20 research outputs found
BOVINE LACTATION AND REPRODUCTION PHYSIOLOGY: A SURVEY ON SOME FUNDAMENTAL FEATURES IN AUTOCHTHONOUS DAIRY BREEDS REARED IN NORTHERN ITALY
No full textIn the last 40 years, the first goal pursued by dairy cattle community has been to increase individual production from a quantitative point of view, by high yielding dairy cows selection (BLAP). This mono-aptitude criterion has caused a decline in reproductive performances worldwide (eg increase in calving interval). The comparative physiological study of autochthonous cattle to value “Ancient Autochthonous Biodiversity” opens up interesting prospects for livestock to comply the FAO 2050 target, as these animals are guarantors of a good milk production, excellent and typical cheese making, peculiar characteristics of rusticity, frugality, longevity and resistance to multiple diseases. Therefore they appear to be good candidates for traditional food production. The study of autochthonous breeds lactation and reproduction physiology could be strategic to improve knowledge and develop a more rational dairy livestock in view of reduced availability of cereals and plant proteins for livestock in the next 40 years.
From a productive point of view the most variable component was analyzed. The importance of fat composition of milk in human and animal nutrition has in the last years come rapidly to the fore. Several nutritionist Associations recommend the intake of higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA and cis-MUFA) in milk despite of saturated fatty acid levels: increases in PUFA and cis-MUFA in milk fat can be reached by enhancing the activation of the enzyme Δ9-desaturase or by selecting subject with high desaturating ability. In this research, two endangered local bovine breeds of Northern Italy, Varzese and Cabannina, were considered for the PUFA and cis-MUFA content and compared with the PUFA and cis-MUFA levels in Friesian cows bred in the same conditions. The milk collections were performed from the 40th to the 180th day of lactation. Milk fat was analyzed by gas chromatography and desaturase indices for C14, C16 and C18 fatty acids were determined. Varzese and Cabannina milk fat contains significantly overall higher levels of some PUFA and cis-MUFA with respect to Friesian, and higher desaturase indices, mainly C16 desaturase and the total desaturase indices. The results rise the importance of the recovery and the reevaluation of local breeds, not only for the biodiversity per se, but also in order to bring out peculiar characteristics of niche milk.
From a reproductive point of view serum hydroxyproline (HYPRO) trend was considered for the uterine involution monitoring. Postpartum period is a physiological process between birth and complete uterine involution, essential to bring the female genital apparatus back to favorable conditions for optimal embryonic development and implantation, resumption of ovarian cyclicity and future reproductive efficiency; the latter is a parameter that unequivocally determines the career of a cow in the herd.
In this research, the same cows involved for milk analysis, were subjected to blood collection and hydroxyproline determination. Blood samples were performed the day of birth (day 0), 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. The two autochthonous breeds showed lower starting points and average concentrations than the Friesian cows. Only the Cabannina cows showed a peak in day 4 statistically higher than the value at day 0. All breeds showed at day 40 after birth a completely uterine involution and so it seems obvious that HYPRO patterns are characteristic of each breed. It remains to clarify the origin of HYPRO district that could not come solely from the uterine matrix, given the ubiquitous nature of collagen. These results can be considered as a starting point to try to clarify the mechanisms of uterine involution process, the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of the animals and any phenomena that would affect reproductive performance of cows
Milk biodiversity : future perspectives of milk and dairy products from autochthonous dairy cows reared in Northern Italy
No full textAcidi grassi monoinsaturi nel latte bovino : un’indagine su alcune razze locali in italia
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Milk biodiversity: future perspectives of milk and dairy products from autochthonous dairy cows reared in northern Italy.
No full textDimensional analysis of milk fat globules in sow milk : effects of the lactation stage and fat content and comparison with vaccine milk
No full textTo assess the differences in the granulometry of milk fat globules between swine and bovine species, milk samples from 30 lactating sows were analyzed for fat globule dimensions and compared with cow milk samples. Results showed differences between the fat globules: sow milk presents reduced globule diameters compared with cow milk (volume-weighted diameter 2.62 vs. 3.27 μm, p<0.001) and reduced interglobular distance. A positive relationship was observed between milk fat content and globule diameter, while a slight, insignificant inverse trend was detected between the day of lactation and fat globule diameter. These complex interactions between milk lipids, globule membrane proteins, and globule dimensions provide a better understanding of digestion/absorption phenomena in the design of milk replacers
Body measures and milk production, milk fat globules granulometry and milk fatty acid content in Cabannina cattle breed
No full textAim of the study was to achieve scientific information about body measures and milk production of Cabannina cattle, a local breed reared in northern Italy. Fourteen body measures and five morphologic indexes were recorded from 86 heads enrolled in the herd book. Low differences between males and females of the same age-class were shown. Body measures were generally greater than those reported in previous studies, probably due to recent crosses. With reference to milk production, 991 test-day records from 128 lactations of 59 cows were analysed. Average milk daily production was 8 kg/d in 1st lactation to 10.61 in 3rd (P<0.05); the parameters of the Wood equation draw atypical curves with the exception of curves from spring calving cows. Only 74.5% of lactations with an adjusted R2 >0.75 showed a standard curve, with low persistence (7.7%), high value of d at peak (103 d) and peak production of 20.18 kg of milk. Moreover, 100 milk samples (40 to 220 d of lactation) were submitted to a granulometric survey by laser scatter technique in order to evaluate the dimensions of fat globules; then milk fat was analyzed by gas chromatography, and desaturase indexes were determined. Cabannina cows showed small fat globules with high specific surface. Furthermore mean diameter of milk fat globules decreased during lactation then rose. Milk fat contained high levels of cis-MUFA, and high desaturase indexes. In conclusion, the low size of Cabannina cattle orients for a limited meat production. Instead milk production has a higher economic potential, aimed at cheese production and human nutrition
Caratteristiche dimensionali del globuli di grasso nel latte bovino : un’indagine su alcune razze locali in Italia
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