The influence of diet on the distribution of nitrogen isotopes in animals was investigated by analyzing animals grown in the laboratory on diets of constant nitrogen isotopic composition. 
The isotopic composition of the nitrogen in an animal reflects the nitrogen isotopic composition of its diet. The δ^(15)N values of the whole bodies of animals are usually more positive than those of their diets. Different individuals of a species raised on the same diet can have significantly different δ^(15)N values. The variability of the relationship between the δ^(15)N values of animals and their diets is greater for different species raised on the same diet than for the same species raised on different diets. Different tissues of mice are also enriched in ^(15)N relative to the diet, with the difference between the δ^(15)N values of a tissue and the diet depending on both the kind of tissue and the diet involved. The δ^(15)N values of collagen and chitin, biochemical components that are often preserved in fossil animal remains, are also related to the δ^(15)N value of the diet. 
The dependence of the δ^(15)N values of whole animals and their tissues and biochemical components on the δ^(15)N value of diet indicates that the isotopic composition of animal nitrogen can be used to obtain information about an animal's diet if its potential food sources had different δ^(15)N values. The nitrogen isotopic method of dietary analysis probably can be used to estimate the relative use of legumes vs non-legumes or of aquatic vs terrestrial organisms as food sources for extant and fossil animals. However, the method probably will not be applicable in those modern ecosystems in which the use of chemical fertilizers has influenced the distribution of nitrogen isotopes in food sources. 
The isotopic method of dietary analysis was used to reconstruct changes in the diet of the human population that occupied the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico over a 7000 yr span. Variations in the δ^(15)C and δ^(15)N values of bone collagen suggest that C_4 and/or CAM plants (presumably mostly corn) and legumes (presumably mostly beans) were introduced into the diet much earlier than suggested by conventional archaeological analysis.

Influence of Diet On the Distribtion of Nitrogen Isotopes in Animals

The post-genomics era has brought with it ever increasing demands to observe and characterise variation within biological systems. This variation has been studied at the genomic (gene function), proteomic (protein regulation) and the metabolomic (small molecular weight metabolite) levels. Whilst genomics and proteomics are generally studied using microarrays (genomics) and 2D-gels or mass spectrometry (proteomics), the technique of choice is less obvious in the area of metabolomics. Much work has been published employing mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy and vibrational spectroscopic techniques, amongst others, for the study of variations within the metabolome in many animal, plant and microbial systems. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each technique, putting the current status of the field of metabolomics in context, and providing examples of applications for each technique employed.

Measuring the metabolome: current analytical technologies

Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-destructive and rapid technique applied increasingly for food quality evaluation in recent years. It provides us more information to research the quality of food products. This review intends to give an overview of the type of information that can be obtained based on some developed theory and food research of NIRS. It includes the principle of NIRS technique, the specific techniques with chemometrics for data pre-processing methods, qualitative and quantitative analysis and model transfer, and the wide applications of NIRS in food science. In addition, the promise of NIRS technique for food quality evaluation is demonstrated, and some problems which need to be solved or investigated further are also discussed.

Theory and application of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy in determination of food quality

Spore-forming bacilli are being explored for the production and preservation of food for many centuries. The inherent ability of production of large number of secretory proteins, enzymes, antimicrobial compounds, vitamins, and carotenoids specifies the importance of bacilli in food chain. Additionally, Bacillus spp. are gaining interest in human health related functional food research coupled with their enhanced tolerance and survivability under hostile environment of gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Besides, bacilli are more stable during processing and storage of food and pharmaceutical preparations, making them more suitable candidate for health promoting formulations. Further, Bacillus strains also possess biotherapeutic potential which is connected with their ability to interact with the internal milieu of the host by producing variety of antimicrobial peptides and small extracellular effector molecules. Nonetheless, with proposed scientific evidences, commercial probiotic supplements and functional foods comprising of Bacillus spp. had not gained much credential in general population, since the debate over probiotic vs pathogen tag of Bacillus in the research and production terrains is confusing consumers. Hence, it’s important to clearly understand the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of selective beneficial Bacillus spp. and their substantiation with those having GRAS status, to reach a consensus over the same. This review highlights the probiotic candidature of spore forming Bacillus spp. and presents an overview of the proposed health benefits, including application in food and pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the growing need to evaluate the safety of individual Bacillus strains as well as species on a case by case basis and necessity of more profound analysis for the selection and identification of Bacillus probiotic candidates are also taken into consideration.

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Bacillus As Potential Probiotics: Status, Concerns, and Future Perspectives.

The Olive tree (Olea europaea L), a native of the Mediterranean basin and parts of Asia, is now widely cultivated in many other parts of the world for production of olive oil and table olives Olive is a rich source of valuable nutrients and bioactives of medicinal and therapeutic interest Olive fruit contains appreciable concentration, 1–3% of fresh pulp weight, of hydrophilic (phenolic acids, phenolic alchohols, flavonoids and secoiridoids) and lipophilic (cresols) phenolic compounds that are known to possess multiple biological activities such as antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antidyslipidemic, cardiotonic, laxative, and antiplatelet Other important compounds present in olive fruit are pectin, organic acids, and pigments Virgin olive oil (VOO), extracted mechanically from the fruit, is also very popular for its nutritive and health-promoting potential, especially against cardiovascular disorders due to the presence of high levels of monounsaturates and other valuable minor components such as phenolics, phytosterols, tocopherols, carotenoids, chlorophyll and squalene The cultivar, area of production, harvest time, and the processing techniques employed are some of the factors shown to influence the composition of olive fruit and olive oil This review focuses comprehensively on the nutrients and high-value bioactives profile as well as medicinal and functional aspects of different parts of olives and its byproducts Various factors affecting the composition of this food commodity of medicinal value are also discussed

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/13/3/3291/pdf

Valuable Nutrients and Functional Bioactives in Different Parts of Olive (Olea europaea L.)—A Review

Prediction of chemical composition and origin identification of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS)

The principal objectives of rabbit feeding strategies are to limit digestive disorders, shorten rearing time and increase dressing percentage. Besides, new attention is placed on the carcass composition in terms of primal joint cut, fat and lean proportions, and on the technological and sensory characteristics of the meat, due to the increasing demand for processed meat. The possibility of modifying carcass and meat quality has been demonstrated to be very limited when rabbits are fed a balanced diet ad libitum. Only extreme situations like severe restriction and lack or large excess in a specific nutrient are able to influence slaughter traits and meat characteristics. However, growth performance and health conditions may be also compromised. The manipulation of the development rate of the different body tissues seems to be possible through adequate feeding programs based on different protein levels in relation to dietary energy, but more studies are required to clarify the variations of protein and amino acid requirements throughout the entire growing period. From the literature, it clearly appears that fat addition to the diet, both as inclusion leve! and source, significantly affects carcass fatness and meat fatty acid composition. The consequences are evident in the organoleptic appreciation of rabbit meat and also in its technological characteristics. Therefore further studies are required in order to investigate the biochemical processes that determine post-mortem transformation of muscles into meat and the evolution during storage.

https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/wrs/article/download/383/370

Feeding and meat quality in rabbits: a review

The feeding of a high-fiber and low-energy diet to young rabbit does from weaning to the first kindling was used to modify their body reserves, stimulate their energy intake, and reduce the energy deficit during the first lactation. Rabbits (53 per group) were given ad libitum access to either a control or high-fiber diet (CP, 17.6 vs 15.8% of DM; crude fiber, 15.5 vs 19.9% of DM; digestible energy, 2,565 vs 2,261 kcal/kg of DM, respectively) from weaning to their first kindling. During lactation, both groups received the same diet, which contained 19.3% CP, 16.5% crude fiber, and 2,634 kcal/kg digestible energy (dry matter basis). Four comparative slaughters were performed to estimate the chemical and energy balance of rabbit does at different physiological states: at the beginning of the trial (12 rabbits, 45 d of age), at mating (10 rabbits per group, 136 d), at kindling (10 rabbits per group, 167 d), and at the end of lactation (12 and 11 rabbits for the control and the high-fiber group, 197 d). Large changes in body weight and composition were observed between slaughters. From 45 d to mating, doe body fat and energy increased 7.93 and 4.64 times the initial content, respectively. During pregnancy, body protein concentration decreased from 203 to 186 g/kg. At the end of lactation, body fat and energy concentration were reduced to values close to those measured at 45 d of age. Dietary treatment affected body chemical and energy balance during pregnancy and lactation but not reproductive and lactational performance. The high-fiber diet stimulated feed intake from weaning to the first kindling but not dietary energy intake. During lactation, the rabbits fed the high-fiber diet ate 10 kcal.d -1 .kg live weight -.75 more and lost less body fat (-405 vs -504 g) and body energy (-3,628 vs -4,294 kcal) than the does fed the control diet (P < .001). In the same period, all does showed water and protein retention (185 and 45 g, on average) regardless of dietary treatment. In conclusion, feeding young does a high-fiber diet until their first kindling reduced the chemical and energy body deficit at the end of the first lactation.

Effect of postweaning feeding on the performance and energy balance of female rabbits at different physiological states

Changes in body composition during lactation in 40 primiparous rabbits were studied by comparative slaughter. The results were used to determine the utilization of digestible energy (DE) and digestible protein (DP) and their partitioning between maternal body, milk and foetal tissues.Twelve does were slaughtered immediately after their first parturition (first slaughter group) to estimate initial body composition. The 28 remaining does were remated 1 to 3 days after parturition and divided into two groups offered a pelleted diet at different levels: group L, fed ad libitum and group R, fed 0·75 of ad libitum. The 19 does that were pregnant (10 of L group, 9 of R group) were kept in individual metabolism cages until their second parturition. They were then slaughtered with their litters.Milk yield was higher (147·0 v. 117·2 g/day, P < 0·02) and live-weight loss was lower (–42 v. –294 g) in group L than in group R. The food intakes were 304·7 and 234·4 g/day, respectively. Body composition of the does changed substantially between the first and second parturition, with a considerable loss of fat and some loss of protein. A large decrease in empty body (digesta-free body) weight was observed in both groups. The loss of energy corresponded to proportionately 0·32 and 0·41 of the initial body energy, in L and R groups respectively.The DE requirement for maintenance was estimated to be 468 kj/day per kg M0·75 and the efficiencies of utilization of DE and body energy for milk production were 0·63 and 0·76, respectively. The efficiency of utilization of DE for foetal tissue synthesis was estimated to be 0·27 throughout pregnancy. The DP requirement for maintenance was 3·80 g/day per kg M0·75 and the efficiency of utilization of DP for milk protein production was 0·76 and of body protein 0·61. The efficiency of utilization of DP for foetal protein synthesis was 0·46.

Energy and protein utilization and partition in rabbit does concurrently pregnant and lactating

The present work aimed at evaluating the effect of the dietary replacement of soybean oil (S) by two types of insect fats extracted from black soldier fly larvae (H, Hermetia illucens L.) and yellow mealworm larvae (T, Tenebrio molitor L.) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, intestinal morphology and health of growing rabbits. At weaning, 200 crossbred rabbits (36 days old) were allotted to five dietary treatments (40 rabbits/group): a control diet (C) containing 1.5% of soybean oil and four experimental diets where soybean oil was partially (50%) or totally (100%) substituted by H (H50 and H100) or T (T50 and T100) fats. Total tract digestibility was evaluated on 12 rabbits per treatment. The growth trial lasted 41 d and, at slaughtering (78 days old), blood samples were collected from 15 rabbits per treatment, morphometric analyses were performed on duodenum, jejunum and ileum mucosa, and samples of liver, spleen and kidney were submitted to histological evaluation. No difference was observed between the control and the experimental groups fed insect fats in terms of performance, morbidity, mortality and blood variables. The addition of H and T fats did not influence apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, protein, ether extract, fibre fractions and gross energy. Gut morphometric indices and organ histopathology were not affected by dietary inclusion of H and T fats. H and T fats are suitable sources of lipid in rabbit diets to replace soybean oil without any detrimental effect on growth performance, apparent digestibility, gut mucosa traits and health.

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Gerolamo Xiccato

Papers

Prediction of chemical composition and origin identification of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS)

Feeding and meat quality in rabbits: a review

Effect of postweaning feeding on the performance and energy balance of female rabbits at different physiological states

Energy and protein utilization and partition in rabbit does concurrently pregnant and lactating

Effect of dietary supplementation with insect fats on growth performance, digestive efficiency and health of rabbits