The production of innovative composition (high omega group fatty acids and antioxidants-carotenoids) broiler chicken meat and egg opportunities in Latvia was assessed. After feeding the poultry with feed enriched with fatty acids and antioxidants, broiler meat and eggs of innovative composition containing a higher amount of omega-3 (in meat by 1.7%, in eggs by 2.7%), omega-6 (in meat by 3.9%, in eggs by 3.2%) and carotenoids (0.44 mg kg-1 in meat and in eggs by 6.9 mg kg-1) when compared with the content of commercial products are obtained. Nutrition costs of innovative composition-based broiler chicken meat production are LVL 20 higher and nutrition costs of egg production are LVL 1.49 higher per 1000 units of output than in the standard version of the poultry feeding-stuff. The poultry farming production of an innovative composition, however, is economically profitable due to the higher rates of poultry productivity. In the case of an innovative composition-based yield the potential profit at the currently equal cost realisation of poultry meat and eggs is higher when calculating 293.47 LVL per 1000 broiler chickens and 5.52 LVL per 1000 eggs in comparison with commercial production.

The quality and nutritional value of milk and dairy products are considerably influenced by the stability of its constituents. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of enhancing oxidative stability of cow’s milk fat and vitamin B2 using carrots and palm oil feed supplement CAF 100 as sources of natural antioxidants in cow feed. Milk samples were collected after 25-day period of feed supplementation. The intensity of riboflavin losses during its photo oxidative degradation in sunlight was measured by the fluorometric method. A slight and significant (p is less than 0.05) difference in higher vitamin B2 stability was seen in carrot-supplemented group (TG1) milk, where the losses of vitamin B2 were by 3.01% less compared to CG (CG). The oxidative stability of butter oil samples stored in 60 °C temperature was analyzed by peroxide value (PV) method. The oxidative stability of samples initially affected by light from both trial groups was significantly (p is less than 0.05) higher compared to CG showing the good potential of the cow diet enrichment with carotenoid additives. The longest induction period (larger than 14 days) was observed in CAF-100- supplemented (TG2) cow milk fats, which can be explained by carotenoids and tocopherol presence and its possible synergism in fat protection. The induction periods of the TG1 and CG were 12.03 and 10.97 days, respectively.

β-Carotene (BC) and a-tocopherol in milk fat have positive implications in human nutrition, besides the specifically protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids from oxidation. To determine the possible effect on some milk components, nutritional value and lipid stability of including carrots in the diet of lactating cows, ten cows were selected in a dairy farm and divided into 2 groups (control and experimental) by 5 cows in each. In experimental group's diet additionally 7 kg carrots per cow per day were included. Individual cow milk samples were obtained 1 day before feed enrichment, in days 7, 24, 35, 42 (during the feed enrichment), and 1 week after feed enrichment. Analyses of milk fat, protein content, somatic cell count (SCC), retinol, BC, vitamin C, tocopherols, immunoglobulins (Ig), lysozyme, fatty acids (FA) were made, and milk yield was measured. Supplying cow diet with carrots showed a tendency to improve milk quality by promoting the faster decrease of SCC, and significantly (p is less than 0.05) increasing Ig and lysozyme content, thus potentially improving milk nutritional value. The vitamin content rose significantly (p is less than 0.05) by retinol and tocopherol contents, but b-carotene content increase in milk was not observed. Also milk fatty acid (FA) stability changes during 5 day storage in temperature of 4 - 6 deg C were not observed.

In recent years, the effective immunostimulating properties of β-glucans have been widely proven not only in mammals, but also in aquatic animals. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dietary β-glucan supplements on the percentage of individual types of leukocytes and the haematocrit of the sea trout (Salmo trutta L.). Investigations were performed at the state fish farm ‘Tome’, hatchery ‘Pelči’ of the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment ‘BIOR’, during a six month period (September 2018 – February 2019). On the basis of feeding with immunostimulant diets, a total of 15 000 sea trout were assigned into five groups. For blood collection healthy fish were randomly selected once a month, five 5 individuals from each group. Blood smears were made to determine the leukocyte differential count. Sampling was done once a month (September 2018 – January 2019) (n=125). Haematocrit was determined by the standard microhaematocrit method. Sampling was done once a month (January 2019 – February 2019) (n=50). We concluded that the dietary β-glucan supplements can improve the haematocrit level and effect the percentage of individual types of leukocytes of the sea trout, stimulation of the preparation for parr-smolt transformation.

A pot experiment was conducted to assess the fertiliser value of faeces from sheep fed with a diet supplemented with legumes free of or containing condensed tannins. Ten animals received the same five diets in different experimental runs of a double Latin Square design, all consisting of a low quality tropical grass ration, supplemented with 450g/kg legumes. Legume treatments were either solely Vigna unguiculata (a tannin free herbaceous legume) or mixtures of V. unguiculata with either Calliandra calothyrsus or Flemingia macrophylla (both shrub legumes rich in condensed tannins) in ratios of 2:1 and 1:2. Faeces from animals receiving the same diets were pooled and applied at two levels (20 and 80 mg N/kg soil) to pots with seedlings from the cultivar Mulato II, a Brachiaria grass hybrid. An acidic infertile tropical soil was used. Aerial biomass yield and plant N content were evaluated. The results seem to indicate that the N fertiliser value of faeces from sheep receiving a diet supplemented with tanniniferous legumes is not substantially reduced compared to diets free of condensed tannins. However, the data also indicate that nitrogen was not the most limiting element in the soil used since mineral fertilisation without extra nitrogen was efficient, too.