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Feed scarcity is a major challenge facing free-range beef farming in semi-arid areas. Specifically, low quality and quantity of forage in rangelands and higher feeding costs are the main constraints limiting smallholder free-range beef farmers’ participation in mainstream beef markets. Using farmers’ participatory approaches, this study identified major locally available forage resources (LAFRs) and evaluated their nutritional value. A total of 40 free-ranging commercially orientated smallholder beef farmers were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires and tasked to identify LAFRs in the Cradock and Middelburg areas of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Chemical analysis was conducted for the most cited forages such as African sheepbush (Pentzia incana), sweet thorn (Vachellia karroo) leaves and pods, reed (Phragmites australis), lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay, natural pasture grasses (NPGs) and barbary fig, or prickly pear cactus, (Opuntia ficus-indica) cladodes collected from twelve participants’ farms. Feed shortage was ranked by more than 53% respondents as the main constraint to smallholder beef production. Regardless of the farming area, crude protein content of V. karroo leaves and pods averaging 18.8 and 19.5%, respectively, was higher than other LAFRs. However, V. karoo pods had relatively low ash content than other forages in both farming areas. Opuntia ficus-indica attained high in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility at 12, 24 and 48 hr incubation periods, due to low neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin. Integration of participatory inventory and chemical analysis proved to be reliable in identifying LAFRs, with V. karroo leaves and O. ficus-indica cladodes being the main potential forage resources for inclusion in beef cattle diets. Further research is recommended to substantiate their supplementary nutritive value and level of inclusion in beef cattle finishing diets.

Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries consist of ~200 million livestock owners who utilise marginal rangelands as a feed resource base for their animals. These rangelands offer various resources to the communities and are in-turn vulnerable to climate change related challenges. Currently, information on greenhouse gases (GHG) emission from SSA rangelands is heavily dependent on the generic values generated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier I trajectories on various aspects of the environment. There is, therefore, a need to identify research gaps between the dynamics and influences of environmental components, highlight their magnitude and potential aggregate contribution towards GHG emission in an SSA context. Rangeland sustainability, weather patterns, soils, plant biodiversity, and current methods used to measure GHG emission from rangelands are influenced by institutional, community, and national policy frameworks. Various intertwined environmental components exist within the SSA rangeland ecosystems and research has not extensively covered such interactions. It is crucial to generate a database that includes information of in-situ trajectories on GHG emission from soil properties, vegetation image maps using remote sensing and geographic information system, plant biodiversity indices, climatology, and animal husbandry aspects.

The effect of dietary graded inclusion levels of Imbrasia belina worm meal on meat chemical composition and fatty acid profile of broiler chicken meat was evaluated. A total of 360 chicks were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments, with each treatment group replicated 6 times (n = 15/replicate). The inclusion levels of the I. belina worm meal in the treatments were 0% control = T1, T2 = 4%, T3 = 8% and 12%. A three-phase feeding program of starter (0-14d), grower (15-28d), and finisher (29-35d) was employed for the study. The results showed that crude protein content of breast meat was higher (P I. belina meal. In conclusion, I. belina meal improved the protein content of breast meat and reduced levels of some fatty acids.

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary graded levels of Imbrasia belina at 0%, 4%, 8% and 12% of broiler diets on meat quality and sensory attributes. A total of 360 one-day-old broiler chicks, were fed graded I. belina diets and slaughtered on day 35. Body weight (BW), Average Daily Gain (ADG), Feed Intake (FI) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) were recorded. Breast muscles were evaluated for ultimate pH, meat colour (L* (lightness), a*(redness), b*(yellowness), tenderness, cooking loss. Forty consumer panellists evaluated sensory attributes. On day 28, the ADG in birds fed IB4 (88.06 g) and control (80.09 g) were statistically similar. On day 28 and 35 FI of broiler chickens fed control (147.47 g; 178.45 g) was the highest. The highest values for L* were observed in IB1, but not significantly different (p > .05) from IB3 and IB4. For redness, a* values were highest in IB3 and lowest in IB1. Lightness, yellowness, pH24 and Hue showed a quadratic response to increasing levels of IB meal. The shear force values were highest in IB1 (11.27), but not significantly different (p > .05) from IB3 (9.97) and IB4 (9.85). However, the tenderness scores were observed to be highest from IB3 (7.00). The highest acceptability scores of the breast meat were from IB2 (7.65). In conclusion, adding graded levels of I. belina meal up to 12% into diets of broilers had a positive effect on growth performance, meat quality and sensory attributes.Highlights Dietary inclusion levels of I. belina meal increased body weight gains in dietary treatment groups. The shear force in all dietary treatment groups decreased compared to the control. The tenderness of breast meat was found to be significantly influenced by the dietary treatment

A significant proportion of the African continent is conducive for animal agricultural production, due to its historical experience and available resources to accommodate and nurture various indigenous and exotic animal species and breeds. With food security being a global challenge, animal products can play an important role as nutrient dense food sources in human diets, particularly in Africa. However, this does not seem to reach its full potential in practice, due to numerous reasons that have not been adequately addressed. Animal welfare reservations can be highlighted as one of the major contributing factors to the curbed progress. The consequences have been scientifically proven to affect product quality and market access. However, in the African community, the concept of animal welfare has not been fully embraced. While there are international animal welfare standards in the developed world, there are inherent factors that hinder adoption of such initiatives in most developing regions, particularly among communal farmers. These include cultural norms and practices, social ranking, socio-economic status, available resources, information dissemination and monitoring tools. Therefore, there is need to harmonize what is internationally required and what is feasible to accommodate global variability. The protocols followed to ensure and evaluate farm animal welfare require regular investigation, innovation and a sustainable approach to enhance animal productivity, efficiency and product quality. Additionally, investing in animal wellbeing and health, as well as empowering communities with significant knowledge, has a potential to improve African livelihoods and contribute to food security. This review seeks to highlight the concept of animal welfare in relation to livestock and food production in African conditions.

SUMMARY The effects of Eisenia foetida (earthworm) meal as a protein source on growth traits, carcass digestive organs, bone strength, and characteristics of broilers were investigated. A total of 180 day-old broilers were randomly allocated to 5 treatments with 0% (EWO), 1% (EW1), 3% (EW3), 5% (EW5), and 10% (EW10) earthworm meal inclusion. Supplementing the diet with 5% earthworm meal improved weight gain of broilers. Furthermore, the study revealed the effectiveness of 3% E. foetida level on producing acceptable carcass and bone in broilers. However, the gizzard weight reduced with the inclusion of earthworm meal and no dietary effect was seen in gizzard pH. The highest intestine weight was observed in EW3 birds while the least was seen in EW10 birds. The bone strength increased as the inclusion level of E. foetida increased, but was less than control EW0. Nevertheless, ash content decreased with the increase inclusion level of earthworm meal in the diet.

Objective The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between plasma and salivary cortisol concentrations in beef cattle that were subjected to handling prior to sampling. Methods Twenty-one Nguni cows of three age categories; 5 to 7 yr (n = 7), 8 to 10 yr (n = 6), and 11 to 13 yr (n = 8) were handled for five consecutive weeks. In the pen, a human avoidance test was performed and cattle responses to restraint in the chute and crush were observed. In addition, rectal temperature readings were taken and, faecal samples were collected and analysed for glucocorticoid metabolites. Through the handling and restraint process, excretory and vocalisation behaviour, as a sign of stress were observed and recorded. Thereafter, six cows were randomly selected and subjected to an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge. Blood and saliva samples were extracted to determine cortisol concentrations. Results Repeated handling affected (p0.05) across the time of sampling. A low and insignificant correlation (r = 0.0131, p>0.05) between plasma and saliva cortisol was therefore observed. Conclusion We conclude that if beef cows are subjected to handling prior to sampling, a weak relationship exists between plasma and salivary cortisol levels.

The experiment investigated the influence of forage drying methods on the dry-matter digestibility of foliage from Cajanus cajan varieties (ICEAP 00557, ICEAP 01514 and CIMMYT100/01). These leaves were harvested at week 20 of growth and either oven- or shade-dried and analysed for chemical components and rumen degradability. Three rumen fistulated lactating Holstein cows (430 ± 18 kg live weight) were used to evaluate ruminal degradation kinetics using in vitro and in sacco procedures. Samples were incubated for 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 30 and 48 h in vitro (IV DaisyII) procedure. In the in sacco procedure, samples were incubated for 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 30 and 48 h in the rumen of cows. Dry matter disappearance (DMD) data for both measures were fitted to the equation Y = a + b (1 – e–ct), where b is the slowly degradable fraction and c is the degradation rate constant, to approximate rumen degradability characteristics of varieties. Shade dried leaves contained higher crude protein (CP) (P 0.05) on ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) of varieties. Drying method did not affect (P > 0.05) calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) concentration in the forage dry matter. Drying method had no effect (P > 0.05) on b and c of all varieties during in vitro procedure. However, shade-drying method increased (P

This study aimed to determine and compare the fatty acid composition and atherogenecity index of milk fat from Nguni, Boer and non-descript at two different sampling periods. The goats (n = 10 for each goat genotypes) were raised under an extensive system of husbandry. Milk samples were collected from each individual goat to determine fatty acids, as methyl esters, using gas chromatography. The result revealed significant differences (P

The study examined essential oils (EO) extracted from Artemisia afra and Bidenspilosa leaves for bioactive phytochemicals and their antioxidant activities on pH and lipid oxidation of ground porkdu...

Extracts of Bifurcaria bifurcata seaweed were obtained by diverse conditions. Different extraction techniques, such as hydrothermal and ultrasounds, and three different solvents (water, ethanol and water/ethanol (50:50)) depending on technique were used. Moreover, supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) with 10% of ethanol as co-solvent using different extraction times (30, 45 and 60 min) was also used as extraction technique. Extraction yield, phenolic content and antioxidant activity were measured for each extract. Hydrothermal extraction obtained better extraction yields than ultrasound extraction. Regarding the effect of solvent composition, water/ethanol (50:50) in hydrothermal treatment (HW50E50) and water/ethanol (50:50) in ultrasound treatment (UW50E50) showed the highest extraction yields. The worst extraction yields were shown by the extraction with SC-CO2. Water/ethanol (50:50) showed to be more efficient extracting phenolic compounds than water, although the highest extraction was achieved by ethanol. On the other hand, ultrasound-assisted extraction seemed to be more efficient extracting phenolic compounds than hydrothermal extraction. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the use of ultrasound extraction technique and the use of water/ethanol as extracting solvent seemed to be the best extraction condition.

A survey study was conducted to analyze the reproductive and productive performances of four indigenous chicken breeds (Potchefstroom Koekoek, Venda, Naked Neck and Ovambo) under different rearing system. Six villages located in Eastern Cape, South Africa were used for the study from July 2017 to June 2018. Data on Clutch Per Year (CPY), hatchability (HATCH), Egg Per Clutch (EGC), survivability at 10-12 weeks (SURV), Egg Per Year (EPY), Recovery Period (RP), average age at production (AA), Duration of Rearing (DR), mortality, egg laying length (EGL), Natural Brooding Period (NBP) and Natural Incubating Period (NIP) were obtained from Seven thousand, five hundred and thirty eight (7538) indigenous chicken. Four different breeds were sampled such as Venda breeds (2748), Potchefstroom Koekoek (2088), Ovambo (1838) and Naked Neck (864) breeds respectively. Potchefstroom Koekoek is observed to be a good egg producing breed with 15.11±0.25 eggs per clutch. Venda breed possess good mothering ability (hatchability) and high survivability with 86.03±0.31days and 82.70±0.26 days respectively. Naked Neck is known to be more prone to diseases with least (survivability) 60.08±0.25 days. Village was positively correlated with EGC and HATCH, EGY and SURV at p≤0.01 and p≤0.05 respectively. Rearing system was positively correlated with EGC. Rearing system was positively correlated at p≤0.05 on EGC than CPY, HATCH, EGY and SURV. Breed and village interactions were significant at p≤0.05 on RP, AA, DR, EGL, NBP and NIP. Therefore, productive and reproductive traits of indigenous chicken differ across different rearing systems, breeds and villages.

Drying kinetics and changes in proximate composition, pH, salt content, water activity (aw) and lipid oxidation through processing of salami made using five different game meat species were evaluated and compared to pork. Eight batches of salami from each species were made and sampled for analysis throughout processing. Processing time was a significant factor on all measured attributes whilst species affected (P ≤ .05) pH and moisture but not drying kinetics. Black wildebeest meat exhibited higher (P ≤ .05) pH than pork and other game meat (6.30 vs 5.63–5.80), which translated to higher (P ≤ .05) salami pH throughout and at the end of processing (5.77). Final pH of all other salami ranged from 5.01 to 5.28, aw ranged from 0.88 to 0.92. TBARS remained lower than 1 mg MDA equivalent/kg. The study suggests that salami from these game species, excluding black wildebeest, can be produced using the same processing parameters as conventional pork salami and obtaining similar physico-chemical attributes.

This study compared the use of pork backfat (PF) and fat-tailed sheep tail and backfat (SF) on the physicochemical, fatty acids and sensory attributes of warthog cabanossi. There were no differences between weight loss during drying, moisture content, pH, water activity, salt content and lipid oxidation between the cabanossi types. However, protein and ash contents were higher in PF cabanossi whilst fat content was higher in SF cabanossi. The PF cabanossi had higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially n-6), lower monounsaturated fatty acids whilst the saturated fatty acid content was similar between the two cabanossi products. The n-3:n-6 ratio was more beneficial in the SF cabanossi. The descriptive sensory analysis showed two distinct products where PF cabanossi scored higher for most attributes. Although SF cabanossi scored less for these attributes, this cabanossi had unique and acceptable sensory attributes. This study concluded that fat-tailed sheep tail and backfat could be used to produce a unique cabanossi product of acceptable quality.

Elephantorrhiza elephantina is a medicinally important plant whose roots are used to control gastrointestinal parasites in goats. The use of plant-based anthelmintics as potential alternatives to synthetic anthelmintics in controlling gastrointestinal worms in ruminants is a promising area of research. The study was carried out to ascertain the efficacy of E. elephantina in controlling goat trematodes. Standard procedures were used to quantify the phytochemicals in the water, ethanol and methanol root extracts of E. elephantina. The quantitative phytochemical analysis revealed that alkaloids (93.24 ± 1.68%), condensed tannins (450.52 ± 0.15 mg CE/g), flavonoids (803.93 ± 0.13 mg QE/g), phenols (476.11 ± 0.37 mg GAE/g) and saponins (83.28 ± 1.72%) were present in E. elephantina root extracts. Paramphistomum cervi adult worms recovered from the rumen of freshly slaughtered goats were used. In vitro screening of ethanol, methanol and water extracts of E. elephantina for potential anthelmintic activity against adult P. cervi worm motility showed time and dose-dependent significant effects. Ethanol extracts showed a highly significant (P

Nematodes and coccidia are major pathogens causing parasitic infections in livestock production. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and seasonality of gastrointestinal helminths and coccidia in communal sheep grazing in humid, semi-humid and arid zones of the Eastern Cape Province. A total of 3299 faecal samples were collected from sheep between January 2012 and December 2015. Of the collected roundworm species (faecal eggs and faecal cultures), Haemonchus contortus was the only species found. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was significantly higher in the humid zone (H. contortus 81% and coccidia 37%), followed by a semi-humid zone (H. contortus 75% and coccidia 22%) and the arid zone was the lowest (H. contortus 71% and coccidia 14%). Haemonchus contortus had significantly higher faecal egg counts (FEC) during spring (1465.73 ± 143.56) and summer (1418.73 ± 160.73) and the lowest during autumn (496.67 ± 219.13) and winter (352.05 ± 164.44) in all agro-ecological zone. The humid zone had significantly higher FEC in seasonal occurrence of H. contortus and coccidia compared with other agro-ecological zones (P 0.05). There was no significant difference (P 0.05) observed in the seasonal occurrence of H. contortus species in arid zone. Surprisingly, higher coccidia counts (352.17 ± 43.58) during 2012 winter season in humid zone and in summer season (0.00 ± 559.72) of 2013 in the semi-humid zone than other agro-ecological zones. However, agro-ecological zone differences and seasonal variations had an influence on H. contortus and coccidia distribution and abundance. This study confirms that helminths and coccidia are major causative agents causing parasitic infections in livestock production, and therefore, good animal health management practices including proper hygiene should be followed to prevent parasitic infection in small ruminants.

Behavioural and blood-based physiological responses of Nguni (NG) and Boran (BR) steers, following relocation to a new environment and herd regrouping were examined. Ten steers of each genotype aged 9 months and reared under similar conditions were studied over 16 weeks: 1 for acclimatization and baseline measurements in original groups, 15 for post regrouping measurements. Each sampling week, direct visual observations and durations of aggressive and affiliative interactions were recorded between 0500-1900h for 3 conservative days. Blood samples were drawn fortnightly by jugular venipuncture for plasma cortisol, glucose, creatine kinase (CK) and haematological analysis. In weeks 1-5, BR had higher instances of head-butting (P=0.0311), mounts (P=0.0142) and threats (P=0.0241) compared to NG (P

Gunya B, Muchenje V, Gxasheka M, Tyasi LT, Masika PJ. 2020. Management practices and contribution of village chickens to livelihoods of communal farmers: The case of Centane and Mount Frere in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Biodiversitas 21: 1345-1351. This study was conducted to determine village chickens production practices and their contribution to the livelihoods of farmers in rural households of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Data were gathered using a questionnaire survey of 150 households, which were identified by the use of snowball sampling. Village chickens were the most livestock species kept by farmers, mostly owned by women (79.61% in Centane and 81.06% in Mount Frere) and were kept for household food needs. Some farmers (21.92% and 25.31%) also occasionally sold their chickens at an average of R80 ($7.22) per bird. Most (93.13% and 76.44%) chickens flocks were provided with supplementary feed. The majority of farmers (80.31% and 88.33%) provided shelter for their chickens. The causes of chicken losses were reported to be diseases, predators, parasites and theft. The most cited disease problem was Newcastle (50.32% and 66.02%) while major predators were eagles (84.91% and 81.82%). The most common internal parasites were roundworms and tapeworm whilst the most reported external parasites were poultry lice and mites. The majority of farmers (94.51% and 92.21%) reported using chicken manure to improve the fertility of soils in their gardens. Chickens had a varied social role in the two areas, i.e., donation (61.63% and 68.82%) to neighbors and relatives. The majority of farmers (84.90%) in Centane didn't use chickens for cultural purposes whilst the majority (55.85%) in Mount Frere used chickens for cultural purposes. The present study showed that village chickens have a contribution to the livelihoods of rural households.

The potential of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) to limit lipid oxidation in nitrite‐free unfermented dry pork sausages (droewors) was investigated. Total phenolic compounds, α‐tocopherol and β‐carotene content of MLP was quantified. Droewors with no additives, 0.75 g/100 g MLP or 15 mg/kg vitamin E (VE) oil were processed and sampled after drying (3 days) and during 56 days of storage. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) of droewors made with MLP were lower until day 10. The effects of 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 g/100 g MLP on TBARS, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the α‐tocopherol, γ‐tocopherol, and β‐carotene content of droewors were assessed during drying and 7 days of storage. MLP inclusion significantly increased FRAP, α‐tocopherol, and β‐carotene content. From the end of drying, TBARS of droewors formulated with MLP were significantly lower compared to droewors formulated without MLP. Increasing the MLP inclusion level had no significant effect on TBARS. Practical applications: The research assesses and demonstrates the potential of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) as a natural additive to inhibit the rate and extent of lipid oxidation in unfermented dry pork sausages (droewors) with no nitrites/nitrates added. The inclusion of MLP in pork droewors at levels ranging from 0.5 to 2 g/100 g significantly increased the antioxidant activity (FRAP) and quantity of antioxidant vitamins (α‐tocopherol, and β‐carotene) in the product. Higher inhibition of lipid oxidation (TBARS) was observed in droewors with MLP added compared to the positive (vitamin E oil) and negative (no additives) controls. The different MLP inclusion levels used in the study resulted in similar lipid oxidation inhibition. Therefore, the findings show that the application of 0.5 g/100 g MLP is sufficient to decrease lipid oxidation in pork droewors and could potentially be applied to other types of dry‐cured sausages for this purpose.

Parasitism is a prime issue within the goat enterprise. Infection and infestation of goat herds cause health problems which compromise animal performance, resulting in economic loss. The control of internal and external parasites is widely dependent on the use of chemical anthelmintics and acaricides. However, challenges stemming from the use of these commercial drugs such as the development of resistance, ever-increasing cost of drugs, environmental toxicity of chemicals and residuals in animal products have increased interest in the use of plant-based parasite control methods. The practice of using plant-derived ethnoveterinary medicines to control parasites is an important intervention for improving goat productivity. Therefore, the focus of this chapter is on the exploitation and potential thereof of ethnoveterinary medicines for controlling parasites in goats.

This study aimed to assess the perception of cattle farmers regarding the challenges affecting implementation and adoption of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) such as oestrous synchronisation and artificial insemination under communal and emerging farming systems in South Africa. The study was conducted in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. A total of 27 cattle farmers who participated in the ARTs project were randomly selected, nine (9) from each province. The data were collected through in-depth interviews using semi-structured questionnaire. The collected data were managed and coded into themes using Nvivo Version 11 software programme. A total of 31 perceived sub-themes emerged that could compromise the implementation and adoption of Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the study area. Sub-themes were clustered into three major themes by the researcher, namely; those that arose from human interference, those that emanated from lack of resources and those that were the result of natural causes. The most prominent of the challenges that emerged during the interviews across the three provinces as mentioned were: drought and dry seasons (22), stock theft (21), diseases (21), inadequate infrastructure (19), lack of access to the market (16) and expansion of dwelling areas (13). Interviewed cattle farmers strongly agreed that the removal of these challenges would make the implementation and adoption of ARTs and any other livestock related technology easier for them. Key words: Artificial insemination, cattle farmers, oestrous synchronisation

Droëwors are traditional South African salted and dried sausages, made without nitrites/nitrates and non- fermented. Different meat sources (beef, game and ostrich) are traditionally used in droëwors processing, while the use of pork is uncommon, as it is said to lead to rancidity. The first part of the study analysed the physico-chemical composition of commercially available beef, game and ostrich meat droëwors (n = 20). On average, they were composed of 26.3–29.2 g/100 g moisture, 41.3–44.0 g/100 g protein, 26.2–33.1 g/100 g fat and 5.9–6.5 g/100 g ash and 5.0–5.4 pH. Water activity (0.76–0.82) was sufficiently low to ensure shelf stability at ambient temperatures. In the second part beef and pork droëwors were formulated in accordance with these results and with similar fat content, dried for 2 days (30 °C, 40% relative humidity) and stored for 26 days (25 °C, 50% relative humidity); measuring moisture, water activity, pH and lipid oxidative stability (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) weekly. At day 5, moisture and thus water activity of pork droëwors was slightly higher compared to beef ones and fat and ash content slightly lower (P ≤ 0.05) despite similar weight loss. Even with slightly less fat, TBARS in pork droëwors were significantly higher after drying and throughout storage (3.83 vs 0.99 mg MDA equivalents/kg dry matter at a maximum).

Oxidative damage is one of the main reasons for loss of quality in sheep and goat meat and meat products. Synthetic antioxidants are the current solution to stabilize oxidative process and extend the shelf life of such products; however, the negative impact on health may impose a risk to consumers. Natural antioxidants, extracted from several vegetable sources, have been considered an attractive alternative for this conflicting situation. Phenolic compounds are minor components in herbs, spices, tea and fruits that display potential application against the progression of lipid and protein oxidation and their consequences for meat quality, which can even overcome the protective effect of synthetic compounds. This review aims to discuss the mechanisms associated to lipid and protein oxidation and their implications on meat quality attributes and provides recent data regarding the application of natural antioxidants in sheep and goat meat products, which have a high susceptibility to oxidative processes compared to other red meats.

SUMMARY The effect of dietary Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on the quality and fatty acid profile of meat from 3 chicken strains, normally used in low-input, extensive production systems, was evaluated. The MOLM was included in a commercial broiler finisher diet at 0 (MOLM0), 25 (MOLM25), 50 (MOLM50), and 100 (MOLM100) g/kg. All diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isoenergetic. Two hundred and sixteen (216) Potchefstroom Koekoek (PK), Ovambo (OV) and Black Australorp (BA) chickens were offered the diets for a period of 13 wk in a 2 × 3 × 4 factorial treatment arrangement in a complete randomized design (CRD). The 3-way interaction (diet × strain × gender) term did not (P > 0.05) affect redness (a*), yellowness (b*), pH or meat cooking loss, but significantly influenced (P

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of forage legume diets on haematological and biochemical indices of Xhosa goats. Eighteen animals, one-year-old, of average live weight 14.13 ± 0.24 kg were assigned, in a completely randomized design, to three treatment diets. Animals were housed individually and sex was equally represented among treatments with 6 animals per treatment. Weights and blood samples were taken every fortnight. A pair of blood samples (5 ml each) were collected from each goat, via jugular vein puncture and were subjected to either haematological or biochemical analysis. The results show that treatment diets and sex significantly (P < 0.05) affected DMI, total gain, ADG, and feed conversion ratio. Treatment diets and sex had no effects (P > 0.05) on serum total proteins, globulins, urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma- glutamyl transferase concentrations. The diet influenced albumin was (P < 0.05) while sex influenced ALP concentration (P < 0.05). Measured over time, the plasma concentration of urea and ALP significantly increased (P < 0.05) while creatinine and cholesterol concentration decreased (P < 0.05). Although the overall blood biochemical properties remain unchanged among the treatments and between sexes; treatment by sex, treatment by day and sex by day interactions were significant (P < 0.05). The white blood cells, red blood cell, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, haemoglobin, haematocrit, and platelet and mean platelet volume levels were similar among treatments and between sexes (P > 0.05). The mean cell volume and red cell distribution width were different among treatments (P < 0.05). Treatment diets significantly (P < 0.05) influenced neutrophil (%) content while sex influenced basophile (%) content. In conclusion forage legumes did not cause toxicity in goats or any pathological condition. Keywords: Growth, Serum biochemistry, Haematology, Forage legumes, Goats