In this research communication we describe the composition of fatty acids (FA) present in the milk of the Nordestina donkey breed, and how they differ during lactation. Milk samples were taken from 24 multiparous lactating Nordestina donkeys that grazed the Caatinga, comprising 5 animals at each of around 30, 60 and 90 d in milk (DIM) and a further 9 animals ranging from 120 to 180 DIM. The milk fat content was analysed by mid infrared spectroscopy and the FA profile by gas chromatography. The milk fat percentage ranged from 0.45 to 0.61%. The main FA found in milk were 16:0 and 18:1c9. These did not differ among DIM classes and comprised 23% and 25% of total FA. Notably, the α-Linolenic acid (18:3 n-3) was the third most abundant FA and differed (P < 0.05) with DIM, being lowest in the 30 and 60 DIM samples (around 10.7% of total FA) and highest in the 60 and 90 DIM classes (around 14.6% of total FA). The low-fat content and the FA profile of the donkey milk gives it potential as a functional ingredient, which could help to preserve the commercial viability of the Nordestina donkey breed.

Early plant establishment through seed germination and seedling emergence is a crucial process that determines seedling number, emergence time distribution and the early growth of seedlings, all of which are affected by soil climate and soil structure. In the current context of climate change, in which increasing the diversity of cultivated species is considered desirable, and new tillage practices are considerably modifying top-soil surface characteristics, we need to improve our ability to model the effects of the environment on plant establishment. Using a trait-based and model-based framework, we aimed to identify general relationships between seed and seedling traits (e.g. seed mass and lipid content, seedling diameter, base temperature) and germination and emergence model parameters (e.g. time to mid-germination, shoot elongation rate) measured for 18 genotypes belonging to 14 species. Relationships were also investigated among model parameters or traits. Germination rates were faster for species with a high base temperature and for species with seed reserves located principally in the embryo (rather than the endosperm or perisperm). During heterotrophic growth, maximal shoot length and elongation rate increased with seed dry mass. The sensitivity of seedlings to soil obstacles was negatively related to shoot diameter. Thus apart from the known effects of seed mass on seedling establishment, we found that seed reserve location, seedling shoot diameter and shape affected germination rate and emergence success. Such generic rules linking plant traits to germination and emergence parameters enhance our understanding of the determinants of environmental effects on plant establishment success.

In practice cattle may be slaughtered at different combinations of age and weight. As each of these factors could affect meat quality traits, the present work aimed to identify which combination can be expected to increase overall meat quality of m. rectus abdominis of Charolais heifers. Totally, 40 heifers were slaughtered either at 26±1 or at 36±1 months of age. Young heifers were sampled at two different carcass weights (349±12 and 394±8 kg). Old heifers were also sampled at two different carcass weights (397±6 and 451±9 kg). The m. rectus abdominis was excised 24 h postmortem to determine metabolic enzyme activities, myosin heavy-chain isoform proportions, lipid contents, collagen content and collagen solubility. Shear force measurements were evaluated on raw and broiled meat after 14 days of ageing. Meat quality traits scored between 0 and 10 by sensory analysis. Increasing slaughter age from 26 to 36 months had no impact on either raw/broiled shear force (0.31⩽P⩽0.47) and/or meat quality traits (0.62⩽P⩽0.91) or on physicochemical properties of heifer’s meat samples. Increasing carcass weight for a similar slaughter age of 26 months had also impact neither on meat quality traits (0.52⩽P⩽0.91) nor on muscular properties. On the contrary, increasing carcass weight for a similar slaughter age of 36 months had induced a decrease of muscular shear force (raw muscle; P=0.009) and a concomitant decrease of total collagen content (P=0.03). Nevertheless, no significant impact on meat quality traits was revealed by the sensorial panel (0.13⩽P⩽0.49). Metabolic enzyme activities (0.13⩽P⩽0.86) and myosin heavy-chain proportions (0.13⩽P⩽0.96) were not significantly impacted by slaughter age and carcass weight. Thus, the impact of increasing carcass weight and/or slaughter age in young Charolais heifers has a limited impact on meat quality traits and associated muscular characteristics. Modulating heifer’s cycles (age and/or carcass weight in the studied range) appears to be a way to answer to the numerous marketing chains, without penalising meat quality traits.

Lipid droplets (LD) in porcine oocytes form a dark mass reaching almost all cytoplasm. Herein we investigated changes in fat areas, cytoplasmic tone and LD morphology during in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes cultured with 100 μM trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (t10,c12 CLA) or 10 μM forskolin at different time periods. Four groups were constituted: control, excipient, t10,c12 CLA and forskolin, with drugs being supplemented during 44 to 48 h and the initial 22 to 24 h in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. In Experiment 3, forskolin was supplemented for the first 2 h. Matured oocytes were inseminated with frozen-thawed boar semen and cleavage rate recorded. Before and during IVM, samples of oocytes were evaluated for LD, total and fat areas and fat gray value or for meiotic progression. Results showed that forskolin supplementation during 44 to 48 h or 22 to 24 h inhibits oocyte maturation (exp. 1: forskolin = 5.1 ± 8.0%, control = 72.6 ± 5.0%; exp. 2: forskolin = 24.3 ± 7.4%, control = 71.6 ± 5.6%) and cleavage (exp. 1: forskolin = 0.0 ± 0.0%, control = 55.4 ± 4.1%; exp. 2: forskolin = 8.3 ± 3.3%, control = 54.5 ± 3.0%). Forskolin also reduced oocyte and fat areas. In Experiment 3, forskolin negative effect on oocyte maturation and cleavage disappeared, although minor (P ⩽ 0.03) LD and oocyte fat areas were identified at 22 to 24 h of IVM. Oocytes supplemented with t10,c12 CLA during 44 to 48 h presented a lighter (P ⩽ 0.04) colour tone cytoplasm than those of control and forskolin. In conclusion, t10,c12 CLA and forskolin were capable of modifying the distribution and morphology of cytoplasmic LD during porcine oocyte maturation, thus reducing its lipid content in a time-dependent manner.

Polyphenols are chemically and biologically active compounds. Grape seed extracts (GSEs) have been widely used as a human food supplement for health promotion and disease prevention. However, there is little information regarding its application in animal feeds. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of inclusion of GSE at 0.025, 0.25, 2.5 and 5.0 g/kg in a wheat soya bean control diet on growth performance, protein and amino acid (AA) digestibility and plasma lipid and mineral concentrations in broiler chickens at 21 days of age. Performance was not affected by dietary treatment except in the case of birds fed the diet with the highest GSE concentration, which showed a worsening of weight gain and feed conversion. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of protein was significantly reduced in the birds fed the highest concentration of GSE, which also had a reduction on the AID of arginine, histidine, phenylalanine, cystine, glutamic acid and proline compared with those fed control diet. The inclusion of graded concentration of GSE in the chicken diets caused a significant linear decrease in the concentrations of plasma copper, iron and zinc. Plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoproteins (high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and very-low-density lipoprotein) concentrations were not affected by dietary GSE. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that incorporation of GSE in chicken diets up to 2.5 g/kg had no adverse effect on growth performance or protein and AA digestibility. Feed conversion was reduced and growth rate was retarded, when chickens were fed 5 g/kg of GSE. This study also indicated that grape polyphenols reduce the free plasma minerals.

The objective of the present study was to correlate some parameters (cleavage, blastocyst production, quality degree score, total cell number, fresh apoptosis and lipid content) with embryo survival after cryopreservation. A total of 1727 in vitro-produced bovine blastocysts were used to establish the parameters (mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM)) for cleavage (85.6 ± 0.8), blastocyst production (39.9 ± 1.4), quality degree score (1.6 ± 0.1), total cell number (140.1 ± 2.9), fresh apoptosis (20.8 ± 1.1) and lipid content (21.3 ± 0.8 droplets). On the same way 1316 blastocysts were vitrified for the determination of post-cryopreservation embryo survival (49.4 ± 1.9). Fresh apoptosis rate and total lipid droplets value were correlated (P < 0.05) with embryo survival after cryopreservation (r = 0.91 and r = 0.59; respectively). However, cleavage, blastocyst production, quality degree score and total cell number were not correlated (P > 0.05) with embryo cryotolerance (r = 0.23, r = 0.38, r = 0.22 and r = 0.28; respectively). Therefore, the increased lipid content was moderately correlated with apoptosis in vitrified blastocysts. On the other hand, increased apoptosis in fresh blastocysts was strongly correlated with apoptosis in vitrified blastocysts, which indicated that the apoptosis rate in fresh embryos was a better parameter than the lipid content to predict post-vitrification embryo survival.

Introduction. Olea ferruginea Royle, generally knownas Indian olive, grows widely in the Himalayas from Kashmir to Kumaun upto an altitude of 2400 m. It is a multipurpose, zero-waste, evergreentree species. It yields a number of useful items including qualityfodder, firewood and edible fruits. The leaves, bark, roots, fruitsand seeds of this plant are used for treatment of various diseases.The fruits are also a source of olive oil. However, to the bestof our knowledge, no study has been carried out to determine theolive oil contents of the fruits and seeds of O. ferruginea andthe quality of the oils. Materials and methods. Therefore, investigationswere undertaken to determine the olive oil contents and the qualityof the oils in the fruits and seeds in terms of fatty acid composition.Four populations of O. ferruginea (Kolibehar, Saioond and Kais fromthe Kullu district, and Thalaut from the Mandi district of HimachalPradesh) were selected as the sources of fruits and seeds. Resultsand discussion. The selected sites differed in respect to theirgeographical characteristics. The olive oil content was considerablyhigher in the fruits than in the seeds. The olive oil contents inthe fruits varied from 20.67% to 27.40%, with the Thalaut population exhibitingthe highest oil content. The olive oil content in the seeds variedfrom 7.5% to 12.5%; the oil content was the lowest in fruits ofthe Saioond population and the highest in the Thalaut population.In all the populations, monounsaturated oleic acid was predominant;oleic acid ranged from 61.6% to 66.9% in the fruit oil and 64.4%to 67.2% in the seed oil. Differences in the fatty acid compositionbetween the seed and fruit oils were also seen. Conclusion. Ourstudy suggests that the fruits of O. ferruginea may be a potentialsource of olive oil. Thus, sustainable use of this potential ofthe tree could be useful in the socio-economic development and environmental conservationof the areas where it grows.

Models that quantify the effects of cropping systems on weed dynamics are useful tools for testing innovative cropping systems. In these models, seed mortality in the soil is a key parameter to account for the cumulated effect of cropping systems over time via the soil seed-bank. Since seed mortality is difficult to measure, our objective was to develop a method to estimate it from easily accessible information. Seeds of 13 weed species were buried 30 cm deep in fields and were recovered regularly for 2 years to measure their viability. Seed mass, dimensions, shape, and protein and lipid contents as well as coat thickness were measured. To estimate seed mortality of species not included in the study, we searched for relationships between mortality rates and seed traits. Seed viability mainly decreased during the second year of burial, with mortality rates ranging from 0.01 to 0.63 seeds·seeds− 1·year− 1, depending on the species. Seed mortality decreased with increasing seed coat thickness. No correlation was found with other measured traits or with seed persistence data in the literature. These results were confirmed when the effects of phylogenetic relatedness with phylogenetically independent contrasts were included. The thickness of the seed coat, which varied between 17 and 231 μm over the range of species studied, can protect the seed from external attacks in the soil and slow down seed decay. This trait can be easily measured via X-ray images and could be used to estimate the seed mortality rate for a wider range of species.

Introduction. Physalis has been known for a long time in Egypt. Amongunexploited tropical fruits, Physalis is a very promising fruit. Recently, the economicimportance of Physalis has risen, due to its high acceptance for local consumption,achieving great success in the African, Latin American and European markets. One of thechallenges of recent years has been to participate in the development of Physalis as acommercial crop of economic utility. In order to understand the nutraceutical andmedicinal characteristics of Physalis fruits cultivated in Egypt, the biochemicalcomposition of the raw Physalis pubescens juice was determined.Materials and methods. Whole fresh fruits of Physalis pubescensfrom Egypt were preserved at –20 °C for the duration of the experiment. Thejuice was extracted from Physalis fruits by using a fruit pulper then filtered oncheesecloth to separate seeds and skins. Contents of oil, fatty acids, proteins, aminoacids, sugars and minerals of the juice were analyzed, and were compared and discussed inrelation to the biochemical composition of other fruits and vegetable oils.Results. Yield of the juice was high (64%) and it is a rich source ofminerals such as potassium (11.32 g·100 g–1 dm), phosphorus(5.55 g·100 g–1 dm), zinc (0.02 g·100 g–1 dm) and boron(0.01 g·100 g–1 dm), polyphenols (76.6 mg·100 mL–1) andcarotenoids (70 µg·mL–1). It contained good amounts of vitamin C(38.77 mg·100 mL–1) and it could be a good potential source of essentialamino acids such as isoleucine, valine and tryptophan [(4.2, 3.9 and3.9) g·100 g–1 protein], whose amounts were higher than those recommended bythe FAO / WHO / UNU. Additionally, it contains a low amount of oil(1.1 g·100 g–1 dm). Conclusion. Physalis juice should attractgreat interest because of its composition. Its potential nutraceutical quality couldparticipate in the development of Physalis as a commercial crop. Certain molecules such asantimicrobial molecules and bioactive withanolides, which have the famous ethnomedical andmedical effects of Physalis juice, still have to be studied.

To determine the lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition of breast milk from fifty-two lactating women between ninth and twelfth lactation weeks in rural North China. The mothers were questioned on their dietary habits. Total milk lipids extracts were transmethylated and analysed using GLC to determine FA contents. The mean lipid content was 40·21 (sd 1·43) g/l. SFA constituted 35·92 % of the total FA. Medium-chain and long-chain SFA presented levels of 10·91 and 25·01 %, respectively. MUFA and PUFA constituted 32·59 and 19·97 % of the total FA, respectively. Oleic, linoleic and α-linolenic acid (ALA) presented contents of 31·26, 17·73 and 1·03 %, respectively. Arachidonic acid had a content of 0·30 %, while DHA content was 0·19 %. Not any form of trans FA were found in human milk samples. A maternal diet transition is proceeding in China. Further investigation on the analysis of human milk FA composition is needed to upgrade the human milk database in China.

This study was conducted to clarify the seasonal variation of the chemical composition of the Tunisian Sardinella aurita with a focus on the total lipid content. The chemical composition showed a large fluctuation over years in response to various factors. For the entire fish, lipid content was lower in July (2.50%), but higher in November (10.25%). It varies with seasons in inverse proportion to water content. Interestingly, it was found that red muscle have much higher lipid content than white muscle and the entire fish body. The major fatty acids in S. aurita lipids were palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and myristic acid. Palmitic acid comprised the main proportion (23.9%). The high amounts of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in the screened species are almost in agreement with other studies. Moreover, the percentage of omega-3 fatty acids (25%) was very similar to that in oil production commercial fish.

Neobenedenia girellae, a capsalid monogenean, is a destructive fish parasite. We studied the lipid content and fatty acid composition of N. girellae and the skin and cutaneous mucus of a host fish, the amberjack Seriola dumerili (Carangidae). The lipid content of adult N. girellae was less than one-fourth that of both the skin and cutaneous mucus of its host. Adult N. girellae, S. dumerili skin and mucus had a relatively high weight-percentage of C16:0, C18:1(n-9), C18:0 and C22:6(n-3) fatty acids. When S. dumerili were fed a diet supplemented with [13C] fatty acids, [13C] fatty acids were detected in S. dumerili skin and adult N. girellae on S. dumerili, but no [13C] fatty acids were detected in the S. dumerili cutaneous mucus. In addition, the epidermis of S. dumerili, attached with N. girellae, was markedly thin. These results suggest that N. girellae feeds primarily on host epithelial cells. We then infected 2 host fishes, S. dumerili and the spotted halibut Verasper variegatus (Pleuronectidae; a host less susceptible to N. girellae infection), and compared the fatty acid composition of N. girellae with that of the skin and cutaneous mucus of the hosts. The fatty acid profiles from all samples were qualitatively and quantitatively similar. Thus, the fatty acid composition of the host may not contribute to the difference in susceptibility between S. dumerili and V. variegatus. These results may serve to develop new strategies for the control of N. girellae infections.