Simple SummaryRecovery and valorization of residues are key factors for agro-industry to progress towards circular-economy models and more sustainable productions. In the vegetable oils industry, large quantities of spent seed cakes are produced downstream of the oil extraction processes, and their use as animal feedstuffs, mainly as protein supplements for ruminants, is a possible valorization strategy. In this study, we analyzed chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of spent cakes from sunflower, pomegranate, cardoon, tobacco and hemp that are multipurpose cultures emerging in Mediterranean area. The results showed that the cakes of tobacco, cardoon and hemp might be interesting alternative protein feeds for ruminants. The valorization of these cakes may potentially improve economic and environmental sustainability of the emerging vegetable-oil production chains.AbstractFifteen oilseed cakes from sunflower, pomegranate, cardoon, tobacco and hemp were characterized with regard to chemical composition, Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) fractionation, in vitro digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, and crude protein. All the cakes presented low moisture, rather variable ether extract contents and medium to high levels of crude protein and neutral detergent fiber. The cakes significantly differed in terms of CNCPS partitioning and in vitro digestibility. Tobacco and hemp cakes presented high contents of slow degradable fractions of crude protein and carbohydrate joined to good post-ruminal protein digestibility. Cardoon cakes presented the highest rumen protein degradability. Based on crude protein content and intestinal digestibility of rumen undegraded protein, cakes of tobacco and hemp showed the better potential as alternative protein supplements for ruminants, while pomegranate appears to be the least suitable for ruminant feeding.

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The aim of this study is to find the best conditions of tobacco seed oil (TSO) press extraction, combining multiple extraction factors such as screw rotational speed, seeds preheating and extraction temperature, in order to have a higher oil yield. The extracted oil, having peculiar chemical properties, can be used for several purposes, also as edible oil. TSO was obtained using a mechanical screw press that has been assembled with a head press and with speed and temperature sensors mounted on the machine. Results show that the combination of high extraction temperature, slow rotational screw speed and seeds preheating has a significant effect on the oil yield. Extracting under such conditions, oil yield is 79.47±0.12 as % (w/w), which is 25% (w/w) more than the lowest yield among investigated condition.

The aim of this study was to investigate how the combination of extraction parameters, such as extraction temperature seeds preheating and screw rotation speed, influenced the yield and chemical quality of tobacco seed oil (TSO). For its peculiar properties, TSO can be used for several purposes, as raw material in the manufacturing of soap, paints, resins, lubricants, biofuels and also as edible oil. TSO was obtained using a mechanical screw press and the quality of the oil was evaluated by monitoring the free fatty acids (FFA), the peroxide value (PV), the spectroscopic indices K, K and ΔK and the fatty acid composition. The maximum extraction yield, expressed as percent of oil mechanically extracted respect to the oil content in the seeds, determined by solvent extraction, was obtained with the combination of the highest extraction temperature, the slowest screw rotation speed and seeds preheating. Under these conditions yield was 80.28 ± 0.33% (w/w), 25% higher than the lowest yield obtained among investigated conditions. The extraction temperature and seed preheating showed a significant effect on FFA, on spectroscopic indices K, K and ΔK values. The average values of these parameters slightly increased rising the temperature and in presence of preheating, the screw rotation speed did not affect the chemical characteristic tested. In the extraction conditions investigated no significant changes in PV and fatty acids composition of oil were observed.

A study was carried out to evaluate the effects of an automatic milking system (AMS) on milk yield and composition of buffalo (Mediterranean-type Bubalus bubalis) cows. Performed from January 2015 to December 2015 in an organic buffalo dairy farm equipped with both a traditional tandem milking parlor and an AMS, the study involved 90 primiparous buffaloes randomly allotted to a tandem or AMS group from 5 to 10 d of lactation onward. Number of milkings per day and daily milk yield of each cow were recorded, and individual milk sampling was carried out twice a month. Compared with the tandem, the AMS group showed significantly higher daily milk yield and persistence of lactation. Use of the AMS resulted in higher protein and casein contents, and lower somatic cell and total bacterial counts, whereas fat, freezing point, and pH were unaffected by the system. We conclude that, in terms of milk yield and quality, automatic milking may be a suitable alternative to conventional milking for buffaloes.

The automatic milking systems (AMS) have been deeply studied in dairy cows applications, but not in the case of buffaloes; although, a few applications to the species can be found in literature. The objective of this study is to compare some important functional aspects of AMS with the conventional milking systems. Aspects such as adaptation of buffalo to AMS and the possible relationship between milking frequency and daily milk yield were evaluated. Two groups of Bubalus bubalis were reared in the same barn, in a farm located in Piana del Sele (SA) southern Italy. Fourty primiparous buffaloes were milked using an AMS, and at the same time another herd of 40 were milked twice a day using traditional milking system (tandem). The adaptation period of buffaloes to AMS was 2 months. Milking frequency with the AMS was significantly higher compared to the one of traditional methods (2.3±0.17 times/d vs 2 times/d). Daily milk yield with the AMS was observed to be significantly higher than with traditional milking system (7.9±1.3 kg/d vs 6.9±1.06 kg/d). In this study, there was no significant relationship between the increase of daily milking frequency and daily milk yield. We can conclude that a positive AMS effect on daily milk yield and milking frequency is possible and so we can expect successful applications of the AMS to dairy buffalo farms.

Campania region is undergoing a new and important land use change (LUC). Large areas under tobacco are experiencing a severe economic crisis and cereal areas, especially in the hill, are cultivated with increasing difficulty, with poor economic results (yield value of 2.5 t/ha/year) and under the risk of erosion. No-food crops suitable in these contexts are the perennial and in this case, the land use change would certainly lead to a positive impact on reducing erosion, but also on the reduction of nutrient requirement, on fuel consumption and perhaps it would also lead to an increase in profitability. The aim of this work is to identify the areas in which the land use change could be realistic and ecologically compatible and to evaluate the main consequence of the LUC. The study area includes the entire Campania region. It has been assumed that the areas that will undergo the LUC will be the hilly, not-irrigated cereal crop, with altitudes between 400 and 750 m a.s.l., not included in natural parks, in the Site of Community Importance and in the Special Protection Areas. Through the climate model, inferred from the Ground Water Protection Plan, the area to be examined was classified as 'cold Lauretum', which is a good area for the Arundo donax crops up to 750 m a.l.s., with recoverable biomass yield of about 12.6 t/year. The erosion has been estimated with RUSLE applied to the whole region. Using the ESRI ArcGis 10.0 software, seven large areas, partially convertible, were identified. The area that is realistic to convert amounted to approximately 500 km2. The value of the biomass production has been evaluated in the order of 25 million euro a year; actual wheat production would be 33 million euro a year but the production costs are far greater.With LUC there is a reduction in soil erosion in the order of 300000 t/year. This would lead a saving, on global scale, in the order of 10 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

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