Promotion of the conservation and preservation of local breed’s biodiversity combined with the concept of sustainable agriculture and development of economically marginal areas are important policies to implement in modern society. The biometric characterization, contributing to maintain phenotypic traits, is a significant tool in breeding programs, which revaluate local breeds, allow the preservation of animal biodiversity and support consumer demands. This paper approaches the biometric characterization of the Portuguese poultry breeds through the study of sexual dimorphism and breed differentiation using six zoometric measures as differentiation criteria. A total of 429 fowl (66 males and 426 females) were studied and the parameters recorded were body weight, body length, chest circumference, shank length, shank diameter and wingspan. A highly sexual dimorphism was evident, in all breeds, with the “Branca” breed being the most zoometrically distant. Concerning Principal Component Analysis, the highly correlations observed between body length, wingspan and shank length, determined the generalized animal form and could be used as selection criteria for improving body size. Breeding programs aiming to preserve these local genetic resources should consider the dual purpose of these breeds: sustainability and cultural legacy, and the offer to urban consumers a source of differentiated high-quality products.

Growth and carcass traits of three Portuguese autochthonous chicken breeds: Amarela, Preta Lusitânica and Pedrês Portuguesa

The “Branca” breed is a dual-purpose Portuguese autochthonous chicken breed, produced in extensive systems and in small flocks, especially in the Entre Douro and Minho regions. A total of 40 birds (n = 20/sex) were slaughtered between 38 and 42 weeks (males) and 110 and 120 weeks (females), and carcass and meat quality parameters were evaluated. The results showed significantly higher weights and differences for males between sexes and pieces (p ≤ 0.05) in the meat physicochemical composition. Water holding capacity (WRC), moisture and ash contents were influenced by sex. They were higher in males in the breast and drumstick and lightness (L*) and lipid content were higher in females (p ≤ 0.05). The breast meat presented greater lightness, moisture, ash and protein contents, while the drumstick showed a higher pH value, redness (a*) and lipid content, in both sexes (p ≤ 0.05). Regarding the nutritional properties, “Branca” meat revealed a good proportion of minerals and the female meat showed, in both pieces (p ≤ 0.05), significantly lower values for total saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and higher values for monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Breast meat was richer in n-3-PUFAs (C22:5n-3 and C22:6n-3) in both sexes (p ≤ 0.05). Considering the results obtained, it can be concluded that “Branca” breed meat is a healthy food characterized by a good general nutritional profile.

Poultry meat is an important part of the human diet, and the valorisation of autochthonous breeds is a determinant for the sustainability of the rural areas. The increasing demand for niche products demands for better knowledge of the carcass characteristics and meat quality of these local populations. The present study aims to characterise the roosters’ meat from the “Branca” (BR), “Amarela” (AM), “Pedrês Portuguesa” (PP), and “Preta Lusitânica” (PL) breeds. A total of 80 birds (n = 20 per breed) between 38 and 42 weeks old were slaughtered. The physicochemical and nutritional composition were determined in the breast and drumstick meat. The meat of the PL breed had a higher (p ≤ 0.05) pH value, the AM meat revealed a water-holding capacity (WHC) of superior value and moisture content (p ≤ 0.05), while the BR breed had the highest (p ≤ 0.05) ash content. On the other hand, it was observed that the PP meat had a higher (p ≤ 0.05) yellowness index (b*). The breast meat exhibited, in all breeds, a lower pH value, WHC, redness (a*), and lipid content and greater (p ≤ 0.05) lightness (L*), b*, moisture, and ash and protein contents compared to the drumstick. Furthermore, it presented higher (p ≤ 0.05) K, P, and Mg contents and a superior proportion of total and sensorial relevant amino acids. Regarding the fatty acid profile, the breed differences were more significant in the drumstick, with the AM breed lipids presenting a higher (p ≤ 0.05) percentage of MUFAs in the fat, a lower atherogenic index, and a higher (p ≤ 0.05) value for the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic fatty acids ratio, while the BR breed lipids presented a higher (p ≤ 0.05) percentage of PUFAs and PUFAs/SFAs ratio and a lower n-6/n-3 ratio. Considering the results obtained, it can be concluded that the meat from these breeds is a wholesome dietary option, distinguished by a favourable overall nutritional composition marked by elevated protein content, reduced lipid amounts, and amino and fatty acid profiles with desirable nutritional indices.

Throughout the extensive Portuguese coastline there are extensive wetlands of great environmental and economic importance. Examples of these wetlands are coastal lagoons called "Ria", lagoons and estuarine systems such as river Lima estuary. Coastal areas are typically activities of conflict zones; it is imperative to establish a solid foundation for its integrated management. Community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) based on sole carbon substrate utilization profiles (CSUP) was first demonstrated by Garland and Mills (1991) using BIOLOG microplates to distinguish between different communities of heterotrophic soil bacteria. The CLPP is a rapid screening method used to characterize microbial communities of different habitats, ranging between sediments to seawater and between oligotrophic groundwater to soil and fertilizers. This method involves the direct inoculation of environmental samples in microtiter plates containing different carbon sources, nutrients and a redox dye, incubation and detection by mass spectrometry of heterotrophic microbial activity. It has the advantage that it is a simple and fast technique to analyze but as the disadvantages that require careful with the data acquisition and the interpretation analysis (Gomez et al., 2006). Monitoring of the sludge plays a key role in contamination studies because they act as a reservoir of contaminants and thus as a source of these contaminants to the water column and living beings. In Portugal, more than 40% of the population is concentrated in the coastal strip, which corresponds to 4 million inhabitants and thus there is a high human pressure on the coastal zone and there are currently 13 estuaries and lagoons: north Tagus (Minho, Cávado, Lima, Ave, Douro, Ria de Aveiro, Mondego, Tagus) and south lies the Sado, Mira, Arade, Ria Formosa and Guadiana. The study estuaries exhibit a high degree of difficulty since these water systems include hydrodynamic flow patterns and geometries very complex and present it is strongly altered by anthropogenic actions. The aim of this study is determine the physiological profile at the community level in the estuary of the river Lima. Five samples were taken from the river Cávado estuary in October, in two consecutive years (2014 and 2015), to investigate and compare the functional diversity obtained through the analysis to different carbon source utilization. The samples were collected at five sampling points distributed over both banks of the River Lima: one in the nautical park (Darque) in Cabedelo, in the Chapel of St. Lawrence, the river beach of Viana do Castelo and in the City Park of Viana do Castelo. The collected data where used to determine average well colour development (AWCD) and the different AWCD value is used to determine the carbon source utilization and the adjust kinetic parameters (Gompertz model).

Ten roosters produced according to “Barcelos Confraria” rules and ten roosters of autochthonous “Amarela” breed, reared on a similar traditional production system, were analyzed, and the chemical profile of two of the most significant meat portions, breast and drumstick, was determined. The results demonstrated that the “Barcelos” rooster raw meat is rich in proteins (22.3%) and fat (4.31%), particularly in monounsaturated fatty acids (39.1%). Significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) were observed, with the breast having a higher protein content (25.1 vs. 19.7%) and less fat (1.9% vs. 6.7%), compared to the drumstick. The fatty acid profile revealed (SFA 30.0%, MUFA 39.1%, and PUFA 24.6%) a similar composition to the roosters reared in the traditional or organic production systems, such as the “Amarela” autochthonous rooster. The “Barcelos” rooster can be regarded as a highly nutritional meat, with an interesting chemical profile ensuring a high-quality traditional product to consumers.