Abstract
Recently there has been an increasing consumer’s demand for products of specific quality and hence for certification of the origins of the food they consume. Terpenes have been proposed as biomarkers of a grass based diet. In a 20 days experiment, 8 adult sheep were divided in two equal groups, representing control (C) and treatment (T) group. In the treatment group oral administration of 1g of each terpene, α-pinene, limonene and b-caryophyllene, were applied. Milk production was recorded daily and blood plasma and milk samples were also collected. Blood plasma samples were extracted with organic solvents and the Solid Phase Micro-extraction Method using PDMS/CAR fiber was used for milk samples, before terpenes were identified on a GC-MS. Milk samples were also analyzed for fat content, protein, lactose, total solids, total solids without fat, ash and mineral contents. The results indicated terpenes not having an effect on milk production. Dosed terpenes were found only in plasma and milk samples of T group. Plasma contents of α-pinene and limonene reached up to 0.010mg/l, while for b-caryophyllene was 0.003mg/l, but varied greatly between days and animals. Terpenes concentration in milk samples reached up to 7mg/l for α-pinene, 18mg/l for limonene and 14mg/l for b-caryophyllene, in a similar to plasma mode. Terpenes administration had effects on chemical characteristics of milk, since protein (P smaller than 0.01), lactose (P less 0.05), ash (P smaller than 0.01) and total solids without fat (P smaller than 0.001) were lower in T group, while fat content and Ca, Mg, Na, K were not affected. It was concluded that terpenes can be integrated in certification schemes as biomarkers in animal products, but always used together with other indicators.
Recently there has been an increasing consumer’s demand for products of specific quality and hence for certification of the origins of the food they consume. Terpenes have been proposed as biomarkers of a grass based diet. In a 20 days experiment, 8 adult sheep were divided in two equal groups, representing control (C) and treatment (T) group. In the treatment group oral administration of 1g of each terpene, α-pinene, limonene and b-caryophyllene, were applied. Milk production was recorded daily and blood plasma and milk samples were also collected. Blood plasma samples were extracted with organic solvents and the Solid Phase Micro-extraction Method using PDMS/CAR fiber was used for milk samples, before terpenes were identified on a GC-MS. Milk samples were also analyzed for fat content, protein, lactose, total solids, total solids without fat, ash and mineral contents. The results indicated terpenes not having an effect on milk production. Dosed terpenes were found only in plasma and milk samples of T group. Plasma contents of α-pinene and limonene reached up to 0.010mg/l, while for b-caryophyllene was 0.003mg/l, but varied greatly between days and animals. Terpenes concentration in milk samples reached up to 7mg/l for α-pinene, 18mg/l for limonene and 14mg/l for b-caryophyllene, in a similar to plasma mode. Terpenes administration had effects on chemical characteristics of milk, since protein (P smaller than 0.01), lactose (P less 0.05), ash (P smaller than 0.01) and total solids without fat (P smaller than 0.001) were lower in T group, while fat content and Ca, Mg, Na, K were not affected. It was concluded that terpenes can be integrated in certification schemes as biomarkers in animal products, but always used together with other indicators.