Hempseed By-Product in Diets of Italian Simmental Cull Dairy Cows and Its Effects on Animal Performance and Meat Quality.

Cull dairy cows are important contributors to total beef production in the USA and in Europe. Hempseed cake is a by-product of oil production and it is rich in unsaturated fatty acids (FA). This study aimed to investigate the effect of adding hempseed cake to the diet of Italian Simmental (IS) cull dairy cows on performances and meat quality. Twenty-six cull dairy cows were divided into three dietary groups: hay-based, corn silage-based and pasture-based diets. Within each group, the animals were equally divided into two treatments according to the protein source of the concentrate: hempseed cake (HEMP) or soybeans meal (SB). The trial lasted four months. HEMP showed similar in vivo performance and carcass characteristics, such as average daily gain (p > 0.05) and dressing percentage (p > 0.05), compared with SB. Meat characteristics, such as ether extract content and Warner−Bratzler shear force, were also similar between experimental groups (p > 0.05). Considering FA composition, HEMP showed similar saturated FA and polyunsaturated FA content (p > 0.05) but lower desirable fatty acids (p < 0.05) content and a tendentially lower hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (p < 0.10) than SFA. Hempseed cake can substitute soybean in the diet of cull dairy cows without effects on performance or meat quality.

Independent variation in copper tolerance and copper accumulation among crop species and varieties.

Copper (Cu) locally contaminates soils and might negatively affect growth and yield of crops. A better understanding of plant copper tolerance and accumulation is needed in order to breed more Cu-tolerant or Cu-efficient crops. Cu tolerance was evaluated in different varieties of seven species (Brassica carinata, B. juncea, B. napus, Cynara cardunculus, Helianthus annuus, Nicotiana tabacum and Raphanus sativus) exposed to a series of CuSO4 concentrations (0.1-8 µM CuSO4) in the nutrient solution. Plants were further exposed to 0.1 µM CuSO4 and to their variety-specific concentrations that reduced root growth to 50% of the maximum rate (EC50). Among all the varieties of all the species the EC50 varied from 0.7 up to 3.1 µM Cu. B. carinata was significantly more Cu-sensitive than the other species, which were not significantly different among each other, and B. carinata and H. annuus accommodated significant intra-specific, inter-varietal variation. There were significant differences between species in Cu uptake efficiency and nutrient status. When under EC50 exposure, all the Brassicaceae, except B. carinata, maintained low Cu concentrations in shoots, whereas the other species and B. carinata exhibited significantly increased shoot Cu concentrations, compared to the control. There was no apparent relationship between Cu tolerance and Cu accumulation in roots and shoots, suggesting that the observed variation in tolerance, both between and within species, is not explained by differential exclusion capacity. Discriminant analysis and treatment comparisons suggest possible contribution of lignin, saturated fatty acids, manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) in tolerance to high Cu concentrations in shoot.

Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Dairy Farms Rearing the Italian Simmental Dual-Purpose Breed.

This study aimed to assess the environmental footprint of dairy farms rearing a dual-purpose breed, and to evaluate, through alternative scenario analyses, the fattening of calves and the cultivation of hemp as strategies for reducing the environmental impact of these farms. Eleven farms were evaluated for global warming (GWP), acidification (AC) and eutrophication (EUP) potential. The Life Cycle Assessment method with three scenarios, REAL, based on real data, BEEF, where calves were fattened in farm, and HEMP, where hemp was cultivated in farms, were considered. If referred to 1 m2 of utilizable agricultural land, the GWP, AC and EUP were 1.6 kgCO2eq, 21.7 gSO2eq and 7.1 gPO43-eq, respectively. If referring to 1 kg of fat and protein corrected milk, the emissions were 1.1-1.4 kgCO2eq, 14.8-19.0 gSO2eq, and 5.0-6.4 gPO43-eq, depending on the allocation method adopted. The emissions were associated positively with culling rate and negatively with production intensity. In BEEF and HEMP scenarios, the emissions were reduced by 8-11% and by 1-5%, respectively. Fattening the calves, evaluating the cultivation of alternative plants and improving the productive and reproductive efficiency of animals could be effective strategies for reducing the environmental footprint of the farm.

Rapid and selective screening for toxic phorbol esters in Jatropha curcas seed oil using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.

Jatropha curcas L. is an inedible plant whose seed oil is an interesting source for biodiesel production. Seed cake, the main byproduct remaining (about 70% w/w) after the oil extraction process, has a high nutritional value but the presence in Jatropha curcas seed of phorbol esters (PEs), a family of toxic compounds with a tigliane skeleton, prevents application of seed cake and other byproducts (e.g. glycerin) in animal feed without an efficient detoxification. Considering the high toxicity of PEs, it is important to have a sensitive analytical method to evaluate the presence of these compounds in Jatropha curcas derivatives. In this paper we present the study of the ESI-MS/MS fragmentation pattern of the [M+Na]+ ion at m/z 733.5 of the six known PEs, namely Jatropha factors (JFs) C1-C6, which allowed to tentatively identify a series of characteristic and specific fragment ions useful to reveal the presence of JFs in Jatropha curcas seed oil, distinguish them from each other, and identify new PEs (J1-J4). Moreover, the substitution of the usual acetonitrile/water as mobile phase with a mixture of methanol/water (85:15, v/v) allowed to increase the signal of the sodium adduct of about 50-fold during the HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis.

Kernel oil content and oil composition in walnut (Juglans regia L.) accessions from north-eastern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Walnut oil use is currently limited by its poor oxidative stability due to the high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Modifying the oil composition may be a goal in walnut breeding to increase interest in this crop. Exploring natural variability and identifying the main environmental factors affecting oil quality are necessary in crop selection. Therefore 190 wild accessions were collected and evaluated during 2013 and 2014 for oil content and its fatty acid profile and compared with five commercial cultivars as references. RESULTS: High variation in kernel oil content and fatty acid composition was found in the native walnut. Kernel oil content ranged from 54.2 to 72.2% (w/w). The major fatty acids were linoleic (range 46.9-68.6%), oleic (10.0-25.1%), linolenic (6.9-17.6%), palmitic (3.9-11.4%) and stearic (1.1-5.2%) acids. Some accessions had oil with a fatty acid ratio very different from the reference commercial cultivars, especially the oleic acid/polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio. A significant linear relationship and positive correlation between the daily minimum temperature and oleic acid content was observed in the wild walnuts. CONCLUSION: The wide variation in fatty acid content and composition allows superior accessions to be selected for diffusion among growers. A suitable strategy would be to make a selection against PUFA content rather than just for high oleic acid. In addition, the selected high oleic accessions, before being utilized per se or as donor parents in breeding programs, have to demonstrate they are not adversely affected by the environment. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.