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Eight Massese ewes were fed 4 diets with alfalfa hay as the forage (73% on the DM basis): 1) control diet (C); 2) diet C supplemented with olive oil calcium soaps, 50 g/d (L); 3) diet C supplemented with protected methionine, 5 g/d (M) or 4) plus both soaps and methionine (ML); the experimenthal design was a 4x4 Latin square with 2 replicates per diet. During the experimental periods, lasting one week each, the ewes were milked twice daily (8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.). Milk yield was not affected by diet quality, but milk fat percentage and 6.5% fat corrected milk yield were higher in diets L, M and ML with respect to diet C (P<0.05). Milk protein content was depressed and blood urea increased following the Ca soap diet alone or with protected methionine. Diet M worsened (P<0.05) Rennet clotting time (r) and curd firmness after 30 minutes (A30). Saturated fatty acids C10:0, C12:0, C14:0 and C16:0 were depressed in milk fat with the Ca soap supplemented diet, some of them significantly. C18:1 increased (P<0.05) with diet L only, whereas the association of Ca salts and methionine in diet ML significantly affected the linoleic acid and CLA content. It is concluded that the use of olive oil fatty acids as a protected fat source seems to improve the milk fatty acid characteristics towards a safer pattern, but the presence of this type of Ca salts in the diet appears to worsen the metabolic utilisation of amino acids.Key words: Ewe milk, Olive oil calcium salts, Protected methionine, Fatty acids. RIASSUNTO SAPONI DI CALCIO DELL'OLIO D'OLIVA E METIONINA RUMINO-PROTETTA NELLA DIETA DI PECORE IN LATTAZIONE: EFFETTI SULLA QUALITÀ DEL LATTE Otto pecore di razza Massese sono state alimentate, utilizzando un disegno sperimentale a quadrato latino 4x4 con due replicazioni per cella, con quattro diete a base di fieno di erba medica (73% della s.s.) e mangime concentrato: 1) dieta controllo (C); 2) dieta C integrata con 50 g/d di saponi di calcio dell'olio d'oliva (L); 3) dieta C integrata con 5 g/d di metionina protetta (M); 4) dieta C integrata con 50 g/d di saponi di calcio dell'olio d'oliva e 5 g/d di metionina protetta (ML). La produzione di latte non è stata influenzata dalla dieta

-In the last years, because of their high protein content, the demand of legume seeds is significantly increased. In the centre and southern Italy fababean (Vicia faba minor) can play an important role as alternative protein source in ruminant nutrition. In this trial has been studied the effect of different treatments (flaking, cooking, dehulling, germination) on the in vitro digestibility and tannin content of fababean seeds. The in vitro OM and NDF digestibility of seeds were significantly (P<0.05) improved by dehulling and flaking. The in vitro OM digestibility of dehulled fababean (99.27%) showed higher values (P<0.05) than the other treated seeds as well as in vitro NDF digestibility (90.33%, P<0.05). �ermination of fababean reduces the in vitro digestibility of OM and NDF. Cooking in water was more effective in reducing tannins than other treatments. Compared to the untreated the cooked has significantly (P<0.05) reduced the tannin content over 55% (2.71 g/kgDM vs. 6.10 g/kgDM). �erminated fababean did not affect the tannin content of seeds. The results from this trial suggest that thermal treatments applied to fababean seeds in order to reduce the tannins must be evaluated according to the cost/benefits ratio because this factors in seeds is low (<10 g/kgDM).Key words: Fababean, Treatments, Tannins, In vitro digestibility.Introduction -Recently the increasing demand for alternative protein sources in order to replace soybean meal in ruminant nutrition and the ban of �MO in organic farming (Reg.CE1804/99), renews the interest in legume seeds. In central and southern Italy was widely rediscovered fababean (Vicia faba minor) one of the oldest crops cultivated by human since Neolithic. This crop is appreciated especially for the agronomic advantage as N-fixing and the high crude protein content of seeds. Currently soybean meal is the main protein source in ruminant and monogastric nutrition but its replace with others grain legumes shows some problems, which are caused by high costs compared to soybean meal, the presence of antinutritional factors (tannins) and the low protein content compared to soybean meal. The crude protein content of fababean can reach over 30% of dry matter basis with a good composition in essential amino acids (Dixon and Hosking, 1992; �atel, 1994 �atel, , Duc, 1997. The presence of antinutritional factors in seeds is an important aspect. These antinutritional factors are especially located in the hulls of the seeds (Newton and Hill, 1983) and in fababean are represented mainly by polyphenolic compounds such as tannins. The tannins, however, can easily be reduced by heat treatment, cooking in water, or with dehulling (Khalil and Mansour, 1995; Alonso et al., 2000). This trial was carried out in order to evaluate the effects of different treatments on the OM and NDF in vitro digestibility and to determine the effect of these treatments on the tannin content of fababean seeds.

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Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary toxic metabolite synthesized by Aspergillus or Penicillium species, which can contaminate various crops. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified OTA as a group 2B possible human carcinogen. The aim of the present study was to assess OTA concentrations in tissues of wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) from Tuscany (Italy). Over a period of 2 years, samples of muscle, liver, and kidney from 48 wild boars were collected and concentrations of OTA were determined by enzymatic digestion (ED) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD). The highest concentrations of OTA were found in the kidneys of the 48 wild boars analyzed. No difference in concentrations was found based on years of collection and sex while a significantly higher OTA concentration was found in the kidney of the young wild boars with respect to the adult one. Monitoring the quality of meat destined for transformation is a priority in order to decrease the possibility of toxin carry-over to humans. The present study showed that contamination of wild boar meat products by OTA represents a potential emerging source of OTA.