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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of carrot pomaces dried at two temperatures as a feed component on growth performance, environmental sustainability, and meat quality in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Three diets were developed: a control without pomace (CON); CPL with 15.5% carrot pomace dried at 40°C and CPH with 23.6% carrot pomace dried at 120°C. A total of 240 two-year-old common carp (average body weight of individual: 1025 g) were randomly distributed into 12 tanks, four per treatment, including 20 fish per tank. The experiment was performed using an outdoor open flow aquaculture system. The growth trial lasted 60 days, after which fish samples were taken for analysis of meat quality parameters. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of the final body weight, protein efficiency ratio, or survival rate. However, in terms of weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio, fish fed the CPH diet exhibited significant worsening. Moreover, the fillets of fish from the CPH group exhibited a darker coloration compared to the CON diet. It is concluded that high temperature drying of carrot pomace added to carp diet negatively affected fish quality. It should be also emphasized that inclusion of the both carrot pomaces tested in this study significantly increased the usage of fish meal per kilogram of fish body weight gain. These results showed a reduced efficacy of using carrot pomace in practical and sustainable common carp nutrition.

This research aimed to determine the hygienic quality, physicochemical properties and technological suitability of milk obtained in an extensive, small family farm in western Poland in the spring-summer (grazing) and autumn-winter (indoor) seasons. The farm was operated in the traditional manner where animals spend 7/24 on the pasture in the spring-summer season. The study was performed on forty-eight samples of bulk tank milk collected once a week over one year from 17 cows of the old local Polish black and white lowland breed. Milk was tested for somatic cell count, total bacterial count, basic composition, density, vitamin C content, rennet coagulation time, pH and colour in the CIE L*a*b* system. In the autumn-winter season, a higher somatic cell count, higher protein, fat and lactose levels, longer coagulation time and lower colour parameter a* values were found compared with the spring-summer period. However, no differences as regards the colour parameters L* and b* and vitamin C content were observed between the seasons. Highly significant negative correlations between the colour of the milk and the total bacterial count and somatic cell count were found (P ≤ 0.01). High somatic cells count in studied milk highlights that mastitis and milking hygiene are still a challenging task in small family farms.

The aim of this study was to compare the rheological and physicochemical parameters, as well as the organoleptic properties, of soft rennet cheese made from whole and skimmed milk in different seasons on a traditional family farm. We analyzed milk from twenty Polish Holstein&ndash, Friesian cows for basic composition, number of somatic cells, acidity, and color in terms of the Comission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) lightness*redness*yellowness (L*a*b*) system, and 24 cheeses in terms of texture, acidity, color in terms of the CIE L*a*b* system, and organoleptic parameters in summer and winter. We determined the effects of the season and the fat content of milk on the pH, titratable acidity, color, firmness, and stickiness of the cheese. Cheeses from summer milk showed greater acidification than those from winter milk (p &le, 0.05). Skimmed milk cheeses from both seasons showed increased firmness and stickiness, and worse organoleptic characteristics, particularly in taste and consistency, than whole milk cheeses (p &le, 0.05). The highest level of yellow (b*) was found in whole milk summer cheeses, those produced in winter were 16% less yellow. Milk from traditional family farms is a valuable raw ingredient for the production of soft, unripe rennet cheese. However, the variability of organoleptic characteristics related to the season should be taken into account in cheese production. Skimmed cheese can serve as an alternative to full-fat cheese, especially for people looking for low-fat products, regardless of the time of year.

Genes encoding casein proteins are important candidates for milk composition traits in mammals. In the case of the domestic horse, our knowledge of casein genes is limited mainly to coding sequence variants. This study involved screening for polymorphism in 5’-flanking regions of four genes encoding equine caseins (CSN1S1, CSN1S2, CSN2, and CSN3) and making a preliminary assessment of their effect on the gene expression (on the mRNA and protein levels) and milk composition traits in selected horse breeds. Altogether, 23 polymorphisms (21 described previously SNPs and two novel InDels) were found in the studied sequences, the majority of which are common in various horse breeds. Statistical analysis revealed that some are putatively associated with gene expression or milk composition — for example, the c.-2047_-2048insAT polymorphism (CSN1S1) turns out to be related to the total milk protein content in Polish Primitive Horse (p G SNP (CSN2) is related to beta-casein relative mRNA level and milk lactose concentration in the Polish Coldblood Horse breed (p

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the stage of lactation on the yield and quality of sheep milk. The material for the investigation was milk from morning milking of 30 East Friesian sheep in their third to fifth lactation. Milking began after the lambs were weaned and continued for about 120 days. Milk samples were collected individually from the sheep in three stages of lactation: at its peak, during the stabilized stage and at the end (late) lactation. Daily milk yield, total bacterial count, somatic cell count and the basic composition of the milk were determined. The microbiological quality of the milk was very high and the somatic cell count was favourable. As lactation progressed the somatic cell count increased while microbiological quality remained stable. At the end of lactation a significant increase was noted in the concentration of dry matter, protein and fat, accompanied by a decrease in lactose concentration, in comparison with the peak of lactation. Yield was shown to be negatively correlated with fat (–0.63; p≤0.01) and dry matter (–0.53; p≤0.01) and positively correlated with lactose (0.61; p≤0.01).

The first aim of the study was to compare selected meat quality parameters in porkers without the gene RYR1 (T) (ryanodine receptor gene). These were porkers slaughtered at 100 to 115 kg and 116 to 130 kg live weight. The second aim of the study was to determine the occurrence frequency of standard-quality meat (red, firm, nonexudative [RFN]) and the occurence frequency of defective meat (pale, soft, exudative [PSE] and acid, soft, exudative [ASE]). The analysis was conducted on the longissimus lumborum muscle in 114 crossbred porkers. The porkers were a cross of Camborough 22 sows and boars from lines 337PIC (Pig Improvement Company), Norsvin Landrace and Pietrain. All of the animals were provided with identical environmental and nutritional conditions. The average weight of the slaughtered animals in the light and heavy groups was 110 kg and 122 kg, respectively. Both groups had the same average post-slaughter meatiness (56.5%). A statistical analysis of selected meat-quality parameters did not show any significant differences between the weight groups. On the other hand, the classification based on carcass quality showed an occurence frequency of defective meat in heavier crossbred porkers (116 to 130 kg) that was three times higher than in those crossbred animals which weighed 100 to 115 kg when slaughtered. In porkers without the gene RYR1 (T) , the defective meat types PSE and ASE occurred with a frequency of 17.54%.

Food fortification uses the addition of vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, or unsaturated fatty acids. It is also used to balance the nutrient profile, substituting conformed to natural products in terms of nutritional value. Fortification of dairy products with fatty acids is recovered as in the case of animal feed, mainly vegetable oils (usually linseed oil) and marine raw materials (fish, algae). Meat is a naturally poor source of n–3 PUFA, and therefore its fortification is necessary, mainly through appropriate feeding. The marine world represents a relatively untapped source of functional ingredients that can be applied to numerous aspects of food processing, storage, and fortification. Fish oils have many dietary benefits, but due to their strong odors and rapid deterioration, their application in food formulations is limited. For these reasons, nano-liposome was used to nano-encapsulate fish oil and encapsulated fish oil was utilized in fortifying yogurt.

The aim of the study was to assess the endogenic production of vitamin C contained in the sow’s colostrum and milk and its influence on piglet rearing parameters. The study was conducted on 60 Zlotnicka White sows and 642 piglets from their litters (366 male and 276 female piglets). The sows were in their 3rd, 4th, 6th or 7th lactation. There were 15 sows in each lactation group. The study covered a period of one lactation. The feed of the sows was not supplemented with vitamin C. During the experiment the piglets received only their mothers’ milk. The piglets were weighed on the 1st, 7th and 21st day of life (kg). Their mortality between the 1st and 7th day of life and between the 8th and 21st day of life (%) was recorded. The daily growth (g) was measured on each day when the piglets were weighed. Samples of colostrum and milk were collected manually from all active mammary glands on the 1st, 7th and 21st day of lactation. On each day of the experiment, two samples of about 7 ml were collected from each sow. A total of 360 samples were analysed (60 sows × 3 days × 2 samples). In order to verify the influence of vitamin C on piglet rearing, two concentration levels of vitamin C were distinguished according to its content in colostrum and milk (Tab. 1). The research showed that the content of vitamin C varied during lactation. The highest mean concentration of vitamin C, i.e. 1.14 mg/100 ml, was noted on the 1st day. On the 21st day it decreased to 0.65 mg/100 ml. During 21 days of lactation the content of vitamin C decreased by 43%. Sows in their fourth lactation produced colostrum with the highest content of vitamin C, i.e. 1.29 mg/100 ml. Animals that lactated for the sixth time had the highest content of vitamin C in their milk, i.e. 0.75 and 0.70 mg/100 ml, on the 7th and 21st day, respectively. The daily growth of piglets was greater if the content of vitamin C in colostrum and milk collected during rearing was high (level II). On average, the differences amounted to about 68 g. The higher the content of vitamin C in the secretion from the sows’ mammary glands was, the lower the piglet mortality was. Statistically significant (p ≤ 0.01) relationships were found between daily growth and the content of vitamin C. The higher concentration of vitamin C produced better results in rearing in the form of a faster growth and lower mortality of piglets.

BACKGROUND Mares' milk is becoming increasingly popular in Western Europe. This study was thus aimed at investigating the impact of stage of lactation and season on chemical composition, somatic cell count and some physicochemical parameters of mares' colostrum and milk, and at developing a method for the determination of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in mares' milk and to determine its content in fresh and stored milk. RESULTS The analysis conducted showed an effect of the stage of lactation on contents of selected chemical components and physicochemical parameters of mares' milk. In successive lactation periods levels of fat, cholesterol, energy value, citric acid and titratable acidity decreased, whereas levels of lactose and vitamin C, as well as the freezing point, increased. Analysis showed that milk produced in autumn (September, October, November) had a higher freezing point and lower concentrations of total solids, protein, fat, cholesterol, citric acid and energy value in comparison to milk produced in summer (June, July, August). Mares' milk was characterised by low somatic cell count throughout lactation. In terms of vitamin C stability the most advantageous method of milk storage was 6-month storage of lyophilised milk. CONCLUSION In general, the results confirmed that mares' milk is a raw material with a unique chemical composition different from that produced by other farm animals. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

Camelina sativa cake (CS), a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, in the case of ruminants may improve the energy value of a diet and also increase the unsaturated fatty acid content in milk. Effects of basal diet (control) and basal diet plus 12 g 100 g −1 of CS in concentrate dry matter on fatty acid composition of goat's milk and kefir made from this milk were examined with particular emphasis on the contents of monoenes and conjugated isomers of linoleic acid. A total of 66 goats of the Polish White Improved breed were divided into two groups – the control and receiving CS. The diets were administered to animals for 30 days. Elevated concentrations of total monounsaturated fatty acids, the effect of an increased levels of monounsaturated fatty acids in the trans configuration as well as an increased content of total polyunsaturated fatty acids resulted from CS supplementation. Total saturated fatty acid concentration was decreased. Milk from CS-supplemented goats and kefir made from this milk were characterized by increased levels of beneficial nutritional factors, including mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The aim of this research was to study the lipid fraction composition of late lactation mares' milk produced by Polish Cold-blooded mares between 141 and 210 d post partum. Total fat, cholesterol, fatty acids composition, fat soluble vitamins and β-carotene content were measured. The study revealed that mares' milk is a low fat product with low cholesterol content. The lipid fraction of mares' milk was characterised by a low concentration of saturated fatty acids, as well as low ratio of linoleic and linolenic fatty acids. The results obtained showed that, despite its low fat content, mares' milk is a good source of fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamins D 3 , E and K 2.

BACKGROUND The composition of bioactive components in dairy products depends on their content in raw milk and the processing conditions. The experimental material consisted of the milk of dairy goats supplemented with 120 g d−1 per head of false flax cake. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of kefir produced from goat's milk with a higher content of bioactive components resulting from supplementation of the goats' diet with false flax cake. RESULTS The administration of false flax cake to goats had a positive effect on the fatty acid profile of the raw milk, causing an increase in the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and n-3 fatty acids. Their increased percentage was detected in the kefir after production as well as after storage. The processing value of the harvested milk did not differ from the qualitative characteristics of milk from goats of the control group. Increasing the proportion of bioactive components in goat's milk did not result in changes in the acidity, texture, colour, flavour, aroma or consistency of the kefir obtained. CONCLUSION Milk and kefir obtained after the administration of false flax cake to goats contain bioactive components (PUFA including CLA, n-3 and monoenic trans fatty acids) in significant amounts. Kefir from experimental goat's milk did not differ in quality from kefir made from the milk of the control group. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

The article describes the recent data dealing with the fatty acid content in cow, goat, and sheep milk. A large body of evidence demonstrates that fatty acid profile in goat and sheep milk was similar to that of cow milk. Palmitic acid was the most abundant in milk. Goat milk had the highest C6:0, C8:0, and C10:0 content. Sheep milk was the richest source of conjugated linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid. Ewe’s milk had lower value of n-6/n-3 then goat and cow milk.

The aim of this study was to compare the quality of meat of the young Limousin bulls slaughtered at the age of 6, 9 and 12 months, with particular regard to the residual glycogen content in the meat and the value of the glycolytic potential. The study was conducted on bovine longissimus lumborum muscle. The residual glycogen content, glycolytic potential value (96 h post-mortem), pH value (45 min, 24 h, 48 h and 96 h post-mortem), IMP/ATP index (45 min post-mortem), colour parameters (L*, a* and b*), natural and cooking losses, free water content, the chemical composition, sensory parameters (aroma, flavour, juiciness and tenderness) as well as instrumental tenderness based on cutting test (96 h post-mortem) were analysed. The slaughter age of bulls had significant (p

The study was conducted for 134 days. Common carp fry (60g ± 0.3g) were fed using two different diets containing only plant protein sources, without any animal protein inclusions. Diets were administered by two different methods: an automatic band feeder (diet 28/7 F and 28/15 F) for 12 hours a day (9.00 a.m. – 9.00 p.m.) and by hand (diet 28/7 H and 28/15 H) once a day (at 9 am). Weight, Specific Growth Rate (SGR), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), Fat Retention Index (FR) and Protein Retention Index (PR) were statistically higher in fish fed with the automatic feeder. On the contrary, the value of FCR was statistically higher in fish fed by hand. Diet composition did not have significant influence on growth performance. Survival rate was not statistically different among groups (85-96%). There was no significant effect of feeding method or diet on meat quality, such as color and fat content.

The performed experiments allowed determining to what extent meat electrical conductivity measured at two time intervals (EC90’ and EC24h) may affect significantly the selected pork meat quality parameters. The experimental material comprised 75 carcasses, of which 32 were carcasses derived from hogs of line 990 and 43 were carcasses of Danish hybrid hogs [(L x Y) x Du]. The following parameters were investigated: electrical conductivity (EC90’ and EC24h), thermal drip and water holding capacity content as well as meat texture (tenderness and juiciness). After the assessment of meat electrical conductivity, the obtained results were divided into three groups taking into consideration differences in their values: EC90’: up to 3.50 mS/cm; from 3.51 – 5.00 mS/cm; > 5.00 mS/cm, and EC24h measurement: up to 4.99 mS/cm; from 5.00 – 8.00 mS/cm; > 8.00 mS/cm. It is clear from the performed investigations that measurements of meat electrical conductivity carried out 24 h after the slaughter of animals, in comparison with the measurements taken 90’ after slaughter, was correlated with the examined meat parameters higher degree.

Apart from the well-known role of somatic cell count as a parameter reflecting the inflammatory status of the mammary gland, the composition of cells isolated from milk is considered as a valuable material for gene expression studies in mammals. Due to its unique composition, in recent years an increasing interest in mare's milk consumption has been observed. Thus, investigating the genetic background of horse’s milk variability presents and interesting study model. Relying on 39 milk samples collected from mares representing three breeds (Polish Primitive Horse, Polish Cold-blooded Horse, Polish Warmblood Horse) we aimed to investigate the utility of equine milk somatic cells as a source of mRNA and to screen the best reference genes for RT-qPCR using geNorm and NormFinder algorithms. The results showed that despite relatively low somatic cell counts in mare's milk, the amount and the quality of the extracted RNA are sufficient for gene expression studies. The analysis of the utility of 7 potential reference genes for RT-qPCR experiments for the normalization of equine milk somatic cells revealed some differences between the outcomes of the applied algorithms, although in both cases the KRT8 and TOP2B genes were pointed as the most stable. Analysis by geNorm showed that the combination of 4 reference genes (ACTB, GAPDH, TOP2B and KRT8) is required for apropriate RT-qPCR experiments normalization, whereas NormFinder algorithm pointed the combination of KRT8 and RPS9 genes as the most suitable. The trial study of the relative transcript abundance of the beta-casein gene with the use of various types and numbers of internal control genes confirmed once again that the selection of proper reference gene combinations is crucial for the final results of each real-time PCR experiment.

The aim of the study was to determine the whey protein profile, somatic cell count, total bacteria count, chemical composition and some physico-chemical properties of late lactation milk produced by Polish Cold Blooded Horses mares between 141 and 210 days post partum. The whey protein profile, expressed as a percentage of the total sum of the six whey proteins considered, was characterised by high proportions of lysozyme (11.6%), lactoferrin (14.6%) and immunoglobulin (15.8%). Whey proteins represented in greatest amounts included β-lactoglobulin (29.2%) and α-lactalbumin (25.4% of the total whey protein fraction). Mares' milk was characterised by very low numbers of somatic cells and total bacterial counts. Results presented confirm that late lactation mares' milk constitutes a valuable source of bioactive components.

Mares' milk is becoming increasingly popular in Western Europe. This study was thus aimed at investigating the impact of stage of lactation and season on chemical composition, somatic cell count and some physicochemical parameters of mares' colostrum and milk, and at developing a method for the determination of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in mares' milk and to determine its content in fresh and stored milk.The analysis conducted showed an effect of the stage of lactation on contents of selected chemical components and physicochemical parameters of mares' milk. In successive lactation periods levels of fat, cholesterol, energy value, citric acid and titratable acidity decreased, whereas levels of lactose and vitamin C, as well as the freezing point, increased. Analysis showed that milk produced in autumn (September, October, November) had a higher freezing point and lower concentrations of total solids, protein, fat, cholesterol, citric acid and energy value in comparison to milk produced in summer (June, July, August). Mares' milk was characterised by low somatic cell count throughout lactation. In terms of vitamin C stability the most advantageous method of milk storage was 6-month storage of lyophilised milk.In general, the results confirmed that mares' milk is a raw material with a unique chemical composition different from that produced by other farm animals.

The composition of bioactive components in dairy products depends on their content in raw milk and the processing conditions. The experimental material consisted of the milk of dairy goats supplemented with 120 g d(-1) per head of false flax cake. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of kefir produced from goat's milk with a higher content of bioactive components resulting from supplementation of the goats' diet with false flax cake.The administration of false flax cake to goats had a positive effect on the fatty acid profile of the raw milk, causing an increase in the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and n-3 fatty acids. Their increased percentage was detected in the kefir after production as well as after storage. The processing value of the harvested milk did not differ from the qualitative characteristics of milk from goats of the control group. Increasing the proportion of bioactive components in goat's milk did not result in changes in the acidity, texture, colour, flavour, aroma or consistency of the kefir obtained.Milk and kefir obtained after the administration of false flax cake to goats contain bioactive components (PUFA including CLA, n-3 and monoenic trans fatty acids) in significant amounts. Kefir from experimental goat's milk did not differ in quality from kefir made from the milk of the control group.

The effect of two diets enriched with unsaturated fatty acids--one containing the addition of dried distillers grains with solubles (DGS) and the other the addition of false flax--Camelina sativa cake (CS)--on some metabolic parameters and hormone concentration in growing lambs was determined in this experiment. A total of 21 ram lambs of the Polish Whiteheaded mutton sheep were divided into three groups (the control, receiving DGS and CS). The diets were administered to animals for 6 weeks. During the experiment, peripheral blood was collected. Glucose (GL), total cholesterol (CH), triglycerides (TG), free fatty acids (FFA), insulin (IN), leptin (LE), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) were assayed in serum. The age-dependent reduction in CH and TG limited by both experimental diets were observed. A significant increase in FFA concentration was observed in samples collected in the last, that is, third, time period. This was most probably caused by a 12-h pre-slaughter fasting period. A significantly lower dynamic of FFA increase in that experimental period was found in animals receiving the experimental feed. Insulin concentration in DGS-receiving lambs was increased, in contrast to the CS-receiving lambs, in which it was lower when compared to the control. LE concentration was decreased by both experimental diets, more markedly in the DGS-receiving animals. No differences between the experimental groups and the control were observed in T3 and T4 concentrations. The effect of 12-h pre-slaughter fasting was statistically highly significant for the levels of examined blood markers and hormones, except for TG and IN in the group of lambs receiving the experimental diet with CS.