Publications by authors named "Laura Gasco"
Background: Aquaculture, traditionally a form of biotechnology, has evolved to integrate innovative biotechnological applications, such as advanced feed formulations, aimed at improving the growth performance and health of farmed fish species. In the present study, the effects of feeding rainbow trout with novel feed formulations were investigated. Fish growth, gut and liver morphology, the concentration of fatty acids in the fillet, and volatile fatty acids in the gut were assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOrganic medium-growing chickens fed live black soldier fly larvae: A welfare improvement study.
J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl)
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- Live black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) have shown positive effects on the welfare of various poultry, but there is limited research on their impact on medium-growing chicken hybrids in organic/free-range settings.
- This study involved feeding 240 Hubbard JA57 hybrid chickens with a 10% live BSFL diet and compared their behavior and health indicators against control groups over a period until 82 days of age.
- Results indicated that BSFL-fed chickens exhibited increased activity and reduced fear responses, particularly in females, while no significant physical injuries were noted, suggesting that BSFL could enhance the welfare of these chickens.
Article Synopsis
- - This study examined the physiological stress response in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) when substituting traditional fish meal with yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) in their diet.
- - Researchers found that while stress indicators (like heat shock response and apoptosis) were activated due to the mealworm diet, there was no increase in mortality or significant changes in growth performance.
- - However, the trout fed the yellow mealworm diet showed a significant decrease in feed intake, highlighting the potential risks of using this alternative protein source for fish health and welfare.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted on 16 male rabbits divided into control and treatment groups, where the treatment group received butterfly pea extract from weaning to slaughter.
- Results showed that while phagocytic activity in blood leukocytes remained unchanged, treated rabbits had lower blood urea nitrogen levels and higher liver weight at slaughter compared to controls.
- Additionally, the treatment group exhibited improved meat quality with lower pH and better color, reduced lipid peroxidation, and enhanced digestibility of nutrients, although gut histology remained unaffected.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how different levels of handling affect the development and performance of black soldier fly larvae during mass production.
- Three handling methods were used: hard-handled (constant manipulation), soft-handled (manipulation only after prepupa appearance), and no-handled (untouched larvae), with no significant differences found in growth, weight, or survival rates across the methods.
- Overall, results suggest that handling intensity does not adversely impact the larvae’s development or bioconversion capabilities, indicating that manipulations during rearing practices may not be as detrimental as previously thought.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the effects of replacing traditional fishmeal with insect-based diets on the microbiome at the water-fish interface in rainbow trout farming, emphasizing the importance of sustainable aquaculture practices.
- - Core microbiome analysis showed a consistent presence of Aeromonas spp. across different sample types, with no major differences in microbiome composition linked to the type of feed used.
- - Overall findings indicate that while there are subtle differences in microbiome composition related to feed, the research uncovers important interactions between the fish's environment and diet, advancing our understanding of aquaculture sustainability.
Background: The inclusion of alternative ingredients in poultry feed is foreseen to impact poultry gut microbiota. New feeding strategies (probiotics/prebiotics) must be adopted to allow sustainable productions. Therefore, the current study aimed to use metagenomics approaches to determine how dietary inclusion of prebiotic (inulin) plus a multi-strain probiotic mixture of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus affected microbiota composition and functions of the gastro-intestinal tract of the broilers during production.
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- The study explored how a specific diet, including thermomechanical coprocessed yeast and soybean meal (pYSM), affects the growth and gut health of broiler chickens during their initial feeding phases.* -
- Broilers fed the T1 diet (with higher pYSM levels) showed better early growth rates compared to control and T2 groups, although there weren't significant differences in overall growth or organ weights throughout the entire study.* -
- The pYSM diet promoted an anti-inflammatory gut immune response and increased enzyme activity in the duodenum, suggesting possible benefits for gut health despite limited effects on later growth and health metrics.*
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how including dietary TM larvae meal affects heart, muscle, and digestive tract health in gilthead seabream and European sea bass, focusing on cell protection and metabolism.
- Results show that a 50% TM inclusion triggers Heat Shock Proteins in both fish species' muscles, while 25% TM increases MAPK activation in both species' muscle and digestive tract.
- European sea bass show higher antioxidant activity at 50% TM inclusion and significant apoptosis in their muscle and digestive tract, indicating that responses to TM are species-specific and impacted by dietary levels.
Article Synopsis
- Insect farming could serve as an alternative to traditional livestock feed, offering a sustainable solution for food production.
- Insects are high in protein and require fewer resources, like water and land, compared to conventional feed sources.
- This shift to insect-based feed could help reduce environmental impact and lower costs in the livestock industry.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the impact of Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL on various health indicators in rabbits, including biochemical parameters and gut health.
- Three trials with 30 rabbits each were conducted, where they were split into a probiotic group and a control group, with evaluations made at slaughter.
- Results showed that while the probiotic did not significantly affect growth or gut health, it led to lower morbidity and mortality in one trial, indicating potential health benefits without negative impacts on performance.
Insect proteins have been proposed for human and animal food production. Safeguarding the health status of insects in mass rearing allows to obtain high-quality products and to avoid severe economic losses due to entomopathogens. Therefore, new strategies for preserving insect health must be implemented.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The most used protein sources in ruminant nutrition are considered as having negative impacts in terms of environmental sustainability and competition with human nutrition. Therefore, the investigation of alternative and sustainable feedstuffs is becoming a priority in ruminant production systems.
Results: This trial was designed to evaluate eight full-fat insect meals (Acheta domesticus - ACD; Alphitobius diaperinus - ALD; Blatta lateralis - BL; Gryllus bimaculatus - GB; Grylloides sygillatus - GS; Hermetia illucens - HI; Musca domestica - MD; and Tenebrio molitor - TM) as potential protein and lipid sources in ruminant nutrition.
Article Synopsis
- * The results showed that while most antioxidant enzyme activities remained unchanged, the liver's glutathione peroxidase was higher in fish on the HM20 diet compared to the CTR and HM30, indicating some dietary influence.
- * Overall, feeding meagre fish up to 30% HM did not harm their oxidative status, although certain levels influenced the balance of glutathione in different body parts.
Article Synopsis
- The study explores the potential of replacing fishmeal with defatted black soldier fly meal in pikeperch aquafeeds, assessing its effects on growth, nutrient digestibility, fillet quality, and sustainability over an 84-day trial.
- Results showed that pikeperch fed diets with lower inclusion of insect meal (H0, H9, H18) performed better in growth, while H18 had lower organ-somatic indices, indicating variations in health metrics between groups.
- The inclusion of insect meal negatively impacted nutrient digestibility and fish fillet quality, especially reducing n-3 fatty acids while increasing n-6 fatty acids, but concurrently lowered the environmental footprint of fish farming.
Insect meal (IM), recently authorized for use in aquafeeds, positions itself as a promising commodity for aquafeed inclusion. However, insects are also rich in chitin, a structural polysaccharide present in the exoskeleton, which is not digested by fish, resulting in lower fish performance. Through the application of a dietary pressure, this study aimed to modulate European sea bass gut microbiota towards the enrichment of chitinolytic bacteria to allow the isolation of novel probiotics capable of improving the use of IM-containing diets, overcoming chitin drawbacks.
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- The study assessed the effects of live black soldier fly (BSF) and yellow mealworm (YM) larvae as environmental enrichment for 180 male Ross 308 broiler chickens over a 35-day period, measuring factors like plumage, behavior, leg health, and stress hormones.
- Results showed no significant impact on feathering, hock burns, or footpad health, but insect-fed chickens exhibited more stretching, wing flapping, and ground pecking compared to the control group.
- Overall, the introduction of live larvae, particularly YM, positively influenced certain behaviors in broiler chickens, suggesting potential benefits for animal welfare.
Article Synopsis
- In aquafeeds, plant proteins replace fishmeal, necessitating exogenous methionine (Met) sources to balance diets for fish like rainbow trout.
- A two-month trial tested five different forms of Met, finding no growth performance differences but changes in body composition, with some forms reducing fat and increasing protein retention.
- The study suggests that all tested Met sources have similar benefits for growth and metabolism in fish, but the exact mechanisms behind these effects need more research.
Article Synopsis
- - Modern aquaculture needs to reduce fish meal (FM) usage in aquafeeds, but substituting FM with alternatives can lead to issues like poor nutrient absorption and metabolic disturbances in carnivorous fish.
- - This study tested three diets for rainbow trout, including a control with high FM and two experimental diets using insect meal and poultry by-products meal as substitutes.
- - The findings indicate that as long as diets are well-balanced nutritionally, substituting FM with sustainable alternatives does not negatively affect the metabolism or health of rainbow trout, with minimal histological changes observed.
Article Synopsis
- * The U.S. strain exhibited significantly better growth metrics and fish health compared to the ITA strain, regardless of the diet type.
- * Analysis showed that the U.S. strain not only had improved body composition but also a more beneficial gut microbiome, indicating a positive relationship between diet and healthy gut bacteria in selected trout.
The aquaculture industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in animal food production. However, farming of carnivorous fish strongly relies on the use of wild fish-based meals, a practice that is environmentally and economically unsustainable. Insect-based diets constitute a strong candidate for fishmeal substitution, due to their high nutritional value and low environmental footprint.
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- The global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, necessitating a 60% increase in food production, with a critical focus on expanding protein sources.
- Edible insects present an efficient solution by converting low-grade food waste into high-quality protein, making them essential for a sustainable food economy.
- The SUSINCHAIN project aims to enhance the insect value chain in Europe by overcoming economic barriers, collaborating with stakeholders, and developing technologies to promote insect protein in both animal feed and human diets.