Effect on quanti-quality milk and mozzarella cheese characteristics with further increasing the level of dried stoned olive pomace in diet for lactating buffalo.

OBJECTIVE: Following a previous report, an experiment was conducted to determine the effect of increasing level of dried stoned olives pomaces (DSOP) in the diet of lactating buffaloes on milk and mozzarella cheese yield and characteristics. METHODS: Sixteen pluriparous buffaloes distributed into two groups were fed an isoenergetic (0.9 milk forage unit/kg) and isoprotein (149 g/kg dry matter [DM] of crude protein) diet, with or without DSOP. Each animal received 17 kg DM/d. Samples of forages and concentrates were weekly collected and used for duplicate chemical analyses. Individual milk samples from each control were analyzed for chemical and coagulating parameters and daily production of mozzarella cheese was estimated. At the end of the trial, bulk milk of each group was processed to produce mozzarella cheese and chemical (fat, protein, ash, pH) composition, fatty acids composition, carotenoids and tocopherols content were determined. A sensory test was also performed. The oxidative stability was measured on mozzarella cheese and on governing liquid. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed, neither for milk yield and body condition score, nor for milk characteristics. The fat was higher (p<0.05) in mozzarella of DSOP fed group but, saturated fatty acids were lower and unsaturated higher (p<0.01). Furthermore, lower atherogenic (p<0.01), and thrombogenic (p<0.05) indices were found in mozzarella cheese of DSOP fed group. In addition, the administration of DSOP did not affect the mozzarella cheese oxidative stability and no negative effect was found in the sensory properties. CONCLUSION: No contraindications appeared for the inclusion of DSOP in the diet of lactating buffaloes. Besides, important effects on mozzarella cheese quality were obtained, such as a modification of fat content and attributes with an increment in the mono-unsaturated. Additionally, a lower saturated/unsaturated ratio and atherogenic and thrombogenic indices suggest an improvement of dietetic and nutritional characteristics of mozzarella cheese.

A peptide topological template for the dispersion of [60]fullerene in water.

Solubilization of [60]fullerene in water is a major challenge for biological and medical applications. To this purpose in this communication we describe for the first time a new dispersing system based on a peptide topological template. The presence of two carbobenzyloxy groups on the peptide side chains allows π-π interactions with [60]fullerene leading to the formation of stable supramolecular nanocomposites by means of mechanochemical methods. In particular, by high speed vibration milling colloidal dispersions (mean particle diameter 63 nm) containing up to 1.3 mg mL(-1) of [60]fullerene were obtained. Its presence in water was verified through UV-Vis and MALDI-TOF measurements, while its concentration was determined by thermogravimetric analysis.

Solvent-tunable morphology and emission of pyrene-dipeptide organogels.

Two pyrene based organogelators in which the pyrene moiety has been linked to the diphenylalanine dipeptide have been synthesized. We show how the solvent can tune both the morphology and the optical properties of the organogels: spherical aggregates with quenched emission were obtained in acetonitrile, whereas an entangled fibrillar network with enhanced emission was formed in o-dichlorobenzene. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments suggest that both π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding contribute to the formation of the supramolecular networks. Ultraviolet-visible and steady state emission studies demonstrated the formation of I-aggregates in acetonitrile. In contrast, in o-dichlorobenzene, the formation of J-type aggregates leads to assemblies with enhanced emission. These results give some insight into the important role of the gelling solvent in the morphology of the supramolecular gels and may help in the design of new soft-materials.

Use of dried stoned olive pomace in the feeding of lactating buffaloes: effect on the quantity and quality of the milk produced.

Dried stoned olive pomace (DSOP) was administered to dairy water buffaloes, and their productive performance and milk composition were analysed. Sixteen pluriparous lactating buffaloes were divided into two uniform groups (control and experimental), taking into consideration the following parameters: milk production (2,192 and 2,102 kg) and duration of lactation (254 and 252 d) of the previous year, distance from calving (51 and 43 d), milk production (9.71 and 10.18 kg/d), body condition score (BCS) (6.44 and 6.31) and weight (617 and 653 kg) at the beginning of the trial. Both diets had the same formulation: second cut alfalfa hay 20%, corn silage 42%, concentrate 38% but the two concentrates differed in their formulation, the experimental one contained 15.50% of DSOP as fed. The employed DSOP showed high amounts of secoiridoids, such as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol (3,4-DHPEA) (1.2 g/kg DM), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol-elenolic acid di-aldehyde (3,4-DHPEA-EDA) (12.6 g/kg DM), p-hydroxyphenylethanol-elenolic acid di-aldehyde (p-HPEA-EDA) (5.6 g/kg DM) and lignans, which are known to be powerful bioactive compounds. The control diet had an energy-protein content of 0.86 Milk FU/kg DM and 143.3 g/kg DM of crude protein, whereas the experimental diet of 0.87 Milk FU/kg DM and 146.6 g/kg DM of crude protein. Each animal of the two groups received 17 kg DM/d and each buffalo of the experimental group, by way of the concentrate, ingested 1.05 kg DM/d of DSOP. The trial lasted 40 days. No significant difference was found between the BCS (6.41 and 6.53), live weight (625.93 and 662.50 kg) and milk production (9.69 and 10.08 kg/d) of the two groups, as was the case for fat, protein, lactose, pH and coagulating parameters of the two milks. The milk fat of the experimental group had a significantly higher content of total tocopherols (10.45 vs 8.60 µg/g, p<0.01) and retinol (3.17 vs 2.54 µg/g, p<0.01). The content of the reactive substances with tiobarbituric acid (TBARs) was significantly lower in the milk fat of the experimental group (12.09 vs 15.05 µg MDA/g, p<0.01). The acid content of the milk fat of the experimental group had a significantly higher content (p<0.05) of C18:0 and of C18:3ω6. LC-MS/MS analysis showed the presence of 3,4-DHPEA (36.0 µg/L) in the milk of the DSOP-fed buffaloes, while other phenols were not found. DSOP, in the quantity utilized, can be used in the feeding of the lactating buffalo; the dietetic-nutritional characteristics of the milk are improved due to a greater contribution of tocopherols, retinol and the presence of hydroxytyrosol.

The Influence of Dietary Characteristics on the Milk Quantity and Quality of Riverine Buffaloes: Estimate of the Energy/Protein Requirements, for a Medium-high Production, in the First Ninety Days of Lactation.

The data used came from two trials undertaken under the same climatic conditions (spring-summer). In both trials pluriparious buffaloes were utilized similar in weight, body condition score, and milk production from the previous year. From the first trial the data used was from the sub-period 23-88 DIM provided by seven animals fed ad libitum with diet A (6.69 MJ/kg DM; 158.30 g/kg of crude protein) with a forage/concentrate ratio of 48/52. From the second trial the data used was from the sub-period 33-90 DIM provided by seven animals fed ad libitum with diet B (6.63 MJ/kg DM; 179.50 g/kg of crude protein) and by seven animals fed ad libitum with diet C (5.99 MJ/kg DM; 155.40 g/kg of crude protein), each of the diets had the same forage/concentrate ratio (53/47). A significant difference was found in milk production between group B and C (13.08 vs. 11.56 kg/d, p<0.05), an intermediate production (12.10 kg/d) was noted in group A. A significant difference was found between fat (76.58 vs. 69.24 g/kg, p<0.05), protein (46.14 vs. 43.16 g/kg, p<0.05) and casein (39.94 vs. 34.98 g/kg, p<0.05) of the milk of group B with respect to group A. The milk of group C gave fat values (71.80 g/kg), protein (45.52 g/kg) and casein (39.06 g/kg) statistically equal to those of group B. The milk of groups B and C, in respect to the milk of group A, gave values of K20 (1.77, 1.82 vs. 3.68 min, p<0.05), statistically lower and values of A30 (48.28, 47.27 vs. 40.64 mm, p<0.05) statistically higher. Two simple linear regressions were calculated where the independent variable (x) was the daily standardized milk production, the dependent variable (y) or the daily intake of net energy or crude protein. Equation 1) NE (MJ/d) = 74.4049+2.8308×kg of normalized milk; equation 2) CP (kg/d) = 1.4507+0.1085×kg of normalized milk, both the equations were significant (p<0.05) with determination coefficients of 0.58 and 0.50 respectively. For a production of normalized milk that varies from 9 to 13 kg, the respective energy-protein concentrations fluctuate from 6.09 to 6.78 MJ/kg DM and from 148.00 to 174.46 g/kg DM.