Intensive cattle breeding’s environmental challenges are prompting shifts to extensive, pasture-based systems, influencing nutrient and pollutant uptake. PTEs are essential and non-essential elements, regularly found in the environment and organisms, and in which unbalances lead to health issues. Hair analysis, a non-invasive method, provides retrospective PTE exposure evaluation. This study aims to understand exposure and species-specific accumulation patterns of PTEs in cattle and roe deer sharing pastures in Northern Italy using the hair analysis. Aluminum, As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cu, Mg, Fe, and Zn were quantified through the use of ICP-OES. Findings show As levels significantly higher in roe deer due to their selective feeding, while Cd and Pb levels align with other studies. Essential elements like Cu, Fe, and Zn are lower in cattle, possibly due to diet differences. Higher Cr and Ni levels in cattle suggest contamination or physiological differences in accumulation patterns. In conclusion, hair analysis is valuable for monitoring environmental PTE exposure, highlighting significant interspecies differences and the potential of both animals as bioindicators in shared grazing areas.

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with extruded linseed (ELS) and Padina pavonica algae extract (PP) on rabbit carcass and meat quality. Ninety-six rabbit carcasses from two production cycles were analyzed. In the first cycle (C1), rabbits were fed a control diet (1CNT), the same diet supplemented with 5% ELS (1ELS5%), and supplemented with 3.5% ELS and 0.2% PP (1LPP3.5%). In the second cycle (C2), the diets varied in composition and supplementation levels: a different control diet (2CNT), the same diet with 5% ELS (2ELS5%), and with 5% ELS and 0.2% PP (2LPP5%). Meat analyses were performed on Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle for physical properties and on thigh meat (THM) for proximate composition, vitamin E, coenzyme-Q10, cholesterol, fatty acid profile, and mineral content. No significant differences in LTL physical quality were observed in C1, although LTL was brighter in C2 (p < 0.001). THM in C2 had higher fat content (p < 0.001). Dietary supplementation with ELS and PP extract significantly increased polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) and improved the n-6/n-3 ratio (p < 0.001) in rabbit meat, demonstrating their positive impact on meat quality.

This study examined the effects of extruded linseed and algae Padina pavonica extract on the reproductive performance, milk production, and gastrointestinal health of female rabbits. Thirty-six nulliparous New Zealand White female rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 12) with different diets. The control group (CNT) received a standard diet, while the other two groups received modified isoenergetic diets in which part of the CNT diet ingredients were replaced with 5% extruded linseed (L5%) and 5% extruded linseed plus 0.2% Padina pavonica algae extract (L5%PP). The rabbits were monitored from artificial insemination until the weaning of the rabbit kits, evaluating different reproductive parameters. Our results indicate that extruded linseed and alga Padina pavonica extract did not affect the feed intake or body weight of female rabbits. Additionally, no clinically significant histological changes were observed at the gastrointestinal level. The reproductive parameters, including litter size, litter weight, and milk yield, showed no significant differences among groups. Notably, perinatal and pre-weaning mortalities were reduced in litters born to females receiving omega-3 integrated diets (p < 0.05). While these findings are promising, further studies are needed to confirm these results and explore the specific mechanisms by which omega-3 affects reproductive function and litter health.

This study evaluated the efficacy of an active absorbent pad (aPAD) in reducing microbial growth and enhancing the shelf life of rabbit meat stored in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Thigh muscles from 60 rabbits were used, divided into three dietary groups: a control group (CNT), a group supplemented with 5% extruded flaxseed (ELS5%), and a group with 3.5% extruded flaxseed and 0.2% Padina pavonica algae (LPP3.5%). Samples were packaged in MAP (70% O₂, 30% CO₂) with either a conventional pad (nPAD) or aPAD and analyzed at 1, 4, 7, 14, 21 days. Microbiological analysis revealed a significantly lower total viable count at 21 days in the ELS5%aPAD group. For coagulase-positive staphylococci, the CNTaPAD group showed lower microbial counts at both day 4 and day 21 (p < 0.05). Enterobacteriaceae reductions were observed at 24 h post packaging in both the CNTaPAD and LPP3.5%aPAD groups and at day 14 in ELS5%aPAD. Lipid oxidation (TBARS) was also lower in aPAD samples, particularly in LPP3.5%, which remained below 1.5 mg MDA/kg compared to >2.5 mg MDA/kg in nPAD (p < 0.05). Sensory attributes such as texture and color were better preserved with aPAD. These findings underscore the effectiveness of aPAD in MAP to control microbial growth, limit oxidation, and extend the shelf life of omega-3-enriched rabbit meat, providing a promising solution for functional meat product preservation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of horse and donkey meat in the production of kaddid—a traditional dish typically not made with these meats—from a physical and chemical perspective. The results showed that both meats exhibit similar water retention during cooking, contributing to comparable tenderness and juiciness, with no significant differences in pH values, indicating similar quality (p > 0.05). However, their amino acid profiles differ: horse meat contains lower levels of glutamate (p < 0.05), methionine (p < 0.01), isoleucine (p < 0.05), and leucine (p < 0.05), but higher levels of proline (p < 0.05), histidine (p < 0.01), and lysine (p < 0.001) compared to donkey meat. Both meats provide essential amino acids. Horse meat is richer in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (32.44% and 39.58%, respectively), while donkey meat has a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (31.51%), with a more favorable PUFA/SFA ratio, suggesting better cardiovascular health benefits. In terms of dried meat, donkey kaddid has a higher protein (17.45 g/100 g) and lower fat content (2.1 g/100 g) compared to horse kaddid (16.7 g/100 g, and 3.5 g/100 g, respectively) (p < 0.05). These findings inform consumer choices and production practices, promoting the use of horse and donkey meat for kaddid production.