Influence of a Commercial Synbiotic Administered In Ovo and In-Water on Broiler Chicken Performance and Meat Quality.

The present study aimed to test the synbiotic PoultryStar® solUS delivered in ovo to evaluate its effect on hatchability, productive performance and meat quality, compared to its post-hatch administration in water. On the twelfth day of embryonic incubation, 1200 fertile eggs were divided into synbiotic groups injected with 2 mg/embryo (T1) and 3 mg/embryo (T2), a saline group injected with physiological saline and an uninjected control group (C). After hatching, 120 male chicks/group were reared and chicks from the saline group were supplemented with the synbiotic via drinking water (T3). Hatchability was low in both T1 and T2 groups. Growth performance was not affected by the treatments. However, in the second rearing phase (15-36 days), birds from the C and T3 groups were heavier than T1 birds, due to a higher feed intake and daily weight gain. Neither route of synbiotic administration influenced final body weight (at 56 days), weight and yield of the carcass or commercial cuts. Physico-chemical properties, total lipid, cholesterol and fatty acid composition of breast muscle were not affected by the treatments. Considering its exploratory nature, this study has raised many questions that need further investigation, such as the bioactive combination and the effect on embryonic development.

Carcass and Meat Quality Traits of Medium-Growing Broiler Chickens Fed Soybean or Pea Bean and Raised under Semi-Intensive Conditions.

A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the total replacement of flaked soybean (Glycine max L., SOY) with raw pea (Pisum sativum L., PEA) on the carcass and meat quality traits of two medium-growing broiler strains (Kabir Rosso Plus, KB; New Red, NR). Birds were housed in 20 pens (five replications/groups, six birds each). At 83 days of age, 40 birds (2/replication) were slaughtered and the pectoral muscle (PM) was removed for analyses. Diet did not affect slaughter weight, carcass traits and meat quality. A pea diet determined a significant increase of MUFA and a decrease of PUFA, n-3 and n-6 PUFA; hence, the pea-fed group had a lower PUFA/SFA and a higher n-6/n-3 ratios compared to the soy-fed. NR chickens were heavier, with higher carcass and cut weights (p < 0.01) compared to KB chickens. Interactions (p < 0.05) between factors were found for PM weight and yield. Meat from NR had a higher (p < 0.05) pH. Fatty acids were slightly affected by genotype. Replacing soybean with pea adversely affects meat fatty acid composition in terms of nutritional profile.

Brettanomyces Spoilage in Albanian Wines Assessed by Culture-Dependent and Culture-Independent Methods.

In the Albanian winemaking industry, there is little awareness of the potential detrimental effect of Brettanomyces in wines. The aim of this study was to detect and quantify Brettanomyces cells in 22 Albanian bottled wines, representing all the viticultural areas of Albania. A combined approach, including culture-dependent (viable plate counting) and culture-independent (qPCR) methods, was applied. Spoilage indicators (ethylphenols and total and volatile acidity), as well as the primary factors known to influence the growth of Brettanomyces in wine (pH, SO2 , and ethanol concentration), were also investigated. Brettanomyces was detected in only five (one Merlot, four Sheshi i Zi) out of 22 samples analyzed using viable counting, with loads ranging from 1.30 ± 0.03 log CFU/mL to 3.99 ± 0.00 log CFU/mL, whereas it was never detected in the Kallmet samples. When qPCR was applied, Brettanomyces cells were detected and quantified in all of the samples with a generally low load ranging from 0.47 ± 0.13 to 3.99 ± 0.01 log cells/mL. As a general trend, the loads of spoilage by this yeast were low (≤1.92 log cells/mL), with the exception of five samples that were also positive by plate counting. A positive correlation between the growth of this spoilage yeast on Dekkera/Brettanomyces differential media and its detection at high levels by qPCR was observed. A significant positive correlation between Brettanomyces and the concentration of ethylphenols and volatile acidity was also found. In summary, the results of this study demonstrated the low incidence of Brettanomyces spoilage yeasts in Albanian red wines. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The awareness of Brettanomyces spoilage in the Albanian winemaking industry is very low. This study represents the first contribution to understand the extent of this spoilage yeast in Albanian autochthonous cultivars, which tend to have high economic value, to ensure product quality and safety. qPCR is confirmed to be a very sensitive method to rapidly detect Brettanomyces spoilage in wine samples.