Gružauskas, Romas

The dairy sector continually seeks technological advancements for sustainability and efficiency. Modern technologies offer significant opportunities to optimize production, enhance animal welfare, and promptly identify health issues [1]. Intensive livestock farming, with large populations, inherently increases disease risk and complicates individual monitoring [2]. Thus, advanced animal monitoring methods are becoming essential for efficient farm operations and maintaining high animal welfare standards [3]. Early disease diagnosis, precise physiological monitoring, and detailed behavioral analysis are crucial. These approaches mitigate economic losses from illness and reduced productivity, promoting more responsible farming [4]. Growing public awareness of animal welfare and food safety further encourages farms to adopt innovations that boost production while aligning with ethical considerations. Continuous oversight of animal health and welfare helps optimize feed use, minimize medication (especially antibiotic) reliance [5], and improve dairy product quality. Extensive research was conducted at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Practical Testing Center, housing over 100 dairy cows and two DeLaval milking robots. This research focused on developing and validating innovative animal monitoring systems. The primary aim was to integrate and apply cutting-edge technologies: thermography, remote pulsometric monitoring, exhaled breath analysis, and visual behavior analysis, specifically for dairy cow health and welfare assessment. The overarching objective was to create a comprehensive system that, by seamlessly combining various data streams and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), could provide real-time, actionable information to farm managers [11]. This system would facilitate informed decision-making and enable prompt responses to herd issues. Each of the four distinct experiments addressed a specific problem, testing novel data collection. The synergistic integration of these experiments led to a sophisticated, multifaceted platform for animal health and welfare assessment, readily applicable in practical farming, equipping farmers with reliable tools for efficient and responsible herd management [12]. [...].

Broiler production is an important part of the poultry industry and accounts for a large proportion of the meat products in the global market [1]. At the same time, with the increase in demand for livestock products, broiler production is intensified which makes disease control more challenging [2]. The outbreak of chicken disease has been a major concern around the world, as the poultry industry supplies a significant portion of the global protein needs [3]. Characteristics of poultry droppings can reflect the health status of chickens. However, the existing literature lacks information on physical chemical parameters of droppings, which could be useful in development of practical and reliable diagnostic tools for monitoring of chickens’ welfare status. The aim of this study was to analyse the physical and chemical characteristics of chicken droppings, which were collected during different age periods and classified by visual inspection into normal (ND) and abnormal (AD). Significant differences were found in the texture, pH, and dry matter (DM), fatty acids (FAs), short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), and volatile compounds (VC) between tested dropping groups (p ≤ 0.05). The age period of chicken had a significant influence on color coordinates, texture, pH, DM, and SCFA contents in ND and AD as well as on all FAs content in ND (p ≤ 0.05). ND had harder texture, lower values of a* and b* color coordinates, higher DM content, higher level of linoleic FA, and lower level of α-linolenic FA than AD in each age period (p ≤ 0.05). The predominant SCFA was acetic acid, which content was significantly lower in ND compared to AD. The content of alcohols and organic acids were the highest in most of ND in different age periods, while ketones dominated in ND and AD. In conclusion, the majority of the tested dropping characteristics were influenced by age period. While certain characteristics demonstrate differences between ND and AD, a likely broader range of droppings is required to provide more distinct trends regarding the distribution of characteristics across different droppings.

The aim of this study was to analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of chicken droppings (n = 73), which were collected during different age periods and classified by visual inspection into normal (N) and abnormal (A). Significant differences were found in the texture, pH, dry matter (DM), fatty acids (FAs), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and volatile compounds (VCs) between the tested dropping groups ( ≤ 0.05). The age period of the chicken had a significant influence on the color coordinates, texture, pH, DM, and SCFA contents in N and A as well as on all FAs content in N ( ≤ 0.05). Droppings from the N group had a harder texture, lower values of a* and b* color coordinates, higher DM content, higher level of linoleic FA, and lower level of α-linolenic FA than the droppings from the A group in each age period ( ≤ 0.05). The predominant SCFA was acetic acid, the content of which was significantly lower in the N group compared to that of the A group. The alcohol and organic acid contents were the highest in most of the A group at different age periods, while ketones dominated in the N and A groups. In conclusion, the majority of the tested dropping characteristics were influenced by the age period. While certain characteristics demonstrate differences between N and A, a likely broader range of droppings is required to provide more distinct trends regarding the distribution of characteristics across different droppings.

The study aims to improve the quality of wooden breast meat (WBM) via the use of newly developed marinades based on selected strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in combination with the by-products of the dairy and fruit/berry industries. Six distinct marinades were produced based on milk permeate (MP) fermented with Lacticaseibacillus casei (Lc) and Liquorilactobacillus uvarum (Lu) with the addition of apple (ApBp) and blackcurrant (BcBp) processing by-products. The microbiological and acidity parameters of the fermented marinades were evaluated. The effects of marinades on the microbiological, technical, and physicochemical properties of meat were assessed following 24 and 48 h of WBM treatment. It was established that LAB viable counts in marinades were higher than 7.00 log10 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL and, after 48 h of marination, enterobacteria and molds/yeasts in WBM were absent. Marinated (24 and 48 h) WBM showed lower dry-matter and protein content, as well as water holding capacity, and exhibited higher drip loss (by 8.76%) and cooking loss (by 12.3%) in comparison with controls. After WBM treatment, biogenic amines decreased; besides, the absence of spermidine and phenylethylamine was observed in meat marinated for 48 h with a marinade prepared with Lu. Overall, this study highlights the potential advantages of the developed sustainable marinades in enhancing the safety and quality attributes of WBM.

Tai - svarbūs mikroelementai, palaikantys pagrindines fiziologines organizmo funkcijas. Vienas iš pagrindinių seleno ir jodo šaltinių gali būti kiaušiniai.

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is one of the most popular crops worldwide; however, the most popular part of wheat is the endosperm, and, until now, other layers have been used as low nutritional value feed stock. However, it should be pointed out that most of the bioactive compounds in cereals are concentrated in the outermost tissues. On the other hand, undesired compounds (mycotoxins, etc.) also occur in these fractions. For all these reasons, pre-treatment technologies to improve the properties of wheat bran (WPBP) are being studied, of which fermentation with selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains is the most popular for WPBP valorization. Also, possible strategies for WPBP functionalization include extrusion. Extrusion causes many structural, physicochemical, and microbial transformations of stock, e.g., depolymerization of starch, denaturation of proteins, oxidation of lipids, decontamination of bacteria, etc., and these changes are influenced by extrusion process parameters. Until now, no study on the combination of extrusion and fermentation, especially with LAB strains which possess antimicrobial properties, has been published in the literature to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of combining extrusion and fermentation (with L. casei and L. paracasei strains) processes on the chemical and biosafety of WPBP. An extrusion experiment was performed by testing two different temperatures (115°C and 130°C) and three different speeds of extruder screw (16 rpm, 20 rpm, and 25 rpm). Very prospective results were obtained, and it was concluded that the appropriate extrusion parameters and LAB strain selection lead to higher formation of L(+) isomers and lower WPBP microbial contamination. Extrusion, as well as extrusion in combination with fermentation, reduces total biogenic amine content (on average, 2 times). The lowest mycotoxin concentration was found in Wex130/screwspeed20 and Wex130/screwspeed25 samples fermented with both LAB strains. Finally, the combination of extrusion and fermentation with L. casei and L. paracasei strains can be confirmed as a prospective innovative pre-treatment for WPBP, potentially capable of enhancing its composition and safety characteristics.

Dirbtinio intelekto metodų panaudojimas leis išsamiau ir greičiau atlikti kiaušinių kokybės analizę, efektyviau vertinti vištų laikymo sąlygas, gerinti jų sveikatingumą ir kitus gerovės reikalavimus, nes kuo sveikesnės vištos - tuo geresnė produkcija.

This study aimed to evaluate how fulvic acids (FAs) in drinking water of laying hens affect their productivity and eggshell quality. The trial was conducted in a group of 10.000 free range Loman Brown laying hens allocated to two groups (control group and FAs group). For an experiment laying hens were selected from 28 to 35 weeks of age for 60 days experiment. The laying hens of control group received the standard drinking water. The drinking water of treatment group was enriched with FAs at the rate of 1 l/m3 H2O. The compound feed was based on wheat, corn and soybean meal and formulated according to NRC (2012) and the Loman Brown nutrition specifications. The productivity parameters: egg weight (g), FCR (g feed/g egg mass) and laying rate (%) were recorded for the entire period. Every two weeks eggshell quality parameters (egg and eggshell weight, eggshell strength and thickness) were analysed. It was demonstrated that in addition of FAs to the drinking water of hens the FCR by 3.4% and an average egg weight by 0.2% were decreased, compared with control group (p>0.05). The water supplementation had no effect on laying rate of hens, it was equal in both group (95%). It was found, that in addition of FAs, the highest increase in egg weight by 4% at 32nd week of age was found. During all trial period, an egg weight by 1% was improved in FAs group, compared with control group (p>0.05). The FAs demonstrated positive effect on eggshell weight, during all period it was increased by 1.9% (p>0.05). The eggshell strength was increased from 4.6% to 9.5%, when drinking water of hens was supplemented with FAs. The eggshell thickness was increased by 2.7% at the phase III (p>0.05). Finally, the FAs in drinking water for laying hens showed positive tendencies on lower FCR, egg and eggshell weight or eggshell strength, however, more and longer lasting research is needed. Introduction Egg quality depends on many factors, including the diet and age of hens (Kowalska et al., 2021). In the frame of sustainable egg production, a solid-derived substance as feed additives for laying hens become more promising. Humic compounds are the complex mixture of acids arise from the natural decomposition of plant and animal material by soil microorganisms (Xiao G. et al., 2022). Based on their solubility in alkali and acid, HSs are typically divided into three fractions: (1) Humins, which are dissoluble at all pH ranges; (2) Humic acids (HAs), which are soluble at the alkaline rang; and (3) Fulvic acids (FAs) which are soluble at all pH range (Nieweś D. et al., 2022). FAs consists of numerous functional groups, such as phenol, hydroxyl, carboxyl, and hydroquinone, which possess antioxidant, immunostimulation, anti-inflammatory and metal chelation activities (Yingming M., 2019). Qin et al. (2019) demonstrated that FAs with a lower molecular mass have greater participation of oxygen functional groups in their structure (Nieweś D. et al., 2022). Due to their chemical composition and… […].

Crop contamination with mycotoxins is a global problem with a negative impact on human and animal health as well as causing economical losses in food and feed chains. This study was focused on the evaluation of the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strain (Levilactobacillus brevis-LUHS173, Liquorilactobacillus uvarum-LUHS245, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum-LUHS135, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei-LUHS244 and Lacticaseibacillus casei-LUHS210) fermentation on the changes in the level of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its conjugates in Fusarium spp.-contaminated barley wholemeal (BWP). Samples, with different contamination of DON and its conjugates, were treated separately (for 48 h). In addition to mycotoxin content, enzymatic activities (amylolytic, xylanolytic, and proteolytic) of BWP (before and after fermentation) were evaluated. It was established that the effect of decontamination depends on the LAB strain used, and a significant reduction in DON and the concentration of its conjugates in Lc. casei fermented samples was achieved: the amount of DON decreased on average by 47%, and the amount of D3G, 15-ADON and 3-ADON decreased by 82.4, 46.1, and 55.0%, respectively. Lc. casei also showed viability in the contaminated fermentation medium and an effective production of organic acids was obtained. Additionally, it was found that enzymes are involved to the detoxification mechanism of DON and its conjugates in BWP. These findings indicate that fermentation with selected LAB strains could be applied for contaminated barley treatment in order to significantly reduce Fusarium spp. mycotoxin levels in BWP and improve the sustainability of grain production.

Intensyvi pramoninė paukštienos gamyba leidžia gyventojus aprūpinti aukštos maistinės vertės paukštienos gaminiais, tačiau didelis paukščių tankis paukštidėse, virusinės ir infekcinės ligos blogina jų sveikatingumą, lesalų konversiją, produkcijos kokybę.