Animal Production to Valorize Autochthonous Ruminant Breeds

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal System and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2022) | Viewed by 18167

Special Issue Editors

Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Interests: meat and milk productions; animal nutrition; animal products quality; ruminants
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Interests: animal nutrition; animal product quality; ruminant; animal welfare; meat and milk
Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment (IAS), National Research Council (CNR), Palermo, Italy
Interests: animal product quality; environment and human health; animal welfare; meat, milk, and fish
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment (IAS), National Research Council (CNR), Palermo, Italy
Interests: food contaminants; human health risk assessment; models based on how to evaluate contaminant accumulation (BMF, BAF, BCF) in animals; human exposure and health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current interest in extensive and/or organic farming has led to a greater focus on autochthonous breeds that are involved in such systems. Typical productions, with their peculiar organoleptic and nutraceutical characteristics, represent the main tool for the enhancement of autochthonous breeds.

This Special Issue invites original manuscripts that focus on the effects of the environment, animal breed, and management systems on the quality of the productions obtained from autochthonous breeds.

Interdisciplinary studies on typical products obtained from indigenous ruminant breeds are going to be considered, paying particular attention to the following:

(1) Effect of livestock management systems on animal welfare and the quality of productions.

(2) Innovative technologies for processing techniques oriented to enhancing the properties of animal products;

(3) Animal welfare as an indicator of sustainable production;

(4) Innovative packaging preserving and improving the quality of productions;

(5) Animal production and human health: level of chemical and microbiological contaminants concerning the breeds, farming systems, environment, and processing techniques.

Dr. Marco Alabiso
Dr. Giuseppe Maniaci
Dr. Cristina Giosuè
Dr. D’Agostino Fabio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Meat and derived products
  • meat quality
  • milk and dairy products
  • technological properties
  • cheese making
  • cured meat
  • salami
  • bresaola
  • nutraceutical quality
  • functional foods
  • ruminants
  • autochthonous breed
  • sustainable production systems
  • typical products
  • contaminants
  • animal welfare

Published Papers (8 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 335 KiB  
Article
Economic Valuation of Balkan Chamois Conservation
by Vasilios Liordos, Maria Antoniadou and Vasileios J. Kontsiotis
Animals 2023, 13(4), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040691 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1227
Abstract
The Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) is a caprine of the rocky mountain slopes, threatened in Greece by illegal hunting and population isolation. We used a contingent valuation method to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) for chamois conservation of 500 [...] Read more.
The Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) is a caprine of the rocky mountain slopes, threatened in Greece by illegal hunting and population isolation. We used a contingent valuation method to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) for chamois conservation of 500 residents of the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Most of the participants (61.6%) were WTP a mean of EUR 41.6 for chamois conservation, totaling EUR 6.03 million for the target population. Attitudes toward and knowledge about chamois, moralistic worldviews (spiritual reverence and ethical concern for nature and wildlife), participation in wildlife-related consumptive outdoor activities (i.e., hunting and fishing), intention to participate in conservation actions for the species, and encounters with the species in the wild were positively associated with WTP for its conservation. Dominionistic worldviews (humans have mastery, physical control, and dominance of wildlife) were negatively associated with WTP, while highly educated females with high income were more WTP for implementing relevant conservation actions. Factors involving previous knowledge of the chamois positively influenced the WTP, thus, confirming the construct’s bias toward charismatic species. The findings show that Greek residents highly value the chamois and its conservation and would be useful for advising this process and achieving its conservation management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Production to Valorize Autochthonous Ruminant Breeds)
20 pages, 1144 KiB  
Article
Persistent Organic Pollutants and Fatty Acid Profile in a Typical Cheese from Extensive Farms: First Assessment of Human Exposure by Dietary Intake
by Cristina Giosuè, Fabio D’Agostino, Giuseppe Maniaci, Giuseppe Avellone, Marzia Sciortino, Viviana De Caro, Adriana Bonanno, Marialetizia Ponte, Marco Alabiso and Antonino Di Grigoli
Animals 2022, 12(24), 3476; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12243476 - 09 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1368
Abstract
Dairy products represent an important source of beneficial substances for humans. At the same time, they can expose the consumers to environmental contaminants ingested by animals through their diet, influencing their health negatively. This experiment aims to evaluate the risk and benefits related [...] Read more.
Dairy products represent an important source of beneficial substances for humans. At the same time, they can expose the consumers to environmental contaminants ingested by animals through their diet, influencing their health negatively. This experiment aims to evaluate the risk and benefits related to the consumption of typical stretched cheeses, considering their fatty acid (FA) profile and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) content. Six representative farms, two of them organic, raising Cinisara cattle were selected, considering the typical extensive management systems, based on feeding of natural pasture integrated with concentrate and hay depending on the availability of forage on pastures. A total of 18 cheeses produced in winter, spring and summer with bulk milk of each farm were sampled and analyzed. The chemical composition of cheeses was influenced by farm management, and the FA profile mainly by the season. In particular, cheeses made in spring showed a healthier FA profile with the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), of omega3-PUFA and omega6/omega3 ratio pair to 7.29%, 1.44% and 1.32, respectively, while in winter 5.44%, 0.98% and 2.55, respectively, and in summer 4.77% 0.49% and 3.04, respectively. Due to high levels of feeding integration, cheese made in winter presented unhealthier characteristics compared to the cheeses made in spring and summer, showing high levels of saturated FA (66.2%, 64.2% and 65.5%, respectively), and large contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (57.07 ng/g fat, 36.25 ng/g fat and 10.22 ng/g fat, respectively) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (36.19 ng/g fat, 4.68 ng/g fat and 3.73 ng/g fat, respectively), mainly in those from non-organic farms. Levels of PCBs considered to be hazardous to human health were found in nine samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Production to Valorize Autochthonous Ruminant Breeds)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1098 KiB  
Article
Growth Performance, Carcass and Meat Traits of Autochthonous Arouquesa Weaners Raised on Traditional and Improved Feeding Systems
by Laura Sacarrão-Birrento, Maria José Gomes, Severiano R. Silva, José A. Silva, Duarte Moreira, Raquel Vieira, Luis Mendes Ferreira, Pedro Pereira, André M. de Almeida, José Carlos Almeida and Carlos Venâncio
Animals 2022, 12(19), 2501; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192501 - 20 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1637
Abstract
Arouquesa is an autochthonous bovine breed known for its Arouquesa PDO beef labeling. There are several production systems under the definition of PDO labeling. This study aimed to compare the effect of different production systems on carcass and meat traits for the Arouquesa [...] Read more.
Arouquesa is an autochthonous bovine breed known for its Arouquesa PDO beef labeling. There are several production systems under the definition of PDO labeling. This study aimed to compare the effect of different production systems on carcass and meat traits for the Arouquesa breed. Two trials differing in diet and weaning age were conducted. The first trial included a TF group fed the traditional way and weaned at 9 months; a TF + S1 group, equal to TF, but with a starter supplement; and finally, a S1 + S2 group that was fed with a starter and a growth supplement and weaned at 5 months. The second trial was composed of a TF + S3 group fed like the TF + S1 group but reared until 12 months with a finishing supplement, and finally, the S3 group fed like the S1 + S2 group but reared until 12 months. In the first trial, the TF + S1 and S1 + S2 groups showed higher final live weight and average daily gain. In the second trial, we observed differences in the subcutaneous fat that was higher in the S3 group. Regarding meat traits, we observed differences in exudative and cooking losses in the first trial. In general, supplementation improved meat production without affecting meat quality parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Production to Valorize Autochthonous Ruminant Breeds)
Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1554 KiB  
Article
Spatial Distribution and Habitat Selection of Sarda Cattle in a Silvopastoral Mediterranean Area
by Marco Acciaro, Andrea Bragaglio, Marco Pittarello, Gian Marco Marrosu, Maria Sitzia, Gabriele Sanna, Mauro Decandia, Simonetta Bagella and Giampiero Lombardi
Animals 2022, 12(9), 1167; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12091167 - 02 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1518
Abstract
The beef livestock system in Sardinia is based on suckler cows, often belonging to autochthonous breeds, such as the Sarda breed, and they often graze silvopastoral areas. Besides beef meat, silvopastoral systems (SPSs) provide several Ecosystem Services (ESs), such as timber provision, harvested [...] Read more.
The beef livestock system in Sardinia is based on suckler cows, often belonging to autochthonous breeds, such as the Sarda breed, and they often graze silvopastoral areas. Besides beef meat, silvopastoral systems (SPSs) provide several Ecosystem Services (ESs), such as timber provision, harvested as wood, and watershed protection. Livestock distribution is a critical factor for the sustainable use of SPSs (e.g., to avoid uneven grazing patterns) and information on patterns of spatial use are required. A study was conducted to determine: (i) the spatial distribution and (ii) the habitat selection of Sarda cattle grazing in a Mediterranean silvopastoral area. Over different seasons, 12 free-roaming adult Sarda cows were fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) Knight tracking collars to calculate an index mapping of the incidence of livestock in the landscape (LRI) and a preference index (PI) for different areas. Since the PI data were not normally distributed, the Aligned Rank Transform (ART) procedure was used for the analysis. LRI was able to represent the spatial variability in resource utilization by livestock as a LRI map. Overall, the areas where the animals drank and received supplementation were strongly preferred by the cows, reaching PI values in the summer of 19.3 ± 4.9 (median ± interquartile range), whereas areas with predominantly rocks were strongly avoided (the worst PI value in the spring was 0.2 ± 0.6). Grasslands were, in general, used in proportion to their presence in the area, with slightly increased use in the spring (PI 1.1 ± 0.5). Forest area was avoided by cows, except in the spring when it was used in proportion to their presence in the area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Production to Valorize Autochthonous Ruminant Breeds)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1674 KiB  
Communication
Preliminary Investigation of Mixed Orchard Hays on the Meat Quality, Fatty Acid Profile, and Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Goat Kids
by Yingying Wang, Tengfei Li, Xinyi Chen, Chongyi Liu, Xumei Jin, Hua Tan and Mingxiu Long
Animals 2022, 12(6), 780; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12060780 - 19 Mar 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2080
Abstract
This preliminary investigation was designed to study the effects of different mixed orchard hays on meat quality, fatty acids, amino acids, rumen intestinal microflora, and the relationship between rumen bacteria and fatty acids in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Saanen dairy goats. In [...] Read more.
This preliminary investigation was designed to study the effects of different mixed orchard hays on meat quality, fatty acids, amino acids, rumen intestinal microflora, and the relationship between rumen bacteria and fatty acids in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Saanen dairy goats. In this preliminary investigation, goats were separately fed crop straws (corn and wheat straws) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) (CK group), alfalfa + oats (Avena sativa L.) (group I), alfalfa + perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (group II), and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) + perennial ryegrass (group III). There were differences in shear force and cooking loss between treatments. The contents of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) C14:0, C16:0, and C18:0 in the CK group were significantly higher than those in other three groups (p < 0.001). The 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in group II were higher than those in other three groups (p < 0.05). Association analysis showed that Prevotella_1 was negatively correlated with C18:0 and significantly positively correlated with C16:1, while Clostridium and Romboutsia showed a positive correlation with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Therefore, feeding mixed hays can increase beneficial fatty acids and the percentages of associated bacteria in rumen and intestines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Production to Valorize Autochthonous Ruminant Breeds)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 880 KiB  
Article
Fatty Acids as Biomarkers of the Production Season of Caciocavallo Palermitano Cheese
by Giuseppe Maniaci, Antonino Di Grigoli, Adriana Bonanno, Cristina Giosuè, Vincenzo Ilardi and Marco Alabiso
Animals 2021, 11(9), 2675; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11092675 - 12 Sep 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2260
Abstract
This experiment aims to evaluate the potential of fatty acids (FA) of Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese as biomarkers of production season and pasture-based diet. A total of 48 cheeses were made in the four seasons with milk from two farms that raised cows of [...] Read more.
This experiment aims to evaluate the potential of fatty acids (FA) of Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese as biomarkers of production season and pasture-based diet. A total of 48 cheeses were made in the four seasons with milk from two farms that raised cows of Cinisara breed. The animals were fed on pasture with supplementation of wheat bran and wheat straw in the barn, and in summer also with Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes. The chemical composition and FA profile of cheese were influenced by the season and not by the farm. In particular, cheeses produced in spring were characterized by higher protein and lower fat, and showed higher contents in trans-vaccenic acid, α-linolenic acid, rumenic acid, n-3 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), and total PUFA. In winter, the lower availability of grazing forage, requiring a higher level of feeding integration, was responsible for an increase of saturated FA (SFA). The multivariate analysis distinguished clearly the cheeses made in winter and spring, while those produced in autumn and summer showed some overlapping points. Further investigations should be carried out to evaluate the effects of type and level of feeding integration on the presence of FA more suitable to be used as biomarkers of period and diet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Production to Valorize Autochthonous Ruminant Breeds)
Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 292 KiB  
Article
Thyroid and Lipidic Profiles in Nicastrese Goats (Capra hircus) during Pregnancy and Postpartum Period
by Luigi Liotta, Arianna Bionda, Marco Quartuccio, Floro De Nardo, Rosanna Visalli and Esterina Fazio
Animals 2021, 11(8), 2386; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082386 - 12 Aug 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2812
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the thyroid and lipid profiles in 30 Nicastrese goats, along different physiological periods: before mating (nonpregnant goats), during the whole pregnancy (pregnant goats), and during postpartum and early lactation (milking goats). Blood samples were collected monthly from March [...] Read more.
This study aimed to determine the thyroid and lipid profiles in 30 Nicastrese goats, along different physiological periods: before mating (nonpregnant goats), during the whole pregnancy (pregnant goats), and during postpartum and early lactation (milking goats). Blood samples were collected monthly from March 2020 to January 2021. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total and free triiodothyronine (T3, fT3), and thyroxine (T4, fT4) concentrations were measured using immunoenzymatic assay kits and serum lipid panels (triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (tCho)) by enzymatic colorimetric method; very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL Cho) was calculated. Pregnant and milking goats showed the lower T3 (p < 0.0002) and T4 (p < 0.0005) concentrations, with lower BCS (p < 0.001) only in pregnant ones. Milking goats showed tCho (p < 0.006) concentrations lower than nonpregnant ones, and TG and VLDL Cho (p < 0.001) lower than both pregnant and nonpregnant goats. T4:T3 and T3:fT3 were significantly and positively correlated in both pregnancy and lactation. Under similar environmental, nutrition, and management conditions, different physiological phases play a significant role in the thyroid and lipid profiles in Nicastrese goats. These endocrine and metabolic resources could contribute to the knowledge useful for the salvage of this endangered, local, native breed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Production to Valorize Autochthonous Ruminant Breeds)
9 pages, 290 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Carcass Traits of Santa Inês Lambs Finished in Tropical Pastures through Biometric Measurements
by Antonio Leandro Chaves Gurgel, Gelson dos Santos Difante, João Virgínio Emerenciano Neto, Cynthia Gabriela Fernandes de Araújo, Marcone Geraldo Costa, Luís Carlos Vinhas Ítavo, Itania Maria Medeiros de Araujo, Carolina Marques Costa, Juliana Caroline Santos Santana, Camila Celeste Brandão Ferreira Ítavo and Patrick Bezerra Fernandes
Animals 2021, 11(8), 2329; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082329 - 07 Aug 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3100
Abstract
The aim of this study was to predict carcass traits of Santa Inês lambs finished in tropical pastures by using biometric measurements. Data originated from two experiments involving 56 lambs (32 in experiment I and 24 in experiment II). In both experiments, the [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to predict carcass traits of Santa Inês lambs finished in tropical pastures by using biometric measurements. Data originated from two experiments involving 56 lambs (32 in experiment I and 24 in experiment II). In both experiments, the sheep were finished in that were finished in pastures of Panicum maximum and Brachiaria brizantha, experiment I being conducted in the rainy season and experiment II in the dry season. The following biometric measurements were recorded before slaughter: body length (BL), withers height (WH), rump height (RH), thorax width (TW), rump width (RW), chest width (CW), heart girth (HG), thigh circumference (TC), rump circumference (RC) and leg length (LL), in addition to live weight at slaughter (SW). After slaughter, hot carcass weight (HCW), cold carcass weight (CCW) and the weights of primal cuts (shoulder, neck, loin, leg and rib) were recorded. In the equations generated to predict SW, HCW and CCW, R2 ranged from 0.58 to 0.91 and the measurements of WH, TC, CW, HG and RW were the most relevant. In the equations developed to predict the weight of primal cuts, in turn, R2 ranged from 0.26 to 0.99. In these models, SW, BL, CW, TC, LL and HG explained most of the variation in the weight of primal cuts. Biometric measurements can be used to accurately and precisely predict HCW, CCW and the weight of primal cuts from the carcass of Santa Inês sheep finished in tropical pastures, since the equations presented R2 and correlation coefficient and agreement above 0.8. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Production to Valorize Autochthonous Ruminant Breeds)
Back to TopTop