66443 - Biotechnologies of animal Nutrition and of Traditional and Functional Feeds

Learning outcomes

The student learns the proximate analysis of food and feed ingredients and methods to assess the energy and AA requirements, sources, and utilization and their impact on body growth, intestinal development, and animal health. The student becomes able to assess the functions and consequences of the use of feed/food additives to improve animal health and performance, and environmental impact of animal production. The student also learns the technologies to obtain the rumen by-pass of nutrients, the interactions between microflora, nutrients and mucosa, and the impact of the diet on intestinal integrity and intestinal health. Student’s attention is drawn to focus onto biotechnologies applied to feed and food nutritional and technological quality, and future applications, especially in relation to the increasing demand of functional and safe food. The student also acquires knowledge about bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria and their applications in food and feed. The student is trained to culture lactic acid bacteria and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of bacteriocins, through individual and team work in the lab.

Course contents

Functional foods and feed additives for humans and livestock are presented, discussing properties, and modes of action. Focus is given to the role of intestinal integrity, immune response, intestinal microbiota and microbiome and on their relationship with diet and traditional and functional food and feed. The gastro-intestinal chemosensing system and the endocannabinoid system are presented as targets to improve intestinal health and general host wellbeing. Examples of factors that can perturbate the intestinal functionality and causes of dysbiosis both in humans and livestock are presented. Multiple intervention strategies such as organic acids, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, natural antimicrobials, vitamins, and minerals are discussed. It is scheduled a visit to an industry manufacturer of feed additives for livestock: microencapsulation technologies for gastric and rumen by-pass will be presented as a tool to guarantee the intestinal availability of nutrients, and to improve intestinal functionality, growth performance, and quality of animal products. The lab training is aimed at improving the knowledge about lactic acid bacteria and their probiotic properties.

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars

Assessment methods

31 Multiple choice test with 4 possible true/false answers each. Max time 1h.

Teaching tools

All teaching material is available on-line for download.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Piva