Use of Mediterranean By-Products to Produce Entire Male Large White Pig: Meat and Fat Quality

A total of 70 male growing non-castrated pigs (Large White), with a 23.07 ± 2.87 kg average body weight (BW), were randomly allocated to three treatments in a 103 day trial: a CONTROL diet and two experimental diets, ALLIUM (5 g/kg of Allium spp. extract) and OLIVE (100 g/kg of olive pulp). Animals were slaughtered at 115 kg live body weight. Meat and fat quality were analyzed. Animals fed ALLIUM and OLIVE had higher water holding capacity (WHC) than those fed the control diet. No significant differences were observed between groups for cooking loss, drip losses and color CIELab. No antioxidant effect was observed on an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) test. Animals fed OLIVE presented a more unsaturated fatty acid profile than CONTROL and ALLIUM. Meat from ALLIUM group and OLIVE showed her values of brightness and meat odor than CONTROL. Mean scores of sensory analyses (color, odor, flavor and juiciness) of cooked samples were similar for the three treatments, with the meat samples from the ALLIUM and OLIVE treatments being less hard. Consumers did not reflect a preference for any of the treatments. Both by-products could be used for pork production.

A Real Case Study of a Full-Scale Anaerobic Digestion Plant Powered by Olive By-Products

The anaerobic digestion plant studied in this paper is one of the first full-scale plants using olive oil by-products. This is a two-stage plant with a power of 100 kWe. Two tests were performed: the first on olive pulp and pitted pomace and the second on biomass consisting of 10% crushed cereal. In both cycles, the retention time was 40 days. The production of biogas was between 51 and 52 m3/h, with limited fluctuations. The specific production values of biogas indicate that a volume of biogas greater than 1 m3/kg was produced in both tests. The produced biogas had a methane percentage of about 60% and the specific production (over total volatile solids, TVS) of methane was of the order of 0.70 m3methane/kgTVS. FOS/Alk (ratio between volatile organic acids and alkalinity) was always lower than 1 and tended to decrease in the second digester, indicating a stable methanogenic phase and the proper working of the methanogenic bacteria in the second reactor. The concentration of incoming biomass TPC (total polyphenols content) can vary significantly, due to the seasonality of production or inadequate storage conditions, but all measured values of TPC, between 1840 and 3040 mg gallic acid kg−1, are considered toxic both for acidogenic and methanogenic bacteria. By contrast, during the process the polyphenols decreased to the minimum value at the end of the acidogenic phase, biogas production did not stop, and the methane percentage was high.

The SARS-CoV-2-Inactivating Activity of Hydroxytyrosol-Rich Aqueous Olive Pulp Extract (HIDROX®) and Its Use as a Virucidal Cream for Topical Application

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally. Although measures to control SARS-CoV-2, namely, vaccination, medication, and chemical disinfectants are being investigated, there is an increase in the demand for auxiliary antiviral approaches using natural compounds. Here we have focused on hydroxytyrosol (HT)-rich aqueous olive pulp extract (HIDROX®) and evaluated its SARS-CoV-2-inactivating activity in vitro. We showed that the HIDROX solution exhibits time- and concentration-dependent SARS-CoV-2-inactivating activities, and that HIDROX has more potent virucidal activity than pure HT. The evaluation of the mechanism of action suggested that both HIDROX and HT induced structural changes in SARS-CoV-2, which changed the molecular weight of the spike proteins. Even though the spike protein is highly glycosylated, this change was induced regardless of the glycosylation status. In addition, HIDROX or HT treatment disrupted the viral genome. Moreover, the HIDROX-containing cream applied on film showed time- and concentration-dependent SARS-CoV-2-inactivating activities. Thus, the HIDROX-containing cream can be applied topically as an antiviral hand cream. Our findings suggest that HIDROX contributes to improving SARS-CoV-2 control measures.

Olive Pulp and Exogenous Enzymes Feed Supplementation Effect on the Carcass and Offal in Broilers: A Preliminary Study

Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the exploitation and valorization of agricultural food waste and by-products. At the same time, the growing demand by markets worldwide, especially in Africa and Southeast Asia, can justify the growing interest in the use of by-products for the poultry industry. Olive pulp is one of the most interesting by-products of olive tree farming (typical of the Mediterranean area), being a good source of many biologically active compounds with antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. The presence of processed olive pulp in the diet showed to be effective in increasing the weight of specific carcass and offal traits. This work aims at studying olive pulp as a feed supplement in poultry nutrition, by focusing on the effects on broiler carcass and offal. Olive pulp (OP) is one of the by-products of olive tree farming, being the residue of olive cake after it is dried. To evaluate the effects of OP in a diet supplemented with different levels of a commercial enzyme (ENZ) blend on broiler carcass and offal traits, three hundred male broiler chicks (Ross 308 lineage; one-day-old) were divided into ten treatment groups according to a completely randomized design. The treatments diets contained: unprocessed OP (50 g/kg, 100 g/kg, 50 g/kg with ENZ, 100 g/kg with ENZ), processed OP (50 g/kg, 100 g/kg, 50 g/kg with ENZ, 100 g/kg with ENZ), and control groups (without OP, and without OP with ENZ). The OP processing increased breast percentages in broilers. Supplementation with ENZ did not change any of the studied carcass or offal trait values. The presence of OP (50 g/kg) in broiler diets increased the eviscerated carcass, leg, and neck percentage values. The presence of processed OP (50 g/kg) in the diet showed to be effective in increasing the weight of specific carcass and offal traits.