Dairy Science

Investigation of Shelf Life of Potency and Activity of the Lactobacilli Produced Bacteriocins Through Their Exposure to Various Physicochemical Stress Factors

by Myrto-Panagiota Zacharof

published in Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins
2012, DOI: 10.1007/s12602-012-9102-2 by Springer

Three Lactobacilli strains, Lactobacillus casei NCIMB 11970, Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8014, Lactobacillus lactis... more Three Lactobacilli strains, Lactobacillus casei NCIMB 11970, Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8014, Lactobacillus lactis NCIMB 8586 have been used for the production of bacteriocins. Though, their production phase, their biochemical nature, their mode of activity even their genetic structure have been widely investigated, there are hardly any studies investigating their potency and activity in depth of time, in other words their shelf life under several physicochemical conditions that may occur during their production in large scale. As such, the effect of several factors influencing the activity and the potency of bacteriocins when produced in large scale was examined as due to bacteriocins peptide nature degradation or denaturation might occur, under extreme physicochemical conditions. During scale-up process, differences between the output data may occur, such as concerning biomass, metabolic by-products and limiting substrate concentrations. These may affect negatively the activity and the potency of the bacteriocins. For investigating these effects and minimizing them, numerous studies were conducted, which were related to the exact phase of the production of these substances, the effect of dilution and temperature changes. These studies could be used in order to minimize the scaling-up effect when decided to produce these peptides in large scale.

Design and Evaluation of a Sequential Biological Treatment System for Dairy Parlor Wastewaier in Southeastern Louisiana

by Vinicius Moreira

Effect of Scraping Frequency in a Freestall Barn on Volatile Nitrogen Loss from Dairy Manure

by Vinicius Moreira

Spurring Dairy Buffalo Development in the Philippines through Cooperatives, Negotiations, and Networks

by Eric Palacpac

Determination of β-casomorphins in cheeses

by Edyta Sienkiewicz-Szlapka

Co-authored

The aim of the research was to determine the amount and activity of opioid peptides, p-casomorphins -4, -5 and -7, in... more The aim of the research was to determine the amount and activity of opioid peptides, p-casomorphins -4, -5 and -7, in the commercial soft blue cheeses: Rokpol, Valbon, Brie, and the hard ones: Edam, Gouda, Mazdamer and Kasztelan. In peptide extracts derived from the investigated cheeses, p-casomorphins -4, -5 and -7 were present in amounts ranging from 2.77 to 12.00 μg/mg. All peptide extracts showed the opioid activity, which was measured by examining the effects of peptide extracts on the motor activity of isolated rabbit intestine. Finally, it was concluded that the opioid activity of cheeses could be a new indicator of their diversification.

Contents of agonistic and antagonistic opioid peptides in different cheese varieties

by Edyta Sienkiewicz-Szlapka

First author, co-authored

Two opioid peptides with agonistic (β-casomorphin-5 and β-casomorphin-7) and three with antagonistic (casoxin-6,... more Two opioid peptides with agonistic (β-casomorphin-5 and β-casomorphin-7) and three with antagonistic (casoxin-6, casoxin-C and lactoferroxin A) activity were determined in three semi-hard cheeses (Edamski, Gouda and Kasztelan) and in two ripening mould cheeses (Brie and Rokpol). β-Casomorphins (BCMs) were found at a higher level in the mould cheeses, whereas the opioid peptides with antagonistic activity were identified at a higher level in the semi-hard cheeses. The opioid activities of the peptide extracts from the cheeses were confirmed using isolated rabbit ileum.

ECONOMIC RESULTS OF DAIRY FARMS IN THE YEARS 2006-2013 UNDER DIFFERENT PRICES SCENARIOS (WYNIKI EKONOMICZNE GOSPODARSTW PRODUKUJĄCYCH MLEKO W LATACH 2006-2013 W RÓŻNYCH SCENARIUSZACH CENOWYCH)

by Artur Wilczyński

Language: Polish

Macroeconomic trends in EU dairy sector until 2020 (Makroekonomiczne uwarunkowania produkcji mleka w Unii Europejskiej do 2020 roku)

by Artur Wilczyński

Language: Polish

ECONOMIC SITUATION OF DAIRY FARMERS IN DIFFERENT PRODUCER PRICES SCENARIO (Sytuacja ekonomiczna gospodarstw zajmujących się produkcją mleka w różnych scenariuszach zmian cen produktów rolnych)

by Artur Wilczyński

Language: Polish

Dairy farm economic situation in different price scenarios (SYTUACJA EKONOMICZNA GOSPODARSTW ZAJMUJĄCYCH SIĘ PRODUKCJĄ MLEKA W RÓżNYCH SCENARIUSZACH CENOWYCH)

by Artur Wilczyński

Language: Polish

Prospects of Economic situation of dairy farms to 2013 (Prognoza wyników ekonomicznych gospodarstw mlecznych w 2013 roku)

by Artur Wilczyński

Language: Polish

Preweaning milk replacer intake and effects on long-term productivity of dairy calves

by Fernando Soberon

The preweaning management of dairy calves over
the last 30 yr has focused on mortality, early weaning,
and... more The preweaning management of dairy calves over
the last 30 yr has focused on mortality, early weaning,
and rumen development. Recent studies suggest that
nutrient intake from milk or milk replacer during the
preweaning period alters the phenotypic expression for
milk yield. The objective of this study was to investigate
the relationship between nutrient intake from milk
replacer and pre- and postweaning growth rate with
lactation performance in the Cornell dairy herd and
a commercial dairy farm. The analysis was conducted
using traditional 305-d first-lactation milk yield and
residual lactation yield estimates from a test-day model
(TDM) to analyze the lactation records over multiple
lactations. The overall objective of the calf nutrition
program in both herds was to double the birth weight
of calves by weaning through increased milk replacer
and starter intake. First-lactation 305-d milk yield and
residuals from the TDM were generated from 1,244 and
624 heifers from the Cornell herd and from the commercial
farm, respectively. The TDM was used to generate
lactation residuals after accounting for the effects of test
day, calving season, days in milk, days pregnant, lactation
number, and year. In addition, lactation residuals
were generated for cattle with multiple lactations to
determine if the effect of preweaning nutrition could
be associated with lifetime milk yield. Factors such as
preweaning average daily gain (ADG), energy intake
from milk replacer as a multiple of maintenance, and
other growth outcomes and management variables were
regressed on TDM milk yield data. In the Cornell herd,
preweaning ADG, ranged from 0.10 to 1.58 kg, and
was significantly correlated with first-lactation yield;
for every 1 kg of preweaning ADG, heifers, on average,
produced 850 kg more milk during their first lactation
and 235 kg more milk for every Mcal of metabolizable
energy intake above maintenance. In the commercial
herd, for every 1 kg of preweaning ADG, milk yield increased by 1,113 kg in the first lactation and further,
every 1 kg of prepubertal ADG was associated with a
3,281 kg increase in first-lactation milk yield. Among
the 2 herds, preweaning ADG accounted for 22% of the
variation in first-lactation milk yield as analyzed with
the TDM. These results indicate that increased growth
rate before weaning results in some form of epigenetic
programming that is yet to be understood, but has
positive effects on lactation milk yield. This analysis
identifies nutrition and management of the preweaned
calf as major environmental factors influencing the expression
of the genetic capacity of the animal for milk
yield.

Lameness scoring system for dairy cows using force plates and artificial intelligence

by Saeid Mokaram

Sara Mokaram G.; Saeid Mokaram; S.Mehdi Ghamsari; Iradj Nowrouzian; Saeed Shiry G.; “Lameness scoring system for dairy cows using force plates and artificial intelligence”, Veterinary Record, 10.1136/vr.100429, 2011.

Lameness scoring is a routine procedure in dairy industry to screen the herds for new cases of lameness. Subjective... more Lameness scoring is a routine procedure in dairy industry to screen the herds for new cases of lameness. Subjective lameness scoring, which is the most popular lameness detection and screening method in dairy herds, has several limitations. They include low intra-observer and inter-observer agreement and the discrete nature of the scores which limits its usage in monitoring the lameness. The aim of this study is to develop an automated lameness scoring system comparable with conventional subjective lameness scoring by means of artificial neural networks. The system is composed of four balanced force plates installed in a hoof-trimming box. A group of 105 dairy cows was used for the study. Twenty-three features extracted from ground reaction force (GRF) data were used in a computer training process which was performed on 60 per cent of the data. The remaining 40 per cent of the data were used to test the trained system. Repeatability of the lameness scoring system was determined by GRF samples from 25 cows, captured at two different times from the same animals. The mean sd was 0.31 and the mean coefficient of variation was 14.55 per cent, which represents a high repeatability in comparison with subjective vision-based scoring methods. Although the highest sensitivity and specificity values were seen in locomotion score groups 1 and 4, the automatic lameness system was both sensitive and specific in all groups. The sensitivity and specificity were higher than 72 per cent in locomotion score groups 1 to 4, and it was 100 per cent specific and 50 per cent sensitive for group 5.

A Comparison of the Environmental Impact of Jersey Compared with Holstein Milk for Cheese Production

by Jude (Judith) Capper

Published in the Journal of Dairy Science, 2012

The objective of this study was to compare the environmental impact of Jersey or Holstein milk production sufficient... more The objective of this study was to compare the environmental impact of Jersey or Holstein milk production sufficient to yield 500,000 t of cheese (equivalent cheese yield) both with and without recombinant bovine somatotropin use. The deterministic model used 2009 DairyMetrics (Dairy Records Management Systems, Raleigh, NC) population data for milk yield and com- position (Jersey: 20.9 kg/d, 4.8% fat, 3.7% protein; Holstein: 29.1 kg/d, 3.8% fat, 3.1% protein), age at first calving, calving interval, and culling rate. Each population contained lactating and dry cows, bulls, and herd replacements for which rations were formulated according to DairyPro (Agricultural Modeling and Training Systems, Cornell, Ithaca, NY) at breed- appropriate body weights (BW), with mature cows weighing 454 kg (Jersey) or 680 kg (Holstein). Resource inputs included feedstuffs, water, land, fertilizers, and fossil fuels. Waste outputs included manure and green- house gas emissions. Cheese yield (kg) was calculated according to the Van Slyke equation. A yield of 500,000 t of cheese required 4.94 billion kg of Holstein milk compared with 3.99 billion kg of Jersey milk—a direct consequence of differences in milk nutrient density (fat and protein contents) between the 2 populations. The reduced daily milk yield of Jersey cows increased the population size required to supply sufficient milk for the required cheese yield, but the differential in BW between the Jersey and Holstein breeds reduced the body mass of the Jersey population by 125 × 103 t. Consequently, the population energy requirement was reduced by 7,177 × 106 MJ, water use by 252 × 109 L, and cropland use by 97.5 × 103 ha per 500,000 t of cheese yield. Nitrogen and phosphorus excretion were reduced by 17,234 and 1,492 t, respectively, through the use of Jersey milk to yield 500,000 t of Cheddar cheese. The carbon footprint was reduced by 1,662 × 103 t of CO2-equivalents per 500,000 t of cheese in Jersey cows compared with Holsteins. Use of recombinant bovine somatotropin reduced resource use and waste output in supplemented populations, with decreases in carbon footprint equivalent to 10.0% (Jersey) and 7.5% (Hol- stein) compared with non-supplemented populations. The interaction between milk nutrient density and BW demonstrated by the Jersey population overcame the reduced daily milk yield, thus reducing resource use and environmental impact. This reduction was achieved through 2 mechanisms: diluting population maintenance overhead through improved milk nutrient density and reducing maintenance overhead through a reduction in productive and nonproductive body mass within the population.

Greenfield, Haskel J. 1988 On the origins of milk and wool production in the Old World: Reply to comments

by Haskel Greenfield

Current Anthropology 29 (5): 743 748

Improved Productivity Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Animal Agriculture

by Jude (Judith) Capper

Book chapter in: Understanding Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Management. Editor(s): Lei Guo, Amrith S. Gunasekara and Laura L. McConnell. Publication Date (Web): October 11, 2011. Copyright © 2011 American Chemical Society

As the global population increases, more milk, meat and eggs need to be produced using fewer resources and with a... more As the global population increases, more milk, meat and eggs need to be produced using fewer resources and with a lower environmental impact. Over the past century, improving productivity has considerably reduced the carbon footprint of dairy and beef production, yet consumers often perceive extensive, ‘traditional’ systems to have a low carbon footprint. Scientific analysis shows that intensive animal production systems have a lower carbon footprint than extensive systems - improved education of consumers, retailers and media is therefore required to overcome popular misconceptions relating to the carbon footprint of animal agriculture.

The Relationship Between Cow Production and Environmental Impact

by Jude (Judith) Capper

Invited presentation at the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in Red Deer, Alberta, March 2011

Take Home Message

• US dairy industry sustainability is increasingly important as producers are challenged... more Take Home Message

• US dairy industry sustainability is increasingly important as producers are challenged with increasing dairy product supply to meet the demands of the growing population, while maintaining the tradition of environmental stewardship
• Advances in nutrition, management and genetics resulted in a four-fold improvement in milk yield between 1944 and 2007. This allowed the US dairy industry to produce 59% more milk using 64% fewer cows and conferred considerable reductions in feed (77%), land (90%) and water (65%) use per gallon of milk. The carbon footprint of the entire US dairy industry was reduced by 41% over the same period.
• The global livestock industry is thought to contribute 18% of greenhouse gases worldwide. However, this global average does not address variability between systems. Differences in system productivity demonstrate the considerable variation in environmental impact between dairy regions.
• As dairy industries worldwide pledge to reduce total greenhouse gases emissions, attention should be focused on a whole-system approach rather than a ‘magic bullet’ solution that may confer negative trade-offs.
• Improving productivity has the greatest potential to reduce the environmental impact of dairy production, regardless of system characteristics.

Assessment of long-term runoff reduction from dairy pastures

by Jude (Judith) Capper

Co-authored with Robin White. Presented at the ADSA/ASAS Joint Annual Meeting in New Orleans, July 2011

A 20-year assessment was run on a simulated pasture on a dairy to analyze the effect of various harvesting techniques... more A 20-year assessment was run on a simulated pasture on a dairy to analyze the effect of various harvesting techniques on nitrogen removal from the system. The aim was to find a combination of treatments that caused the greatest uptake of nitrogen by plant matter thereby diminishing loss through runoff. Mowing, grazing and planting were thought to stimulate a grass density increase that would inhibit water flow from the system while pruning and burning plants were thought to stimulate growth and increase nutrient uptake from the soil. These hypothesis were tested via five treatments, The simulated area contained 100 square meters with three plant communities; grass, shrubs and trees. These three types were parameterized to function as they would in a riparian system with grass serving to diffuse water to allow absorption by soil and shrubs and trees functioning as the main nutrient absorbing plants. The pasture was located next to a dairy and dairy runoff inputs, as calculated by IFSM, were inputted as nitrogen, carbon and water sources. Other inputs into the system were historical data for monthly rainfall, temperature and soil characteristics. The output was given as N runoff from the soil profile. The model was run over 20 years to view the long term consequences of management decisions.  A total of 4.335 kg N was calculated to runoff during the 20-year time period. Annual planting in October, annual burning before year 5 and annual pruning after year 3 were all found to significantly decrease N runoff. When grazing at a stocking rate of 1AUM/acre during the spring, N runoff increased to 5.16 kg; however, when the same stocking rate was applied during the winter, runoff did not significantly increase. Mowing did not significantly change N runoff. The most effective reduction resulted from annual fires in the first 5 years, pruning annually in August starting in year 7, and grazing cattle annually at 1AUM/acre starting in year 6 with yearly planting of grass in October. This resulted in a runoff reduction to 1.09 kg N, a nearly 75% reduction.  This shows that good pasture management, even while being utilized by cattle, can significantly reduce runoff from dairies.

Improving Environmental Sustainability of the Dairy Cow

by Jude (Judith) Capper

Invited presentation at the European Association of Animal Production annual meeting in Stavanger, Norway, August 2011

The global dairy industry faces the challenge of providing sufficient animal protein to fulfill requirements of the... more The global dairy industry faces the challenge of providing sufficient animal protein to fulfill requirements of the growing population while reducing environmental impact per unit of dairy product. A deterministic model based on the nutrient requirements and metabolism of dairy cows was used to assess the environmental impact (resource use and waste output) per kg of milk produced by the U.S. dairy industry in 1944 compared to 2007. Advances in nutrition, genetics and management facilitated an increase in annual milk yield from 2,074 kg to 9,193 kg over this time period, resulting in 21% of the animals, 23% of the feed, 35% of the water and 10% of the land being required to produce one kg of milk in 2007 compared to 1944. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were reduced by 63% per kg milk. A similar model evaluating the use of recombinant bovine somatrotropin (rbST) to increase milk yield per cow by an average of 4.5 kg/d demonstrated that milk could be produced with a 9% decrease in overall environmental impact. It is clear that improved productivity provides a means to reduce environmental impact through the dilution of maintenance effect, whereby the proportion of the total daily nutrient requirement attributed to maintenance is reduced. Strategies to reduce the daily maintenance cost by using smaller bodyweight animals would also be predicted to mitigate environmental impact providing that productivity was not unduly affected. Deterministic modeling of Cheddar cheese production from Jersey cows (454 kg bodyweight, 20.9 kg milk at 4.8% fat and 3.7% protein) compared to Holstein cows (680 kg bodyweight, 29.1 kg milk at 3.8% fat and 3.1% protein) demonstrated that the interaction between bodyweight and milk composition compensated for a reduction in milk yield, with reductions of 11% land and 32% water and 20% GHG emissions per kg cheese produced. To improve the environmental sustainability of dairy cows it is crucial to consider animal productivity and efficiency metrics, rather than focusing on productivity alone.

Replacing Rose-Tinted Spectacles with a High-Powered Microscope: The Historical vs. Modern Carbon Footprint of Animal Agriculture

by Jude (Judith) Capper

Published in the first edition of "Animal Frontiers" magazine.

Implications
• As the global population increases, more animal protein needs to be produced using fewer resources... more Implications
• As the global population increases, more animal protein needs to be produced using fewer resources (land, water and energy) and with a smaller carbon footprint
• Improved productivity has considerably reduced the carbon footprint of dairy and beef production over the past century
• Extensive systems intuitively appear to be more environmentally-friendly, yet scientific analysis demonstrates that intensive systems reduce resource use, waste output and greenhouse gas emissions per unit of food
• As livestock production systems continue to make productivity gains, sustainability should be assessed on the basis of environmental, economic and social issues.