Studies in cattle have shown that high temperatures increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing an imbalance between ROS and the ability of antioxidant systems to detoxify and remove the reactive intermediates. As such studies remain limited in buffalo, the effect of temperature on oxidative stress was investigated through the oxidative stress index (OSi). Blood samples were collected from 40 buffaloes over 12 time points distributed over two years (2021, 2022). Samples were taken monthly during the hot and cold seasons. Plasma free oxygen radicals were determined using the d-ROMs test (Diacron, Italy), modified for a microplate procedure, and the results were expressed in arbitrary Carratelli Units (U.CARR). Plasma antioxidants were determined by using the BAP test (Diacron) in a dedicated spectrophotometer (Carpe Diem Free, Diacron). The OSi parameter was calculated as d-ROMs/BAP × 100. Temperature and humidity were recorded daily during the trial to calculate the Temperature Humidity Index (THI). For statistical analysis, year and season and their interactions were included in the model. The results of this study showed for the first time the effect of season on the oxidative stress in buffalo. The minimum and maximum THI values for the hot and cold season recorded during the experimental period were 79.27 ± 2.20 and 63.42 ± 3.20, respectively. Levels of d-ROMs and BAP were affected by the seasons (133.0 vs. 145.1 U.CARR, p = 0.0189, and 2489.19 vs. 2392.43 mml/L, p = 0.033, in the hot and cold season, respectively). A significant year × season interaction was found both for d-ROMs and BAP (p = 0.06 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Moreover, OSi was affected by season, showing a growing trend from hot to cold season (5.35 vs. 6.17, p < 0.0001), but, interestingly, it was unaffected by annual variation. Therefore, Osi could be considered a better and independent marker of oxidative status in buffalo, with respect to the evaluation of single determinations of d-ROMs and BAP. Lastly, there were no differences in the plasma 25OHD levels between seasons; concentrations were 12.24 and 10.26 ng/mL in the hot and cold season, respectively.

Organic poultry sector needs high-quality proteins sources to meet specific requirements. The EU’s organic regulation forbids synthetic amino acids; therefore, soybean, with its balanced essential amino acid content, has become the most used protein source, though much of it is imported from non-EU countries, with sustainability and crop competition issues; therefore, it should be substituted with a high-protein-value alternative such as insect meal. In this study, 900 Aviagen Savanna broilers were fed with three different organic diets: soybean only (S100), 50% black soldier fly larvae meal (BSL) and 50% soybean (BSL50), and 100% BSL only (BSL100). Broiler performance, welfare, and fatty acids (FA) were analyzed. BSL50 and BSL100 negatively affected growth, while only BSL100 worsened all of the market-related performances. Meat showed a significant increase in saturated FA (SFA) (p < 0.000) and a corresponding decrease in polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), in BSL50 and BSL100, but α-linolenic acid was not affected by BSL50 treatment (p < 0.000). The SFA increase could represent a negative aspect for human health (e.g., cardiovascular diseases), but, as reported by other authors, medium chain SFA, (i.e., lauric acid), may show beneficial effects as well (i.e., antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties).

: Organic poultry need high-quality proteins in their diet. The EU’s organic regulation forbids synthetic amino acids; therefore, soybean, with its balanced essential amino acid content, has become the most used protein source, though much of it is imported from non-EU countries. Soybean, however, has some important problems related to sustainability and crop competition; therefore, it must be substituted with a high-protein-value alternative such as insect meal. In this study, 900 Aviagen Savanna broilers were reared using three different organic diets. The diets used the following as protein feed material: soybean only (S100), 50% black soldier fly larvae meal (BSL) and 50% soybean (BSL50), and 100% BSL only (BSL100). Broiler performance, welfare, and fatty acids (FA) in the thigh and breast were analyzed. BSL50 and BSL100 negatively affected growth performance, while BSL100 worsened all of the market-related measures of performance. Meat quality was worse in BSL50 and BSL100, with a significant increase in saturated FA (SFA) and a corresponding decrease in polyunsaturated FA (PUFA). Among SFA, lauric acid (C12:0) more notably increased. The increase in SFA represents a negative aspect of BSL meal inclusion, namely the production of lauric acid; however, this trend could have a beneficial effect, which will be more deeply explored with regard to its impact on animal and human health.