This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of two Italian local chicken breeds, Millefiori Piemontese (PMP) and Collo Nudo Italiana (PCI), using the 600K Affymetrix SNP chip array, and to contextualise these breeds in the national biodiversity landscape based on 23 Italian local chicken breeds previously characterised. Minor allele frequency (MAF), expected heterozygosity (He), and observed heterozygosity (Ho) of PCI were 0.311 ± 0.170, 0.484 ± 0.107, and 0.469 ± 0.128, respectively. The inbreeding coefficient (FHOM) was −0.001 ± 0.066 and the inbreeding coefficient calculated on runs of homozygosity (ROH) values (FROH) was 0.003 ± 0.004. The PMP had MAF, He, and Ho of 0.245 ± 0.201, 0.383 ± 0.112, and 0.428 ± 0.149, respectively, and exhibited higher FHOM (0.149 ± 0.405) and FROH (0.016 ± 0.009) than PCI. The multi-dimensional scaling plot and neighbour-joining tree depicted clear genetic clustering for both the PCI and PMP breeds. The ROH analysis identified key genomic regions with significant gene annotations. In particular, four ROH islands in GGA4, GGA5, and GGA8 of PCI, and three ROH islands in GGA3 of PMP were detected. For PCI, ROH regions contained genes related to immune response and thermoregulation, such as S1PR1 and PLA2G4A. For PMP, ROH regions included genes involved in muscle development and immune response, such as RRM2, KLF11, and CPSF3. This research provided insights into the genetic diversity and adaptive traits of PCI and PMP breeds, contributing to widen the understanding of Italian local chicken genetic resources.
Abstract Background The study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activities of two types of insect fats extracted from black soldier fly larvae (HI, Hermetia illucens L.) and yellow mealworm larvae (TM, Tenebrio molitor L.) and their effects as dietary replacement of soybean oil (S) on caecal fermentation pattern, and faecal and caecal microbiota in rabbits. Results A total of 120 weaned rabbits were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments (40 rabbits/group): a control diet (C diet) containing 1.5% of S and two experimental diets (HID and TMD) where S was totally substituted by HI or TM fats. Regarding the in vitro antimicrobial activities, HI and TM fats did not show any effects on Salmonella growth. Yersinia enterocolitica showed lower growth when challenged with insect fats than the controls. The insect fat supplementation in rabbit diets increased the contents of the caecal volatile fatty acids when compared to the control group. A metataxonomic approach was adopted to investigate the shift in the microbial composition as a function of the dietary insect fat supplementation. The microbiota did not show a clear separation as a function of the inclusion, even if a specific microbial signature was observed. Indeed, HI and TM fat supplementation enriched the presence of Akkermansia that was found to be correlated with NH 3 -N concentration. An increase in Ruminococcus , which can improve the immune response of the host, was also observed. Conclusions This study confirms the potential of HI and TM fats as antibacterial feed ingredients with a positive influence on the rabbit caecal microbiota, thus supporting the possibility of including HI and TM fats in rabbit diets.
In seeking alternative cryoprotectants to glycerol for a reference chicken semen freezing procedure, the aim of the present study was to compare the effect of two concentrations of N-Methylacetamide (MA) and two thawing rates on the quality of frozen-thawed semen. Semen samples were diluted in Lake pre-freezing extender, including 0.1 M trehalose in presence of 6% or 9% MA, loaded into straws, frozen in nitrogen vapors, and stored in liquid nitrogen. The following thawing treatments were used: 5 °C for 100 s and 38 °C for 30 s. Sperm quality (cell membrane integrity, motility and kinetic parameters) was assessed before and after cryopreservation. The decrease of MA concentration from 9 to 6% improved sperm quality after freezing/thawing and this effect was dependent on thawing temperature. Decreasing the MA concentration from 9 to 6% improved the proportion of undamaged membrane, motile, and progressive motile sperm recovered after thawing at 5 °C for 100 s; in contrast, no effect of the MA concentration was observed thawing at 38 °C for 30 s. Therefore, the treatment with 6% MA and thawing at 5 °C for 100 s has given the best cryoprotective action. These results contribute to improve the efficacy of the current chicken semen cryopreservation procedures.
Horses reared for meat production are generally fed a diet rich in starch with the aim of maximizing production performances. This study evaluated the effects of two feeding management systems on horse welfare by analysing the relative time spent engaged in different behavioural activities. Nineteen Bardigiano horses aged 14.3 ± 0.7 months were randomly assigned to one of two group pens: one group was fed high amounts of starch-rich concentrates (HCG; n = 10), the other was fed a fibre-based diet (HFG; n = 9). Behavioural activities performed by each horse were video-recorded over a 96-h period. A scan sampling process (n = 144 scans/horse/day; total n of scans sampled = 10,368) was used, and the scans were analysed according to a specific ethogram. The mean frequency (%/24 h) spent exhibiting each behavioural activity was calculated to obtain the time budget. After checking for normality (Shapiro-Wilk test), Student's t tests (normally distributed data) and Mann-Whitney tests (not normally distributed data) were used to compare the time budgets of the two groups of horses (HCG vs. HFG). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to identify the components explaining the variability in behavioural activities between the two groups. K-means cluster analysis subsequently confirmed the PCA results. The behavioural activities associated with feeding horses a fibre-based diet correlated with better horse welfare compared with feeding horses a starch-based diet. Feeding horses a fibre-based diet resulted advantageous from both the welfare and economic perspective; it allowed horses to spend more time expressing feeding behaviours and reduced energy expenditure in the form of excitable, or "fizzy", behaviours.
