The present study aimed to investigate the effect of psyllium husk powder, as a dietary fiber and carbohydrate substitute, on the physicochemical, colorimetric, structural quality, and consumer preference of sausages during storage. The potato starch was replaced by psyllium husk powder in 20%–40%–60%–80%–100% to improve the technological and sensory properties of the new product. Physicochemical analyses revealed that fiber substitution did not affect protein or fat values but reduced carbohydrate and moisture values. Carbohydrate decrease in psyllium husk samples varied between 39.29% and 71.42% and was detected the most in T5 sample. Moisture reduction varied between 2.46% and 6.01% and decreased as the addition rate increased. Cooking loss and total expressible fluid (TEF) during storage increased with the addition of psyllium husk (especially T2). Cooking loss increased the most in the control sample (4.8%) at the end of storage, while the least loss was in the T3 (3.4%) and T1 (3.5%) samples. Furthermore, during storage, there was a slight decrease in brightness in parallel with the psyllium husk replacement rate, but yellowing indexes increased. Instrumental textural analyses showed that 20%–40% of substituted samples (T1, T2) had similar properties to the control. Changes generally occurred in springiness, stickiness, and chewiness properties when substituting up to 60% psyllium husk. In psyllium husk–substituted samples, adhesiveness, resilience, and hardness decreased during storage, while chewiness increased. Consumer acceptance tests showed that panelists preferred sausages produced from white meat more than others, and sensory acceptability was rated above general liking on a hedonic scale of 6–8. When the technological and sensory properties of the products were evaluated together, it was determined that the acceptability of the 40% substituted (T2) sausage sample showed similar characteristics to the control sample, while the 100% substituted (T5) sample had low acceptance. Overall, the findings indicate that psyllium husk substitution has provided functional properties such as low carbohydrate and fibrousness to chicken sausages without affecting the sensory and textural properties. Psyllium husk powder–contained sausage has the potential to be an alternative meat product for individuals who need particular nutritional purposes.

The implementation of a swift and economical molecular genetic approach, ensuring both efficacy and cost-effectiveness and facilitating population certification, is of utmost significance for breeders and the conservation of Turkiye's native pigeon biodiversity. In this study, we aimed to examine the genetic structure of racing pigeons (Columba livia domestica) raised in Turkiye using a genetic marker panel consisting of eight short tandem repeat (STR) loci. For this purpose, DNA was isolated from the shed feathers of 216 pigeons. Genomic DNA was amplified using the multiplex allele-specific PCR and subsequent capillary electrophoresis with ABI PRISM 3130XL Genetic Analyzer. Next, PCR products were analyzed in the GeneMapper Software program (Applied Biosystems). For parent testing, paternity index (PI), combined paternity index (CPI), and cumulative probability of paternity (CPP) were calculated. Furthermore, population genetic diversity was evaluated using heterozygosity (He), polymorphism information content (PIC), and Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) testing. Results revealed that the total number of alleles is 81 and the number of alleles per locus varies between 4 and 19. The similarity rate between parent and offspring was calculated as 99.99% and above. Since no pedigree information was given when the samples were analyzed, obtaining this similarity ratio demonstrates the reliability of the panel. He values range from 0.362 to 0.919, and the PIC values range from 0.295 to 0.909. Loci PG-1, PG-2, and PG-3 show significant genetic diversity, with moderate to high PIC values reflecting varied allele frequencies in the population. Consequently, the set of seven STR markers (+ one sex marker) can be applied to identify and confirm parentage on a regular basis, thereby facilitating efficient breeding programs and ensuring genetic diversity conservation. This panel enables efficient pedigree analysis and gender determination, optimizing cost-effectiveness. The methodology presented in this study is ideal for pedigree analysis and breed certification in the Turkish pigeon breeding industry. Consequently, we affirm that the study data carries considerable national importance.

The synthesis of fatty acids plays a critical role in shaping milk production characteristics in dairy cattle. Thus, identifying effective haplotypes within the fatty acid metabolism pathway will provide novel and robust insights into the genetics of dairy cattle. This study aimed to comprehensively examine the individual and combined impacts of fundamental genes within the fatty acid metabolic process pathway in Jersey cows. A comprehensive phenotypic dataset was compiled, considering milk production traits, to summarize a cow's productivity across three lactations. Genotyping was conducted through PCR-RFLP and Sanger sequencing, while the association between genotype and phenotype was quantified using linear mixed models. Moderate biodiversity and abundant variation suitable for haplotype analysis were observed across all examined markers. The individual effects of the FABP3, LTF and ANXA9 genes significantly influenced both milk yield and milk fat production. Additionally, this study reveals novel two-way interactions between genes in the fatty acid metabolism pathway that directly affect milk fat properties. Notably, we identified that the GGAAGG haplotype in FABP3×LTF×ANXA9 interaction may be a robust genetic marker concerning both milk fat yield and percentage. Consequently, the genotype combinations highlighted in this study serve as novel and efficient markers for assessing the fat content in cow's milk.

This study aimed to compare different DNA extraction methods to achieve higher amounts and purity levels from molted feathers of pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) and cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). We evaluated 226 animals consisting of 202 pigeons and 24 cockatiels for these purposes. We performed three commercially available DNA extraction kits to isolate DNA from the feather samples. These kits were compared regarding DNA yield and quality depending on the different applications made during the isolation. DNA concentration (ng/mL) and absorbance ratio (260/280) were measured using a Nanodrop spectrophotometer. Kruskal-Wallis test with the Dunn’s post hoc comparison was performed for the statistical comparisons. The mean DNA concentration was the highest in isolation with the kit C. Among three commercial kits, statistically significant differences were observed concerning nucleic acid concentration (ng/µL) (P

This study evaluated the association of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) and fatty acid-binding protein 3 (FABP3) gene polymorphisms with carcass and meat quality traits in Aberdeen Angus bulls. Two hundred seventy-four Angus bulls were genotyped using PCR-RFLP and Sanger sequencing. Next, the association of SCD and FABP3 genetic variants with traits such as live weight, average daily weight gain, carcass weight (both hot and cold), dressing percentage, carcass length, back fat thickness, carcass color score, pH, and marbling score was [...] ABSTRACT This study evaluated the association of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) and fatty acid-binding protein 3 (FABP3) gene polymorphisms with carcass and meat quality traits in Aberdeen Angus bulls. Two hundred seventy-four Angus bulls were genotyped using PCR-RFLP and Sanger sequencing. Next, the association of SCD and FABP3 genetic variants with traits such as live weight, average daily weight gain, carcass weight (both hot and cold), dressing percentage, carcass length, back fat thickness, carcass color score, pH, and marbling score was

Racing pigeons (Columba livia domestica) have been selectively bred for centuries for superior flight capacity. Yet, the quantitative structure of flight performance traits and the extent to which sex influences these parameters remain poorly characterized, particularly in Turkish populations. This study aimed to evaluate flight performance in racing pigeons raised in the South Marmara region of Türkiye using three key kinematic traits (flight duration, speed, and distance) and to explore the multivariate structure and individual variation of these parameters through an integrative machine learning framework. Data were compiled from 166 individually registered pigeons (77 females, 89 males), totaling 781 race records used for pattern analysis. A composite Flight Performance Score (FPS) was constructed using min–max normalized component variables, and its internal consistency was assessed via Cronbach’s alpha and principal component analysis. Univariate comparisons revealed no statistically significant sex-related differences in any of the three flight parameters (p > 0.05 for all traits). Principal component analysis confirmed substantial overlap between male and female individuals in multivariate trait space, and Random Forest classification failed to discriminate between sexes above chance level (accuracy = 0.490; ROC-AUC = 0.500), collectively indicating that sex is not a dominant determinant of flight performance in this population. Internal consistency analysis revealed that flight duration, speed, and distance are functionally independent dimensions (Cronbach’s α = 0.135; r = −0.749 between duration and speed), with PCA of the FPS component variables indicating an effectively two-dimensional variance structure (PC1: 60.1%; PC2: 39.7%). Pattern analysis of race records identified four biologically distinct flight performance profiles, characterized by differential trade-offs among flight duration, speed, and distance, suggesting that individual-level performance strategy, rather than sex, is the primary axis of variation in this dataset. These findings challenge common breeder assumptions about sex-based differences in performance and highlight the multidimensional, individual-specific nature of flight performance in racing pigeons.