This work was aimed at evaluating loin transcriptome and metabolic pathway differences between the two main Serbian local pig breeds with divergent characteristics regarding muscle growth and fatness, as well as exploring nutrigenomic effects of tannin supplementation in Mangalitsa (MA) pigs. The study comprised 24 Mangalitsa and 10 Moravka (MO) males, which were kept under identical management conditions. Mangalitsa animals were divided in two nutritional groups (n = 12) receiving a standard (control) or tannin–supplemented diet (1.5%; MAT). Moravka pigs were fed the standard mixture. All animals were slaughtered at a similar age; 120 kg of average live weight (LW) and loin tissue was used for RNA-seq analysis. Results showed 306 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) according to breed, enriched in genes involved in growth, lipid metabolism, protein metabolism and muscle development, such as PDK4, FABP4, MYOD1 and STAT3, as well as a relevant number of genes involved in mitochondrial respiratory activity (MT-NDs, NDUFAs among others). Oxidative phosphorylation was the most significantly affected pathway, activated in Mangalitsa muscle, revealing the basis of a different muscle metabolism. Also, many other relevant pathways were affected by breed and involved in oxidative stress response, fat accumulation and development of skeletal muscle. Results also allowed the identification of potential regulators and causal networks such as those controlled by FLCN, PPARGC1A or PRKAB1 with relevant regulatory roles on DEGs involved in mitochondrial and lipid metabolism, or IL3 and TRAF2 potentially controlling DEGs involved in muscle development. The Tannin effect on transcriptome was small, with only 23 DEGs, but included interesting ones involved in lipid deposition such as PPARGC1B. The results indicate a significant effect of the breed on muscle tissue gene expression, affecting relevant biological pathways and allowing the identification of strong regulatory candidate genes to underlie the gene expression and phenotypic differences between the compared groups.

In this study, the total fungal count and contamination with toxigenic fungi from Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium genera of 127 maize grain samples collected from animal farms in subrbs of Belgrade area during 2012-2015, were determined. The total fungal count was determined using a dilution method, and standard mycological procedures were used to identify potential toxigenic fungi genera. In the tested samples of maize grains, the total fungal count was from 1 x 101 to 3 x 106 cfu g-1. No statistically significant differences between investigated years in regard to the mean total fungal count were determined. According to the Regulation on the quality of animal feed of the Republic of Serbia, the total fungal count above permitted limit (2 x 105 cfu g-1) was established in 9.52, 7.89, 20.69 and 55.56% tested samples in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. Potentially toxigenic fungi from Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillim genera have been identified as the most common in all the samples. In most of the samples, based on the average value for the four-year period (2012-2015), Fusarium species (92.22%) have been identified, followed by the species of the genera Aspergillus (80.83%) and Penicillium (48.68%). A weak positive correlation was established between the moisture content of the samples and the total fungal count in 2012 (r=0.41), in 2013 (r=0.27) and in 2014 (r=0.36) and the medium positive correlation (r=0.61) in 2015. Based on the results of mycological analysis of grain maize it can be concluded that the test samples in a relatively large number did not meet the criteria of hygienic quality. Therefore, regular and continuous control of the mycological quality of maize grain as the most important nutrient in animal nutrition is necessary as a preventive measure to reduce and control contamination of grain with mycotoxigenic fungi.

A comparative study of production traits was performed between COBB 500 broilers from a 52-week-old breeder flock and a ROSS 308 from two breeder flocks of different ages (52 weeks and molted flock 79-week-old) in equal, relatively suboptimal ambiental (temperature oscillations) and nutritional conditions (market feed of average quality). The experiment was performed on a total of 720 day-old chicks of both sexes in 4 experimental groups (Cobb; Ross 52; Ross 79; Ross mix - a mixture of Ross broilers from two breeder ages), with 6 replications per group and 30 chickens in each replication. Mortality, body weight (days 0, 7, 21 and 42), weight gain, feed conversion and production index (EPEF) were monitored in 42 days of fattening. It was determined that heavier day-old chickens (p<0.01) with better gain in the first week of production, were obtained from the older breeder flock. Except in the first week, Cobb generally had the highest (p<0.05) body weights and gains in the experiment, aside from in mid and the end of the test, where did not differ significantly from the body weight of the Ross 79 and Ross mix group of broilers, respectively. Results also indicate that genetics (used hybrid) may have a greater influence on the final body weight and daily gain in suboptimal test conditions than the breeder age. Cobb 500 broilers also had significantly higher mortality under test conditions (p<0.05). Feed conversion and the achieved EPEF production index did not vary significantly in the test in chickens of different genotypes or parents. In general, suboptimal conditions in our research constrained realisation of the genetic production potential, with a suppressive effect on both hybrids, higher on the growth in Ross 308, and on the resistance measured by mortality in Cobb 500 hybrids.

Incidence of toxigenic fungi (molds) and concentration of mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZON) and fumonisin (FB1) were studied in the maize grains collected immediately after harvesting in 2012. A total of 29 maize samples were analyzed and the highest incidence was determined for fungal species of Rhizopus (56.41%), Aspergillus (43.66%) and Fusarium (14.97%) genera. Significantly lower incidence was obtained for species of genus Penicillium (3.31%), and especially for species of genera Acremonium (1.38%), Alternaria (0.75%) and Cladosporium (0.14%). Among toxigenic fungi Aspergillus flavus (36.69%) was the most common species of As?pergillus genus, whereas the Fusarium verticillioides with 14.69% of incidence was the predominant species of Fusarium genus. In all studied maize samples, the presence of AFB1, ZON and FB1 mycotoxins was established, except for DON which was established in 75.86% samples. AFB1 was detected in average concentration of 13.95 ?g kg-1 for 44.83% of samples, and average concentration higher than 40 ?g kg-1 for 55.17% of samples. The average concentrations of DON which was detected was 235 ?g kg-1, while it was 98.38 ?g kg-1 and 3590 ?g kg-1 for the presence of ZON and FB1, respectively. Moderate positive correla?tion was obtained between concentrations of AFB1 and FB1 (r=0.35), while weak positive correlation was established between concentrations ZON and DON (r=0.02).