Journal of Dairy Research最新文献

The Murciano-Granadina goat breed was imported from Spain to the southern region of Iran to enhance production efficiency in the native and nomadic goat flocks of the region, primarily maintained under a low-input, low-output production system. In this study, the genetic and phenotypic aspects of milk production traits in the Murciano-Granadina goat breed were investigated using data collected from a private dairy farm in Ghale-Ganj city, located in southern Kerman province, Iran, between 2017 and 2024. Data on 76,874 test-day lactation records of milk yield (MY), fat yield (FY), protein yield (PY) and somatic cell count from 7,196 first-parity Murciano-Granadina does were used. The investigated traits were total MY, total FY, total PY, average fat-to-protein ratio (FPR) and average somatic cell score (SCS), all calculated based on a 275-day lactation period. A multivariate animal model was used to estimate the genetic and phenotypic parameters of the investigated traits. The heritability estimates for MY, FY, PY, FPR and SCS were 0.15, 0.06, 0.09, 0.10 and 0.26, respectively. The estimates of genetic correlations among the studied traits ranged from -0.38 for FY-FPR to 0.91 for FY-PY, while the phenotypic correlations ranged from -0.05 for MY-FPR to 0.90 for PY-FY. Genetic correlations between SCS and MY, FY and PY were low estimates of 0.16, 0.19 and 0.08, respectively. The corresponding phenotypic correlations were low estimates of 0.03 (MY-SCS), 0.05 (FY-SCS) and 0.06 (PY-SCS). Genetic and phenotypic correlation estimates among MY, FY and PY were positive and medium to high, with the corresponding genetic correlations generally higher than the phenotypic ones. These low heritability estimates for all the studied traits, except for SCS, suggest that non-additive genetic and environmental effects play a more significant role in the performance of the Murciano-Granadina goat. The high positive genetic correlation estimates between MY, FY and PY suggest that selection for higher MY should also increase in both FY and PY.

Clarified butterfat, also known as ghee, a popular dairy product in Indian cuisine, has low oxidative stability due to its limited natural antioxidant content. Antioxidants are crucial for enhancing the stability of food lipids during storage and heating processes. While synthetic antioxidants are commonly used in ghee, concerns have arisen due to potentially toxic by-products formed during their breakdown. Gamma-oryzanol, an antioxidant compound found in rice bran oil, has shown significant improvement in ghee's antioxidant properties when added at a 0.5% concentration, as confirmed by various free radical scavenging tests. High Performance Liquid Chromatography analysis revealed that γ-oryzanol remained stable during ghee storage at 37° C ± 1° C and 60° C ± 1° C but experienced some degradation during deep fat frying at 180° C. Notably, γ-oryzanol effectively prevented the formation of cholesterol oxidation products in ghee during a 60-min frying period. Therefore, γ-oryzanol could serve as a natural antioxidant to safeguard ghee from oxidative and thermal deterioration, offering a preferable alternative to butylated hydroxyanisole to address human health concerns.

This study compared a culture-based protocol in which only cows identified as having intramammary infections due to major pathogens (major IMI) were treated with dry cow antibiotics (DCAT) compared with the current New Zealand somatic cell count (SCC) and mastitis-based algorithm. Healthy multiparous pregnant lactating cattle (n = 1541) were enrolled from three spring-calving New Zealand farms. A composite four-quarter milk sample was collected aseptically prior to the last milking before dry-off. Samples underwent standard culture and a culture using a novel, custom-made agar plate. Enrolled animals were classified as having a major IMI on 1) standard culture; 2) novel culture and 3) having SCC > 150,000 cells/ml at the last herd test and/or clinical mastitis (CM) in the current lactation. The sensitivity and specificity of novel culture and SCC/mastitis history for identifying cows with major IMI (compared with standard culture) were calculated. Cows were then blocked by standard culture results (major, minor or no growth) and randomly allocated to treatment based on either novel culture results (cult-SDCT) or SCC/mastitis history (alg-SDCT). Cows allocated to cult-SDCT whose novel culture result was major pathogen positive or contaminated received DCAT, while for alg-SDCT cows, all cows with either SCC > 150,000 cells/ml at the last herd test or CM in the current lactation received DCAT. The sensitivity (0.80 vs 0.67) and specificity (0.91 vs 0.81) for major IMI prediction were greater for cult-SDCT than alg-SDCT. After accounting for farm, age and dry-off SCC, alg-SDCT cows had marginal mean SCC at first herd test post-calving of 129,000 (95% CI 116-143,000) cells/ml, whereas the equivalent for cult-SDCT cows was 113,000 (95% CI 101-126,000) cells/ml. Compared to alg-SDCT, using cult-SDCT correctly identified a higher proportion of major IMI identified by standard culture and did not result in an increase in post-calving SCC.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) must be applied at 12-h intervals over 4-5 days in the traditional cattle superovulation protocol, which still needs to be improved. This research paper evaluated the superovulation results obtained by a traditional protocol or by a single administration of FSH dissolved in Montanide^TM ISA-206 VG (MonISA-206). Control cows were superovulated with 10 mL of FSH (500 µg pFSH + 100 µg pLH) from day 7 to day 10 (for 4 days, twice daily i.m. injections, decreasing doses). Cows in the EG10 and EG7.5 groups were injected i.m. with 20 mL (100%, 10 mL + 10 mL) or 15 mL (75%, 7.5 mL + 7.5 mL) of the FSH and MonISA-206 mixture at once on day 7. All cows were inseminated 12 and 24 h after oestrus onset. The cows presented no pathology at the injection sites. Plasma FSH levels differed between the groups, but the interaction between hour and group × time was not different. Superstimulation and embryo quality results were similar between the groups. A single injection of FSH (both 100% and 75% doses) dissolved in MonISA-206 led to adequate plasma FSH levels and similar superovulation results to traditional FSH treatment, and caused no pathology at the injection sites.

This Research Paper addresses the hypothesis that the dietary inclusion of an Aspergillus niger fermentation product will alter the degradation kinetics and rumen fermentation patterns of feeds in dairy cattle. Fungal fermentation products often contain a suite of bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites, which can influence the microbial environment in the rumen and act as digestibility enhancers. As the cattle sector is under increasing pressure to enhance its sustainability, the investigation of dietary interventions that could improve the efficiency of production is warranted. In a previous experiment, Synergen®, a product of the solid-state fermentation of Aspergillus niger (ANP) containing residual enzyme activities, significantly increased the in vitro digestibility of a grass silage-based dairy total mixed ration (TMR), suggesting that in vivo studies would be valuable. Hence the present study aimed to quantify the effects of this ANP on rumen fermentation measures in cattle. Using a 4 × 4 Latin square design, the effect of four doses of ANP (0, 5, 10, 15 g/day) in four cannulated Jersey heifers was measured on the in sacco degradation of dry matter (DM), organic matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre in steam-flaked barley, grass silage and a grass silage-based TMR formulated for dairy cattle. Treatments had no significant effect on the rate, or extent, of degradation of any component in any feed investigated. Rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations and proportions, and rumen pH, were quantified at seven timepoints during each 48-h sampling period and were unaffected by treatment, as was the apparent total tract digestibility of DM. Under the conditions of this trial, ANP did not influence rumen fermentation kinetics; indicating that supplementing mature, non-lactating Jersey cattle with this fungal fermentation product is not an advantageous strategy to enhance feed digestibility.

Changes in waxed dry cheese during the ripening process, over periods of 7 and 30 days, were analysed using near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) and mid-infrared spectroscopy (FT-MIR) by attenuated total reflection (ATR). FT-NIR was employed to determine the proximate composition of the cheese (protein, fat, moisture, total solids, and salt content), identifying changes directly associated with the ripening process. FT-MIR data were used to identify spectral bands associated with chemical changes occurring during the cheese maturation. Additionally, chemometric techniques were applied to demonstrate the potential of FT-MIR infrared spectroscopy for cheese differentiation and fingerprint profiling. Subsequently, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of the FT-MIR spectra was performed, revealing two distinct clusters representing the cheese ripening times. Functional groups related to lipids (-CH₂ - and - CH₃), proteins (amide bands I and II), and carbohydrates (C-O) were identified, correlating to lipolysis, proteolysis, and lactose catabolism. Infrared spectroscopy in combination with chemometric methods proved to be a robust and reliable tool for monitoring changes during the ripening of waxed dry cheese. The results obtained highlight its usefulness as an alternative approach for the analysis and fingerprinting of traditional Mexican foods, aiming to add value to local products.

Cheese-whey is a valuable byproduct of the dairy industry, rich in various nutritional components such as minerals, lactose, and proteins. Whey proteins, often used in concentrate form, are widely applied in the food industry due to their diverse chemical, physical, and techno-functional properties. This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical composition and biochemical characteristics of camel and bovine whey after partial demineralization at a laboratory scale. Camel whey exhibited lower pH values compared to bovine whey, while showing comparable levels of total solids, ash, and lactose, but significantly higher protein content. Analysis of both types of whey, before and after dialysis filtration, demonstrated partial demineralization, a significant reduction in lactose content, and a decrease in β-lactoglobulin levels in bovine whey. These findings suggest that demineralized camel and bovine whey hold significant potential for applications in the agricultural and food industries.

This Research Paper addresses the hypothesis that wastewater characteristics in the dairy industry vary with product type and operational procedures, and that current treatment methods face limitations in managing such variability. The study examined raw and clean-in-place (CIP) wastewater from a Serbian dairy plant over three years. Physico-chemical and microbiological analyses included pH, protein, fat, carbohydrates, total solids, total microorganisms, E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and dissolved oxygen (O₂).Dairy plants produced 0.2-10 L wastewater per litre of milk. Protein content ranged 0.07-0.31 g/100 ml, fat 0.01-0.19 g/100 ml, and carbohydrates up to 1.37%. Total solids were 0.13-2.95%. pH varied from 4.41 to 12.76, affected by lactic fermentation and cleaning agents. COD values (529-12,476 mg/l) indicated strong organic loads. Microbiological counts were highly variable, with E. coli up to 10³ cfu/ml and total microorganisms up to 1 × 10⁸ cfu/ml. Nitrogen ranged 36-104 mg/l and phosphorus reached 10.91 mg/l, sometimes exceeding limits. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 61.86% of variance, driven by N, pH, P, E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae, and oxygen content. Seasonal patterns were identified: higher TSS during spring and summer, and increased microbial loads, COD, and oxygen fluctuations in autumn and winter. The findings demonstrate that dairy wastewater is complex and variable, requiring adaptive treatment strategies. Optimised management, including pH control, nutrient removal, and combined biological and advanced technologies, can improve treatment efficiency, support reuse, and mitigate environmental impact.

This research communication hypothesizes that superstimulation with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) would not impact behavior and performance of Holstein cows. The objectives were to investigate the effect of FSH superstimulation on follicular dynamics, animal behaviour, body surface temperature and milk yield of Holstein cows. Cows were blocked by parity and body condition score (BCS), and within a block, they were assigned randomly to receive either normal saline (CON = 7) or 500 IU of FSH (n = 8). The estrous cycle of cows was synchronized by using two injections of prostaglandin F₂-alpha (PG), 11 days apart. The dominant follicle was ablated at the time of the second PG injection, and an intra-vaginal controlled internal drug release (CIDR) was inserted (day 0). Two days later, FSH treatment was initiated and continued for 3 days in six equal doses of 83.33 IU after 12 h. Follicles were counted and their sizes were measured from day-0 to day-5. Behavior, including activity and feeding time, was recorded using SmartTag Neck from day 0 to 6. The surface temperatures of the eye, shoulder, flank, and vulva were measured by using infrared thermal imaging every 12 h from day-2 to day-5. Milk was recorded from day-0 to day-6. Mixed effects models were used to analyse the data using SAS statistical software. The number of small and medium follicles did not differ between treatments. However, FSH-treated cows had a more (P = 0.01) large and total follicles compared with CON cows. FSH treatment did not affect activity, feeding time, body surface temperature, or milk yield. In conclusion, FSH superstimulation increased the number of large follicles but did not influence behaviour, body surface temperature, or performance in dairy cows.

This study aimed to investigate the potential association between the breeding values for somatic cell scores in milk (SCS) and polymorphisms in genes that encode for cytokines (CXCL8, TGF-β1 and IFN-γ) and CD4. These genes were selected because of their critical roles in immune regulation and their known involvement in mastitis-related inflammatory processes. To gain a comprehensive breeding perspective, the association study was conducted simultaneously with breeding values for productive traits in 558 Italian Simmental cows, a widespread dual-purpose dairy and beef bovine breed that is adaptable to harsh farming and breeding conditions.The association analysis showed that only three of the nine chosen markers, one in IFN-γ and two in CD4, significantly associated with somatic cell breeding values, without effects on the other dairy traits. Only one of the two CD4 SNPs has been considered, being in linkage disequilibrium. The two remaining SNPs were grouped into three haplotypes (A-G, 88%; A-A, 5%; and T-G, 7%, respectively), and Haplotype-3 significantly affected the breeding values for SCS. The combination of Haplotype-1 with Haplotype-2 resulted in a significant decrease, while with Haplotype-3 led to a considerable improvement in SCS breeding values. It was noted that the functional haplotypic combinations examined did not significantly affect the production breeding values. This research could provide interesting polymorphisms for genomic evaluation of Italian Simmental dairy cows, increasing the accuracy of breeding values, assisting breeders in selecting animals with enhanced immune responses, minimising the economic impact of mastitis, and improving overall herd health and productivity.