Ability Of Milk Research Articles

Leveraging milk mid-infrared spectroscopy to authenticate animal welfare, farming practices, and dairy systems of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Increasing consumer concerns underscore the importance of verifying the practices and origins of food, especially certified premium products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy to authenticate animal welfare parameters, farming practices, and dairy systems. Data on farm characteristics were obtained from the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium in northern Italy. Animal welfare data were collected by trained veterinarians using the assessment protocol developed by the Italian National Reference Center for Animal Welfare (CREnBA), while bulk milk test-day data were obtained from the laboratory of the Breeders Association of the Emilia Romagna Region (ARAER). A merged final data set of 12,083 bulk FT-MIR spectra records from 949 farms was created. Using a non-hierarchical clustering approach, the farms were classified into 5 dairy systems: 2 'traditional' systems, comprising farms located in either the Apennines or the Po Plain, and 2 'modern' systems, those that used TMR and that did not; a further 'traditional' dairy system was identified comprising farms rearing local breeds. To evaluate the ability of bulk milk to capture differences in farming systems, we conducted an ANOVA on milk composition. The linear models included the following effects: season, dairy system, farm, and the interaction between dairy system and season. The effect of the dairy system was significant for all milk composition traits. A 10-iteration linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to evaluate the discriminative ability of the spectra in classifying farming practices and dairy systems. The average results of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) revealed good authentication performance for genetic type (0.98), housing system (0.91), and feeding system (0.89), medium-low authentication performance for geographical area (0.70), while poor results were obtained for the percentage of concentrate in the diet and animal welfare parameters (0.57 - 0.64). With regard to dairy systems, the best result was obtained when dairy systems were grouped into 2 simplified categories, 'traditional' vs 'modern' (0.89), instead of the 5 categories (0.87). The results of this study show that FT-MIR is a useful tool for authenticating farming practices and dairy systems, but not animal welfare as defined by CREnBA evaluation criteria. Our results show that infrared spectroscopy has the potential to authenticate dairy products and quality label certifications.

Healthy Effects of Milk and Dairy Product Consumption in the Mediterranean Area and Japan.

Milk is a food enriched in essential components for human health. Especially, in the Mediterranean area, besides cow's milk, milk from goats, sheep, and donkeys, is largely used. The consumption of animal milk is an important component of the Mediterranean (MED) diet, even if in moderate amounts. Milk is a complete food since it contains proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, as well as micronutrients (minerals and vitamins). Milk-fermented products are largely consumed in the MED diet, such as cheese and yogurt, which are rich in essential metabolites, bioactive compounds, vitamins, minerals, and exopolysaccharides. A large body of evidence suggests that consumption of milk and dairy products does not increase the risk of all-cause mortality, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, even if some earlier studies have reported harmful effects associated with their higher consumption. Also, in Japan, despite the lower consumption of milk than in Western countries, intake of bovine milk is associated with healthy effects. The present review describes the effects of the various constituents of animal milk on human health, with special reference to the Mediterranean area and Japan. Experimental data and clinical trials support the ability of milk and dairy products to lower the risk of chronic diseases.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum for the Preparation of Fermented Low-Bitter Enzymatic Skim Milk with Antioxidant Ability.

A high degree of hydrolysis can reduce the allergenicity of milk, while lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation can further enhance the antioxidant ability of enzymatic milk. LAB with a strong antioxidant ability was screened, and the effects of LAB on the bitterness, taste and flavor of enzymatic skim milk (ESM) with a high degree of hydrolysis were investigated in this paper, in addition to the response surface methodology optimized the conditions of the LAB fermentation of ESM. The results indicate that the skim milk hydrolyzed by Protamex has a higher degree of hydrolysis and lower bitterness. The scavenging rate of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, the inhibition rate of hydroxyl radical (·OH) and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 16 and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis m16 are significantly higher than those of other strains (p < 0.05), while the improvement effect of L. plantarum 16 on the bitterness and flavor of ESM is better than that of L. lactis subsp. lactis m16. The fermented ESM has a strong antioxidant ability and low bitterness when the inoculum quantity of L. plantarum 16 is 5%, fermentation at 37 °C for 18 h and the pH of the ESM is 6.5, for which the DPPH free radical scavenging rate is 61.32%, the ·OH inhibition rate is 83.35%, the SOD activity rate is 14.58 and the sensory evaluation is 4.25. The contents of amino acids related to bitterness and antioxidants were reduced and increased, respectively. The ESM fermented by L. plantarum 16 has a good flavor, antioxidant ability and low bitterness.

The characterization of Lactobacillus strains in camel and bovine milk during fermentation: A comparison study

This study aims to compare the characterization of three Lactobacillus strains (L. helveticus, L. acidophilus, and L. paracasei subsp. paracasei) in camel milk and bovine milk during fermentation. Our finding showed that the average total viable counts of all three Lactobacilli strains in both milk types reached more than 7.0 log CFU/mL after 16 h of fermentation and continued to increase significantly (p < 0.05) as fermentation increased, which is according to the FAO and WHO, higher than the minimum recommended daily probiotic dose to provide the potential health benefits. The total count of L. paracasei subsp. paracasei was greater in fermented camel and bovine milk (8.76 and 8.98 log CFU/mL, respectively) compared to L. helveticus, and L. acidophilus. The L. helveticus exhibited the highest significant (p < 0.05) acidifying ability for both camel and bovine milk; on the other hand, L. paracasei subsp. paracasei revealed the highest significant (p < 0.05) pH in both milk. The L. acidophilus strain exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) the highest levels of free amino acids groups (FAAGs) among other tested strains in camel milk. It is concluded that the growth, viability, and proteolytic activity of three Lactobacilli strains were found to be mainly dependent on incubation time, strain, and type of milk.

Assessment of the effect of lactic acid bacteria fermentation on IgE-/IgG-binding ability and nutritional properties of cow milk.

Cow milk (CM) is an important food source for humans, and food allergy caused by CM has attracted attention worldwide. To our knowledge, systematic studies about the effects of Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Pediococcus pentosaceus on the IgE-/IgG-binding ability and nutritional properties of CM are very rare. In this study, L. paracasei, L. plantarum, and P. pentosaceus fermentation on the IgE-/IgG-binding ability was determined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and the protein quality, amino acid profile, and color were systematically evaluated. The results showed that these LAB strains exhibited higher protein degradation ability, and the IgE reactivity reduction rate was 41.03%-60.00% and the IgG reduction rate was 29.86%-67.20%, respectively. Additionally, the nutritional value was improved obviously, and the color was altered significantly, which was conductive to develop dairy products. These findings provided a theoretical foundation for the development of hypoallergenic dairy products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this study, L. paracasei, L. plantarum and P. pentosaceus could be considered as good potential candidates for solving cow milk allergy owing to their decreased IgE/IgG binding ability andimproved nutritional and sensory properties, which provide a promising strategy to develop hypoallergenic dairy products.

Different Types of Milk Flow Curves and Factors Affecting Milkability in Buffalo Species

Buffaloes are characterized by longer teats and teat canals and stronger muscular resistance of the teat wall than cattle; it is necessary to have a high vacuum level to open the teat canal and begin milk ejection. In buffalo milking management, milk yield, and flow profiles are essential parameters to record and evaluate. The milking machine is a critical point, and the characteristics of the milking vacuum and the pulsation rate are closely related to milk flow observations. In Italy, the most used vacuum levels are 44-46 kPa (range 40-53 kPa). The data on the milkability traits of the Mediterranean Italian breed made it possible to classify eight different types of milk flow curves due to anatomical, physiological, and management differences. This study aims to evaluate the main factors influencing milkability in dairy buffaloes. The results suggest the detachment of the milking cluster to reduce the decreasing and blind phases with the following advantages: reduction of the total milking time and consequently of the worker's time, improvement of the farmer's profitability and milk quality through decreasing the incidence of mastitis. Milk ability is influenced by physiological, sanitary, management, and genetic factors. In Mediterranean Italian buffaloes milked with the Automatic Milking System (AMS), a considerable variation in milk ejection and, consequently, in the milk flow curve was found compared to the conventional one, with better pre-stimulation, independent milk ejection for each teat, optimal milking of all quarters. In conclusion, continuous milkability monitoring will help optimize milking practices by reducing labor time and increasing farmers’ income through better milk quality. In addition, the identification of buffaloes with desirable types of milk flow curves could be helpful for buffalo breeders’ associations to address farmer management and to define potential new breeding objectives.

Biofunctional attributes and storage study of milk fermented by Enterococcus italicus

Lactic acid bacteria are probiotics in the intestines and have been widely used as natural antioxidants in the food industry. In this study, Enterococcus italicus FM5 with strong antioxidant ability was isolated from fresh milk. The safety evaluation showed that E. italicus FM5 was sensitive to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, vancomycin, rifampicin, and tetracycline, and was not hemolytic. Meanwhile, the whole genome information and biofunctional attributes of this strain were determined and analyzed. Subsequently, E. italicus FM5 was co-cultured with traditional yogurt starters (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus) to make fermented milk. The results showed that the addition of E. italicus FM5 could improve the oxygen free radical scavenging ability of the fermented milk, and the scavenging rates of DPPH, ABTS, OH−, and O2− radicals reaching up to 95.54 %, 88.35 %, 93.65 %, and 60.29 %, respectively. Furthermore, the addition of E. italicus FM5 reduced the curd time and improved the water holding capacity of the fermented milk. Besides, the growth of Lb. bulgaricus was significantly promoted when co-cultured with E. italicus FM5, thus the survival cells were increased compared with the traditional fermentation processes. Therefore, this study emphasized the potential to manufacture fermented milk by the co-cultivation of E. italicus with traditional yogurt starters.

Using a multi-omics approach to explore potential associations with rumen content and serum of cows with different milk production levels based on genomic predicted transmitting ability for milk and phenotypic milk production.

This study aims to compare rumen microbiome and metabolites between second lactation dairy cows in the 75th percentile (n = 12; 57.2 ± 5.08 kg/d) of production according to genomic predicted transmitting ability for milk (GPTAM) and their counterparts in the 25th percentile (n = 12; 47.2 ± 8.61 kg/d). It was hypothesized that the metagenome and metabolome would differ between production levels. Cows were matched by days in milk (DIM), sire, occurrence of disease, and days open in previous lactation. For an additional comparison, the cows were also divided by phenotype into high (n = 6; 61.3 ± 2.8 kg/d), medium (n = 10; 55 ± 1.2 kg/d), and low (n = 8; 41.9 ± 5.6 kg/d) based on their milk production. Samples were collected 65 ± 14 DIM. Rumen content was collected using an oro-gastric tube and serum samples were collected from the coccygeal vessels. High-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used for rumen and serum metabolite profiling. Shotgun metagenomics was used for rumen microbiome profiling. Microbiome sample richness and diversity were used to determine alpha and Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index was used to estimate beta diversity. Differences in metabolites were determined using t-tests or ANOVA. Pearson correlations were used to consider associations between serum metabolites and milk production. There was no evidence of a difference in rumen metabolites or microbial communities by GPTAM or phenotype. Cows in the phenotypic low group had greater serum acetate to propionate ratio and acetate proportion compared to the cows in the phenotypic medium group. Likewise, serum propionate proportion was greater in the medium compared to the low phenotypic group. Serum acetate, butyrate, and propionate concentrations had a weak positive correlation with milk production. When investigating associations between rumen environment and milk production, future studies must consider the impact of the ruminal epithelium absorption and post-absorption processes in relation to milk production.

Selecting oocyte donors based on anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations: A critical analysis of using cutoff values as exclusion criterion for an in vitro embryo production program in Gir cattle

The aims of this study were to determine anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) cutoff values for selecting Gir (Bos taurus indicus) oocyte donors and estimate the impact of using AMH concentrations as a selection criterion. In Exp. 1, Gir heifers (n=120) were sampled for AMH analysis and submitted to ovum pick-up and in vitro embryo production (OPU-IVEP). AMH cutoff values were calculated using ROC analysis or, alternatively, by the successive exclusion of heifers with the lowest AMH values. The correlations between AMH and OPU-IVEP outcomes were significant (P<0.001), though low or moderate (r= 0.34–0.52). We estimated an improvement (P<0.05) after the use of AMH cutoff values to select donors of +15.3% for total oocyes, +19.4% for viable COC, and +23.4% for blastocysts. This selection pressure, however, led to the exclusion of 32.8%, 37.9%, and 50.0% of the initial potential donors, respectively. In Exp. 2, we analyzed data from OPU-IVEP sessions of 658 Gir donors with known genomic values for predicted transmitting ability for milk (GPTAm) and age at first calving (GPTAafc). The selection based on the number of oocytes recovered had no effect (P>0.05) on the average GPTAm nor GPTAafc values of the remaining donors. In summary, plasma AMH ≥700 pg/mL is a cutoff value that can be used to select Gir heifers with a greater potential as oocyte donors. Nevertheless, this selection leads to the exclusion of up to 50% of potential donors. Finally, exclusion of poor responders had no effect on mean genomic estimates for milk production or age at first calving in the selected subset of donors.

PSII-8 Analysis of maternal influence on phenotypic ultrasound measurements of weaned Angus calves

Abstract Ultrasound carcass data can be used to accurately estimate the body composition of beef cattle in comparison with a body composition score. Literature regarding the analysis of phenotypic carcass data has focused predominately on yearling or mature cattle with limited measurements on weaned calves. Therefore, the influence of the milking ability of the dam on body composition traits measured via carcass ultrasound is unknown. The objective of this study was to estimate correlations between the maternal influence of the dam on the phenotypic ultrasound measurements of the calf. To quantify maternal influence, the expected progeny difference (EPD) for milk (MILK) of the dam was correlated to three ultrasound measurements of the calf: backfat thickness (BFAT), ribeye area (REA), and intramuscular fat (IMF). Ultrasound measurements were collected 1 wk after weaning on 104 purebred Angus heifer calves from the Iowa State University McNay Memorial Research and Demonstration Farm located outside Chariton, Iowa. The average age and body weight for heifers were 187 d and 195 kg, respectively. The milk EPD of the dam was correlated to the ultrasound measurements taken on the calves. For each trait, Pearson’s correlations were calculated between the ultrasound traits of the calf to the dam’s milk EPD using R Statistical Software version 4.3.1. A small positive correlation was identified between MILK and REA (r = 0.28, P = 0.004). This suggests a weak phenotypic relationship between MILK and REA for weaned heifers. The correlation between MILK to BFAT and IMF was 0.10 (P = 0.318) and -0.05 (P = 0.619), respectively. These correlations were not significantly different from zero. This suggests the potential for milk production of the dam has little association with BFAT and IMF for weaned heifers. Although further research is needed, the results from this study indicate little to no relationship between milk EPD of the dam on ultrasound measures of the calf for BFAT, REA, and IMF.

Milk thistle protects against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease induced by dietary thermally oxidized tallow

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic condition caused by several factors including thermally oxidized tallow. Various strategies have been considered to ameliorate NAFLD. However, the role of milk thistle (MT) in ameliorating NAFLD caused by thermally oxidized tallow has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of milk thistle to protect rabbits from the toxicity of oxidized tallow (OT). The rabbits were given OT and an extract of MT. The composition of MT was analyzed using HPLC-DAD, and tallow samples were studied using GC-MS. The study also examined liver histology, antioxidant levels, liver-related inflammatory markers, and serum lipid profile. The results showed that the major components of the MT extract were silybin B, formononetin-glucuronic acid, proanthocyanidin B1, silychristin B, silydianin, and isosilybin A. The group given OT showed elevated lipid profiles, lower antioxidant status, higher levels of hepatic inflammatory markers, and lower levels of anti-inflammatory markers. This group also had higher fat storage in the liver compared to the control or treatment groups. However, when MT was supplemented, the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-α) and antioxidant status (CAT, SOD, GSH-Px, GSH, and TBARS) of the liver returned to normal. This suggests that MT extract is an excellent source of hepatoprotective compounds. It protects the liver by increasing antioxidant enzymes, decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines, and increasing anti-inflammatory markers.

Using milk mid-infrared spectroscopy to estimate cow-level nitrogen efficiency metrics

Minimizing pollution from the dairy sector is paramount; one potential cause of such pollution is excess nitrogen. Nitrogen pollution contributes to a deterioration in water quality as well as an increase in both eutrophication and greenhouse gases. It is therefore essential to minimize the loss of nitrogen from the sector, including excretion from the cow. Breeding programs are one potential strategy to improve the efficiency with which nitrogen is used by dairy cows but relies on routine access to individual cow information on how efficiently each cows uses the nitrogen it ingests. A total of 3,497 test-day records for individual cow nitrogen efficiency metrics along with milk yield and the associated milk spectra were used to investigate the ability of milk infrared spectral data to predict these nitrogen traits; both traditional partial least squares regression and neural networks were used in the prediction process. The data originated from 4 farms across 11 years. The nitrogen traits investigated were nitrogen intake, nitrogen use efficiency, and nitrogen balance. Both nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen balance were calculated considering nitrogen intake, nitrogen in milk, nitrogen in the conceptus, nitrogen used for the growth, nitrogen stored in the reserves, and nitrogen mobilized from the reserves. Irrespective of the nitrogen-related trait being investigated, the best prediction from 4-fold cross-validation were achieved using neural networks that considered both the morning and evening milk spectra along with milk yield, parity, and days in milk in the prediction process. The coefficient of determination in the cross-validation was 0.61, 0.74, and 0.58 for nitrogen intake, nitrogen use efficiency, and nitrogen balance, respectively. In a separate series of validation approaches, the calibration and validation was stratified by herd (n = 4) and separately by year. For these scenarios, partial least squares regression generated more accurate predictions compared with neural networks; the coefficient of determination was always lower than 0.29 and 0.60 when validation was stratified by herd and year, respectively. Therefore, if the variability of the data being predicted in the validation data sets is similar to that in the data used to develop the predictions, then nitrogen-related traits can be predicted with reasonable accuracy. In contrast, where the variability of the data that exists in the validation data set is poorly represented in the calibration data set, then poor predictions will ensue.

Association of passive immunity and genetic composition, health, and performance of tropical dairy calves

This retrospective cohort study aimed to identify risk factors for the failure of transfer of passive immunity (FPI) in preweaned dairy calves, explore its associations with morbidity, mortality, genetics, and determine a standardized cut-off point for FPI. Analyzing data from 6011 calves, factors such as sire predicted transmitted ability for milk (PTA), birth season, retained placenta (RP), total serum protein concentration (TSP), morbidity (neonatal calf diarrhea - NCD, bovine respiratory disease - BRD, tick-borne disease - TBD), mortality, and average daily weight gain (ADG) were considered. The calves were categorized into predominantly Gyr (PG) and predominantly Holstein (PH) genetic composition groups. Multivariate mixed logistic regression revealed optimal TSP cut-off points for predicting morbidity (7.6 g/dL) and mortality (6.9 g/dL). PH calves exhibited 1.35 times higher odds of FPI and 1.48 times greater odds of disease. Calves from multiparous cows and those born to dams with RP had increased FPI odds. Disease prevalence was 53%, with 41% NCD, 18% BRD, and 10% TBD. Season, parity, PTA, and birth weight were associated with disease odds, though FPI was not a reliable predictor. The mortality percentage was 6%, with PH calves and those with a positive PTA having higher odds. The ADG was 0.64 kg, and FPI-affected calves gained less weight. The study compared and identified various risk factors that potentially impact calf immunity. However, the use of a standardized cut-off point for FPI assessment was not effective in predicting morbidity and mortality at this specific farm.

Specific IgA, But Not IgG, in Human Milk From COVID-19-Infected Mothers Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2.

This study highlights the importance of human milk in providing anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 immunity to newborns. The highest protective activity of human milk against COVID-19 was found in colostrum from infected mothers. Neutralizing activity was associated with high levels of specific IgA. Depletion of IgA, but not IgG, from milk samples completely abolished the ability of human milk to neutralize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Creating models for the prediction of colostrum quantity, quality, and immunoglobulin G yield in multiparous Jersey cows from performance in the previous lactation and environmental changes

With multiparous Jersey cows, colostrum production seems to be variable. Due to this, we aimed to identify specific variables involved in colostrum production and quality. From 2021 to 2023, data from 28 US farms (415 multiparous Jersey cows) were used to investigate if colostrum yield, IgG concentration (g/L), and IgG yield (g) could be predicted by farm variables and transmitting abilities. With the data collected, multiple regression equations were developed to aid in predicting colostrum yield, IgG concentration, and IgG yield. Colostrum was weighed and sampled for IgG analysis. Dairy Herd Information (DHI), calving, diet, and management information data were compiled. Days below 5°C (D<), days above 23°C (D>), and days between 5 and 23°C (D) were recorded. We evaluated transmitting abilities for milk, fat, protein, and dollars; previous lactation milk yield, fat percent, fat yield, protein percent, protein yield, previous lactation somatic cell score, previous lactation days open, previous lactation days dry, previous lactation days in milk, and previous parity; and current lactation parity, days dry, and calving information, birth ordinal day, and latitude. Colostrum yield, IgG yield, and concentration had 1 added to correct for values = 0. After addition, values >0 were transformed to ln or log10. Nontransformed variables were also used to develop the model. Variance inflation factor analysis was conducted, followed by backward elimination. The log10 colostrum yield model (R2 = 0.55; β in parentheses) included herd size (-0.0001), ordinal days (-0.001), ln ordinal days (0.07), latitude (-0.02), dry period length (0.004), D< (-0.005), D (-0.003), time to harvest (0.05), ln time to harvest (-0.35), IgG (-0.004), log10 IgG (0.46), feedings per day (0.06), ln pasture access (-0.13), and ln previous lactation days open (0.14). The model showed that previous lactation days open contributed the most toward increasing and latitude contributed the most toward decreasing colostrum yield. The IgG model (R2 = 0.21) included herd size (0.02), D> (0.38), ln time to harvest (-19.42), colostrum yield (-4.29), ln diet type (18.00), ln previous lactation fat percent (74.43), and previous parity (5.72). The model showed that previous lactation milkfat percent contributed the most toward increasing and time from parturition to colostrum harvest contributed the most toward decreasing colostrum IgG concentration. The log10 IgG yield model (R2 = 0.79) included ln ordinal days (0.03), time to harvest (-0.01), colostrum yield (-0.11), ln colostrum yield (1.20), ln pasture access (-0.09), ln previous lactation fat percent (0.53), and previous parity (0.02). The model showed that colostrum yield contributed the most toward increasing IgG yield, followed by previous lactation milkfat percentage. Pasture access contributed the most toward decreasing IgG yield, although the contribution was very small. These models were validated using 39 samples from 22 farms. Actual minus predicted colostrum yield and IgG concentration and yield were 0.89 kg, -21.10 g/L, and -65.15 g, respectively. These models indicate that dry period management and cow information can predict colostrum yield and IgG concentration and yield.

Fermented soy milk with cholesterol-lowering potential: Probiotics screening, physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity and volatile composition

In recent years, probiotics and soybean foods have been shown to have cholesterol-lowering properties. However, the unique soybean flavor limits the popularity of soy milk (water extract of soybeans), but probiotics fermentation has been confirmed to reduce soybean flavors and improve the cholesterol-lowering ability. In this study, we obtained a potential probiotic strain (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P101) via the investigation of cholesterol-lowering properties, probiotic properties, safety, and fermented soy milk performance. Furthermore, we found that P101 fermentation improved the antioxidant activity and texture of soy milk. Subsequent analysis revealed that P101 fermentation enhanced the cholesterol-lowering ability of soy milk through improved isoflavone bioavailability and reduced cholesterol solubility. Moreover, P101 fermentation increased the level of ester aromatic substances (hexyl methanoate) while decreasing the content of soybean flavor substances (1-octene-3-alcohol and hexanal). Finally, we assessed the storage stability of fermented soy milk and found its quality remained consistent when stored at 4 °C for 20 days. Consequently, it can serve as a cholesterol-lowering alternative to cow's milk.

Buffalo genetic improvement program in Vene- zuela

The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) has become one of the most important livestock species locally and worldwide, contributing significantly to people’s food security and being a source of milk, meat, leather, manure, horns, and traction power. During the last decades, its inventory has doubled, with a notable improvement in genetics, management, and nutrition practices, coupled with advanced breeding programs, allowing the dissemination and acquisition of improved germplasm. The implementation of genetic evaluations in the water buffalo through Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) through the animal model has increased over the last two decades across several countries. This methodology allows the prediction of breeding values (EBVs). It is an integral part of most breeding programs based on two fundamental pillars: phenotypic data (milk production, fat, protein, or morphological traits) and genealogical information (through the availability of a pedigree). Since many of the selection plans in this species have been directed to production traits (milk, solids in milk, and meat), reproduction needs to be included to avoid a reduction in fertility since poor reproductive ability, long age at first calving, calving intervals, and a low conception rate, constituting these elements as one of the main drawbacks of buffalo livestock. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the outcome of sixteeen years of an Artificial Insemination (AI) program and develop a selection index that included multiparous females’ milk yield (MY) and reproduction (calving intervals: CI) (60% MY 40% CI) while in the heifers, milk ability and age at first service. This index allows for jointly selecting both important characteristics in buffalo production systems. Moreover, in the American tropics, the crossing of Murrah with the Mediterranean buffalo breed should be avoided since both breeds have a good adaptation to the environment and excellent production levels, which is why an absorption program for the pure breed is recommended in programs for individuals of each breed. The results obtained from the implementation of Artificial Insemination (AI) from 2007 and this index from 2016 to 2023 have allowed us to go from 1445 ± 430 to 1597±415 kg of milk adjusted to 244d and an CI from 420±65.4 to 413±60.7 days. Moreover, the age at the first service of the buffaloes improved from 32.7±10 to 29.7±9.91 months, respectively. The average genetic values of the herd for MY increased from 2.94 to 57.35 kg/lactation, representing a significant increase, and the genetic values for CI improved from -0.02 to -1.12 days, giving indications that it is possible under a selection index, improving both characteristics in buffalo herds in the tropics. Similarly, using proven bulls through Artificial Insemination (AI) for 16 years has shown average improvement values in LA, LA1, LA2, and LA3 animals of 1368.3, 1677.3, and 2083.1 kg/lactation, respectively. In conclusion, genetic improvement programs based on the selection index and the massive use of reproductive biotechnologies are potent tools that must simultaneously accelerate buffalo herds’ genetic progress.

Lactobacillus fermentation improved the nutrient value and hypoglycemic activity of chickpea milk

In this work, the effects of Lactobacillus fermentation on the nutrient content and hypoglycemic ability of chickpea milk were studied. Specifically, the fermentation of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 (LA) and Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum CICC 20279 (LP) reduced the contents of soluble sugar and protein in chickpea milk. But both single bacteria fermentation (SBF, LA or LP) and mixed bacteria fermentation (MBF, LA and LP) significantly increased the contents of some bioactive substances, such as dietary fiber, free amino acids, total polyphenols and total flavonoids. Moreover, LA fermented chickpea milk showed the best inhibition of α- glucosidase (highest inhibition rate up to 92.91%) and the MBF samples showed the best inhibition of α-amylase (highest inhibition rate up to 33.33%). In addition, free phenolics, conjugated phenolics, and total phenolics were all remarkably increased in chickpea milk after LA fermentation. The three types of phenolic compounds (free, conjugated, and bound) showed greater inhibition of α-glucosidase than α-amylase, and the conjugated phenolics exhibited the best inhibitory effects on both enzymes. From the results, Lactobacillus fermentation process may effectively improve the nutritional values and potential hypoglycemic activity of chickpea milk.&#x0D; Keywords: Lactobacillus; chickpea milk; nutrient composition; hypoglycemic activity

Integrating on-farm and genomic information improves the predictive ability of milk infrared prediction of blood indicators of metabolic disorders in dairy cows

BackgroundBlood metabolic profiles can be used to assess metabolic disorders and to evaluate the health status of dairy cows. Given that these analyses are time-consuming, expensive, and stressful for the cows, there has been increased interest in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of milk samples as a rapid, cost-effective alternative for predicting metabolic disturbances. The integration of FTIR data with other layers of information such as genomic and on-farm data (days in milk (DIM) and parity) has been proposed to further enhance the predictive ability of statistical methods. Here, we developed a phenotype prediction approach for a panel of blood metabolites based on a combination of milk FTIR data, on-farm data, and genomic information recorded on 1150 Holstein cows, using BayesB and gradient boosting machine (GBM) models, with tenfold, batch-out and herd-out cross-validation (CV) scenarios.ResultsThe predictive ability of these approaches was measured by the coefficient of determination (R2). The results show that, compared to the model that includes only FTIR data, integration of both on-farm (DIM and parity) and genomic information with FTIR data improves the R2 for blood metabolites across the three CV scenarios, especially with the herd-out CV: R2 values ranged from 5.9 to 17.8% for BayesB, from 8.2 to 16.9% for GBM with the tenfold random CV, from 3.8 to 13.5% for BayesB and from 8.6 to 17.5% for GBM with the batch-out CV, and from 8.4 to 23.0% for BayesB and from 8.1 to 23.8% for GBM with the herd-out CV. Overall, with the model that includes the three sources of data, GBM was more accurate than BayesB with accuracies across the CV scenarios increasing by 7.1% for energy-related metabolites, 10.7% for liver function/hepatic damage, 9.6% for oxidative stress, 6.1% for inflammation/innate immunity, and 11.4% for mineral indicators.ConclusionsOur results show that, compared to using only milk FTIR data, a model integrating milk FTIR spectra with on-farm and genomic information improves the prediction of blood metabolic traits in Holstein cattle and that GBM is more accurate in predicting blood metabolites than BayesB, especially for the batch-out CV and herd-out CV scenarios.

Physicochemical properties, antigenicity and allergenicity of yoghurt fermented by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum AHQ‐14 combined with starter

SummaryCow milk proteins is one of the major food allergens, and some probiotics can abate allergenicity to some extent. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum AHQ‐14 isolated from the traditional dairy products in Xinjiang Province, China, has good ability to reduce the allergenicity of β‐lactoglobulin (LG) and good probiotic properties. In the presented study, L. plantarum AHQ‐14 was used to replace half of the commercial yoghurt starter to ferment yoghurt, and the effects of L. plantarum AHQ‐14 fortification on microstructure, textural and rheological attributes of yoghurt were investigated. In addition, milk protein hydrolysis, antigenicity and allergenicity of yoghurts during 28 days of cold storage were detected. The results indicated that AHQ‐14 and YC‐X11 fermentation could enhance the texture and rheological properties of yoghurt by reducing the syneresis (37%) and firmness (14%) and improving the cohesiveness by 50%. In addition, AHQ‐14 and YC‐X11 fermentation can shorten the fermentation time by about 30 min, SDS‐PAGE displayed that AHQ‐14 and YC‐X11 fermentation had stronger hydrolysis of whey protein compared with YC‐X11 yoghurt. Additionally, the fermentation by L. plantarum AHQ‐14 and YC‐X11 could significantly reduce the antigenicity and IgE‐binding ability of skim milk by 82% and 94%, respectively, thus reducing milk‐allergic reactions in patients significantly.