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A novel method for efficient welfare assessment on dairy cattle farms in Serbia
No full textLong-term challenges in the dairy sector regarding the implementation of systematic and
practically applicable welfare monitoring have necessitated the development of a new, locally adapted assessment method in Serbia. International protocols such as Welfare Quality®, although recognized as the gold standard with scientifically validated indicators, remain inaccessible for routine use due to substantial time, personnel, and logistical demands. The reality of Serbian farms, mainly small and medium-sized operations with specific husbandry conditions, underscores the need for a rapid, reliable, and objective approach to welfare assessment, which is crucial for sustainability, food safety, and competitiveness. The novel methodology is based on a carefully selected set of basic, easily and rapidly measurable indicators that have been validated through comparison with the WQP protocol, thereby confirming both their reliability and practical value for commercial, advisory, and control purposes. This approach is tailored to limited resources and capacities, enabling standardized, rapid, and efficient welfare assessment, reducing costs, and
increasing monitoring frequency. Integrating the new method into an innovative application will allow straightforward data collection, analysis, and display directly on-farm. This digital approach facilitates data entry and automatic processing, report generation, education, and personalized recommendations, resulting in significantly faster, more accurate, and more accessible welfare assessments for all stakeholders in the dairy sector
Relationship between the morphometric characteristics of the gonads of Mangalitsa, Moravka and Resavka
No full textAbstract: Mangalitsa, Moravka and Resavka are animal genetic resources аnd autochthonous breeds of pigs in the Republic of Serbia. Mangalitsa is the fatty pig breed, Moravka and Resavka are breeds with combined production. This research is related to the properties of the gonads of uncastrated males. Breed as a source of variation in the morphometric properties of the left testis affects the variation of several characteristics of the left testicle (p<0.05; mass of the testes and epididymis, length, depth and circumference of testes). The regression coefficient shows that with an increase in body weight there is an increase in all properties. The breed influences the variation of some measures on the right testicle (volume and mass of testes and epididymis, length, depth and circumference of testes). Body weight shows a statistically significant influence on all properties of the right testicle. Comparing the three breeds for the morphometric properties of the left testicle, the highest value of the volume of testes was determined in the Moravka breed, which is higher than the Mangalitsa breed (p<0.05). In the Moravka breed was higher mass of testes than in the Mangalitsa breed, and it is higher in relation to the Resavka breed. The average values for all morphometric properties are higher in the Moravka breed compared to the Mangalitsa. Resavka pigs showed the highest value of epididymis volume and length without epididymis, compared to other breeds. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found for the properties of epididymis volume and testicle length by comparing Mangalitsa and Resavka. By comparing the traits between the Moravka and the Resavka, the difference in the circumference of the testes is significant (p<0.05). The morphometric properties of the right testicle, showed the highest values of all investigated measures in the Moravka pig. In relation to Mangalitsa, the highest value was found for the volume of the testicle (p<0.001). The mass of the right testicle is greater in the Moravka breed compared to the Mangalitsa and Resavka. The only difference established between Mangalitsa and Resavka was in length of testes (p<0.05). By comparing Moravka and Resavka, differences were found in a greater number of properties of the right testicle (p<0.05). Higher values of morphometric measurements on the gonads in Moravka and Resavka are expected, given that they are breeds of combined production, which have better growth, compared to the fatty breed Mangalitsa. The low value of the coefficient of determination confirmes that body weight as a source of variation explains very little of the variation in the properties of gonad masses. Immunocastration of Mangalitsa breed pigs was successfully because of regression of the testicular tissue, the cessation of aggressive behavior, and the level of androstenone and skatole below detection
Ispitivanje kvaliteta mesa brojlera iz maloprodajnih objekata na teritoriji Beograda
No full textCilj istraživanja bio je da se ispita prisustvo miopatija i mana u kvalitetu mesa
brojlera poreklom iz maloprodajnih objektata na teritoriji Beograda, kao i njihov
uticaj na histopatološke karakteristike, morfometrijske parametre, tehnološke
pokazatelje i hemijski sastav fileta.
Od ukupno 267 ispitanih fileta iz 13 maloprodajnih objekata na teritoriji Beоgrada, određeni stepen zastupljenosti miopatija je utvrđen kod 64,04% uzoraka.
Miopatija sa najvećom učestalošću je bila špageti meso (14,98%), dok bolest zelenih mišića nije utvrđena ni kod jednog ispitanog uzorka. Histopatološkom analizom fileta utvrđen je određeni stepen mikroskopskih promena kod svih uzoraka,
nezavisno od prisustva i stepena izraženosti miopatija. Makroskopski nepromenjeni fileti imali su manju histopatološku ocenu (P<0,05) u poređenju sa filetima
sa miopatijama. Pored toga, utvrđena je umerena korelacija (r, = 0,629) između
makroskopskih i histopatoloških ocena za miopatije (P<0,05). Nepromenjeni fileti su imali manju masu, dužinu i debljinu u poređenju sa filetima kod kojih su utvrđene miopatije. U poređenju sa nepromenjenim filetima, kod fileta sa miopatijama je utvrđena slabija sposobnost vezivanja vode (veći kalo ceđenja 24 časa i
48 časova), veći udeo crvene boje (a* vrednost) i veći sadržaj kolagena.
U odnosu na tip proizvoda, nije utvrđena razlika (P>0,05) u ukupnoj učestalosti pojave miopatija između ekonomskih (70,00%), komercijalnih (62,10%) i premijum (60,32%) fileta. Kod komercijalnih fileta je utvrđen najmanji sadržaj masti,
najviša finalna pH vrednost, najslabija sposobnost vezivanja vode (SVV) (najveći
kalo ceđenja 24 časa i 48 časova), najtamnija boja (najveća L* vrednost) i najčvršća tekstura (najveća sila smicanja) (P<0,05), što je rezultiralo većom tendencijom ka pojavi tamnog, čvrstog i suvog (TČS) mesa (0,05 < P < 0,10) u poređenju sa
ekonomskim i premijum filetima. Sa druge strane, premijum fileti su imali manji
(P<0,05) sadržaj kolagena u poređenju sa ostalim tipovima proizvoda.
Od ukupnog broja ispitanih uzoraka, bledo, meko i vodnjikavo (BMV) meso je
utvrđeno kod 17,98% uzoraka, crveno, čvrsto i nevodnjikavo (CČN) meso kod 80,15%
fileta, dok je TČS meso zabeleženo u svega 1,87% slučajeva. Kod BMV mesa je utvrđena najniža finalna pH vrednost, izrazito slaba sposobnost vezivanja vode (najveći
kalo odmrzavanja i kuvanja) i najsvetlija boja (najveća L* vrednost) (P<0,05). Nasuprot tome, kod TČS mesa je utvrđena najviša finalna pH vrednost, abnormalno visoka sposobnost vezivanja vode (najmanji kalo kuvanja) i najtamnija boja (najmanja L*
i b* vrednost) (P<0,05). Kod pomenute mane u kvalitetu mesa, utvrđen je i najveći
(P<0,05) sadržaj vlage, a najmanji (P<0,05) procenat suve materije.
Na osnovu rezultata ovog istraživanja može se zaključiti da prisustvo miopаtija i BMV i TČS mesa ima negativan uticaj na tehnološke i hemijske pokazatelje
kvaliteta mesa brojlera. Pored toga, najlošiji kvalitet mesa utvrđen je kod komercijalnih fileta
REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF SIMMENTAL COWS IN SERBIA IN RELATION TO PROVENIENCE AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
No full textThe enhancement of Simmental cattle productivity in Serbia has predominantly relied on
pure breeding. Effective selection remains essential for substantial progress in improving the genetic foundation and increasing the overall efficiency of livestock production. In an effort to accelerate genetic improvement and expand herd size, Serbian farmers are increasingly importing Simmental cattle from countries with highly developed breeding programs-particularly Austria and Germany-where average milk yields reach 6,500–7,000 kg with over 4% milk fat. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of animal provenience on four key reproductive indicators: calf birth weight, age at first calving, calving interval, and service period length, comparing domestic versus imported Simmental populations. A total of 954 cows were observed, encompassing 3,641 completed lactations. Animals were raised either by individual farmers (tied housing system) or on commercial farms (loose/free housing system). Based on provenience and housing method, cows were categorized into four groups: group 1: domestic provenience, smallholder tied housing; group 2: imported provenience, smallholder tied housing; group 3: domestic provenience, commercial farm free housing; group 4: imported provenience, commercial farm free housing. The highest performance values across the studied traits were found in Group 4. All reproductive parameters varied highly significantly (p ≤ 0.001) depending on the combined effects of housing system and animal provenience, except for age at first calving, which showed no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05)
Impact of Incubation Conditions and Addition of Red Beet and Leek Powders as Natural Nitrate Sources on the Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Cooked Sausages
No full textNitrite remains a central component in industrial cured meat processing for its role in providing colour stability, oxidative protection, and microbial safety. However, synthetic nitrite is associated with the formation of nitrosamines, leading to increased health concerns and negative consumer perception of synthetic additives, thereby increasing demand for healthier meat products produced with natural nitrite sources. This study employed a two-stage design to assess microbial nitrate curing in cooked sausages and its extension to vegetable powders. In Stage 1, sodium nitrate (100 mg/kg) combined with Staphylococcus carnosus was incubated at 30 or 40 °C for 90 or 180 min. Incubation at 30 °C yielded residual nitrite concentrations of 18–29 mg/kg, corresponding to 35–40% of those in nitrite controls, and resulted in equivalent colour (CIE ΔE* < 2) and oxidative stability (0.07–0.09 mg MDA/kg versus 0.08 mg MDA/kg in the control). In Stage 2, application of red beet (2%) and leek (1%) powders supplying 100 mg/kg NO3− produced adequate curing but induced substantial compositional and sensory deviations, including higher redness (CIE a* ≈ 23 versus 15), fourfold higher lipid oxidation (0.35–0.42 mg MDA/kg), and intensified vegetable aroma and sweetness. These findings demonstrate that microbial nitrate reduction at 30 °C effectively reproduces the technological performance of direct nitrite addition, whereas vegetable-based nitrate curing introduces significant colour, oxidative, and sensory differentiation, highlighting both potential and limitations of microbial nitrate curing
Molekularna karakterizacija vrste Fusarium graminearum i Fusarium boothii poreklom sa zrna pšenice u Srbiji
No full textRezultati dosadašnjih istraživanja na molekularnom nivou su pokazala da je vrsta
F. graminearum veoma heterogena. Dugo se smatralo da je u pitanju jedna vrsta koja je
rasprostranjena na svim kontinentima. Primenom filogenetske analize otkriveno je da u
okviru vrste F. graminearum ima najmanje 15 filogenetskih različitih vrsta. Utvrđeno je
da se nove vrste razlikuju na osnovu geografske rasprostranjenosti, sposobnosti
produkcije trihotecena, kao i na osnovu različite patogenosti. U svetu se vrsta F. boothii
uglavnom javlja na kukuruzu, dok je na pšenici identifikovana jako retko. Cilj ovog rada
bio je da se uradi molekularna karakterizacija vrsta u okviru kompleksa F. graminearum
poreklom sa zrna pšenice u Srbiji.
Za ova istraživanja korišćeno je 40 izolata F. graminearum sensu lato poreklom sa zrna
pšenice prikupljenih sa 15 lokaliteta na teritoriji Srbije. Molekularna identifikacija vrsta
uradjena je primenom PCR reakcije umnožavanjem tri genomska regiona (TEF 1-α,
histon H3 i β-tubulin). Nakon umnožavanja specifičnih fragmenata, izolati su poslati na
uslužno sekvenciranje. Na osnovu dobijenih sekvenci rekonstruisano je filogenetsko
stablo korišćenjem MEGA 6.0 softvera. Pored molekularne identifikacije vrsta, uradjena
je i detekcija gena za produkciju trihotecena. Korišćena je multipleks PCR reakcija
pomoću dva seta specifičnih prajmera TRI3 i TRI12.
Na osnovu multilokusnih DNK sekvenci tri nezavisna gena potvrđeno je da je samo
jedan izolat MRIZP4135 (MF974410, MG063794, MF999150) identifikovan kao F.
boothii, dok su svi ostali izolati identifikovani kao F. graminearum sensu stricto. U ovom
istraživanju utvrđeno je da je histon H3 gen bio najinformativniji, dok ostala dva
korišćena gena nisu bila dovoljno informativna da izdvoje vrstu F. boothii. Za buduća
istraživanja trebalo bi uključiti više specifičnih gena za identifikaciju vrsta Fg kompleksa
jer se radi o filogenetski srodnim vrstama
From waste to worth: almond cake flour as a functional ingredient in goat milk yogurt
No full textThis study investigated the possibility of using defatted almond cake flour (AF), a by-product in the cold pressed almond
oil extraction, as a natural ingredient in goat milk yogurt, to improve its texture, stability, sensory properties and nutritive profile. Three yogurts were produced: control (C), and samples with 1% (AFY1) and 2% (AFY2) AF, which were
stored for 21 days. Composition, acidity, fatty acids, minerals, rheology, texture, syneresis, protein profile, microstructure
and sensory acceptability were analyzed. AFY2 yogurt had the highest pH and lowest titratable acidity after 21 days.
AF reduced saturated fatty acid (SFA) content while increasing monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid
(PUFA) levels, particularly the percentages of oleic acid (29.24±0.06% of total fatty acids in AFY1 and 34.26±0.14%
in AFY2, compared to 22.82±0.41% in C) and linoleic acid (5.41±0.06% in AFY1 and 7.66±0.22% in AFY2, compared to 2.59±0.12% in C). The enriched yogurts also showed significantly higher mineral contents: Mg increased by
approximately 20% in AFY1 and 44% in AFY2, P increased by ~15% in AFY1 and ~19% in AFY2, while the most
notable change was in Fe levels, which increased by ~77% in AFY1 and 165% in AFY2. AF increased hysteresis area
and apparent viscosity at shear rates of 0–200 s
−1, improved all textural properties, while 2% AF decreased syneresis.
Consumers rated fortified yogurts highest in overall likability, texture and flavor. The results indicate that AF improves
the stability, texture and nutritional value of yogurts while enhancing their sensory acceptability and can be successfully
used as a nutritious functional ingredient
Effect of udder health status on daily milk production parameters considering animal-related factors in Holstein cattle
No full textThis study analysed the effect of udder health status on daily milk production parameters in Holstein cattle, considering lactation stage, parity, and production level. A total of 2,509,222 test-day records were analyzed, with somatic cell count (SCC) used as a key indicator for detecting mastitis. Cows were classified into three health categories based on SCC thresholds: healthy (400,000 cells/ml). The results showed a significant reduction in daily milk yield in cows affected by mastitis, with the most pronounced declines observed in clinical cases. Additionally, milk composition parameters were influenced by udder health status, with fat and protein content increasing, while lactose concentration decreased in mastitic cows. Across all production levels and parity classes, mastitic cows exhibited lower milk urea concentrations, suggesting potential metabolic alterations. Obtained results highlight the detrimental impact of mastitis on milk production efficiency and composition, reinforcing the need for effective disease prevention and management strategies. Precision monitoring and early mastitis detection remain crucial for optimizing milk quality, improving dairy farm sustainability, and ensuring animal welfare
Fatty Tissue of Mangalitsa in the Function of Human Health
No full textThe study included 24 fatteners of Swallow-Belly Mangalitsa reared in different rearing and feeding/nutrition conditions. In the samples of the two groups (G1 and G2) of pigs, subcutaneous backfat tissue (SFT) was examined for the chemical composition and fatty acid concentrations. The obtained results of the analyses of solid fatty tissue show that the average share of protein and fat in samples of solid fatty tissue was 1.62 ± 0.36% and 87.57 ± 6.50% for G1 and 1.31 ± 0.10% and 91.07 ± 1.43% for G2. The determined difference in the share of protein and fat was highly statistically significant (P 0.05). In the research, it was determined that the animals from the G2 group had a higher share of n-3 fatty acids (2.48%) compared to the animals from the G1 group (1.87%) and that the determined n-6/n-3 ratio was better in the G2 group compared to the G1 group (4.97:7.83). The best omega-6: omega-3 ratio should be 2:1. Humans get too much omega-6 in the diet and it's usually 5:1 to 10:1 in the human diet. Studies show that lowering the ratio of omega-6 (from vegetable oils) to omega-3 (from fatty fish, meat, fats and some vegetable oils) fatty acids is important for the reduction of the risk of developing malignant and cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory conditions and some forms of depression
Assessing aflatoxin B1 contamination levels of different maize samples
No full textMaize (Zea mays L.) belongs to the grass family (Poaceae) and is a staple food for human
and animal nutrition. It is rich in carbohydrates, containing over 70% starch, as well as proteins, fibres, minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. Under favorable conditions, high relative humidity and temperature, maize grains are often infected with various fungal species of the Aspergillus genus. Infected grains may be symptomless or covered with fungal mycelium, which can cause symptoms of grain rot. Aspergillus species synthesize various toxic secondary metabolites – aflatoxins, of which aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is highly toxic and carcinogenic, posing a risk to human and animal health. In addition, aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a metabolite of AFB1 and can be detected in the milk of ruminants. AFM1 content increases with increasing AFB1 intake. This research aimed to evaluate the level of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in 54 maize grain samples intended for animal feeding (32 samples) taken from the warehouse of the Institute for Animal Husbandry in the period 2015-2018, and in 22 maize silage samples from silo trenches of the Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade-Zemun (Serbia) in 2015. The occurrence of AFB1 was detected in 95.45% of the maize grain samples and 75% of the maize silage samples. The average AFB1 level in maize grain samples was 2.68 μg kg–1 (ranging from 1.13 to 4.42 μg kg–1), while in maize silage samples, it was 2.07 μg kg–1 (ranging from 1.10 to 3.36 μg kg–1). According to the European Commission Directive (2003/100/EC), the maximum limit for AFB1 is 20 μg kg–1 for all feed materials, except for complete feedingstuffs for dairy animals (5 μg kg–1) and young animals (10 μg kg–1). None of the tested maize samples for animal feed exceeded the maximum AFB1 level. Based on the results obtained, the maize samples tested were safe for feeding the farm animals of all categories. However, regular monitoring of aflatoxin contamination in maize grain samples is a prerequisite to ensuring feed safety and sustainable livestock production