Cheese's fatty acid composition is recognized as a key determinant of quality and potential health effects. Information on the fatty acid profile of commercially available cheeses without PDO or PGI certification remains limited. This study evaluated the fatty acid composition of 102 non-PDO/PGI cheeses collected from mainland and island regions of Greece. Samples were classified based on different milk type, location (geographical origin), and moisture content (cheese type). Geographical origin and milk type significantly influenced fatty acid composition, whereas cheese type had a limited effect. Island cheeses exhibited higher monounsaturated (C18:1n9c), total unsaturated, and ω3 fatty acids (C18:3n3), lower saturated fatty acids and SFA/UFA ratios. Cheeses produced from cow milk exhibited lower concentration of SCFA compared to cheeses from goat milk and cheeses from milk with undefined origin These findings indicate that milk source and geographical origin are the primary determinants of lipid quality in non-PDO/PGI Greek cheeses.

Dried orange pulp (Citrus sinensis) is known for its antioxidant properties. This study aimed to examine the effects of adding dried orange pulp (OP) to the layers’ diets on the concentration of selected elements in the egg. The present work was part of a bigger project aiming to investigate the effect of orange pulp in layers’ diets on the performance of birds and egg quality. There were three dietary treatments and 63 layers per treatment, with 189 layers in total. Cages were the experimental units, and seven cages were allocated per treatment (n =7). The dietary treatments were (1) a control treatment (C) that involved a basal diet without orange pulp addition, (2) an OP treatment with the addition of 9% dried orange pulp, and (3) a hesperidin–naringin (EN) treatment with 0.767 g hesperidin and 0.002 g naringin added per kg of diet; these levels of hesperidin and naringin represent those present in dried orange pulp for the OP treatment. Birds were fed the diets for 30 days. The diets had similar energy and protein levels and contained the same vitamin and mineral premixes. The analyzed egg (yolk, albumen, shell) elemental profile consisted of As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Sb, Se, Sr, V, and Zn and was determined via Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Dried orange pulp supplementation significantly altered the elemental profile. OP largely altered the element concentrations in albumen and egg yolk. Most notably, it decreased the concentrations of Co (p < 0.001), Fe (p < 0.001), Mn (p < 0.001), Ni (p = 0.046), and Se (p = 0.035) in egg yolk and those of Co (p = 0.011), Fe (p = 0.025), Cr (p = 0.049), Cu (p = 0.001), and Se (p = 0.014) in albumen. In addition, it decreased the concentrations of As (p = 0.025) and Ca (p = 0.025) in the eggshell. Principal component analysis was applied to the concentrations of the examined elements in all egg parts to explore the relationships between the elements and detect those capable of distinguishing samples, resulting in the apparent separation of yolk, albumen, and eggshell samples. Further analysis revealed that all samples were clustered into the three dietary treatments, resulting in 100% correct classification. The chelating and antioxidant capacities of flavonoids are intricate and rely on a variety of factors. OP supplementation modulated the deposition of specific elements in egg parts in comparison to those from layers fed a typical diet. Thus, this study indicated that eggs with specialized elemental profiles could be created.

The Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is an invasive parrot increasingly established in European cities, including Athens, Greece, yet its diet and exposure to plant toxins in Mediterranean ecosystems remain poorly documented. We examined seasonal foraging patterns in Athens and assessed the toxicity of key food items using a brine shrimp lethality assay. Field observations recorded 601 feeding events across 10 plant species. Four foods—cypress seeds (Cupressus sempervirens), chinaberries (Melia azedarach), Canary Island dates (Phoenix canariensis), and olives (Olea europaea)—accounted for 82.9% of feeding events. Dietary diversity was highest in winter and summer, while foraging density remained relatively stable, peaking in autumn. Toxicity assessment of aqueous plant extracts with Brine Shrimp (Artemia franciscana) Lethality Test (BSLT) identified chinaberries as the most toxic, indicating potential dietary risks. These findings indicate that P. krameri exhibits flexible, opportunistic foraging and can tolerate plant compounds that are harmful to other vertebrates, suggesting that toxicity does not seem to limit its diet. Seasonal dietary shifts and ecological plasticity likely support its urban invasion success, highlighting the importance of understanding diet composition and potential exposure to plant toxins in urban parakeet populations.

Greece produces significant quantities of cheeses that do not hold any designation such as Protected Designation of Origin. The elemental profile of these Greek cheeses was determined. The collection scheme aimed to represent cheeses not assigned to any designation category, originating from both islands and mainland of Greece, manufactured from different milk types as well as various manufacturing procedures. A total of 102 cheeses were purchased from the market, classified into hard, semi-hard, soft, spread, and whey cheeses, and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Nutritional values of the cheeses were calculated based on the concentration of selected essential elements namely Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se and Zn. The findings of the study indicate that examined cheeses can be regarded as safe, given their low levels in analyzed heavy metals, and on the other hand, they cover a considerable percentage of the dietary recommended intake for elements like Cr and Zn. The results pointed out that discriminant analysis differentiation based on cheese- and milk type is possible. A database regarding the elements of these cheeses was created. The present study attempted to promote less known local cheeses to Greek and European consumers.

This study aimed to assess the effects of partial and complete replacement of synthetic vitamin E (Vit E) with grape pomace extract, rich in polyphenols, and wine lees derivatives, abundant in beta-glucans, on broiler performance, meat quality, health biomarkers, and intestinal integrity. There was a control group (CON) fed a basal diet with commercially recommended Vit E levels, while a second group (GP) was fed the same basal diet included zin-bacitracin as an antimicrobial growth promoter. The remaining three groups (W25, W50, W100) had 25%, 50%, and 100% of Vit E replaced by 25, 50, and 100 mg polyphenols as GAE/kg feed from grape pomace extract, respectively, supplemented also with 150 mg beta-glucans/kg feed. The W25 group tended to have lower body weight compared to the CON and GP groups (2565 g vs. 2762 g and 2727 g, respectively; p = 0.056), while feed intake was significantly higher in the CON group (p = 0.021). Malondialdehyde concentrations in breast and thigh muscles were elevated in the W100 group at 24- and 72-hours post-mortem (p = 0.039 and p = 0.030, respectively). Glutathione reductase levels in blood plasma were significantly reduced (p = 0.022) in the GP, W50, and W100 groups compared to CON. Additionally, CLDN1 expression in the jejunal mucosa was significantly increased in W100 compared to the CON group (p = 0.045). These findings suggest that partial substitution of Vit E with grape pomace and wine lees derivatives by 50% could be a feasible commercial dietary strategy since growth performance, oxidative status, and gene expression were not impaired.

The Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is an invasive parrot increasingly established in European cities, including Athens, Greece, yet its diet and exposure to plant toxins in Mediterranean ecosystems remain poorly documented. We examined seasonal foraging patterns in Athens and assessed the toxicity of key food items using a brine shrimp lethality assay. Field observations recorded 601 feeding events across 10 plant species, and eight commonly consumed foods were tested with Artemia franciscana nauplii exposed to aqueous extracts for 48 hours to determine LC50 values and toxicity classes. Four foods—cypress seeds (Cupressus sempervirens), chinaberries (Melia azedarach), Canary Island dates (Phoenix canariensis), and olives (Olea europaea)—accounted for 82.9% of feeding events. Dietary diversity was highest in winter and summer, while foraging presence remained relatively stable, peaking in autumn. Toxicity assays identified chinaberries as most toxic and cypress seeds as least, indicating potential dietary risks. These findings show that P. krameri exhibits flexible, opportunistic foraging and tolerates plant compounds harmful to other vertebrates. Seasonal dietary shifts and ecological plasticity likely support its urban invasion success, highlighting the importance of understanding diet composition and potential exposure to plant toxins in urban parakeet populations.

Mediterranean countries produce large quantities of food waste mainly from the hospitality sector and the tourism industry as well as agro-industrial by-products (AIBP) from the agricultural sector. This provides opportunities to increase self-sufficiency of feeds and reduce variability of feed prices by safely recycling AIBP and food waste in animal diets. This article reviews the sustainable economy potential of food waste and AIBP via pigs and chicken focusing on the Mediterranean area underlining the need to transform the food ecosystem in the context of finding the optimal balance between social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Typical Mediterranean AIBP covered in this review in relation to antioxidant effects and product quality of pigs and poultry include citrus, vinification (e.g., grape pomace), olive, and pomegranate by-products. Animal studies on these by-products are limited, especially their effect on the animal transcriptome. There is potential for food waste use in animal diets given that some of them are rich in fatty acids and may affect final animal product quality. The reuse of AIBP or their extracts rich in antioxidants and food waste in animal diets has the potential not only to maintain sustainable economy but also to produce foods of added value.

The broiler industry supplies high-quality animal protein to the world. The ban of antibiotics as growth promoters has opened the way for plenty of phytochemicals and antioxidants to be explored. This study summarizes the use of natural antioxidants in a broiler diet as a way through which to deal with stressors, as well as their effects on the expression of various genes. The transcriptional factors and genes involved in the regulation of redox homeostasis are described and emphasis is placed on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and nuclear factor kappa B. Sources such as fruits, vegetables, spices, mushrooms, and algae contain numerous natural antioxidant compounds. The antioxidant activity of these compounds has also been confirmed at the genome level. This study focuses on the regulation of oxidative stress-related genes, as well as on genes that regulate the inflammatory response, apoptosis, response to heat stress, lipid metabolism, and the intestinal barrier status. The natural compounds presented include, but are not limited to, the following: rutin, lycopene, magnolol, genistein, hesperidin, naringin, quercetin, curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, resveratrol, astaxanthin, squalene, pterostilbene, protocatechuic acid, taraxasterol, myricetin, and proanthocyanidins. Several studies have revealed a dose-dependent action. Future studies should focus on the role of phytogenic compounds as antibiotic alternatives in relation to gut microbiota and their role in eubiosis.

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 (traditional with a crust or plain without a crust). The milk origin was classified as being from sheep, goats, cows, mixture of sheep–goat–cow milk, or cow–donkey milk combination. A significant effect of species origin was determined for yoghurt physicochemical attributes, whereas geographical origin, mainland or island, affected yoghurt acidity only. Discriminant analysis revealed MDA, pH, acidity, syneresis, fat, and protein content and color lightness and redness as the traits responsible for the discrimination of yoghurts into milk-type classes, whereas fat, protein, and ash content, pH, and syneresis attributes were responsible for the discrimination into fat content classes. Yoghurt samples were sufficiently clustered according to their fat content, whereas protein content and species origin discriminated yoghurts to a lesser extent. This first in-depth descriptive research on a wide range of samples of the renowned Greek yoghurt showed that several physicochemical characteristics can be used for sample discrimination.

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 climate change, to an increase of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Livestock production is considered to generate significant amounts of GHG, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Methane and nitrous oxide are the main emissions from livestock systems. Ruminants contribute highly to total livestock emissions. In the present study, the contribution of livestock and especially of the small ruminants in GHG emissions is reviewed. Additionally, useful sustainable strategies for farming and feeding of small ruminants are highlighted. Some of the practices discussed include but are not limited to efficient manure management, the replacement of mineral fertilizers by farm manure, the improvement of feed efficiency and provision of feed supplements. Moreover, the use of food waste or agro-industrial by-products is discussed as a sustainable strategy.

Pomegranate is a fruit bearing-plant that is well known for its medicinal properties. Pomegranate is a good source of phenolic acids, tannins, and flavonoids. Pomegranate juice and by-products have attracted the scientific interest due to their potential health benefits. Currently, the medical community has showed great interest in exploiting pomegranate potential as a protective agent against several human diseases including cancer. This is demonstrated by the fact that there are more than 800 reports in the literature reporting pomegranate's anticancer properties. This review is an update on the research outcomes of pomegranate's potential against different types of human diseases, emphasizing on cancer. In addition, perspectives of potential applications of pomegranate, as a natural additive aiming to improve the quality of animal products, are discussed.

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 to contain several bioactive compounds and have a potential to become nutraceuticals that can promote the health and well-being of poultry. The potentials of some AIBPs (e.g., fruit juice industry leftovers, oilseed industrial by-products, distillers’ grain by-products, vinification by-products, olive oil industry by-products, pomegranate by-products, tomato processing by-products) and their derivative products as functional feeds for poultry, but also potential limitations of utilizing AIBPs in poultry nutrition are elaborated in the present review. The possible mechanisms through which AIBPs may improve the health status and productivity of poultry are also discussed. We suggest that nutrient variability across countries should be stabilized and potential hazards such as mycotoxins and pesticides should be eliminated, and the potential hazards present in AIBPs (e.g., mycotoxins) should be better controlled through appropriate legislation and proper application of control measures. Modern processing methods, new types/classifications, and proper developmental strategies foster the utilization of AIBPs in animal nutrition. This review focuses on the AIBPs as feeds, not only for their nutritional value but also for their contribution to sustainable practices.

Greece has a long tradition in cheesemaking, with 22 cheeses registered as protected designation of origin (PDO), 1 as protected geographical indication (PGI), and 1 applied for PGI. Several other cheeses are produced locally without any registration, which significantly contribute to the local economy. The present study investigated the composition (moisture, fat, salt, ash, and protein content), color parameters, and oxidative stability of cheeses that do not have a PDO/PGI certification, purchased from a Greek market. Milk and cheese types were correctly assigned for 62.8 and 82.1 % of samples, respectively, through discriminant analysis. The most important factors for milk type discrimination were L, a and b color attributes, salt, ash, fat-in-dry-matter, moisture-in-non-fat-substance, salt-in-moisture, and malondialdehyde contents, whereas a and b, and moisture, ash, fat, moisture-in-non-fat substance contents, and pH were the most influential characteristics for sample discrimination according to cheese type. A plausible explanation may be the differences in milk chemical composition between three animal species, namely cows, sheep, and goats and for the manufacture procedure and ripening. This is the very first report on the proximate analysis of these, largely ignored, chesses aiming to simulate interest for further study and production valorization.

In an experiment with 60 laying hens (ISA Brown), 25 weeks of age, effects of dietary pomegranate seed oil supplementation on performance and egg quality were determined. In the 6-week experiment, hens were allocated to five dietary treatments (PSO0, PSO250, PSO500, PSO750 and PSO1000 with pomegranate seed oil addition at an increasing level from 0 to 1000 mg/kg diet respectively). Hens were allocated to 6 cages (replicates)/treatment of 2 hens each and received a diet at 120 g/hen/day. During the experiment, no differences (P > 0.05) occurred among pomegranate seed oil treatments in final body weight (1644 g), feed intake (119.5 g), production of cracked, thin-shelled and shell-less eggs (0.011 eggs/hen/day) and egg weight (61.26 g). However, egg production and egg mass tended to be improved for hens receiving 250 and 500 mg of added pomegranate seed oil in the diet. Feed conversion ratio was tended to be reduced for hens of the PSO250 and PSO500 treatments compared to the other ones. In addition, eggshell weight and yolk index increased, with increasing dietary pomegranate seed oil inclusion levels. The increasing dietary pomegranate seed oil inclusion levels increased egg yolk dry matter content, ash content and antioxidant activity as measured with ferric reducing antioxidant power. Regarding the egg fatty acid profile, the contents of conjugated linoleic acid, saturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids were increased. In conclusion, dietary pomegranate seed oil supplementation, at inclusion levels up to 1000 mg/kg of concentrate mixture, tended to improve performance of laying hens and some egg quality characteristics, and increased egg yolk conjugated linoleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids content indicating the potential to create enriched eggs.

The growing population and income drive the rapid increase in food demand. Greece and a few other Mediterranean countries are characterized as countries with a high proportion of mountains favoring goat and sheep breeding; however, poultry breeding is also important, and production is increasing rapidly. Poultry breeding is characterized by the millions of birds reared with increased quantities and prices of feedstuffs. There is a parallel increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions., since poultry production generates a significant amount of GHG. The aim of the present study was to provide an overview of poultry GHG in the Mediterranean area. Emissions’ sources and mitigation practices are presented. Future is promising given that sustainable practices are implemented.

The present study investigated the impact of dietary supplementation with nano-elemental, inorganic, and organic selenium (Se) on the Se content, fatty acid (FA) composition, and oxidative stability of meat in 150 one-day-old broiler chickens. The broiler chickens were allotted into three groups: control (C), SS+SY, and SeNP. The C group received a control diet without any added Se, while the SS+SY and SeNP groups were fed diets containing 0.4 mg Se/kg from a combination of sodium selenite and selenium yeast (SS+SY at a 1:1 ratio) or elemental Se nanoparticles (SeNP), respectively. Breast meat samples were collected from 10 broiler chickens per diet group (2 per replicate) at 42 days of age for the analysis of Se content, FA composition, and oxidative stability. The findings of the study revealed that the Se levels in the breast tissue significantly increased (p < 0.05) and the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of oxidative stress, decreased (p < 0.05) with the inclusion of SS+SY and SeNP in the diet. Furthermore, the levels of 22:6n − 3 (docosahexaenoic acid) and total n − 3 FA significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the breast meat of broiler chickens supplemented with SeNP compared to the C and SS+SY groups. In conclusion, both dietary supplementation with SeNP and SS+SY had a positive impact on the Se content and oxidative stability of the breast meat. However, SeNP supplementation resulted in a more desirable modification of the FA composition. These findings suggest that SeNP may offer a sustainable alternative to traditional forms of Se supplementation.

In recent years, the increasing demand for Greek strained yoghurt produced massive amounts of acid whey, which constitutes a major environmental pollutant. Whether yoghurt acid whey can be included in poultry diets is not known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of four dietary levels of yoghurt acid whey powder (YAWP) on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality traits and oxidative stability. A total of 300 male 1-day-old Ross 308 broilers were assigned into four groups with five replicates of 15 broilers each: control-fed basal diet with no YAWP addition (WO) or basal diet supplemented with YAWP at 25 g/kg of diet (WA), 50 g/kg of diet (WB), or 100 g/kg of diet (WC). At the starter period, body weight and body weight gain were reduced after WB and WC treatments compared to the WO treatment. Breast meat oxidative stability was improved during refrigerated storage for 1 and 3 d in all YAWP treatments compared to control, while the WA treatment showed an improved oxidative stability after 6 and 9 d. The results suggest that YAWP inclusion at 25 g/kg of diet did not impair performance and extended the meat shelf life by reducing lipid oxidation rates.

Although the inclusion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in ruminants' diets appears to be a well-documented strategy to enrich milk with PUFAs, several gene networks that regulate milk synthesis and mammary gland homeostasis could be impaired. The objective of this literature review is to assess the effects of nutritional strategies focused on enriching milk with PUFAs on gene networks regulating mammary gland function and lipogenesis, as well as the impact of feed additives and bioactive compounds with prominent antioxidant potential on immune-oxidative transcriptional profiling, as a part of mammary gland homeostasis and health. The findings support the conclusion that PUFAs' inclusion in ruminants' diets more strongly downregulate the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene compared to other key genes involved in de novo fatty acid synthesis in the mammary gland. Additionally, it was revealed that seed oils rich in linoleic and linolenic acids have no such strong impact on networks that regulate lipogenic homeostasis compared to marine oils rich in eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. Furthermore, ample evidence supports that cows and sheep are more prone to the suppression of lipogenesis pathways compared to goats under the impact of dietary marine PUFAs. On the other hand, the inclusion of feed additives and bioactive compounds with prominent antioxidant potential in ruminants' diets can strengthen mammary gland immune-oxidative status. Considering that PUFA's high propensity to oxidation can induce a cascade of pro-oxidant incidences, the simultaneous supplementation of antioxidant compounds and especially polyphenols may alleviate any side effects caused by PUFA overload in the mammary gland. In conclusion, future studies should deeply investigate the effects of PUFAs on mammary gland gene networks in an effort to holistically understand their impact on both milk fat depression syndrome and homeostatic disturbance.

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 extract (CCE) dietary supplementation on the performance, meat quality, and immune-oxidative status of broiler chickens were determined. One hundred and twenty one-day-old hatched chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to two dietary groups, with four replicate pens of 15 birds each. Birds were fed either a basal diet (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.1% CCE (25 mg carotenoid extract included in 1 g of soluble starch) for 42 d. β-Cryptoxanthin, β-Carotene, Zeaxanthin, and Lutein were the prevailing carotenoid compounds in the Citrus reticulata extract. The CCE feed additive exerted inhibitory properties against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and negative (Klebsiella oxytoca, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium) bacteria. Both the broiler performance and meat quality did not substantially differ, while the breast muscle malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration tended to decrease (p = 0.070) in the CCE-fed broilers. The inclusion of CCE decreased the alanine aminotransferase and MDA concentration, and the activity of glutathione peroxidase, while the activity of superoxide dismutase was increased in the blood. Catalase and NADPH oxidase 2 relative transcript levels were significantly downregulated in the livers of the CCE-fed broilers. Additionally, Interleukin 1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) relative transcript levels were downregulated in the livers of the CCE- fed broilers, while TNF and interferon γ (IFNG) tended to decrease in the spleens and bursa of Fabricius, respectively. The present study provided new insights regarding the beneficial properties of carotenoids contained in Citrus reticulata in broilers' immune-oxidative status. These promising outcomes could be the basis for further research under field conditions.