Special Issue "Food from Equids: A Supply Chain Approach"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Equids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Aristide Maggiolino
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University Aldo Moro of Bari, Valenzano, Italy
Interests: meat; milk; equid production; animal management; animal welfare
Prof. Pasquale De Palo
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University Aldo Moro of Bari, Valenzano, Italy
Interests: milk; meat; welfare; farm management; feeding management
Prof. Mina Martini
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Interests: equid milk; milk yield; milk quality; nutritional and nutraceutical quality; farm management
Prof. Dr. Photis Papademas
E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
Interests: dairy science and technology; fermentation; lactic acid bacteria; donkey milk; bioactive peptides; probiotics
Prof. Klemen Potocnik
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: animal selection; horse breeding; mares milk production; equine niche production indigenous breeds
Prof. Dr. Rosaria Marino
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Food and Environmental Sciences (SAFE), University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: horse and donkey meat; meat tenderization process; proteomics; meat oxidation; animal welfare

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Equids have been used worldwide since ancient times, as working animals in agriculture and for transporting people. Mechanization and industrialization have reduced these needs, leading some asinine and horse breeds to become endangered. In the last couple of decades, both the scientific community and farmers have made a great effort in repositioning donkeys and cold-blooded horse breeds in other economic activities, mainly focused on milk and meat production, although associated with other ancillary non-material productions (animal-assisted activities and therapies, agroecological services, etc.). Worldwide, equid food production is diffused in a lot of cultures, and represents an important opportunity for valorizing not only animal biodiversity, but a model of food production with a low environmental impact that is sustainable from both an economic and social point of view.

The present Issue aims to collect innovations in equid food production with a multidisciplinary approach.

In this Special Issue of Animals, we invite the submission of manuscripts, both original research and review articles, addressing animal management, animal welfare, reproduction, feeding techniques, equids meat and milk production efficiency, meat and milk quality, and innovation in dairy and processed meat technology, as well as environmental impact and economics studies.

We invite you to share your recent discoveries to this Special Issue. 

Prof. Rosaria Marino
Prof. Mina Martini
Prof. Pasquale De Palo
Prof. Aristide Maggiolino
Prof. Klemen Potocnik
Prof. Photis Papademas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • horse
  • donkeys
  • meat
  • milk
  • animal management
  • welfare
  • feeding techniques
  • reproduction

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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Article
Muscle and Subcutaneous Fatty Acid Composition and the Evaluation of Ageing Time on Meat Quality Parameters of Hispano-Bretón Horse Breed
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1421; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051421 - 15 May 2021
Viewed by 608
Abstract
A full-randomized block design was used for the study of the FA composition and meat quality parameters, considering ageing time as a split-plot factor. Chemical and fatty acid composition of steaks (longissimus thoracis and lumborum muscle) from 15 month old semiextensively reared Hispano-Bretón [...] Read more.
A full-randomized block design was used for the study of the FA composition and meat quality parameters, considering ageing time as a split-plot factor. Chemical and fatty acid composition of steaks (longissimus thoracis and lumborum muscle) from 15 month old semiextensively reared Hispano-Bretón horses were characterized (day 0), and the effect of vacuum ageing (0, 7, 14 and 21 days) on several meat quality parameters (pH, instrumental color and texture and cook loss) was determined. The average fat content of horse loin was 3.31%, and the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content, although higher than in ruminant meats, suggested that the finishing on a high-grain diet limited muscle n-3 accumulation. Results revealed that ageing affected all meat quality measurements; color started to turn brownish at 14 days of ageing, with a decrease in redness but not in yellowness. Tenderness improved during the first two weeks, and the Warner-Bratzler shear force scores showed that meat aged for 7 days could be considered as ‘intermediate tender’. Under the present study conditions, an ageing period between 7 and 14 days is recommended for an optimum horse meat quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food from Equids: A Supply Chain Approach)
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Article
Effect of Breed and Finishing Diet on Growth Parameters and Carcass Quality Characteristics of Navarre Autochthonous Foals
Animals 2021, 11(2), 488; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020488 - 12 Feb 2021
Viewed by 499
Abstract
This research was conducted to study the effect of breed, Jaca Navarra (JN) vs. Burguete (BU), and finishing diet, conventional concentrate—diet 1 vs. silage and organic feed diet 2—on growth parameters and carcass characteristics from forty-six foals. Parameters as live weight (LW), average [...] Read more.
This research was conducted to study the effect of breed, Jaca Navarra (JN) vs. Burguete (BU), and finishing diet, conventional concentrate—diet 1 vs. silage and organic feed diet 2—on growth parameters and carcass characteristics from forty-six foals. Parameters as live weight (LW), average daily gain (ADG), body condition score (BCS), and fat depots were monitoring. In addition, the carcass parameters assessed were: carcass weight (CW), conformation, degree of fatness, morphology, and pH. Moreover, hindquarters of the left-half carcasses were sectioned in the main commercial primal cuts of leg. Results showed a clear “breed effect” in favor of BU foals, recording the highest productive values and carcass traits compared with JN foals. On the other hand, finishing diet contributed to improving the productive and carcass features of JN foals. In particular, diet 1 showed to affect positively the features analyzed compared with diet 2. Nevertheless, the meat primal cuts resulted in being unaffected by the breed and diet effects (except for knuckle), obtaining similar values among the groups of animals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food from Equids: A Supply Chain Approach)
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Article
Optimization of UV-C Processing of Donkey Milk: An Alternative to Pasteurization?
Animals 2021, 11(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010042 - 28 Dec 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 872
Abstract
The effect of UV-C light technology on the inactivation of six foodborne pathogens inoculated in raw donkey milk was evaluated. Fresh raw donkey milk was artificially inoculated with the following foodborne pathogens—L. inoccua (NCTC 11288), S. aureus (NCTC 6571), B. cereus (NCTC [...] Read more.
The effect of UV-C light technology on the inactivation of six foodborne pathogens inoculated in raw donkey milk was evaluated. Fresh raw donkey milk was artificially inoculated with the following foodborne pathogens—L. inoccua (NCTC 11288), S. aureus (NCTC 6571), B. cereus (NCTC 7464), Cronobacter sakazakii (NCTC 11467), E. coli (NCTC 9001), Salmonella enteritidis (NCTC 6676)—and then treated with UV-C doses of up to 1300 J/L. L. innocua was the most UV-C-resistant of the bacteria tested, requiring 1100 J/L for complete inactivation, while the rest of the bacteria tested was destructed in the range of 200–600 J/L. Results obtained from this study indicate that UV-C light technology has the potential to be used as a non-thermal processing method for the reduction of spoilage bacteria and foodborne pathogens that can be present in raw donkey milk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food from Equids: A Supply Chain Approach)
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Article
How Volatile Compounds, Oxidative Profile and Sensory Evaluation Can Change with Vacuum Aging in Donkey Meat
Animals 2020, 10(11), 2126; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10112126 - 16 Nov 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 544
Abstract
This study aims to improve knowledge on donkey meat and the vacuum aging effect on the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), oxidative profile and status and the sensory characteristics. Ten 18-month old Martina Franca donkeys’ male foals were involved in the trial. Longissimus thoracis [...] Read more.
This study aims to improve knowledge on donkey meat and the vacuum aging effect on the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), oxidative profile and status and the sensory characteristics. Ten 18-month old Martina Franca donkeys’ male foals were involved in the trial. Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle was extracted from each left half carcass, between the fourth and the ninth rib. Each muscle was divided into five sections, vacuum packaged, stored at 2 °C, and randomly assigned to one of the different aging time (1, 3, 6, 9, and 14 days of aging). Volatile compounds, oxidation parameters, and antioxidant enzymes were analysed, and a sensory test was performed. A nested one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for aging time as an independent variable. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Aldehydes are the most produced VOCs, but no changes were observed during vacuum aging (p > 0.05). Nitrogen compounds increased during aging (p < 0.01). TBARs and hydroperoxides did not change during the storage, whereas the protein carbonyls increased (p < 0.05). Vacuum aging slowed down lipid oxidation and put in evidence the presence of protein oxidation and degradation, influencing the VOCs productions and sensory evaluation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food from Equids: A Supply Chain Approach)
Article
Comparison of Carcass and Meat Quality Obtained from Mule and Donkey
Animals 2020, 10(9), 1620; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10091620 - 10 Sep 2020
Viewed by 587
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the carcass characteristics and the chemical and physical parameters of the meat produced by 10 male crossbred donkeys and 10 male mules slaughtered at 16 ± 1 years of age. The carcass weight and dressing [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to compare the carcass characteristics and the chemical and physical parameters of the meat produced by 10 male crossbred donkeys and 10 male mules slaughtered at 16 ± 1 years of age. The carcass weight and dressing percentage were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in mules. Samples of the muscle Longissimus thoracis (LT) were analyzed. Donkey meat showed a higher fat content, while the glycogen content was higher in the mule LT. The total collagen content was higher in the mule LT; in this muscle, the shear force values were higher compared to the donkey LT. The lightness parameter (L*) was lower in the mule LT, while the redness index (a*) was higher in the mule LT; this muscle showed a higher content of iron, while zinc was higher in the donkey muscle LT. The donkey LT muscle showed a higher content of essential amino acids (52.2%) compared to the mule LT (50.1%). The results obtained demonstrated that the chemical and physical traits of mule and donkey meat were similar to those of other kinds of equid meat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food from Equids: A Supply Chain Approach)
Article
Volatile Organic Compounds, Oxidative and Sensory Patterns of Vacuum Aged Foal Meat
Animals 2020, 10(9), 1495; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10091495 - 24 Aug 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 981
Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the effect of 14-day vacuum aging on the volatile compounds (VOC) profile, oxidative profile, antioxidant enzymes activity, and sensory evaluation in the Longissimusthoracis muscle of foal meat under vacuum aging. Longissimusthoracis (LT) was sampled in 20 mm thick [...] Read more.
The study aimed to evaluate the effect of 14-day vacuum aging on the volatile compounds (VOC) profile, oxidative profile, antioxidant enzymes activity, and sensory evaluation in the Longissimusthoracis muscle of foal meat under vacuum aging. Longissimusthoracis (LT) was sampled in 20 mm thick slices, vacuum packed, and stored at 4 °C. Samples were randomly assigned to different aging times (1, 6, 9, 14 days after slaughtering). VOCs, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), hydroperoxides, carbonyl proteins, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were analyzed, and a sensory test was performed. A nested one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for aging time as an independent variable. Significance was set at p < 0.05. The main VOCs originating from cooked steaks were aldehydes, (from 47.18% to 58.81% of the total volatile compounds), followed by hydrocarbons (from 9.32% and 31.99%). TBARs and hydroperoxides did not show variations due to aging (p > 0.05), instead, protein carbonyls showed higher values at the 14th day (p < 0.01). Catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase showed increasing values during aging time (p < 0.01). Vacuum aging slowed down lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation was shown to be present. However, the best vacuum aging duration is in the range of 6–9 days from slaughtering, with an improvement of sensory evaluation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food from Equids: A Supply Chain Approach)

Review

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Review
Current Knowledge on Functionality and Potential Therapeutic Uses of Donkey Milk
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1382; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051382 - 13 May 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 603
Abstract
The increase of knowledge on the composition of donkey milk has revealed marked similarities to human milk, which led to a growing number of investigations focused on testing the potential effects of donkey milk in vitro and in vivo. This paper examines the [...] Read more.
The increase of knowledge on the composition of donkey milk has revealed marked similarities to human milk, which led to a growing number of investigations focused on testing the potential effects of donkey milk in vitro and in vivo. This paper examines the scientific evidence regarding the beneficial effects of donkey milk on human health. Most clinical studies report a tolerability of donkey milk in 82.6–98.5% of infants with cow milk protein allergies. The average protein content of donkey milk is about 18 g/L. Caseins, which are main allergenic components of milk, are less represented compared to cow milk (56% of the total protein in donkey vs. 80% in cow milk). Donkey milk is well accepted by children due to its high concentration of lactose (about 60 g/L). Immunomodulatory properties have been reported in one study in humans and in several animal models. Donkey milk also seems to modulate the intestinal microbiota, enhance antioxidant defense mechanisms and detoxifying enzymes activities, reduce hyperglycemia and normalize dyslipidemia. Donkey milk has lower calorie and fat content compared with other milks used in human nutrition (fat ranges from 0.20% to 1.7%) and a more favourable fatty acid profile, being low in saturated fatty acids (3.02 g/L) and high in alpha-linolenic acid (about 7.25 g/100 g of fat). Until now, the beneficial properties of donkey milk have been mostly related to whey proteins, among which β-lactoglobulin is the most represented (6.06 g/L), followed by α-lactalbumin (about 2 g/L) and lysozyme (1.07 g/L). So far, the health functionality of donkey milk has been tested almost exclusively on animal models. Furthermore, in vitro studies have described inhibitory action against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. From the literature review emerges the need for new randomized clinical trials on humans to provide stronger evidence of the potential beneficial health effects of donkey milk, which could lead to new applications as an adjuvant in the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases, malnutrition, and aging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food from Equids: A Supply Chain Approach)

Other

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Brief Report
Grazing Mares on Pasture with Sycamore Maples: A Potential Threat to Suckling Foals and Food Safety through Milk Contamination
Animals 2021, 11(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010087 - 05 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 460
Abstract
Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is seasonal intoxication resulting from the ingestion of seeds and seedlings of the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) that contain toxins, among them, hypoglycin A (HGA). Literature mentions several cases of AM among gravid mares and in unweaned [...] Read more.
Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is seasonal intoxication resulting from the ingestion of seeds and seedlings of the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) that contain toxins, among them, hypoglycin A (HGA). Literature mentions several cases of AM among gravid mares and in unweaned foals. The objective of this study was to determine whether HGA and/or its metabolite are present in milk from grazing mares exposed to sycamore maple trees as confirmed by detection of HGA and its metabolite in their blood. Four mare/foal couples were included in the study. Both HGA and its metabolite were detectable in all but one of the milk samples. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing transfer of HGA to the milk. This unprecedented observation could partially explain cases of unweaned foals suffering from AM. However, a transplacental transfer of the toxin cannot be excluded for newborn foals. Besides being a source of contamination for offspring, milk contamination by toxins from fruits of trees of the Sapindaceae family might constitute a potential risk for food safety regarding other species’ raw milk or dairy products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food from Equids: A Supply Chain Approach)
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