the Serbian regulations only in 4 % of the samples. Furthermore, the detected concentrations of AFs, ZEA and DON were in accordance with national regulations. This study is the first research of its kind on the presence of AFs, ZEA, DON and FUMs in maize harvested in the APV in 2016.

The presence of aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEA), deoxynivalenol (DON), and fumonisins (FUMs) was examined in maize samples from the Republic of Serbia. The maize samples were collected during the period 2012-2016, and analyzed every year after harvest using validated Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. The obtained results were considered regarding the weather conditions parameters recorded during the investigated maize growing seasons. Significant differences in weather-related parameters recorded in the five-year period resulted in different mycotoxin profiles between the investigated years. Obtained results indicate that the presence of ZEA and DON in maize is characteristic of years with abundant precipitation, while AFs and OTA mainly occur in maize during hot and dry years. Furthermore, FUMs were detected with different contamination frequency in maize samples from every year. Based on the findings obtained in this study, as well as on noted changes in weather conditions in the recent years it could be assumed that maize from Serbia may become susceptible to problems concerning mycotoxins. Therefore, there is a necessity for monitoring and research related to the mycotoxins occurrence in maize from Serbia.

Water stability of eight samples of extruded salmon feeds was first determined by applying two gravimetric methods developed by the authors: gravimetric static and wet sieving method. Then, the conductometric method, primarily developed for investigation of nutrient leaching of feed into the water by the authors, was used for each sample. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of the conductometric measurement as a technique for determining water stability of extruded fish feed. In order to find any correlation between the results of two gravimetric tests and conductometric method, correlation analysis was employed. The results of static and wet sieving method were expressed as water stability index, which was expressed as the percent of remained dry matter of sample after being disintegrated in the water. The results of conductometric method were shown as conductivity curves for each sample, giving the insight in rate of nutrient leaching during the time. The obtained values of water conductivity showed no significant (p < 0.05) correlation with the results of static water method, while there was a negative significant (p < 0.05) correlation with the results of wet sieving method during first four hours of pellets soaking in water. The highest correlation coefficients were obtained within the first hour of conductivity measurement, demonstrating that proposed conductometric method had a potential to be applied as a rapid and simple method for determination and relative comparison of salmon feed water stability.[ Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III46012 and Grant no. TR31011]

Changes in the milk composition during early, middle and late stage of lactation period were monitored in 10 individual autochthonous donkeys of the Domestic Balkan breed. Animals were grazing ad libitum during early and middle lactation, while supplements (meadow hay, corn and corn stalks) were added during the late lactation period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the main compounds of donkeys’ milk during different periods of lactation. Based on the obtained results it was noticed that nutritional effects on milk composition were the greatest in the early and middle lactation. Chemical analysis indicated that donkeys’ milk was quite poor in dry matter (8.82-9.68%), fat (0.54-0.67%) and protein (1.44-1.79%), and conversely was high in lactose content (6.06-7.12%). Concentration of vitamin C varied significantly (P

Eggs enriched with n-3 fatty acids and natural pigments are desirable in human food chain due to numerous benefits for health. In this study, we investigated the effects of inclusion of co-extruded linseed and sunflower meal into laying hens’ diet and replacement of synthesized pigment with paprika and marigold flower as sources of natural pigments. Four hundred 18–wk-old Bovan laying hens divided in two groups (control and experiment) were fed for 12 weeks. Fatty acids and β-carotene were monitored every fourth week and successively analyzed. Significantly (p

Aim of this investigation was to determine the effects of herbal drugs such as garlic, black pepper and hot red pepper in broiler chicken nutrition on carcass primal cuts quality. Total of 1200 one-day old Hubbard broilers were totally randomly distributed into eight dietary treatments with four replicates each. Chicks were fed with three dietary mixtures: starter, grower and finisher. Dietary mixtures in the experiments were as follows: T1 (Control diet), T2 (Garlic powder 0.5 g/100g), T3 (Garlic powder 1.0 g/100g), T4 (Black pepper powder 0.5 g/100g), T5 (Black pepper powder 1.0 g/100g), T6 (Hot red pepper 0.5 g/100g), T7 (Hot red pepper 1.0 g/100g ) and T8 (Mixture of spices in ratio of 1:1:1 in total amount of 0.5 g/100g). Addition of herbal drugs had significant (p0.05), while significant differences in the share of wings and beck (p

In recent years there is an emerging trend of coarse grinding of cereals in production of poultry feed due to positive influence of coarse particles on poultry digestive system. Influence of grinding method (hammer mill vs. roller mill) and grinding intensity of corn (coarseness of grinding) on mill specific energy consumption and pellet quality was investigated. By decreasing grinding intensity of corn (coarser grinding), specific energy consumption of both hammer mill and roller mill was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). When comparing similar grinding intensities on hammer mill and roller mill (similar geometric mean diameter or similar particle size distribution), specific energy consumption was higher for the hammer mill. Pellet quality decreased with coarser grinding on hammer mill but, however, this effect was not observed for the roller mill. Generally, pellet quality was better when roller mill was used. It can be concluded that significant energy savings could be achieved by coarser grinding of corn before pelleting and by using roller mill instead of hammer mill. From the aspect of pellet quality, if coarser grinding is applied it is better to use roller mill, concerning that more uniform particle size distribution of corn ground on roller mill probably results in more uniform particle size distribution in pellets and this provides better pellet quality. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 46012]

This study investigates potential areas for research and development in the feed sectors in Italy and Serbia. A questionnaire was submitted to 113 feed companies, 37% of these answered. Frequency statistics, data graphs and Simple Correspondence Analysis was obtained. Results indicated that 7% of responders in Italy and 47% of Serbia have not planned any budged for research and development in the last 3 years. The industrial processes were the main focus for Italy, while new product developments for Serbia. For both countries will be essential in the near future increase in product quality, search for new markets and reduction of energy consumption. Additionally, it was observed that company dimension is linked to the area/focus of innovation, irrespective of the type of feed production.

Saccharomyces boulardii is unique probiotic and biotherapeutic yeast, known to survive in gastric acidity and it is not adversely affected or inhibited by antibiotics or does not alter or adversely affect the normal microbiota. S. boulardii has been utilized worldwide as a probiotic supplement to support gastrointestinal health. The multiple mechanisms of action of S. boulardii and its properties may explain its efficacy and beneficial effects in acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases that have been confirmed by clinical trials. Caution should be taken in patients with risk factors for adverse events. Its potential application in various dairy foods could offer an alternative probiotic product to people suffering from antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This review discusses the evidence for efficacy and safety of S. boulardii as a probiotic for the prevention and therapy of gastrointestinal disorders in humans.

In the present study, the impact of synbiotic, compared to control treatment (CON), on growth performance and antioxidative status of broilers blood was investigated. The experiment was carried out on a total of 500 one-day-old broiler chickens of both sexes. The broilers were divided into two treatments with five replicates, based on a completely randomized design. The control treatment was fed basal diet, while experimental treatment was supplemented with synbiotic in addition of 1 g/kg of feed (SYN) in finisher period that lasted from 15 to 42 days of age. Diet supplementations with synbiotic led to increased body weight of broilers, compared to the control treatment. During the last 28 days, feed conversion ratio was significantly (P

Тhe paper presents results of the investigation of the influence of extrusion temperature and moisture content of treated material on the reduction of cyanogenic glycosides (CGs) in linseed-based co-extrudate. CGs are the major limitation of the effective usage of linseed in animal nutrition. Hence, some technological process must be applied for detoxification of linseed before its application as a nutrient. Extrusion process has demonstrated several advantages in reducing the present CGs, since it combines the influences of heating, shearing, high pressure, mixing, etc. According to obtained results, the increase in both temperature and moisture content of the starting mixture decreased the content of CGs in the processed material. HCN content, as a measurement of GCs presence, ranged from 25.42 mg/kg, recorded at the moisture content of 11.5%, to 126 mg/kg, detected at the lowest moisture content of 7%. It seems that moisture content and temperature had the impact on HCN content of equal importance. However, the influence of extrusion parameters other than temperature and moisture content could not be neglected. Therefore, the impact of individual factors has to be tested together. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 46012]

The international limitations imposed on the utilization of meat and bone meals in animal diets, together with the increasing demand for soybean meal, create a necessity to search for other protein sources to economically balance compound feeds. In this regard it is important to note that sunflower is the best adapted high-protein crop available in some European regions and that is useful to use it in poultry farming as the replacement of other protein sources. Protein and many other nutrients are “imprisoned” to variable degrees, inside sunflower meal fibrous structures, and remain less available for digestion by the poultry’s own proteases and other endogenous enzymes. Added exogenous enzymes (phytase, hemicellulase, cellulase, carbohydrase, protease, etc.) offer a number of creative possibilities for breakdown and “liberation” of these nutrients, their easier digestion and absorption, and thus development of new nutritional standards and new diets formulation. Supplementation of poultry diets containing sunflower meal by different enzymes increasingly contribute to sustainable poultry farming by enhancing production efficiency, increasing the effectiveness of nutrient utilization and upgrading in environmental protection. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III46012]

Some of feedstuffs used as raw materials in feed industry contain anti-nutritional factors that negatively influence their quality. One of them is soybean, which is, prior to oil extraction, referred to as full-fat soybean (FFSB). Anti-nutritional factors in raw FFSB can be destroyed by moderate heating, but both over- and under heat processing limits the availability of soybean amino acids. Among laboratory procedures that are available for assessing the degree of FFSB heat treatment, two methods, i.e. Protein dispersibility index (PDI) and protein solubility in potassium hydroxide (PSKOH), are based on protein solubility, which was claimed to be the most reliable indicator of the degree of FFSB heat treatment. This paper presents the results of an inter-laboratory study conducted to establish precision of the PDI and PSKOH methods by determining their reproducibility limits. Five samples of FFSB were heat-treated at temperatures between 110 and 164 °C and analyzed by six laboratories for PDI and PSKOH. Established reproducibility limit for PDI method of 8.87 index units found in this study appeared to be too wide, indicating a low precision of this method. PSKOH method produced very good reproducibility limit of 8.56% and could be recommended as a preferred method for FFSB quality control in feed laboratories.

Extrusion technology is commonly used in fish feed production. In cooking zone of the extruder barrel, sufficient energy is imparted to gelatinize starch and denature proteins. Time in which material will be exposed to high temperatures and pressures depends of the time that material spends in the cooking zone. Length of the cooking zone can be varied by changing independent extrusion variables. In this investigation, screw speed, amount of added oil and total area of die openings were varied. The most severe conditions of 0% of added oil, screw speed of 420 rpm, and 50 mm2 of total area of die openings, resulted in the highest temperatures at measuring points (T1 = 102.6°C, T2 = 104.0°C, T3 = 110.3°C, T4 = 118.8°C). It can be concluded that by changing independent extrusion variables, temperature profile in the barrel can be modified in order to achieve optimal extrusion conditions.

The mixing of powders and the quality control of the obtained mixtures are critical operations involved in the processing of granular materials in chemical, metallurgical, food and pharmaceutical industries. Studies on mixing efficiency and the time needed for achieving homogeneity in the powder mashes production have significant importance. Depending on the characteristic of the materials, a number of methods have been used for the homogeneity tests. Very often, the degree of mixing has been determined by analyzing images of particle arrays in the sample using microscopy, photography and/or video tools. In this paper, a new PC-based method for determining the number of particles in the powder homogeneity tests has been developed. Microtracers®, red iron particles, were used as external tracer added before mixing. Iron particles in the samples of the mixtures were separated by rotary magnet and spread onto a filter paper. The filter paper was sprayed with 50% solution of ethanol for color development and the particles counted where the number of spots presented the concentration of added tracer. The number of spots was counted manually, as well as by the developed PC program. The program which analyzes scanned filter papers with spots is based on digital image analyses, where red spots were converted through few filters into a black and white, and counted. Results obtained by manual and PC counting were compared. A high correlation was established between the two counting methods.

A critical assessment of the method for determination of urease activity, as an indicator of the degree of full-fat soybean (FFSB) processing, has been undertaken. FFSB was processed by dry extrusion at five temperatures, ranging from 115ºC to 165ºC, and analyzed for urease activity by two laboratories and by two analysts at each laboratory, using the pH-difference procedure. The in vivo trial with chickens fed the processed FFSB has also been conducted. While the results of two analysts at each laboratory did not differ significantly (P>0.05), there was a significant difference (P

The paper provides an overview of the nutritional aspects associated with the utilization of sunflower meal in broiler diets. To gain the maximum benefit from this feed ingredient, some of the characteristics of sunflower meal must be considered. In broiler diets, it is recommended that only high-quality decellulosed sunflower meal be used. Our own results and a broad variety of published reports have thus been consulted. Experiments with high protein sunflower meal in broiler diets have shown that sunflower meal can successfully replace soybean meal, provided that diets are supplemented with adequate amounts of lysine and energy. Consequently, the inclusion of sunflower meal in broiler diets may vary depending on the fiber content of the meal, the lysine and/or energy supplementation of the diet.

In this paper, effect of moisture addition during steam conditioning of feed on pellet quality and electrical energy consumption in pelleting process was investigated. Complete mixture for pigs II (from 15 to 25 kg) was conditioned up to moisture content of 15.97 %, 19.40 %, and 21.88 %. Physical properties examined in purpose of pellet quality determination were hardness and durabillity of pellets. Pellets, produced from conditioned material with higher content of moisture, were more stabile and less hard. Higher moisture content of conditioned material resulted in decreasing of energy consumption during pelleting process. Electrical energy consumption in pelleting process, along with achieving targeted pellet quality, could be significantly lower by choosing proper conditioning process parameters.

The microalgae Spirulina spp. and Chlorella vulgare are commercially produced and distributed worldwide as dietary supplements. In this paper, commercial products dried organic form of Spirulina spp., and Chlorella vulgaris were evaluated in terms of nutritional value, safety parameters, and antioxidant potential. The protein content was slightly higher in Spirulina spp., while Chlorella vulgaris was richer in terms of dietary fiber content. Chlorella vulgaris showed to be a source of omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acdis (PUFA) and had a favourable ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, Chlorella vulgaris had slightly higher content of total amino acids (TAA) and essential amino acids (EAA) than Spirulina spp., with leucine, glutamic and spartic acid being the most abundant in both algae. The tested microalgae showed a high content of essential minerals and trace elements required for human nutrition. When analysed antioxidative potential of the microalgae it was found that Chlorella vulgaris had a higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity determined by DPPH and RP assays while Spirulina spp. showed a higher antioxidant capacity measured by ABTS test. The established values of microbiological parameters as well as heavy metals do not violate regulatory limits that support the fact that most products Spirulina and Chlorella from several large producers have "GRAS" designations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]