Relationship between body weight and hip width in dairy buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between body weight (BW) and hip width (HW) in dairy buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). HW was measured in 215 Murrah buffaloes with a BW of 341 ± 161.6 kg, aged between three months and five years, and raised in southeastern Mexico. Linear and non-linear regressions were used to construct the prediction models. The goodness of fit of the models was evaluated using the Akaike information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), coefficient of determination (R2), mean squared error (MSE), and root MSE (RMSE). Additionally, the developed models were evaluated through internal and external cross-validation (k-folds) using independent data. The ability of the fitted models to predict the observed values was assessed based on the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), R2, and mean absolute error (MAE). The relationship between BW and HW showed a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.96, P < 0.001). The chosen fitted model to predict BW was: -176.33 (± 40.83***) + 8.74 (± 1.79***) × HW + 0.04 (± 0.01*) × HW2, because it presented the lowest MSE, RMSE, and AIC values, which were 1228.64, 35.05 and 1532.41, respectively. Therefore, with reasonable accuracy, the quadratic model using hip width may be suitable for predicting body weight in buffaloes.

Thermal Effects on the Quality Parameters of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Extra virgin olive oil is one of the superlative due to its health benefits. In this work, the Fluorescence spectra of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) from different olive growing regions of Pakistan and Al-Jouf region from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) were obtained. The emission bands depicted relative intensity variations in all non-heated and heated EVOO samples. Prominent emission bands at 385, 400, 435 and 470 nm represent oxidized products of fatty acids, bands at 520 and 673 nm has been assigned to beta carotene and chlorophyll isomers respectively. All EVOO samples collected from Al-Jouf region, KSA and from Pakistan (Loralai Baluchistan, Barani Agricultural Research Institute, Chakwal and Morgha Biodiversity Park, Rawalpindi) regions showed thermal stability. Other EVOO samples from Chaman Baluchistan and one sample from wild specie (Baluchistan) bought directly from farmers showed denatured spectra even without heating. Chemical characteristics of all EVOO samples changed significantly at 200 °C. Relatively, EVOO samples from Al-Jouf showed more thermal stability which might be due to geographical distribution, environmental effects, genetic background and processing or storage conditions. These results demonstrated fluorescence spectroscopy as a quick, cost-effective and reliable approach to assess the quality and thermal stability of EVOO. These characteristics of fluorescence spectroscopy may lead to the development of portable device for the onsite monitoring of EVOO.