In vitro evaluation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall fermentability using a dog model.

Six Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall samples were tested by the in vitro gas production technique using dog faeces as inoculum. In particular, the substrates resulted from three different production processes (alcoholic_A, bakers_BA and brewers_BR) and were characterized by two different carbohydrates (mannans + glucans) concentrations nitrogen-free extract (NFE high and low). Gas production of fermenting cultures was recorded for 72 hr to estimate the fermentation profiles. The organic matter degradability (OMD), fermentation liquor pH, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and ammonia (NH3 ) productions were also measured. All substrates presented a high percentage of OMD (>92%) and moderate fermentability in terms of cumulative volume of gas related to incubated OM (OMCV >50 ml/g) and short-chain fatty acids production (>25 mmol/g), proving their functional properties. Comparing the substrates, it seems evident that the production process affects the chemical composition of the yeast cell wall in terms of crude protein, ether extract and ash content. Consequently, the in vitro fermentation process was significantly different among substrates for volume of gas, SCFA and ammonia production. Regarding the fermentation rate profiles, the production process influenced mainly the curve shape, whereas the NFE concentration affected the quantity of gas produced per hour. In particular, both S. cerevisiae_BR showed very high percentage of OM degradability, gas and SCFA productions and a fast fermentation process due to their high content of fermentable carbohydrates. On the contrary, both S. cerevisiae_BA yeast cell walls appeared to be less degradable and fermentable, probably due to their high content of ether extract. Regarding both S. cerevisiae_A, the high protein content of these substrates could explain the contrasting in vitro results (high degradability with low gas and SCFA production).

Comparison of nutritional and antinutritional traits among different species (Lupinus albus L., Lupinus luteus L., Lupinus angustifolius L.) and varieties of lupin seeds.

In order to promote the use of lupin in pig nutrition, in this research the nutritional characteristics (i.e. dietary fibre, alkaloid and fatty acid profile) and the in vitro gas production of 12 lupin varieties grown in the Mediterranean basin and belonging to three lupin species (Lupinus albus, Lupinus angustifolius and Lupinus luteus) were assessed. Four varieties of L. albus (Asfer, Lublanc, Lutteur and Multitalia) were grown in South Campania. Three varieties of L. luteus (Dukat, Mister and Taper), three of L. angustifolius (Jindalee, Sonet and Wonga) and two of L. albus (Rosetta and Luxor) were grown in Eastern Sicily. Lupinus albus varieties showed interesting nutritional and dietetic characteristics (i.e. high protein and low fibre content); the lipid fraction, rather elevated, is well represented by monounsaturated fatty acids (544 g/kg), whereas saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are less represented (167 g/kg) and the n-3/n-6 ratio (0.510) is the most favourable. Lupinus luteus varieties presented the most remarkable dietetic aspects, in terms of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content (569 g/kg), n-6 PUFA series (490 g/kg), UFA/SFA (5.24) and PUFA/SFA (3.56) ratios and atherogenic (0.059) and thrombogenic (0.100) indices and very low alkaloid content (1.07 mg per 100 g). Lupinus angustifolius varieties showed the least interesting nutritional and dietetic characteristics: low protein and fat content, high fibre level, high SFA amount (248 g/kg) and the lowest favourable nutritional indices (IA: 0.164 and IT: 0.334). Regarding the fermentation process, in L. albus, the tendency to increase the rate of gas production during the early stages of fermentation suggests that the high presence of alkaloids did not affect the in vitro degradability, production of short-chain fatty acids and fermentation process, probably due to their concentration and/or water solubility. Lupinus angustifolius and L. luteus showed intermediate and slightly worse in vitro fermentation patterns respectively. From a nutritional and dietetic point of view, lupin may represent an interesting alternative to soya bean in pig feeding.

Drug survival of biologic therapy in a large, disease-based registry of patients with psoriasis: results from the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry (PSOLAR).

BACKGROUND: Drug survival is a marker for treatment sustainability in chronic diseases such as psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of these analyses was to assess survival of biologic treatments in the PSOriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry (PSOLAR). METHODS: PSOLAR is a large, prospective, international, disease-based registry of patients with psoriasis receiving (or eligible for) systemic therapy in a real-world setting. Drug survival is defined as the time from initiation to discontinuation (stop/switch) of biologic therapy on registry. The number of patients who discontinued each treatment and the duration of therapy were recorded. Using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox-regression analyses [hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)], time to discontinuation was compared across cohorts undergoing first-, second- or third-line treatment with ustekinumab, infliximab, adalimumab or etanercept. RESULTS: As of the 2013 data cut, 12 095 patients with psoriasis were enrolled in PSOLAR. Of the 4000 patients initiating any new biologic therapy, approximately 3500 started a first-line, second-line or third-line biologic therapy during the registry. Lack of effectiveness was the most common reason for discontinuation across biologic therapies. Based on the multivariate analysis, significantly shorter times to discontinuation were observed for infliximab [HR (95%CI) = 2.73 (1.48-5.04), P = 0.0014]; adalimumab [4.16 (2.80-6.20), P < 0.0001]; and etanercept [4.91 (3.28-7.35) P < 0.0001] compared with ustekinumab [reference treatment]) for first-line biologic use; results were similar for treatment effects for second/third-line therapies. Although limited in power, analyses in patients with concurrent psoriatic arthritis confirmed by a rheumatologist reflect observations in the overall psoriasis population. CONCLUSION: Drug survival was superior for ustekinumab compared with infliximab, adalimumab and etanercept in patients with psoriasis.

Regulation of Stearoyl Coenzyme A Desaturase 1 Gene Promoter in Bovine Mammary Cells.

Stearoyl-Coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) belongs to the fatty acid family of desaturases. In lactating ruminants, the SCD1 protein is highly expressed in the mammary gland and is relevant for the fatty acid composition of milk and dairy products. Bovine mammary epithelial cells (BME-UV1), cultured in vitro, have been proposed as a model to reproduce the biology of the mammary gland. The present study was designed to investigate the responsiveness of bovine SCD1 promoter to serum, insulin, oleic acid, and NFY transcription factor in BME-UV1 cells. A luciferase-based reporter assay was used to monitor the transcriptional activity of the SCD1 promoter region in BME-UV1 cells treated or not with insulin and/or oleic acid. The level of endogenous SCD1 mRNA was evaluated by Real time PCR. Insulin (20 ng/mL) induced a 2.0 to 2.5-fold increase of SCD1 promoter activity. Additionally, the effect of insulin was inhibited by oleic acid, serum components, and NFY enforced expression. Serum and NFY showed no synergistic or additive effect on SCD1 promoter activity suggesting that they repress SCD1 transcription through the same responsive element.

20 × 960-Gb/s Space-division-multiplexed 32QAM transmission over 60 km few-mode fiber.

We show transmission of 20 wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) × 960-Gb/s space-division-multiplexed 32QAM modulated channels (spectral efficiency (SE) of 15 bits/s/Hz) over 60 km of few-mode fiber (FMF) with inline few-mode EDFA (FM-EDFA). Soft-decision FEC was implemented and used to achieve error-free transmission.

Demography, baseline disease characteristics and treatment history of patients with psoriasis enrolled in a multicentre, prospective, disease-based registry (PSOLAR).

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is associated with several comorbidities and behavioural risk factors. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate demographic and disease characteristics in patients enrolled in the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry (PSOLAR). METHODS: PSOLAR is a global, prospective, longitudinal, disease-based registry that includes a postmarketing commitment to evaluate safety in patients with psoriasis. Enrolled patients had to be receiving, or be eligible to receive, conventional systemic or biological agents. Demographic/disease characteristics, medical histories, lifestyle risk factors and previous treatments are collected at enrolment. Efficacy and safety data are collected every 6 months for 8 years, and data are extracted annually. Selected parameters are evaluated by age quartile using post hoc analyses. RESULTS: As of 23 August 2012, 11 900 patients were enrolled at 301 sites in North America, Europe and Latin America. Over half of the PSOLAR population (54·7%) is male, with a mean age of 48·6 years and mean body mass index of 30·9 kg m(-2) at enrolment. Mean duration of disease at enrolment was 17·5 years, and mean Physician's Global Assessment score was 2·0. Psoriatic arthritis (35·5%) and cardiovascular diseases (38·2%) were highly prevalent. Diabetes mellitus type II was reported in 11·4% of patients. Depression and anxiety were noted in 14·7% and 11·1% of patients, respectively; 79·0% reported any alcohol use and 56·7% reported smoking or a history of smoking. The occurrence of most comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and risk factors, increased with age. CONCLUSIONS: In the PSOLAR population, multiple and age-appropriate comorbidities are associated with psoriasis and may affect the selection of psoriasis treatments.

Fermentation kinetics of sainfoin hay with and without PEG.

The in vitro gas production technique was applied to evaluate the biological activity of tannins in sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) hay cut at four progressive phenological stages. The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) rumen fluid was used as inoculum, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was added as specific binding agent and an alfalfa hay (AH) was used as control. All samples were analysed for chemical composition and condensed tannin (CTs). According to the phenological stage of sainfoin, crude protein gradually decreased [from 219 to 122 g/kg dry matter (DM)] and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) increased (from 391 to 514 g/kg DM). Condensed tannins showed the highest value at the first phenological stage [31.5 mg catechin equivalents (CE)/g DM], and their level significantly decreased at the subsequent growth stages. Gas production and fermentation rate were significantly affected by substrate type and PEG addition. The first stage of sainfoin showed the lowest value of gas and volatile fatty acids production and the slowest fermentation kinetics compared with the other samples, when incubated without PEG, because of the CTs effect. The incubation with PEG improved the fermentation process of the first stage of sainfoin, but no effect was registered on AH, where CTs were not detected. Among the sainfoin samples, the slowest kinetics with PEG was observed in the hay harvested at the fourth stage, probably due to its chemical composition. The use of PEG allowed to verify the effect of tannins on the in vitro fermentation characteristics of sainfoin hay.

In vitro fermentation characteristics of different carbohydrate sources in two dog breeds (German shepherd and Neapolitan mastiff).

Few studies have been published on the normal intestinal biota of canines unlike the wealth of information regarding livestock animal species. The in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT) including measurements of accumulating gas during fermentation and end-product determinations allows obtaining a complete picture of microbial activity kinetics. The aim of this study was to study the in vitro fermentation characteristics of different carbohydrate sources using inocula from two dog breeds (German Shepherd and Neapolitan mastiff). Faeces sampled from rectum of two GS and NM adult dogs, fed the same dry food, were used as inocula. The samples, diluted and filtered, were incubated at 39 degrees C under anaerobic condition with nine substrates different for carbohydrate composition (rice, corn, potato, spelt, pure cellulose, beet pulp, wheat bran, inulin and fructo-oligosaccharide). Gas production was recorded 17 times using a manual pressure transducer. After 48 h, the fermentation was stopped and fermenting liquor was analysed for pH and volatile fatty acids (VFA). Organic matter digestibility (OMD) was calculated as difference after burning the residuals. OMD, gas production and end-products were significantly correlated with chemical composition of substrates, in particular carbohydrate fractions (total dietary fibre and starch), confirming the effectiveness of the IVGPT in evaluating dog feeds. Concerning the comparison between breeds significant differences (p < 0.01) were found for OMD, gas production, fermentation kinetic parameters and end-products, suggesting a different pathway of fermentation and consequently, a different anaerobic population.

Prediction of rabbit caecal fermentation characteristics from faeces by in vitro gas production technique: roughages.

To find equations able to estimate the fermentation characteristics of the caecum from that of faeces, caecal content and faeces of 10 hybrid Hyla rabbits were used as inocula for an in vitro gas production trial. About 1 g of 12 roughages, 11 hays (ryegrass, alfalfa, sulla, oat, vetch, sulla-lolium, vetch-oat, sulla-oat, clover, ryegrass-clover, sulla-vetch-oat) and a wheat straw, was weighed, in triplicate per inoculum, in 120-ml flasks; 75 ml of anaerobic medium and 4 ml of reducing solution were added and the flasks were placed at 39 degrees C. Caecal content and faeces were diluted respectively 1:2 (CI) and 1:8 (FI) with anaerobic medium and were introduced into their respective flasks (10 ml). Gas production was recorded 20 times at 2-24 h intervals throughout fermentation (120 h). The fermentation characteristics (i.e. degraded organic matter, OMd; potential gas production, A; maximum fermentation rate, R(max); volatile fatty acid, VFA; ammonia, NH(3)) were studied by inocula and substrates. The two inocula did not differ in OMd but CI produced significantly higher gas (A, 213.1 vs. 199.4 ml/g, respectively, for CI and FI, p < 0.01) in less time (R(max), 3.08 vs. 2.24 ml/h, respectively, for CI and FI, p < 0.01). CI also produced higher levels of total VFA (57.86 vs. 46.70 mmol/g OM, respectively, for CI and FI, p < 0.01) and showed a higher branched chain proportion (0.023 vs. 0.018, respectively, for CI and FI, p < 0.01). For some parameters (as OMd pH and propionate) the equations for the estimation of caecal fermentation characteristics from that of faeces were accurate (R(2) > 0.8828) and reliable (CV < 10.78%) suggesting that faeces can be successfully used for the estimation of these parameters.

Rumen fermentation and degradability in buffalo and cattle using the in vitro gas production technique.

An in vitro trial was conducted to investigate the effect of different inoculum sources (buffalo vs. cattle) on rumen fermentation and degradability. Incubations were carried out using rumen fluid obtained from buffalo or cattle fed the same diet [60% grass hay and 40% concentrate; 18 kg dry matter (DM)/day]. The fermentation kinetics of eight feeds commonly used in ruminant nutrition (alfalfa hay, barley meal, beet pulp, corn meal and silage, ryegrass hay and silage and soya bean meal s.e.) were studied with the in vitro gas production technique and rumen fermentation parameters (substrate disappearance, pH and volatile fatty acids production) were determined after 120 h of incubation. The linear relationship indicates that the microbial metabolic pathways of the two inocula for all the substrates were qualitatively similar, albeit often quantitatively different. In this in vitro study, a significant influence of rumen inoculum (buffalo vs. cow) on fermentation and degradability of the examined substrates was found. The differences in buffalo and cattle rumen fermentation can be explained with a different microbial activity of the two ruminant species, because of different amount of microbial population or microbial population constituted by different species of bacteria and protozoa.

Influence of pasture on fatty acid profile of goat milk.

The effect of pasture on the fatty acid profile of milk was evaluated using 30 pluriparous goats, which were divided into two homogeneous groups (H and P) of 15 goats each after kidding. Group H (control) goats were housed in a stall and received alfalfa hay, while group P was led to pasture. The goats of both the groups received the same concentrate. Average milk yield did not differ statistically between the groups. The goats of the P group had significantly higher fat content in milk than those of group H (53.7 vs. 61.5 g/day, p < 0.01), while lactose content was significantly higher for group H (66.2 and 61.4 g/day, for groups H and P, respectively, p < 0.05). Among milk fatty acids, pasture significantly affected the percentages of C18:1 cis9, C18:1 trans11, octadecadienoic acid, mono-unsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid. Pasture highly influenced the c9 t11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (0.778 and 0.513 g/100 g of fat, for group P and H, respectively, p < 0.01), t10 c12 CLA (0.046 vs. 0.029 g/100 g of fat: p < 0.01, for group P and H, respectively, p < 0.01) and SigmaCLA (0.84 vs. 0.56 g/100 g of fat for group P and H, respectively, p < 0.01) concentrations of milk.

Nutritional management of search and rescue dogs.

Dogs used for search and rescue (SAR) may experience continuous micro-traumas that predispose them to skeletal disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of diet on osteo-articular apparatus in healthy SAR dogs. A total of sixteen SAR dogs were divided into two groups (low supplementation (LS) and high supplementation (HS)) and were fed for 3 months with two experimental diets, characterised by the same protein and energy density, but different in n-3 PUFA (6·2 v. 8·4 % of metabolisable energy), chondroitin sulfate (219·8 v. 989·0 mg/kg DM) and glucosamine (769·2 v. 1318·7 mg/kg DM) in the LS and HS groups, respectively. At recruitment all dogs showed no joint inflammation signs, except four that showed mild symptoms. Haematology and serum biochemistry were performed every 30 d. Joint status was scored by physical and lameness evaluations. The sampling effect analysis showed potential beneficial effects by a decrease in a specific marker of membrane integrity (creatine kinase; CK). Comparing groups, glucose was significantly higher and CK was significantly lower in the HS group; however, in both cases the levels of these parameters fell in the normal range. At the end of the experiment, erythrocytes, Hb and packed cell volume were significantly higher in the HS compared with the LS group. These could result in an improvement in dogs' performance, even if this aspect was not investigated in the present study. Concerning joint evaluation (pain on manipulation, lameness and range of motion), no statistically significant differences were detected between the groups and within the experimental period.

Combination therapy with interleukin-2 and alpha-interferon for the treatment of patients with advanced cancer.

We performed an escalating dose study of the combined administration of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) in 94 patients with metastatic cancer. Patients received alpha-IFN at a dose of 3 x 10(6) U/m2 in conjunction with IL-2 at doses of either 1 x 10(6) U/m2 (six patients), 3 x 10(6) U/m2 (32 patients), or 4.5 x 10(6) U/m2 (26 patients). Thirty patients received alpha-IFN at 6 x 10(6) U/m2 plus IL-2 at 4.5 x 10(6) U/m2. Patients each received cytokine as an intravenous bolus infusion every 8 hours for up to 5 consecutive days and after a 10-day rest received a second cycle of combination cytokines. Of the 91 patients evaluable for response, seven patients had a complete regression of cancer, and 18 had a partial regression. At the four increasing dose levels used in patients with renal cell cancer (35 patients) or melanoma (39 patients), objective responses were seen in 17% (of six patients), 24% (of 25 patients), 38% (of 16 patients), and 41% (of 27 patients), respectively. Of the 25 total responding patients, 16 are still responding 5 to 14 months after treatment. The toxicities associated with the combined administration of IL-2 and alpha-IFN were similar to those expected from each agent alone. There was one treatment-related death in the 94 patients treated in this study. Thus, using increasing doses of the combination of IL-2 and alpha-IFN, it appears that response rates may be related to the doses of the cytokines used, and that at the highest doses of these combination cytokines, response rates may be higher than those for either cytokine alone. A prospective randomized trial comparing the cytokine combinations with each cytokine administered alone is necessary as is the extension of this combination cytokine treatment to patients with other types of solid cancer.

Morbidity of completion thyroidectomy for initially misdiagnosed thyroid carcinoma.

We reviewed 757 cases of thyroid carcinoma treated between 1963 and 1986 to investigate the morbidity associated with completion thyroidectomy when a nodule initially reported to be benign by frozen section is subsequently found to be malignant; 66 patients underwent completion thyroidectomy as a second procedure for initially misdiagnosed thyroid carcinoma. Fifty-one patients had papillary carcinoma, 12 follicular carcinoma, and 3 Hürthle cell carcinoma. Final pathology revealed 28 cases of multicentricity of which 19 were bilateral. Complications included transient hypocalcemia (12.1%), recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (1.5%), and wound hematomas or infections (9.1%). No cases of permanent hypoparathyroidism or vocal cord paralysis were encountered. Reoperation for initially misdiagnosed thyroid carcinoma appears to be warranted in light of the low morbidity and high incidence of bilateral and multicentric disease reported in this series.

DRGs, costs, and outcome for plastic surgical patients.

The purpose of this study was to analyze hospital cost, resource utilization, and outcome by age for a large group of hospitalized plastic surgical patients using the DRG format. Hospital cost per patient for all plastic surgical admissions (both inpatient and potentially ambulatory patients) treated (N = 1632) at an academic medical center increased with age and peaked for plastic surgical patients 75 to 80 years of age ($11,585 per patient). Although DRG payment would have produced an aggregate profit of $2,404,854, older plastic surgical patients (65 years of age and above) generally produced losses. Older plastic surgical patients demonstrated a longer hospital length of stay, a greater severity of illness, a higher percent of outliers, and a greater mortality than younger plastic surgical patients. In addition, older plastic surgical patients had higher clinical resource utilization based on a number of clinical parameters such as emergency admission, SICU utilization, need for blood transfusions, and need for plasma product infusions. This study suggests that the current DRG reimbursement methodology may be inequitable vis-à-vis the older plastic surgical patient. As additional pressures encourage the performance of more ambulatory procedures (previously performed as inpatients), our profit margins may decline and possibly affect our ability to provide quality plastic surgical care.

The Italian AIPO study on tuberculosis treatment results, report 1996. National AIPO "Tuberculosis" Study Group. Associazione Italiana Pneumologi Ospedalieri.

In Italy, no national data on tuberculosis (TB) treatment results were available. In 1995, the AIPO (Italian Association of Hospital Pneumologists) TB Study Group, in collaboration with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (technical branch of the Ministry of Health), started a prospective monitoring activity based on World Health Organization (WHO) and International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) recommendations. Data were collected from a nationwide network of 41 TB units, managing a significant proportion of all the TB cases notified in Italy each year. The aim of this study was to analyse the case findings and treatment results for the year 1996. Eight hundred and thirty eight TB cases were reported (56% males; 26% immigrants), 708 (84%) being new cases. Of these cases, 565 (67%) were pulmonary, 235 (28%) extrapulmonary and 38 (5%) both pulmonary and extrapulmonary. The main risk factors for TB were a history of recent contact and diabetes among native Italians and recent contact and human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive status among immigrants. The majority of immigrants were from Africa and Asia, and had been in Italy > 24 months before diagnosis of TB. Thirty-six per cent of patients had a positive direct sputum smear examination for alcohol acid-fast bacilli; 37% were resistant to any drug (monoresistance to isoniazid 4.4%; multidrug resistance 10.4%). In 96% of cases, the duration of treatment was < 12 months. The overall success rate (cured plus treatment completed) was 84.1%. A significantly higher percentage of deaths was found in native Italians (being age-related), whereas immigrants had a higher default rate.

[The evaluation of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in silicosis and silicotuberculosis]. / Valutazione dell'angiotensin converting enzyme sierico nella silicosi e silicotubercolosi polmonare.

In order to verify the value of the determination of serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACEs) in the assessment of silicosis and silicotuberculosis, we studied 105 subjects: 61 suffering from silicosis, 12 from silicotuberculosis, 19 from tuberculosis and 13 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The patients with silicosis and silicotuberculosis were classified into two categories on the basis of the radiological pattern of pneumoconiosis according to the ILO 1980 CLASSIFICATION: mild silicosis (from 1/1 to 2/1) and severe silicosis (from 2/2 to 3+ and/or conglomerate masses). ACEs values were higher in the subjects suffering from silicotuberculosis and silicosis; in the latter, however, we did not find any significant relation between ACEs values and the radiological pattern. The lowest values of ACEs were found in the COPD group. Our data showed a statistically significant difference between silicotic or silicotuberculotic patients and the COPD group (p less than 0.05). It can be supposed that COPD, which was also found in all subjects suffering from silicosis or silicotuberculosis, might have caused an underestimation of the observed ACEs values which, however, were higher than normal. This increase might have been caused by a numerical or functional enhancement of the macrophages, which produce ACE and play an important role in the pathogenesis of such diseases.

Meat quality of buffalo young bulls fed faba bean as protein source.

Sixteen Italian Mediterranean Buffalo young bulls were divided into two groups fed isoprotein and isoenergy diets and only differing for protein source of concentrate: faba bean (FB) vs soybean (SB). Animals were slaughtered at 350 kg BW. Meat from FB group showed significantly lower fat, protein, cholesterol and saturated fatty acids than SB group. Significant differences were also found between the three muscles analysed [Longissimus thoracis (LT), Semitendinosus (ST) and Iliopsoas plus Psoas minor (IP)]. ST showed the most favourable fatty acids profile: lower SFA, higher PUFA, MUFA, ω-3, ω-6, CLA and, consequently, lower values for both atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes. Results showed that faba bean can be used as a protein source alternative to soybean in the diet of young buffalo bulls for the production of high quality meat.