
Francesco VizzarriNational Agricultural and Food Centre · Department of Nutrition and Small Farm Animals
Francesco Vizzarri
Animal Welfare and Quality of Animal Production
Dietary application of nutraceutical supplement in livestock animals
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Introduction
Francesco Vizzarri, PhD: Doctoral degree in Welfare, Biotechnology and Quality of Animal Production at University of Molise, Italy (2009 - 2013). Member of several Italian Ministry Research Project and International Collaboration in Slovakia (2009 - nowadays) . Researcher fellow in animal welfare and quality of animal production at University of Molise, Italy for 6 years (2013 - 2018).
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Publications
Publications (138)
Due to consumer demand, in recent years considerable attention has been focused on the use of natural compounds in animal feed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary natural extract from Lippia citriodora (commonly named “limoncina”), titrated in verbascoside, on quality, measured as oxidative stability, fatty acid composition...
Book of Abstract published on Veterinarija ir Zootechnika 2024, 82(1) Supplement 2: 83-130
Recently, Budapest (Hungary) has been the scenario of the of an important event organised by the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, in close cooperation with the European Commission, the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR), and the BIOEAST Initiative (project in which NPPC-VUZV Luzianky is active member), titled "PARTNERI...
We designed and tested the polymorphic gene MC4R in relation to live weight and weight gain of Slovak native chicken breed Oravka kept at the farm of NAFC-RIAP Nitra, which was selected for future breeding by phenotype. We monitored the weight of chickens at the age of 5, 12 and 20 weeks and calculated the weight gain for each period. The design of...
The circular economy represents a promising strategy for saving relevant resources and reducing agricultural activities’ negative environmental impacts while improving economic performance. Since the European Commission presented its Circular Economy Strategy, much has been written both on the topic of circular economy alone and on the relationship...
ABSTRACT: A sudden decline of the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) population in Slovakia led to the implementation of a methodical health assessment program of the free-ranging population. The sampling of internal organs was carried out during the typical five (2016-2022) consecutive hunting seasons (except for years 2020 and 2021). A total o...
Recently the Editorial articles of the Slovak Journal of Animal Science addressed two topical issuesof great interest: international cooperation and European Commission opportunities. Both topics give theNational Agricultural and Food Science (NPPC) institute the prospect to be protagonist in the Europeanhorizon and face priority challenges in the...
After the official ban on the use of growth promoters, feed companies and researchers shift their focus to natural products such as extracts, herbs and spices that can be used as supplements in animal diets to sustain growth performances. The effects of dietary supplementation in rabbit with Laurus Nobilis (0.1%), Chlorella Vulgaris (0.1%) and thei...
INVITED SPEAKER
One promising strategy to increase the animal productivity and to improve the quality of animal production is to use new feed additives (alone and/or in combination) to prove their potential efficacy as dietary natural-booster supplements. Chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorellaceae family) is a representative of phototrophic micro...
Aim of present study was to evaluate the effect of different rabbit PGR genotype on selected production and reproduction traits (total number of liveborn kits, stillborn kits, pre-weaning, and post-weaning mortality) and analysed expression of selected genes of innate immunity. Rabbit does were of local crossbreed line of New Zealand white x Califo...
In many European countries over the last few decades, arable fields dominate agricultural landscapes, leading to very intensive land-use practices. This seems to be the main cause of population declines for numerous farmland species, including the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778). The Research Institute for Animal Production (Nati...
In 2010 Freeman suggested that "the globalization of scientific and engineering knowledge is the most potent aspect of modern globalization". International research collaboration is an activity that is widely pushed globally, at the level of research institutes and universities. Academic world is increasingly interconnected, fostering such internat...
Nowadays, literature highlights a critical message: climate change's impact on livestock production has profound implications for food security, particularly in impoverished and tropical regions. Livestock sector worldwide and animal production output will experience unfavorable situations. Mitigation and adaptation policies become mandatory to gua...
About Slovakia hub
https://research-innovation-community.ec.europa.eu/events/2TokJawDoTNTAmlPP0TnCN/hubs/46Y3zh699MhONyAHel15CS
13 March 2024 Nitra, Slovakia
Join us for an exciting one-day event dedicated to empowering youth and driving transformative change in European regions! Our goal is to inspire, educate, and catalyze action among young...
The domestication of rabbits spread across Europe during the Middle Ages in Monasteries where kept rabbits in enclosed spaces. In the 19th century marked a period of increased scientific interest in rabbit breeding. Selective breeding experiments were conducted to understand heredity and genetics and rabbits except breeding for meat and fur, began...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dried hempseed cake (by-product of oil production) supplementation (5 % − EG1 and 10 % − EG2) to rabbit feed mixture on livestock performances, quality of meat, digestibility of nutrients and animal health status. The chemical composition of the Longissimus thoracis and lumborum muscle inclu...
The fourth issue of Slovak Journal of Animal Science 2023 gives to me the opportunity to overview our scientific publishing activity after the first 12 months together. Along four issues, our Journal has been faced with many different aspects of animal farm production, among them mainly circular economy strategy, non-conventional feed resources, an...
In recent years, the search for dietary intervention with natural products able to sustain animal health and decrease environmental impact, has raised the number of studies pertaining to the use of plants’ secondary metabolites. In fact, in livestock, there is a clear relationship between the animals’ antioxidant status and the onset of some diseas...
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) claimed that by 2050 the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion, 34 percent higher than today. In order to feed this larger population, food production (net of food used for biofuels) must increase by 70 percent. The greatest challenges that contemporary agriculture is facing is a gro...
The use of nutraceutical plant products obtained from natural sources has shown potential in increasing livestock production and health. This article describes the impacts of these products on rabbit production and health status. Through comprehensive research, we explore the potential benefits, such as improved growth rates, meat quality, and bols...
The third issue of Slovak Journal of Animal Science 2023 gives to me the possibility to discuss the
innovative and sustainable multi-service approach of scientific community to boost and develop, in terms of
competitiveness and profitability, the livestock farming system. In the framework of applied science as tool for livestock practice, to succes...
Sustainable nutritional strategies able to support animal health and enhance animal productivity are required. In recent years, herbs and spices containing polyphenols have been investigated as feed supplements to improve rabbit welfare, boost productive performances, and enhance the quality of animal products. The aim of the present work was to in...
The presence of heavy metals in the natural environment is primarily associated with human activity, both in industry and agriculture. Heavy metals affect almost all elements of the ecosystem, including living organisms. Their harmfulness is related to their transfer from the abiotic environment to living organisms and accumulation in biota at vari...
The presence of heavy metals in the natural environment is primarily associated with human activity, both in industry and agriculture. Heavy metals affect almost all elements of the ecosystem, including living organisms. Their harmfulness is related to their transfer from the abiotic environment to living organisms and accumulation in biota at vari...
Green microalgae are single-celled eukaryotic organisms that, in recent years, are becoming increasingly important in the nutraceutical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical fields because of their high content of bioactive compounds. In this study, a particular green microalga was isolated from freshwater highland lakes of Ecuador and morphologically and...
Wild animals are often used as a bioindicator of environmental pollution. Game is exposed to risk factors in nature, so the venison is a commodity that can be considered as risky food. The aim of this study was to analyse lead content in muscle, liver and kidney in farmed and wild pheasants. The results show that the environment is a weighty factor...
The second issue of Slovak Journal of Animal Science 2023 focused on three hot topics, such as the genetic improvement of local livestock breeds, and the use of natural additives and agro-waste in livestock production.
It is well known that an adequate genetic variation in livestock populations is necessary both for adaptation to future climate cha...
Mojo AISA is a new system that claims to offer several advantages over conventional CASA systems. It uses artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms to analyze semen samples quickly and accurately (Figure 1) (Parrella et al., 2022). Mojo AISA can perform multiple analyses simultaneously, providing a comprehensive evaluation of sperm quali...
Recently, green microalgae have gained importance due to their nutritional and bioactive compounds, which makes them some of the most promising and innovative functional foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical profile and the in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial and antimutagenic activity of an aqueous extract of the green microalg...
Invited Speaker
Nowadays key factors in animal production systems are animal welfare and farm sustainability. Therefore, scientific community is constantly asked to search for sustainable nutritional strategies able to support animal health and enhance animal productivity. The research for food autonomy is therefore more relevant than ever in anima...
Aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of Chlorella algae (Chlorella vulgaris) and bay leaves (Laurus nobilis) on selected reproductive indices in intensive reared rabbit does. Second parity New Zealand White does (n = 60) were enrolled for two consecutive reproductive cycles. After adaptation period (one week), rabbit does were rand...
Slovak Journal of Animal Science (SJAS) is an international peer-reviewed scientific journal edited by National Agricultural and Food Centre (NPPC) – Research Institute for Animal Production Nitra, Slovakia and published by the SciCell publishing house. Over 55 years of activity, SJAS journal publishes original scientific papers, critical reviews a...
Agriculture in general, and livestock in particular, is a crucial sector of the EU economy, providing the food, feed, and bioresources helping sustain society. This sector is at the centre of the challenges associated with population growth, food security, climate change and resource scarcity. Nowadays, the high evolution in the production of crops...
In EU area European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) represents the most important game animal species. Considering its highly adaptable to a great number of different habitat types, a decline of this species throughout its range has been noted since the 1960s. Reasons of declining are not clear; probably the most important threat for this species is t...
Humic substances are natural organic substances resulting from the decomposition of mainly plant but also animal residues. The objective of our study was to test if the humic acids can negatively/positively affect brown hares health status. As the main indicators for this evaluation, we chose haematological and biochemical blood tests. In this stud...
Sustainability and safety and of animal feeds is a pillar of the security of the entire food chain. A wide number of phyto-derivates may be present in farm animal feeds depending on the feed composition for the different animal species and categories as well as the origin and quality of feed ingredients. Besides feed components, a wealth of di eren...
In recent times, the trend has been to use various organic compounds in animal feed that would otherwise be unused. Humic acids (HAs) are natural organic compounds resulting from the chemical and biological decomposition of organic matter and the synthetic activity of microorganisms. In our study, we used 24 brown hares. The animals were divided in...
Modern consumers are conscious of the relationship between meat quality and animal welfare. Today, slow-growing chickens are associated with a higher broiler welfare. The present work aims to evaluate the effect of dietary natural extract supplementation with polyphenols and seaweed mixtures (PPE) on breast and thigh muscles quality parameters in H...
Currently, in animal nutrition, the replacement of synthetic substances with natural ones was expected to improve animal health. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a dietary brown seaweed and plant polyphenol mixture in adult male rabbits on the haematological profile and antioxidant markers. Twenty-four adult male rabbits...
Herein we characterized the bioactive metabolites of the aqueous extract of Kavolì®, a commercial product composed of a mixture of Brassica oleracea leaves, and assessed its potential ameliorating effects in a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Kavolì® extract showed high levels of bioactive compounds and strong in vitro antiox...
In recent years, research concerning dietary animal feeds has been especially focused on supplementing with plant polyphenols to boost the animal welfare and farm performances. For these reasons the calls to use botanical-based feed additives are increasing. Furthermore, it has been reported that combining various herbal extracts may synergisticall...
Recently, the quality of beef has received great attention, and health concerns have been focused on fatty acid composition in relation to dietary requirements. The present work aims to evaluate the effect of omega-3 fatty acids (FA) lipid supplement in beef diet on the nutritional characteristics of Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle. One hundred an...
In athletic horses, prolonged and intense training gives rise to an imbalance between the production of free radicals and antioxidant molecules, leading to oxidative stress. Considering the relation between exercise and oxidative stress in horses, the present work aims to validate the Kit Radicaux Libres (KRL) test as a tool to verify the influence...
The global food situation is well-defined by many influential forces such as population growth, availability of arable lands, water resources, climate change and food availability, accessibility and loss. The combined effect of these factors has indubitably impacted global food production and security. Two aspects are important when the quality of...
The family of Brassicaceae or Cruciferae includes about 350 genera and 3500 species, all characterized by an amazing homogeneity in the flower structure, whose distribution mainly concerns the extratropical regions of the boreal hemisphere. Within the crucifers the genus Brassica includes several species including: Brassica oleracea, which constitu...
Nowadays non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver disorders worldwide, with an accumulation of lipids in the liver as main characteristic. This pathology covers a wide range of changes in the liver, ranging from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma....
In the last decades, the scientific community has deeply focused studies on food safety and animal welfare, searching for innovative and natural feeding strategies capable of improving animals’ health and production performances. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro on human erythrocytes and in vivo on growing rabbits antioxida...
In recent years, many studies have been focused on natural substances that could have effect on health of animals. We investigated effect of extract consisting mainly of polyphenols, brown algae and plant polysaccharides on the reproduction potential of male rabbits (New Zealand white breed) during 60 days long dietary experiment. The rabbits were...
This work is aimed to evaluate the effect of natural zeolite on selected parameters of the rabbit's meat chemical composition. The rabbits of the Castorex breed (n=12) were divided into two groups: Control group C (n=6) without the addition of zeolite in feed and the experimental group Z (n=6) in which animals received zeolite daily in a peroral fo...
Lippia citriodora is a plant traditionally used for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antispasmodic effects, as well as for additional biological activities proven in cell culture, animal studies and a small number of human clinical trials. The plant has also shown a marked improvement in blood lipid profile in some animal species. In the pres...
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dam and offspring dietary supplementation with a natural feed additive on the growth performance and meat quality parameters of growing rabbits. The growing rabbits are selected from lactating does receiving a control diet (C) or diets supplemented with 0.3% (SP1) and 0.6% (SP2) of f...
Verbascoside is a compound that belongs to a group of natural substances present in plants used in traditional medicine. It possesses multiple biological capabilities including anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-tumour properties. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of verbascoside in two different concentrations (1 g/kg-LVB and 2 m...
Feed additive consisting of polysaccharides from brown seaweeds plus phenolic acid, hydroxycinnamic acids, tannins, and flavonoids from plant extracts, was used as rabbit food supplement. Main aim of the study was to determine the effect of natural mix of marine and freshwater seaweed polyphenols on selected reproductive characteristics of male rab...
Reactive oxygen species are continuously produced by our organism through numerous biochemical processes. Certain amount of oxidants are important for maintain proper cell function, adjusting the mechanisms of homeostasis. The horse is an elite athlete with peculiar features, such as speed and resistance that developed during the evolution as anima...
Laurus nobilis, the leaves of which are used as a seasoning in cooking, is rich in active compounds such as phenols, flavonols and flavones, and has antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. This study evaluates the effects of the dietary supplementation with fat and dried bay leaves on growth performance and meat quality parameters of weaned rabbits....
This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of a topical antioxidant and ultraviolet (UV) shielding action formulation containing riboflavin and D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) vitamin E against corneal UV-induced damage in vivo rabbit eyes. In vivo experiments were performed using male albino rabbits, which were divided...
In the present study evaluates the effects of natural extracts on reproductive performance, haema- tochemical parameters, and antioxidant status of rabbit does. a total of sixty new Zealand white second parity does were divided into three groups: the rst group was fed a control diet (CON), the second (T1) and the third groups (T2) were fed the same...
Growth performances, carcass characteristics and meat quality parameters from growing rabbit fed with two levels of dietary brown seaweed (Laminaria spp) and plant polyphenols were investigated. One hundred and forty-four New Zealand White rabbits were allotted into three dietary treatments containing 0 (C), 0.3% (T1), and 0.6% (T2) of brown seawee...
Polyphenol-rich foods could have a pivotal function in the prevention of oxidative stress-based pathologies and antibacterial action. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity, as well as the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant capacities of wild Prunus spinosa L. fruit (PSF) from the southeast regions of Italy....
Dietary supplementation with brown seaweed and plant polyphenols mixture affects muscle omega 3 content in rabbit
Recently, natural extract has been studied as dietary supplement in animal feed for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antimicrobial properties. There is a growing interest on the use of natural supplements in rabbit nutrition in order to enhance meat quality, improving oxidative stability and nutritional param- eters. Moreover, thes...
Laurus nobilis (commonly called laurel or bay leaves) is known in the human field especially as food spice, rich in polar com- pounds such as phenols, flavonols and flavones having antioxi- dant and antimicrobial effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with dried bay leaves in growing rabbits on chemical...
Reactive oxygen species are continuously produced by our organism through numerous biochemical processes. Certain amount of oxidants are important for maintain proper cell function, adjusting the mechanisms of homeostasis. The horse is an elite athlete with peculiar features, such as speed and resistance that developed during the evolution as anima...
The presentation runs through recent results obtained from the application of Kit Radicaux Libres (KRL) biological test in livestock species, in order to evaluate the antioxidant status in animals and animal products.
Proceedings of the International Conference in Animal Physiology 2019, Slovak Republic.
Verbascoside, the main component of Lippia citriodora extract, has exhibited a wide biological activity, being free radical scavenging the most representative one. In in vivo study 20 adult New Zealand white rabbit bucks were divided into two homogeneous groups, one control (CON) and one verbascoside-supplemented (0.1%) in feed mixture (EXP) and la...
Effects of sex and age on fatty acids profile in the meat of Carassius spp. were evaluated. Carassius auratus fillets displayed a higher content of SFA and MUFA than Carassius carassius. In contrast, Carassius carassius had a higher content of PUFA (higher proportion of linoleic, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, docosatetraenoic and docosapentaenoic...
Effects of dietary supplementation of verbascoside and lycopene, alone and in com‐ bination, on some blood parameters, plasma oxidative status and meat quality traits in intensively reared rabbits were investigated. The test lasted 60 days and was con‐ ducted on 200 weaned‐rabbits, divided into four groups of 50 animals each (5 ani‐ mals each cage...
There is an internationally growing interest concerning the use of natural extract sources in animal production area in order to improve the farming welfare and the animal performance. Nowadays it is widely accepted the application of rabbit as animal model. In addition the largely expanding rabbit production is mainly attributable to rabbit’s high...
In recent years, many studies have been focused on natural substances that can affect health of animals. A mix of different extracts was used as dietary supplement and it consists exclusively of natural products. Its main components are polyphenols from terrestrial and marine origins and plant polysaccharides. The effect of this supplement on repro...
In the last decade, the use of feed supplement has become increasingly common in animal nutrition, in order to reach beneficial effects on animal health. Among phenolic compounds, verbascoside shows the highest scavenger activity and has high antioxidant power in comparison with other phenolic compounds. Verbascoside, a phenylpropanoid, is the most...
Background
Several dietary phytochemicals potentially regulate the equilibrium between oxidant and antioxidant species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Lippia citriodora, Raphanus sativus, and Solanum lycopersicum on blood parameters, oxidative/antioxidant status, and SIRT1 activity in the rabbit's heart and liver.
Methods
Twe...
Full Proceedings of the Animal Physiology 2018
In recent years, many studies have been focused on natural substances that can affect health of animals. A mix of different extracts was used as dietary supplement and it consists exclusively of natural products. Its main components are polyphenols from terrestrial and marine origins and plant polysaccharides. The effect of this supplement on repro...