Tannins in Ruminant Nutrition: Impact on Animal Performance and Quality of Edible Products

Tannins are widespread throughout the plant kingdom, occurring as hydrolysable and condensed tannins and at different levels in several animal feeding sources. Recent years have seen an increasing interest in the use of tannin-rich plants and plant extracts in ruminant diets for improving the quality of their edible products. Some results show that this strategy is effective in improving the fatty acid profile of meat and milk, increasing the level of health-beneficial fatty acids as well as enhancing the oxidative stability of the products. However, the use of tannin-rich feed in animal diets requires great care, due to its possible detrimental effects on animal performance and induction of metabolic disorders. Although promising, the results of studies on the effects of tannins on animal performance and quality of their products are still controversial, probably depending on type and chemical structure of tannins, amount ingested, composition of diet, and species of animal. In this chapter, the current knowledge regarding the effect of dietary tannins on animal performance and the quality of their products (meat and milk), particularly on the fatty acid profile, oxidative stability, and organoleptic properties, is reviewed. The tannin chemistry diversity and its occurrence in ruminant diets, as well as its beneficial and adverse effects on ruminants, will be briefly reviewed, and aspects related to oral cavity physiology, saliva production/composition, and postingestive effects will also be discussed.

Oral food perception and polyphenol-rich foods acceptance - the importance of knowing individuals saliva characteristics for promoting consumption

Polyphenols are widely present in fruits, vegetables, cereals and beverages. Their study gained scientific interest because of their beneficial effects on health. Although there is currently no official dietary recommendation for polyphenol intake, health professionals recommend the consumption of 5-8 daily portions of fruits and vegetables. This is not always achieved and, despite possible causes associated to practical schedule difficulties, the aversive bitter and astringent sensations associated to polyphenols may also lead to avoidance. As such, a better understanding on mechanisms responsible for differences among people, in polyphenol oral perception, is needed for promoting healthier choices. Saliva has been linked to polyphenol consumption. We have previously observed, in animal models, changes in salivary proteome induced by tannin-enriched diets. Moreover, differences in astringency perception were attributed to differences in salivary protein composition. In a recent experiment, we observed differences among individuals with dissimilar tannic-acid perception: people with high sensitivity for the oral sensations elicited by tannins have higher amounts of salivary cystatins and lower capacity to maintain their levels after tannic-acid ingestion. Additionally, and similarly to previous studies, salivary amylase was observed to be involved in tannin perception. In this presentation, oral cavity characteristics influencing the perception of polyphenol-containing foods will be discussed.

Clínica e cirurgia de equinos

O presente relatório tem como objetivo a descrição das atividades desenvolvidas no âmbito do estágio curricular do Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária pela Universidade de Évora realizado de 15 de novembro de 2015 a 15 de maio de 2016. Na primeira parte descreve a casuística acompanhada durante o estágio na Equimuralha, com destaque para alguns casos mais relevantes de cada área da clinica e cirurgia de equinos. Posteriormente a revisão bibliográfica com o tema Parasitismo de Gasterophilus spp. em Cavalos. Culminando com um estudo retrospetivo referente aos dados de equinos que apresentaram míase oral durante o exame da cavidade oral e correção da mesa dentária de 2014 a 2016 com o tema: “Estudo do parasitismo por Gasterophilus spp. na cavidade oral de cavalos no Alentejo”; Equine Clinics and Surgery Abstract: This report describes the activities developed the integrated internship of the master’s degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Évora, which was held from 15th November 2015 to 15th May 2016. The first part describes the casuistics followed during the traineeship in Equimuralha, highlighting some cases of each area of intervention of the equine clinics and surgery. A Second part contains a literature review on the Parasitism of Gasterophilus in horses. Finally, a retrospective study is performed about horses presenting oral miasis between 2014 and 2016 during the oral examination: “Parasitism study by Gasterophilus spp. in the oral cavity of horses in Alentejo”.