=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2761/HAICTA_2020_paper54
|storemode=property
|title=Farm Animal Welfare and Meat Quality: Interrelation with Redox Status of Different Breeds - Abstract
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2761/HAICTA_2020_paper54.pdf
|volume=Vol-2761
|authors=Zoi Skaperda,Paraskevi-Maria Nechalioti,Aristidis Veskoukis,Sotiria Makri,Efterpi Bouroutzika,Demetrios Kouretas
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/haicta/SkaperdaNVMBK20
}}
==Farm Animal Welfare and Meat Quality: Interrelation with Redox Status of Different Breeds - Abstract==
<pdf width="1500px">https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2761/HAICTA_2020_paper54.pdf</pdf>
<pre>
   Farm Animal Welfare and Meat Quality: Interrelation
     with Redox Status of Different Breeds - Abstract

      Zoi Skaperda1, Paraskevi-Maria Nechalioti1, Aristidis S. Veskoukis1, Sotiria
                Makri1, Efterpi Bouroutzika1, Demetrios Kouretas2
                              1
                               University of Thessaly, Greece
                   2
                   University of Thessaly, Greece; e-mail: dkouret@uth.gr



Summary

    One of the major challenges of modern society is to develop the livestock sector
by improving the conditions of farm animal growth and adopt a new model of
distribution of high-quality products. The intensification of livestock production
systems in order to satisfy the increasing demands for animal products, has enhanced
the emergence of health and welfare problems in farm animals. Safekeeping of
animal welfare based on all available scientific evidence, will lead to enhanced
animal productivity and, subsequently, to the improved quality and commerciality of
animal products. In addition, maintaining high welfare status during the productive
life of animals is a key strategy in addressing consumers' concerns about exploitation
of the biological capacity of farm animals for financial profit. To this end, farm
animal husbandry practices are intrinsically connected with animal welfare and
productivity. Considering those issues, we have hypothesized that it is important to
assess the oxidative stress levels in blood and tissues of farm animals. Hence, the
objective of the present study was to evaluate the redox status of four different breeds
of cattle (i.e., Charolaise, Belgian-blue, Limousin and Baltata Romaneasca) raised in
Greece using state-of-the-art methodologies. For that purpose, we evaluated the
levels of the most abundant non-protein thiol source in cells, namely reduced
glutathione (GSH), the activity of the antioxidant enzyme catalase, the total
antioxidant capacity as a commonly used crude biomarker, the thiobarbituric acid
reactive substances and the protein carbonyl levels as indices of lipid and protein
oxidation respectively. These biomarkers were evaluated in blood and liver, the non-
substantial stress psoas major muscle, the quadriceps muscle subjected to
intermediate stress and diaphragm, the most stressed muscle of the aforementioned
animals using spectrophotometric methods. The results showed significant
differences in the tested independent variables regarding the different breeds.
Specifically, improved redox status in Belgian Blue and Limousin breeds through
enhanced levels of antioxidant biomarkers and decreased detrimental oxidative
damage levels in lipids and proteins of the aforementioned farm animals were
detected. Indicatively, the most prominent result in the GSH biomarker were the
increased levels in the Belgian Blue breed (0,261 compared with 0,063 μmol/mg
protein in Charolaise breed, p<0,001). Controversially in Catalase activity, we
observed a tremendous increase in Charolaise breed compared with Baltata




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Romaneasca breed (7005,4 U/mg total protein compared with 5031,7 U/mg total
protein, p=0,01). Moreover, the levels of total antioxidant capacity were significantly
increased in the Belgian Blue breed compared with the Charolaise breed (0,440
mmol/mg protein versus 0,352, p=0,007). Moreover, regarding with TBARS, we
observed decreased levels in the Limousin breed compared with Charolaise breed
(1,531 nmol/mg protein vs 2,030, p=0,017). As for the protein oxidation, decreased
levels were observed in the Limousin compared with the Charolaise breed (0,969 vs
3,974 nmol/mg protein, p=0,040). Furthermore, we observed tissue-specific results in
every animal breed implying that distinct regulatory systems control tissue specificity.
This ongoing study is expected to offer crucial insight regarding the welfare status of
farm animals that are raised for meat production in Greece and to propose methods to
improve it. Incorporating innovative technologies and scientific knowledge in
practice will help increase the added value of meat, ensure the sustainability of farms
and promote the future development of the livestock sector.

       Keywords: redox status; farm animals; meat; breed.

       JEL Codes: Q12; I30.


Acknowledgements. This study was supported by the Operational Programme
Competitiveness, Enterpreneurship and Innovation 2014-2020 (EPAnEK) which is
co-funded by the European Union and national resources (GreQum, T1EDK-05479,
MIS code 5031233).




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