Environmental conditions affect the nutritive value and alkaloid profiles of Lupinus forage: Opportunities and threats for sustainable ruminant systems.

The identification of crops that simultaneously contribute to the global protein supply and mitigate the effects of climate change is an urgent matter. Lupins are well adapted to nutrient-poor or contaminated soils, tolerate various abiotic stresses, and present relevant traits for acting as ecosystem engineers. Lupins are best studied for their seeds, but their full foraging potential needs further evaluation. This study evaluated the effects of location and sowing date on forage production, proximate composition, and the detailed mineral and alkaloid profiles of three species of Lupinus (L. albus cv. Estoril, L. angustifolius cv. Tango, and L. luteus cv. Cardiga). Sowing date and location and their interaction with the plant species significantly affected the vast majority of measured parameters, emphasizing the effects of climate and soil conditions on these crops. The relatively high crude protein and in vitro digestibility support the potential of the lupin species studied as sustainable forage protein sources in diets for ruminant animals. The content of individual essential macro and trace elements was below the maximum tolerable levels for cattle and sheep. Lupanine, smipine, and sparteine were the most abundant quinolizidine alkaloids in L. albus cv. Estoril, lupanine, and sparteine in L. angustifolius cv. Tango, and lupinine, gramine, ammodendrine, and sparteine in L. luteus cv. Cardiga. Based on the maximum tolerable levels of total quinolizidine alkaloid intake, the dietary inclusion of forages of L. albus cv. Estoril and L. angustifolius cv. Tango does not pose a risk to the animals, but the high alkaloid content of L. luteus cv. Cardiga may compromise its utilization at high levels in the diet. Overall, the results reveal a high potential for lupins as protein forage sources well adapted to temperate regions and soils with lower fertility, with a relevant impact on livestock sustainability in a climate change era.

Factors affecting composition of fatty acids in wild-growing forest mushrooms.

The importance of mushrooms as a food source is continually increasing. To investigate how environmental factors affect the nutritional value of mushrooms, we harvested them in eastern Poland, south-central Germany, and northwestern Belgium in plots with similar environmental conditions but varying in tree species composition and richness. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze the fatty acid (FA) content of the mushrooms. Fungal species identity explained the largest part (40%) of the total variation in FA concentration and composition. Environmental factors accounted for 1-12% of variation. The concentration of FA, especially saturated fatty acids, decreased with increasing understory cover and increasing nitrogen concentration in the topsoil. The effect of tree species richness or tree species identity was negligible. Our results suggest that the nutritional value of mushrooms depends mainly on the species identity of fungi, but that their FA content is slightly higher in forests with less undergrowth and in nitrogen-poor soils.

Improving the Nutritional Value of Natural Cheese Analog Products Using Nam Dok Mai Mango.

This research aimed to (1) discover the appropriate formula for the production of Nam Dok Mai mango cheese analog products and (2) study the physical, nutritional, microbial, and sensory properties of the produced Nam Dok Mai mango cheese analogs. To investigate the appropriate formula, the factors studied included the pH value of Nam Dok Mai mango juice (2.50 or 3.00) and the proportion of salted butter (18.0% or 19.5%) and carrageenan (0.8% or 0.9%). The study was conducted by using the factorials in a completely randomized design experiment. It was found that the optimal formula for the Nam Dok Mai mango cheese analog consisted of 33.0% casein protein, 46.0% Nam Dok Mai mango juice (pH 3), 19.5% salted butter, 0.5% sodium citrate, 0.9% carrageenan, and 0.1% xanthan gum. Regarding the nutritional value, it was found that the Nam Dok Mai cheese analog (100 g) contained 129.00 µg of ß-carotene, 148.41 mg of calcium, 1.15 g of dietary fiber, and 21.50 µg of vitamin A. Sixty-eight percent of consumers scored it as "moderate" for overall acceptability. However, when the consumers received the nutritional information of the Nam Dok Mai mango cheese analog, many (76%) said they would buy the product because it contains vitamin A that important for vision and eye health. Consuming enough vitamin A helps protect against certain eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration. This is consistent with the lifestyles of people today who use their eyes too hard, such as staring at a computer screen and cell phones all day.

Effects of tillage and maturity stage on the yield, nutritive composition, and silage fermentation quality of whole-crop wheat.

Whole-crop wheat (Triticum aestivum, WCW) has a high nutritional value and digestibility. No-tillage (NT) can reduces energy and labor inputs in the agricultural production process, thus decreasing production costs. There are many studies on planting techniques of WCW at present, few being on no-tillage planting. This study aimed to compare the effects of different tillage methods and maturity stages on the yield, nutritive value, and silage fermentation quality of WCW. The experiment included two tillage methods (NT; conventional tillage, CT), two maturity stages (flowering stage; milk stage), and three years (2016-2017; 2017-2018; 2018-2019). Years had a strong influence on the yield and nutritional composition of WCW. This was mainly related to the amount of rainfall, as it affects the seedling emergence rate of wheat. Although tillage methods showed no significant effects on the yield, plant height, and stem number per plant of WCW (P > 0.05), compared to CT, the dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) yields of NT decreased by 0.74 t/ha and 0.13 t/ha. Tillage methods showed no significant effects on the nutritive composition of WCW (P > 0.05). The WCW at the milk stage had greater DM (5.25 t/ha) and CP (0.60 t/ha) yields than that at the flowering stage (3.19 t/ha and 0.39 t/ha) (P< 0.05). The acid detergent fiber concentration of WCW decreased by 34.5% from the flowering to the milk stage, whereas water-soluble carbohydrates concentration increased by 50.6%. The CP concentration at the milk stage was lower than that at the flowering stage (P< 0.05). The lactic acid concentration of NT (17.1 g/kg DM) silage was lower than that of CT (26.6 g/kg DM) silage (P< 0.05). The WCW silage at the milk stage had a lower NH3-N concentration (125 g/kg TN) than that at the flowering stage (169 g/kg TN) (P< 0.05). Wheat sown by NT and CT was of similar yield and nutritional value, irrespective of harvest stages. WCW harvested at the milk stage had greater yield and better nutritional composition and silage fermentation quality than that at the flowering stage. Based upon the results of the membership function analysis, no-tillage sowing of wheat was feasible and harvesting at milk stage was recommended.

Spatio-temporal patterns of rangeland forage nutritive value and grazer selection with patch-burning in the US northern Great Plains.

Understanding how management influences forage nutritive value and grazer selection within grazing seasons is an ongoing effort for researchers and land managers globally. We used six, 65 ha pastures managed with patch-burn grazing and stocked with either cow-calf pairs (0.45-0.5 ha • AUM-1) or gestating ewes (0.4-0.48 ha • AUM-1) to explore how patterns in rangeland forage drive grazer selection in semi-arid rangeland over four summer grazing seasons at monthly intervals. We used near-infrared spectroscopy to determine nutritive value parameters from monthly forage clippings. We evaluated livestock performance as the average daily weight gains of each animal. We used mixed-effect models and ordination to compare patch and grazer types across the time-since-fire gradient and found that time-since-fire was significant for all measured variables. Cattle and sheep consistently preferred recently burned patches throughout grazing seasons. These recently burned patches typically contained available forage with higher crude protein and moisture content, lower biomass, and lower acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, and neutral detergent fiber compared to intermediate time since fire patches and patches burned three years ago. Differences between patch-burn grazing with cattle and sheep were observed as additional patch contrasts for available biomass and crude protein, but grazer type and ecological site were not statistically significant factors for the nutritive value ordination. Our study indicates that patch-burn grazing is capable of imposing and maintaining heterogeneous, grazer selection, forage biomass, and nutritive value patterns desirable for heterogeneity focused land management, regardless of grazer type. These findings are especially relevant to the northern Great Plains where introduced grasses are homogenizing the structural environment of remaining rangelands. With prescribed fire currently an uncommon practice throughout the region, these findings provide a baseline of expectations for practitioners and land managers implementing patch-burn grazing and illustrate how grazing livestock can benefit from the patch contrast in forage nutritive value and biomass.

Nutritional and functional perspectives of pseudocereals.

An increase in the consumption of carbohydrate-rich cereals over past few decades has led to increased metabolic disorders in population. This nutritional imbalance in diets may be corrected by substituting cereal grains with pseudocereals that are richer in high-quality proteins, dietary fibers, unsaturated fats, and bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenols and phytosterols) as compared to cereal grains. These nutrients have been associated with numerous health benefits, such as hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, and hepatoprotective properties, and benefits against obesity and diabetes. In this review, the nutritional composition and health benefits of quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat are compared against wheat, maize, and rice. Subsequently, the processing treatments applied to quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat and their applications into food products are discussed. This is relevant since there is substantial market potential for both pseudocereals and functional foods formulated with pseudocereals. Despite clear benefits, the current progress is slowed down by the fact that the cultivation of these pseudocereals is limited to its native regions. Therefore, to meet the global needs, it is imperative to support worldwide cultivation of these nutrient-rich pseudocereals.

Physical Pretreatments of Cassava Chips Influenced Chemical Composition, Physicochemical Properties, and In Vitro Digestibility in Animal Models.

Physical pretreatment procedures can significantly influence the quality of food and feed raw materials. To increase the ability to be digested in animals, cassava chips were pretreated by four alternative methods (extrusion, microwave irradiation, gamma irradiation, or NaOH hydrolysis), and then the chemical composition, physicochemical properties, and in vitro digestibility of the pretreated samples were assessed and compared with unprocessed cassava chips (control). The chemical compositions (crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, ash, non-fiber carbohydrate, and gross energy) were significantly altered due to the pretreatment methods (p < 0.05). The nutritive profile was qualitatively changed when assessed through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Some physicochemical properties in association with enzymatic hydrolysis, which include pH, water solubility, water absorption capacity, thermal properties (differential scanning calorimetry), diffraction pattern (X-ray diffractometry), and microstructure (scanning electron microscopy), were significantly changed. In vitro carbohydrate digestibility based on digestive enzyme extracts from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) suggests the microwaving method for cassava chips preparation, while microwaving, followed by extrusion or gamma irradiation, was suggested for broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus). There were no differences in the pepsin-cellulase digestibility values tested for the ruminant model. These findings suggest the use of pretreated cassava chips in animal feeding.

Squid meal and shrimp hydrolysate as novel protein sources for dog food.

The world's growing pet population is raising sustainability and environmental concerns for the petfood industry. Protein-rich marine by-products might contribute to mitigating negative environmental effects, decreasing waste, and improving economic efficiency. The present study evaluated two marine by-products, squid meal and shrimp hydrolysate, as novel protein sources for dog feeding. Along with the analysis of chemical composition and antioxidant activity, palatability was evaluated by comparing a commercial diet (basal diet) and diets with the inclusion of 150 g kg-1 of squid meal or shrimp hydrolysate using 12 Beagle dogs (2.2 ± 0.03 years). Two in vivo digestibility trials were conducted with six dogs, three experimental periods (10 days each) and three dietary inclusion levels (50, 100 and 150 g kg-1) of squid meal or shrimp hydrolysate in place of the basal diet to evaluate effects of inclusion level on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), metabolizable energy content, fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota. Both protein sources presented higher protein and methionine contents than ingredients traditionally used in dog food formulation. Shrimp hydrolysate showed higher antioxidant activity than squid meal. First approach and taste were not affected by the inclusion of protein sources, but animals showed a preference for the basal diet. Effects on nutrient intake reflected the chemical composition of diets, and fecal output and characteristics were not affected by the increasing inclusion levels of both protein sources. The higher ATTD of dry matter, most nutrients and energy of diets with the inclusion of both by-products when compared to the basal diet, suggests their potential to be included in highly digestible diets for dogs. Although not affected by the inclusion level of protein sources, when compared to the basal diet, the inclusion of squid meal decreased butyrate concentration and shrimp hydrolysate increased all volatile fatty acids, except butyrate. Fecal microbiota was not affected by squid meal inclusion, whereas inclusion levels of shrimp hydrolysate significantly affected abundances of Oscillosperaceae (UCG-005), Firmicutes and Lactobacillus. Overall, results suggest that squid meal and shrimp hydrolysate constitute novel and promising protein sources for dog food, but further research is needed to fully evaluate their functional value.

Effect of degraded flaxseed meals on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and health status of broilers.

Objective: The present study evaluated the effect of flaxseed meal degraded by a protease, Lactobacillus plantarum, or both on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and health status of broilers. Methods: There were four diets containing flaxseed meals in its non-degraded form (control, CON), degraded with 3,000 U/kg of protease (ELM), 1.0×109 CFU/kg of Lactobacillus plantarum (FLM), or both (DLM). Each form of flaxseed meals was added at 15% of diet. A total of 480 yellow-feathered broilers at 22 d of age were distributed into 4 groups with 6 replicates of 20 chickens each. The feeding trial lasted for 42 d. Growth performance, apparent fecal digestibility (dry matter, energy, crude protein, and ash), and serum immunoglobins and antioxidases were determined at 42 and 63 d of age. Results: Results showed that ELM, FLM, and DLM increased (p<0.001) the contents of peptides and decreased (p<0.001) cyanogenic glycosides, compared to CON. The diets with degraded flaxseed meals increased (p<0.05) feed intake and body weight gain throughout the feeding trial, and the digestibility of energy, crude protein, and ash at the end of feeding trial. Furthermore, all degraded groups enhanced (p<0.05) broiler health status by increasing serum immunoglobulins A and G. Additinally, DLM showed more pronounced effects (p<0.05) on these parameters than ELM or FLM. Conclusion: Flaxseed meals degraded by enzymolysis, fermentation, or both had improved nutrition and application in broilers.

Exploring the Chemical Constituents and Nutritive Potential of Bee Drone (Apilarnil): Emphasis on Antioxidant Properties.

A lesser-known bee product called drone brood homogenate (DBH, apilarnil) has recently attracted scientific interest for its chemical and biological properties. It contains pharmacologically active compounds that may have neuroprotective, antioxidant, fertility-enhancing, and antiviral effects. Unlike other bee products, the chemical composition of bee drone larva is poorly studied. This study analyzed the chemical compostion of apilarnil using several methods. These included liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and a combination of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with solid phase micro-extraction (SPME/GC-MS). Additionally, antioxidant activity of the apilarnil was assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. A chemical assessment of apilarnil showed that it has 6.3±0.00, 74.67±0.10 %, 3.65±0.32 %, 8.80±1.01 %, 13.16±0.94 %, and 8.79±0.49 % of pH, moisture, total lipids, proteins, flavonoids, and carbohydrates, respectively. LC-MS/MS analysis and molecular networking (GNPS) of apilarnil exhibited 44 compounds, including fatty acids, flavonoids, glycerophospholipids, alcohols, sugars, amino acids, and steroids. GC-MS detected 30 volatile compounds in apilarnil, mainly esters (24 %), ketones (23.84 %), ethers (15.05 %), alcohols (11.41 %), fatty acids (10.06), aldehydes (6.73 %), amines (5.46), and alkene (5.53 %). The antioxidant activity of apilarnil was measured using DPPH with an IC50 of 179.93±2.46 µg/ml.

Wheat germ meal replaces cottonseed meal at different levels in diets of Ossimi lambs: Impact on growth performance, feed utilization and economic efficiency.

This experiment aimed to evaluate the replacement of cottonseed meal (CSM) with wheat germ meal (WGM) in diets of growing lambs on feed utilization and growth performance. Twenty-eight Ossimi male lambs (38 ± 0.8 kg weight), and 180 ± 5 days were divided randomly into four experimental groups in a complete randomized design for 105 days. Cottonseed meal was replaced with WGM at 0 (WGM0 treatment), 50 (WGM50 treatment), 75 (WGM75 treatment) and 100% (WGM100 treatment). The chemical analysis of the total essential and non-essential amino acids showed an increase at the WGM diet compared to CSM. The replacement of CSM with WGM linearly and quadratically improved (p ˂ 0.05) lambs' growth performance and feed conversion. The WGM50 and WGM100 treatments lowered (p ˂ 0.05) feed intake, without affecting nutrient digestibility or diets' nutritive. Feeding WGM increased (p ˂ 0.05) total protein, albumin, and urea-N concentrations in blood of lambs. The WGM100 treatment showed the highest relative percentage of net revenue compared to the other treatments. It is concluded that the complete replacement of CSM with WGM showed positive effects on lambs' performance and economic efficiency.

COVID-19 and diet: efforts towards a balanced diet and sustainable nutrition among university students in Pakistan.

Nutrition is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle for all individuals, including adolescents. The objective of this cross-sectional descriptive survey study was to investigate university students' awareness of immunity enhancing foods, food nutritive values, and eating practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 839 university students from four different universities in Pakistan participated in the study from October 2021 to January 2022, 397 of which were male and 442 were female. A total of 419 students were studying in medical disciplines while 420 were non-medical students. The students had significant knowledge (p < 0.05) about COVID-19, and nutritional habits were seen in both medical and non-medical students. Results showed that medical students (n-201) were slightly more aware of immunity-enhancing foods and the nutritive values of foods compared to engineering students (n-79). However, eating practices were generally poorly adopted by all of the university students. Male and female students were not significantly different in their mean replies to questions on the nutritive value of food or in their eating habits. Healthy eating practices will aid university students in preventing illnesses connected to nutrition as well as enhancing their immune systems and nutritional well-being both during and post-pandemic. In light of these results, suggestions and implications for nutritional advice and education were explored.

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption, Poorer Nutritional Quality, and Lower Muscle Mass in Immediate and Late Postkidney Transplant Periods.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in the immediate (2 months after transplantation) and late post-transplant (14 months after transplantation) periods among kidney transplant patients and to examine its correlation with nutritional quality and body composition. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of 96 kidney transplant recipients divided into 2 groups: immediate post-transplant (n = 71) and late post-transplant (n = 25). Sociodemographic, anthropometric, and laboratory data were collected and grouped in a database. Food intake was evaluated by a validated food frequency questionnaire and foods were divided according to the NOVA classification system. The consumption of UPFs was calculated and statistical analyses were performed to evaluate its correlation with nutritional components and body composition. RESULTS: The consumption of UPFs was 649.4 [420.0-1061.72] kcal/day, accounting for 33.3 ± 11.9% of the total daily energy intake. The immediate post-transplant group showed higher total daily energy and UPFs intake compared to the late post-transplant group (P = .002 and P = .046, respectively), although the energy contribution of UPFs was similar between both groups. UPFs intake was positively correlated with higher percentages of total fat, trans fat, saturated, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, starch, and sodium (P < .05 for all analyses). An inverse correlation was observed between UPFs consumption and the percentage of protein and carbohydrates in the food intake (P = .025 and P = .008, respectively). In the immediate post-transplant group, a higher intake of UPFs was correlated with lower muscle mass (r = -0.250, P = .037). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study reveal a pattern of increased consumption of UPFs among kidney transplant patients in comparison to the national average. This higher intake of UPFs was correlated with lower nutritional quality during both periods. Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between UPFs consumption and adverse body composition parameters, specifically in the immediate post-transplant period.

Toward making a high-quality silage from common reed (Phragmites australis).

The effects of the addition of molasses (5 and 10% of dry matter: DM basis; M5 and M10 respectively) with or without urea (2%; U2, U2 + M5 and U2 + M10) on chemical and mineral composition, silage quality, microbial populations, buffering capacity and fermentation/digestion characteristics of common reed (Phragmites australis) ensiled under anaerobic conditions were investigated. The additives changed the silage quality of common reed compared with the control. Crude protein content was significantly (p < 0.0001) increased in urea-containing silages, whereas ash-free neutral detergent fibre concentration decreased in M10 compared with the control (p = 0.05). Treatment with 2% urea (U2) resulted in the reduction of most measured minerals with a severe decrease in iron concentration. The amount of gas produced after 96 h of incubation was, respectively, higher for U2, M10, U2M10, U2M5 and M5 compared with the control (p < 0.0001). Although the greatest in vitro dry matter digestibility and in vitro organic matter digestibility (96 h) were observed in U2 (p < 0.0001), no significant differences were found between U2 and M10. Supplementation with 10% molasses (M10) significantly increased lactic acid concentration, aerobic stability and total bacteria compared with other treatments (p < 0.0001). Moreover, DM loss (p = 0.0004), total yeast and mould (p < 0.0001) were significantly decreased as a result of 10% molasses treatment. Overall, it can be suggested that treating silage with 10% molasses (M10) has the potential to efficiently improve the nutritive value of common reed.

The Effect of Inorganic Nitrogen Fertilizers on the Quality of Forage Composed of Various Species of Legumes in the Northern Part of a Temperate Climate Zone.

This study focuses on the effect of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers on the quality of perennial grasses. Both grasses and legumes are important in swards, and each type of grass has different biological and ecological properties. Legumes in multi-species swards, especially in their early ages, benefit other Poaceae grasses by improving their growth. When evaluating individual cuts over a three-year period, it was determined that the quality indicators of the forage were significantly influenced by the year of use, N fertilizer application, and the different species compositions of the swards. In many cases, N fertilizers significantly reduced the CP content while tending to increase MADF and NDF. Monoculture grass swards had the highest WSC content; in most cases, N fertilizers increased the WSC content in the forage. DMD was the lowest in the first year of use, specifically in the first cut. Our three-year experiment, which investigated twelve swards with different species compositions, demonstrated that legume grasses improved the quality indicators of forage and contributed to maintaining a more stable overall forage yield over the years. As the climate continues to become warmer, there is a growing need to study a wide range of plant species and different varieties suitable for local growth conditions.

Strip grazing: Changes in biomass, nutrient content and digestibility of temperate, midsummer pasture by strip-grazed or 'free'-grazing ponies, over 4 weeks.

The digestibility and nutritive values of pastures that were either freely or strip-grazed for 28 days were compared. Twelve ponies were individually grazed in adjacent, 10 m wide, rectangular paddocks. On day -1, each paddock length was adjusted to contain a 28-day supply of herbage DM at 1.5 % of pony BW/d. Ponies, (4/treatment) either accessed the entire 28-day supply from day 1 (TA), or gradually via strip-grazing treatments, SG1 and SG2. SG1 had a 'lead' fence spanning the paddock width that from day 3 was moved forward 1/26th of the paddock length daily, whereas SG2 had an additional 'back fence', that was advanced the same distance as the lead fence daily. Pasture nutrient contents and estimated nutrient digestibilities (eD) were determined weekly. From weeks 1-4, mean strip-grazed pasture contents (% DM) of water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and crude protein declined from 15.7-10.2 and 9.4-8.7, respectively, whereas neutral- and acid-detergent fibre increased from 53.6-60.5 and 35.2-38.0, respectively. Corresponding values for TA pastures were 17.7-5.2, 8.9-8.7, 54.6-69.2 and 35.7-43.6. Concomitantly, calculated digestible energy (cDE) (MJ/kg DM) of strip-grazed and TA pastures declined from 9.7-8.9 and 9.6-7.8, respectively and eDMD of all treatments declined (P<0.05). By week 4, TA pasture WSC, cDE and eDMD were lower and fibre contents higher (P<0.05) than the strip-grazed pastures. TA animal cDE intakes in weeks 1 and 2 exceeded requirements by 42 % vs. 8 % by strip-grazed animals. Strip-grazing delivered a steadier nutrient supply than TA, potentially conferring health benefits to animals prone to metabolic dysfunction.

Nutritional quality of indigenous legume browse in southern Ethiopia: farmers' preference and correlation of local valuation of feed value with scientific indicators.

Introduction: Developing a technology for fodder trees and shrubs tailored to farmers' preferences is best done with their input, perceptions, and interests in mind. Objective: The research aimed to determine farmer preferences for indigenous legumes, fodder trees, and shrubs (ILFTS) and to examine the relationship between feed valuation and scientific parameters. Methods: A focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted with 10 farmers in each agroecological zone to determine the benchmarks for the preference ratings. The respondent farmers used the preference score sheet to rate all ILFTS on an individual basis. Twenty farmers with extensive experience in ILFTS took part in the preference score rating of each plant species in each agroecosystems. Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ash, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), metabolizable energy (ME) and condensed tannin (CT) content of the samples were determined. The standard two-stage in vitro Tilley and Terry method was used to measure the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of samples. Digestible organic matter in dry matter (DOMD) and ME values were estimated using standard models. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the variation among the species in agroecosystems. Tukey HSD tests were used for mean separation. Results and discussions: Farmers evaluated the ILFTS using a variety of parameters, according to the study (feed value, growth rate, biomass output, compatibility, and multifunctionality). The farmers' ILFTS preference score on the evaluation criteria differed considerably (p<0.05) with species in agroecosystems. The CP, ash, and ME values of ILFTS in the study were moderate to high although exhibited a wide variation among the species in agroecosystems. The CP content was above the minimum requirement (8%) to support the normal function of rumen microorganisms. Moreover, CP content exhibited a positive significant correlation with IVDMD, IVOMD, and DOMD, unlike CT and ADL which exhibited a negative significant correlation. Conversely, the DM, OM, CP, IVDMD, IVOMD, DOMD, and ME were shown a positive significant correlation with farmers' feed value preference score, unlike the ADL and CT which exhibited a negative significant correlation. Conclusions: Farmers' indigenous knowledge of feed value is therefore relevant for judging the nutritive value of the ILFTS and could complement the scientific indicators.

Fire management effects on ruminal digestibility and in vitro methane emissions of subtropical rangeland plant species.

Prescribed fire is a common management practice used to manipulate rangeland plant productivity and composition. Although the nutritive value of most herbaceous plant species is considered poor for grazing animals, native rangelands in Florida are an important source of forage for livestock, especially during the winter months, when the productivity of cultivated perennial warm-season pastures is limited. This study evaluated the effects of prescribed fire on methanogenic potential and nutritive value of selected native rangeland plant species. Treatments were a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of plant species (creeping bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium var. stoloniferum {Nash} Wipff], wiregrass [Aristida stricta {Michx.}], or saw palmetto [Serenoa repens {W. Bartram} Small]) and prescribed fire management [2 yr after burning (control) vs. 1 yr after burning (burned)] distributed in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Samples were analyzed for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent undigestible fiber (NDF), in vitro methane production, and in situ ruminal disappearance. Prescribed fire generally increased forage CP and DM effective degradability relative to control; however, no effect was observed on saw palmetto. Wiregrass had the least CP concentration in both burned (8.5%) and control (2.3%). In burned treatments, creeping bluestem and palmetto had greater DM effective degradability (62% and 58%) than wiregrass (53%). Fire increased in vitro gas production by 60 (creeping bluestem) to 90% (wiregrass) relative to control treatments. No effect of fire on methane production was observed for any of the plant species evaluated in this study. Creeping bluestem had the greatest methane production (12.5 mg/g DM), followed by wiregrass (5.3 mg/g DM) and saw palmetto (1.4 mg/g DM). Methane:DM effective degradability decreased in the following order: creeping bluestem ≥ wiregrass > saw palmetto. Data indicated prescribed fire was an effective tool to increase creeping bluestem and wiregrass nutritive value but no effect was observed on saw palmetto. Cattle grazing grass-dominated rangelands will likely emit more gas and methane than shrub or tree-dominated ecosystems; however, the greater forage nutritive value and subsequent positive impacts on animal production are expected to offset a substantial fraction of enteric methane emissions.

Upcycling post-harvest biomass residues from native European Lupinus species: from straws and pod shells production to nutritive value and alkaloids content for ruminant animals.

The production of Lupinus seeds for food and feed is increasing worldwide, which results in large amounts of post-harvest biomass residues, considered of low value and left in the field to be burned or incorporated in the soil. To valorize these agricultural wastes, this work aimed to assess their potential as an alternative feed for ruminants. Thus, the production yield, nutritive value, and alkaloid content of straws and pod shells from three native European Lupinus species, L. albus 'Estoril' (white), L. angustifolius 'Tango' (narrow-leafed), and L. luteus 'Cardiga' (yellow), cultivated in two locations, were evaluated. The dry matter (DM) yield of straws and pod shells were the highest for L. albus 'Estoril' (4.10 t ha-1) and the lowest for L. angustifolius 'Tango' (1.78 t ha-1), suggesting a poor adaptation of narrow-leafed lupin to the particularly dry and warm agronomic year. Despite species-specific differences, lupin biomass residues presented higher crude protein (53.0-68.9 g kg-1 DM) and lignin (103-111 g kg-1 DM) content than cereal straws usually used in ruminant feeding, thus resulting in higher metabolizable energy (6.43-6.58 MJ kg-1 DM) content. In vitro digestibility was similar among lupin species (47.7-50.6%) and higher in pod shells (53.7%) than in straws (44.6%). Lupinus albus 'Estoril' and L. luteus 'Cardiga' presented considerable amounts of alkaloids in straws (23.9 and 119 mg kg-1 DM) and pod shells (20.5 and 298 mg kg-1 DM), while no alkaloids were detected in L. angustifolius 'Tango' biomass residues. Considering the combined production of straw and pod shells per lupin species, it is anticipated that lupin biomass residues produced per ha can fulfill 85% of the energy and nearly 50% of protein requirements of a flock of 4 to 9 dry and mid-pregnancy sheep with 50 kg body weight for one year. No negative effects on small (ovine) and large (bovine) ruminant species due to alkaloids are expected, even if biomass residues are consumed at up to 85% DM intake. The large production yield along with its nutritive value unveils the potential of lupin biomass residues valorization as alternative fodder for ruminants, promoting sustainability under a circular economy approach.

Cross-Classification Analysis of Food Products Based on Nutritional Quality and Degree of Processing.

This study aims to compare the classification of foods available in the Portuguese market using Nutri-Score and NOVA classifications and to analyse their ability to discriminate the fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt content of foods. A sample of 2682 food products was collected. The nutritional quality of foods was established using the Nutri-Score, classifying them into five categories (from A to E). The NOVA classification was used to classify foods according to the degree of food processing into unprocessed/minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods (UPF). The nutritional content of food products was classified using a Multiple Traffic Light label system. It was observed that 73.7% of UPF were classified as Nutri-Score C, D, and E, 10.1% as Nutri-Score A, and 16.2% as Nutri-Score B. Nutri-Score was positively correlated with NOVA classification (ρ = 0.140, p < 0.001) and with the Multiple Traffic Lights system (ρTotal Fat = 0.572, ρSaturated Fat = 0.668, ρSugar = 0.215, ρSalt = 0.321, p < 0.001). NOVA classification negatively correlated with the Multiple Traffic Lights system for total fat (ρ = -0.064, p < 0.001). Our findings indicate the presence of many UPFs in all Nutri-Score categories. Since food processing and nutritional quality are complementary, both should be considered in labelling.