Panagiotis Simitzis

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Verified

Panagiotis verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• phD
• Professor (Associate) at Agricultural University of Athens

The effects of human handling (friendly versus aversive) and milking frequency (once versus twice daily) on productive and behavioral parameters of two Greek dairy sheep breeds (Karagouniko and Chios) were examined. The experiment started a week after lamb weaning (50 ± 5 days after lamb birth) and lasted for ten weeks. Milk yield, milk flow rate a...

Over the past four decades the dietary needs of the global population have been elevated, with increased consumption of animal products predominately due to the advancing economies of South America and Asia. As a result, livestock production systems have expanded in size, with considerable changes to the animals' management. As grazing animals are...

Animal welfare is a key and distinct component of sustainable agriculture and food security. People, both as citizens and consumers, have become more concerned about the husbandry of livestock species. Positive welfare goes a step further than the common welfare approach, supporting that a good life for animals is not only the alleviation of negati...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different dietary levels of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) at the expense of wheat straw (WS) on milk characteristics in dairy sheep. Thirty ewes at their final stage of lactation (145 ± 5 days after parturition) were randomly assigned into three groups; control (C), provided with a die...

Nowadays, there is growing interest in positive animal welfare not only from the view of scientists but also from that of society. The consumer demands more sustainable livestock production, and animal welfare is an essential part of sustainability, so there is interest in incorporating positive welfare indicators into welfare assessment schemes an...

Synthetic agents are regularly used as preservatives in pork meat products such as sausages. However, these compounds can be harmful to human health, due to their carcinogenic potential. As a result, natural antioxidants derived from herbs and medicinal plants are continuously and thoroughly assessed to replace/minimize the application of synthetic...

Yoghurt acid whey (YAW) is an effluent of yoghurt production and is related with enhanced risk of environmental pollution due to its great organic matter levels, which elicit an increased biological oxygen demand. During the previous decades a great effort has been exerted in finding sustainable applications of YAW. Therefore, YAW utilization in me...

Artificial rearing (AR) of lambs is nowadays a common practice in Mediterranean dairy sheep production systems to enhance the milk available for cheese or yoghurt manufacturing. The sufficient growth of lambs in an AR system is vital for the economic success of dairy sheep farms. However, AR is often associated with negative impacts on the performa...

Among the health issues of major concern in dairy ruminants, mastitis stands out as being associated with considerable losses in productivity and compromised animal health and welfare. Currently, the available methods for the early detection of mastitis are either inaccurate, requiring further validation, or expensive and labor intensive. Moreover,...

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) waste (OMW) on performance, egg quality, fatty acid (FA) profile and oxidative stability, serum and yolk cholesterol and immune parameters of laying hens. Two hundred fifty-six laying hens were allocated into 4 treatm...

In the present study, the physicochemical characteristics of 108 yoghurts purchased from the Greek market have been assessed. Generally, the range of the mean pH values of samples was 3.58–4.64, of fat 0–10.8%, of protein 3.29–10.05%, of total solids 10.75–25.18%, and of ash 0.5–1.17%. Samples were categorized as strained and non-strained (traditio...

Several synthetic food additives that bear an E-number are used by the meat industry as antioxidants/preservatives of cured meat products, such as pariza-type meat emulsion products. However, these agents have been associated with health problems, namely cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and potential carcinogenic effects. As a result, na...

1. In recent years, public concern regarding animal welfare has increased while, at the same time, cage systems for animal production have been greatly criticised by EU citizens. In addition, large food retailers promote food products that are made with eggs produced in cage-free systems.2. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic v...

Milk and dairy products possess remarkable nutritive and sensory properties retaining a prominent position in consumer preferences. However, the raising consumer demands for safe dairy products of high nutritional value has reshaped the direction of livestock production and food industry. Currently, research efforts are focused on the development o...

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the dietary inclusion of ensiled OC on milk yield, composition, fatty acid (FA) profile, and the expression of selected genes involved in lipid metabolism in the udder and adipose tissue of goats. Seventy-two Damascus dairy goats in mid-lactation were assigned randomly to three iso-nitrogenous and iso-ener...

This paper aims to provide pig farmers with the necessary information to guide strategic decisions through the development of a tool that allows them to calculate and control their production costs. A financial ratio analysis can be used as a starting point when assessing and improving a farm’s economic sustainability. The objective of the present...

Simple Summary Greek strained yoghurt is a highly nutritious product with continuously growing production that leads to massive amounts of by-products such as acid whey. The large production of acid whey and the difficulties related to its processing make it a strong pollutant with costly environmental effects. Industry and academia are searching f...

Due to the limitations in the use of antibiotic agents, researchers are constantly seeking natural bioactive compounds that could benefit udder health status but also milk quality characteristics in dairy animals. The aim of the current study was therefore to examine the effects of a standardized mixture of plant bioactive components (MPBC) origina...

Citation: Pappa, E.C.; Kondyli, E.; Pappas, A.C.; Giamouri, E.; Sarri, A.; Mavrommatis, A.; Zoidis, E.; Papalamprou, L.; Simitzis, P.; Goliomytis, M.; et al. Compositional Differences of Greek Cheeses of Limited Production. Foods 2023, 12, 2426. https://doi. Abstract: Greece has a long tradition in cheesemaking, with 22 cheeses registered as protec...

Large amounts of yoghurt acid whey (YAW) are annually generated as a result of Greek-style yoghurt production, which poses a great hazard to the environment. In terms of sustainability, YAW application in the meat industry appears as a great alternative since meat marination with natural solutions is a practice that continuously gains ground due to...

The regrouping of ruminants is a common practice in dairy farms and is targeting at the improvement of milk production efficiency. However, changing the established hierarchy in a group affects both productivity and behavioral attributes. The aim of the present study was therefore to examine the possible effects of regrouping on milk yield, composi...

During the previous decades, the growing demand for animal origin products has gained considerable attention. As a result, livestock breeding has faced a rapid intensification in order to fulfil market expectations. This increase in livestock production has led to a large scale of manure that is associated with many environmental impacts, such as c...

Agro-industrial by-products (AIBPs) that are not intended for human consumption can be used as alternatives to conventional feedstuffs in animal nutrition to produce animal products without competing for land or triggering the food-feed competition, thus leading to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. These by-products are also known...

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) plays a key role in the advancement of animal housing, since it is associated with the improvement of animals’ health and welfare status, ensuring sustainability and efficiency of farms. The main objective of researchers is the development of systems for real-time continuous monitoring of the animals’ everyday live...

In this study, the use of vinification by-products in broiler diets, as a sustainable and promising way of exploiting them, was examined. In particular, the potential use of ground grape pomace (GGP), wine lees extract (WYC) and grape stem extract (PE) in broiler diets was examined. Growth performance parameters, the weight of selected internal org...

The aim of the present study was to assess if weaning time (morning or evening) and feed provision (immediate or 4 h delayed) can influence growth performance and expression of juvenile lamb behaviour immediately after and at the age of 50–125 days old. Forty lambs were randomly assigned to 4 groups: E1 (evening + immediate), E2 (evening + delayed)...

An unprecedented challenge for nutritionists arises during the 21st century in order to produce highly nutritious and functional food which promotes human health. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that are highly contained in microalgae have broadly been confirmed for preventing cardiovascular diseases and regulating immune-oxidative status. Howev...

This study aimed to assess consumer knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions toward dairy products from sheep and goats. A web-based survey was conducted in Latin America (Mexico and Chile), Europe (Italy, Spain, Greece, and Denmark), and Asia (Bangladesh). From March to June 2021, adult participants answered an online survey available in 5 languages....

An increasing world population along with increasing human needs have raised demand for animal origin products. Moreover, high prices of conventional animal feeds have led to a demand for alternative feedstuff. Food waste can be an alternative feed ingredient. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary inclusion of dried...

The large quantities of food waste that are generated every year have raised management concerns. Animal diets might be a feasible strategy for utilizing food waste and partially replacing commercially available feedstuffs. The present study examined the potential use of food waste originating from hotels for broiler chickens’ diets. Two hundred an...

In this study, orange pulp (OP) and/or organic Se were fed to broilers in order to investigate their effects on the performance, behavior, breast meat quality, and oxidative stability. A total of 240 chicks were allocated to four groups: a control group; an OP group, fed with OP at 50 g/kg of diet; a Se group, fed with organic Se at 0.15 ppm; and a...

Although carotenoids generally possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, the in vivo synergistic action of carotenoid blends derived from plant-based by-products has not been thoroughly studied. Therefore, the carotenoid characterization and antimicrobial potential of Citrus reticulata extract as well as the impact of this carotenoid-rich e...

Although the effects of human–dairy cattle interaction have been extensively examined, data concerning small ruminants are scarce. The present review article aims at highlighting the effects of management practices on the productivity, physiology and behaviour of dairy animals. In general, aversive handling is associated with a milk yield reduction...

The use of alternative feedstuffs in animal nutrition has been associated with several benefits regarding the environment, the quality of the derived animal products, and the food-feed competition. Such potential feed sources include oilseeds and their by-products seaweeds and algae, food waste and agro-industrial by-products containing a plethora...

The aim of this preliminary study was to examine the effects of yoghurt acid whey (YAW) marination on quality parameters and the oxidative stability of pork, lamb, rabbit and chicken meat. Twenty-four samples per meat type were randomly allocated to one of four groups: CON, without any treatment; YAW1 and YAW2, where samples were marinated for 20 h...

The valorization of vinification byproducts portrays a promising bioprocess for the enrichment of animals’ diet with bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, which could regulate the immune response. Therefore, the impact of dietary grounded grape pomace (GGP), wine lees extract (WYC), and grape stem extract (PE) on the relative transcript level o...

The objectives of this study were to investigate temperature distribution at the sheep hoof and evaluate the reliability and diagnostic performance of infrared thermography (IRT) for the detection of footrot and white line disease (WLD) lesions in intensively reared dairy sheep. Hoof lesions were clinically assessed, and IRT was used to measure tem...

Foot-related lameness, foot-diseases and lesions are emerging issues in dairy sheep; however, relevant epizootiological studies are scarce, and risk factors have not been elucidated. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were (i) to address this dearth of knowledge by investigating the epizootiology of lameness-related foot-lesions and disea...

The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of farming practices and season on the fat and protein content and fatty acid (FA) profile of milk and Halloumi cheese produced in Cyprus. Over a year, raw bulk-tank milk samples from cow, goat, and sheep farms were collected seasonally from all organic (11) and representative conventional (44) dairy fa...

Pig farming is one of the most technologically advanced and continuously growing production sectors. As the pig herds grow larger and at the same time the number of farmers decreases worldwide, it is almost impossible for the farmers to assess every individual animal and assure its wellbeing. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) could provide solution...

Citation: Hager-Theodorides, A.L.; Massouras, T.; Simitzis, P.E.; Moschou, K.; Zoidis, E.; Sfakianaki, E.; Politi, K.; Charismiadou, M.; Goliomytis, M.; Deligeorgis, S. Hesperidin and Naringin Improve Broiler Meat Fatty Acid Profile and Modulate the Expression of Genes Involved in Fatty Acid β-oxidation and Antioxidant Defense in a Dose Dependent M...

The olive oil industry has a leading position in the Mediterranean countries, resulting in the production of considerable quantities of the respective by-products (OB) that constitute an important environmental issue. OB contain valuable nutrients and bioactive components that can be re-used under the bioeconomy strategy, and several chemical, phys...

Mycotoxins appear to be the "Achilles' heel" of the agriculture sector inducing enormous economic losses and representing a severe risk to the health of humans and animals. Although novel determination protocols have been developed and legislation has been implemented within Europe, the side effects of mycotoxins on the homeostatic mechanisms of th...

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of the natural flavonoid quercetin dietary supplementation on the alteration of egg metallome by applying the basic principles of elemental metabolomics. One hundred and ninety-two laying hens were allocated into 4 treatment groups: the control (C) group that was fed with a ommercial...

Olive pulp belongs to agro-industrial by-products, and its addition into livestock diets generally result in neutral or positive effects on performance. However, the data concerning the effects of olive by-products on pork meat characteristics are scarce. The aim of this preliminary study was therefore to examine the effects of dried olive pulp (DO...

Stakeholders that are involved in the animal production chain, such as primary producers,processors, distributors, and retailers continuously seek for alternative ways of improving health benefits and technological properties of dairy products. Hesperidin and naringin belong to flavonoids and are well-known for their multifaceted properties. The ai...

The transition from extensive to intensive housing has induced in great changes in pigs’ husbandry. The social issue that arose from this transition, is the lack of space for pigs to express their natural behaviours such as exploration and foraging. Changes as such, resulted in aggression heightening, the appearance of undesired and abnormal social...

The basic principles of elemental metabolomics were applied to investigate whether alteration of egg metallome could be achieved after two flavonoids addition, namely hesperidin and naringin in diets of laying hens. A total of 72 hens were divided into six groups: Control (C) (basal diet), E1 (750 mg hesperidin/kg diet), E2 (1500 mg hesperidin/kg d...

BACKGROUND Fortification of animal products with natural bioactive compounds appears to improve their quality and protects consumers against oxidation effects. An experiment was therefore conducted to examine the effects of hesperidin or naringin on milk oxidative stability, yield, composition, coagulation properties, and the fatty acid profile in...

Background: The dietary supplementation of livestock with antioxidants to improve the meat quality represents an active research area of high commercial impact. In order to investigate the optimal dosing, analytical methodologies need to be developed in various tissues to evaluate which concentration does remain in the tissue. Objective: We aime...

Does are usually fed ad libitum during pregnancy, a fact that can result in intrauterine overfeeding and can have detrimental effects on embryonic programming with permanent changes in the physiology and behavior of the offspring. An experiment was therefore conducted to examine the effect of does’ overfeeding during two different periods of pregna...

A highly sensitive and specific methodology has been developed for the simultaneous determination of the flavonoids hesperidin, hesperetin, naringin, and naringenin in chicken plasma employing UHPLC-HRMS (Orbitrap Velos). Plasma samples were preprocessed by protein precipitation with cold acetone. Analysis was carried out on an INTERCHIM UHPLC C18...

1. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with natural flavonoids (naringin and hesperidin) on laying hens’ performance, cellular immunity and egg quality parameters. 2. Seventy-two individually caged laying hens were allocated into one of six treatment groups: a control (C) group that was fed w...

The increased consumer awareness towards hazards related with sun exposure has given a boost in the cosmetics industry and particularly the sun care market. Human skin is continually being threatened by the UV irradiation present in sunlight and acute UV exposure leads to skin photoaging. Cosmetic and/or dermatological applications include several...

Objective: Milk is susceptible to oxidation and the products of this process may be harmful for living organisms. Diet composition of dairy animals can influence milk fatty acid profile and therefore milk vulnerability to oxidation. The aim of the present study was to highlight the effects of partial replacement of alfalfa hay by wheat straw on mil...

The majority of the work today regarding the effects of extended milking intervals has focused on dairy cattle and only to a limited extent on dairy goats and sheep. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different non-milking intervals on milk yield and composition, mammary physiology and welfare indices in dairy ewes. Thirty-six m...

BACKGROUND Dietary supplementation of sheep with bioactive compounds such as citrus flavonoids appears as a great alternative for improving meat antioxidant capacity and could also have beneficial effects on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality characteristics. An experiment was therefore conducted to examine the effects of hesperidi...

To date numerous metabolomic studies have been performed in order to characterize nutritional intervention studies. The aim of the current study was to present a comprehensive pipeline for characterizing the metabolic changes that occur in chickens tissues in response to naringin and hesperidin dietary supplementation. Forty-nine chickens were rand...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with dried orange pulp on antioxidant capacity of egg yolk and the possible side effects on performance and egg quality of laying hens. A total of 189 animals, reared in 21 replicate enriched cages with 9 hens each, were randomly allocated into 3 treatment groups: c...

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of the natural flavonoid quercetin dietary supplementation on laying hens’ performance, egg quality parameters and yolk oxidative stability. One hundred and ninety two laying hens were allocated into 4 treatment groups: the control (C) group that was fed with a commercial basal diet a...

In recent years, global epidemiological studies have been targeted at uncovering the causes associated with the etiology of several important diseases affecting human health. Much attention has therefore been paid to the development of products with physiological functions that promote human health. Enrichment of foods with bioactive compounds, suc...

Food industry operates in a competitive market and is continually facing challenges to retain or even increase its market share. Consistent high-quality animal products are required to maintain consumer confidence and consumption. Enrichment of foods with bioactive compounds such as the essential oils appears to improve quality characteristics of t...

The use of flavonoids as dietary supplements is well established, mainly due to their intense antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In the present study, hesperidin, naringin, and vitamin E were used as additives at different concentrations in poultry rations in order to achieve meat of improved quality. NMR metabolomics was applied to chic...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of milking frequency reduction from twice (TDM) to once (ODM) daily on mammary physiology, activities of all milk enzymes implicated in the plasminogen activating cascade and animal welfare in dairy ewes. Thirty-eight dairy ewes (Chios, n = 22; Karagouniko, n = 16) under the same dietary and...

A preliminary study was conducted to examine the effects of breed and litter size on the expression of ewe maternal and lambs neonatal behavior in 3 Greek dairy breeds. Animal observations were carried out on 7 Karagouniko (3 single- and 4 twin-bearing), 7 Chios (4 single- and 3 twin-bearing) and 7 Orini Epirus (4 single- and 3 twin-bearing) multip...

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of supplementing broiler feed with hesperidin or naringin, on growth performance, carcass characteristics, breast meat quality and the oxidative stability of breast and thigh meat. Two hundred and forty 1-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 6 groups. One of the groups served...

Large quantities of serum are produced during the strained yoghurt manufacturing process, which is the predominant type of yoghurt in Greece. However, the exploitation of this by-product as an alternative source of energy, protein and mineral elements in animal diets has not yet been examined. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to determine t...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with cinnamon oil on growth performance, behaviour, carcass traits and meat quality of broilers. One hundred and thirty-five Cobb 700 day-old broiler chickens were randomly assigned into three equal treatment groups with three replicates (pens) of fifteen chickens each....

The present study was conducted to describe the effects of quercetin dietary supplementation, at levels of 0.5 and 1 g/kg of feed, on growth performance, internal organ weights, meat quality, and meat oxidative stability during storage of broiler chickens reared from hatching to 42 d of age. Body weight and cumulative feed intake were not affected...

A trial was conducted to examine the effect of cinnamon essential oil supplementation on lamb growth performance and meat quality. Sixteen male lambs were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group served as control and was given a basal diet, and the second group was given the same diet supplemented with cinnamon oil (1 ml/kg of concentrated...

An experiment was conducted to examine the dose effects of hesperidin dietary supplementation on fattening rabbits’ growth performance, as well as carcass and meat quality characteristics. Forty-eight Hyla hybrid male weaned (35 d old) rabbits were purchased and randomly assigned to 3 dietary groups of 16 rabbits each and fed diets supplemented wit...

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of different dietary protein sources (soybean meal vs whey protein) on piglet meat quality characteristics. Eighteen castrated male Large White × Duroc × Landrace piglets were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Piglets were kept in individual metabolic cages and fed ad libitum over a period of 38 days...

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of different dietary protein sources (soybean meal vs whey protein) on piglet meat quality characteristics. Eighteen castrated male Large White × Duroc × Landrace piglets were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Piglets were kept in individual metabolic cages and fed ad libitum over a period of 38 days...

Abstract 1. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with hesperidin (1 or 3 g/kg of feed) for 31 d on the performance, egg quality and yolk oxidative stability of brown and white laying hens (26 weeks old). 2. Supplementation with hesperidin did not affect egg production, egg weight and egg quality traits. 3...

The objective of the present experiment was to investigate the implications of mild maternal undernutrition on the post-weaning behaviour of rabbits. Twenty-six dams were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group (C) that was fed ad libitum throughout pregnancy and the undernourished group (U) that was fed 75% of the recommended maintenanc...

The objective of the present study was to highlight the possible effects of an extended photoperiod throughout lactation on the performance and behaviour of sows and their piglets. Sows were randomly assigned to two light regimens: (1) standard (n = 12) consisting of 8 h of light (0700-1500) daily from day 111 of gestation until day 28 of lactation...

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of supplementing feed with hesperidin or α-tocopheryl acetate on lambs' growth performance, carcass and meat characteristics. Sixteen male lambs were randomly assigned to four groups. One of the groups served as control and was given a basal diet, whereas the other three groups were given the same...

The effects of different stunning/killing procedures on flesh quality of European sea bass were investigated: (1) anaesthesia with clove oil, (2) anaesthesia with 2-phenoxyethanol, (3) percussive stunning, (4) immersion in ice/water slurry, (5) chilling on ice and (6) anaesthesia with clove oil followed by immersion in ice/water slurry. Muscle pH v...

1. The study was designed to assess the impact of stocking density (6 and 13 birds/m(2) equivalent to 12·6 or 27·2 kg/m(2), respectively) on growth performance, meat quality, behaviour, and indicators of physiological and oxidative stress as measures of bird welfare. 2. The higher stocking density negatively affected final body weight and feed inta...

Temporary maternal separation is a stressful situation typical under modern husbandry practices and may have an undesirable impact on lamb welfare. However, at present there is insufficient evidence on temporary maternal separation effects on the behaviour of juvenile lambs. The aim of the present study was to assess if and how partial isolation du...

Simitzis, P. E., Symeon, G. K., Charismiadou, M. A., Ayoutanti, A. G. and Deligeorgis, S. G. 2011. The effects of dietary hesperidin supplementation on broiler performance and chicken meat characteristics. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 91: 275–282. An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of supplementing broiler feed with hesperidin, a bioflavonoid...

Animal products are important sources for protein, fat, essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients in human nutrition. In recent years, the consumer demands for healthier animal products with favorable properties and improved quality are rapidly increasing worldwide. Antioxidants represent a group of compounds effective in improv...

The effects of different concentrations of dietary oregano essential oil supplementation on finishing pig meat characteristics were investigated in the present study. Thirty-two barrows and thirty-two gilts were divided into four equal groups. During the experimental period, which started when the animals were 5 months old and finished after 35 day...

The objective of the present experiment was to determine the implications of prenatal undernutrition on the behaviour of juvenile lambs. Dams of one group (C) were fed 100% of the recommended requirements throughout pregnancy, while those of two other groups were fed 50% of the control nutrient allowance during the first 30 days of pregnancy (R1) o...