Dairy

In this study, a multiple linear regression equation was developed to measure and predict quality parameters of unconcentrated and concentrated milk based on color components. The viscosity, density, pH, moisture, and fat content could be measured using image processing technology. The multiple linear regression model had a good fitting on experimental data considering the limited errors (0.00–1.12%), standard deviation (0.000–0.043), and root mean square error (0.0007–0.3721). Therefore, these models can be used to predict the quality parameters of milk, including fat percentage, pH, viscosity, density, and moisture content, based on color components of unconcentrated and concentrated milk. The maximum and minimum of color change were 12.28 and 5.96, respectively. The values of browning index were also well-predicted and were within the standard limits. The non-destructive and quick procedure that proposed in this study showed a percentage of accuracy in assessing and predicting the quality parameters milk based on color components. Overall, the color correlates with different compositional and physical characteristics, and provide a possible internet of things (IoT)-based approach to accompany the conventional approaches in the future after further evaluation at large scale for various types of milks subjected to various processes. Full article

Bovine mastitis at calving or early lactation is often associated with intra-mammary bacterial infections (IMI) at drying-off (DO) or during the dry period (DP). The IMI risk is associated with management routines at the herd, but knowledge on how farmers and veterinarians comply with national recommendations is scarce, as is their attitudes to the importance of such routines. Therefore, the main aims of this study were to collect information on farmer routines and attitudes, and on veterinary advice and attitudes to DO and DP. Associations between routines and advice, and demographic herd and veterinary variables were also studied. Web-based questionnaires were sent to 2472 dairy farmers and 517 veterinarians. The answers were summarized descriptively, and associations with demographics were evaluated using univariable regression models. The response rate was 14% for farmers and 25% for veterinarians. Routines and advice were in line with recommendations at the time of the study in many, but not all, areas of questioning. Significant associations between herd routines or veterinary advice and demographic variables were also found. Milking system and post-graduate training were the variables associated with the largest number of farmer and veterinary answers, respectively. In conclusion, the results indicate a need for more education on good routines during DO and DP. It was also clear that the national recommendations valid at the time of the study were in need of revision. Full article

In recent years, due to the significant increase in hypertension, peptides which are able to reduce blood pressure have gained special interest by scientific research and food industry. Several bioactive peptides with ascertained ACE-inhibitory activity have been found in Parmigiano Reggiano (PR) cheese and/or mixtures deriving from its digestion in vitro, and this may be predictive of its potential antihypertensive effect in vivo. This study investigated the long-term effect of feeding (PR) cheese on blood pressure (BP) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). A total of 30 male SHRs, 13 weeks old, were subdivided into 6 groups balanced for body weight and BP, to receive daily dietary supplementation with: 0.1–0.2–0.4–0.6 g PR/rat, captopril, and water. Systolic and diastolic BP were recorded every two weeks, for 10 weeks. Blood samples were collected at the end of the trial. Dietary integration with PR led to a transitory reduction in rats’ pressure in the first 35 days of treatment and pressure decreased in a dose-dependent manner. In the second part of the study, the beneficial effect of PR antihypertensive peptides may have been masked and reduced by the increase in BP of rats linked to the rise in age of animals. No PR derived peptides were detected in rats’ serum. Highlights: Parmigiano Reggiano (PR) cheese led to a transitory reduction in rats’ pressure in the first 35 days of treatment. This effect was PR dose dependent. The highest amounts of PR tested did not increase both systolic and diastolic blood pressures of hypertensive rats. Full article

Traditionally, the energy supply of dairy cows is based on the average performance of the herd. Because this contradicts the great variation in requirements between individual animals, the objective of the present study was to quantify both the extent and consequences of variation in the relevant sub-variables used to calculate the energy balance (EB) on an individual animal basis. Total energy supply (TES) and requirements (TER) of 28 multiparous German Holstein dairy cows fed TMR with 7.0 MJ NEL were studied between the 2nd and 15th week after calving. TES, mainly influenced by DMI, increased from 100.1 (week 2) to 152.1 MJ NEL/d (week 15; p < 0.01). Weekly coefficients of variation (CV) ranged between 0.10 and 0.16 and were similar to the CV of DMI (0.09 to 0.17). TER, as the sum of energy requirement for maintenance (body weight) and production (milk yield), decreased from 174.8 (week 2) to 164.5 MJ NEL/d (week 15; p < 0.01) and CV varied between 0.16 (week 2) and 0.07 (week 11). EB increased from −74.8 (week 2) to −12.4 MJ NEL/d (week 15; p < 0.01) and CV varied from 0.32 (week 3) to 1.01 (week 10). The results indicate that calculating EB on an individual animal basis is a prerequisite to identify animals with an increased risk of failing to cope with their energy situation, which cause failure costs that drain the profit of affected cows. Full article

Selection pressure for greater milk solid production, calving ease and early puberty attainment has resulted in the alteration of the growth trajectory of New Zealand dairy heifers. Although previous data have looked at stature growth in terms of height and girth, changes in the growth trajectory as a result of seasonal growth has not been examined. In addition, the relative contributions of the appendicular skeleton and thorax in relation to height have not been considered in previous studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine how the proportional contributions of stature change with increases in live weight in Holstein–Friesian, Jersey and Holstein–Friesian–Jersey crossbred heifers from birth to 23 months of age (just prior to calving). Comparisons of height, length, girth and distal and proximal forelimb length (stature) revealed that at the same live weight, measures of girth, length and height did not differ between breeds (p < 0.05). As live weight increases, the relative contribution of the distal limb to increasing height decreases, which is consistent with the cessation of physeal growth occurring earlier in the bones of the distal limb than in the proximal limb. By understanding the timing of proximal and distal growth in dairy heifers, the effect of seasonal growth on longitudinal bone growth can be identified. Full article

The present study evaluated the effects of a feed additive (synthesized from Yucca schidigera) on some fermentation variables. In the first of two experiments, seven concentrations of the feed additive were evaluated using the in vitro batch culture technique to determine the optimum dose to use in the second experiment. The substrates used were a total mixed ration (TMR) and alfalfa hay. The levels of inclusion were 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 g/head/d. After this initial evaluation, 2 g/head/d was selected for the second experiment. For the second study, four dietary substrates (two corn silages and two TMR; collected from different dairy farms in the Piedmont, North Carolina, area) were used. Incubation times were 3, 6, and 24 h and treatments were 0 (control) and 2 g/head/d of the feed additive. Inclusion of the feed additive did not affect (p > 0.05) in vitro dry matter disappearance. Additionally, the feed additive had no effect (p > 0.05) on short-chain fatty acid concentrations, microbial mass, and efficiency of microbial production. Methane production was reduced by 22.7% with feed additive inclusion. Similarly, lower (p = 0.013; 18%) carbon dioxide concentration was observed in the feed additive treatment. Ammonia and hydrogen sulfite concentrations were similar (p > 0.05) for both treatments. Inclusion of the feed additive at 2 g/head/d decreased methane and carbon dioxide concentrations in most of the diets. The energy saved by reducing the amount of methane produced was not partitioned into valuable products such as short-chain fatty acids and microbial mass. Full article

In this work, milk samples collected in a cohort of intensive dairy farms of the Po Valley (Italy) were screened for their (poly)-phenolic profile to check the occurrence of phenolic metabolites of biological interest. The selected dairy farms were previously classified on the basis of their cow feeding system, considering the utilization of corn silage as the main ingredient of the rations. Overall, ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry using an Orbitrap analyzer, followed by unsupervised and supervised statistics, allowed identifying clear different phenolic distributions in the milk samples. Accordingly, a great variability in the phenolic profiles of the different milk samples was observed, with two main phenolic clusters outlined by the unsupervised hierarchical clustering approach and not fully correlated to the nutritional strategy considered. The variables’ importance in the projection approach allowed selecting the most important metabolites, resulting in samples’ discrimination. Among the most discriminative compounds, we found phenolic metabolites (such as hippuric acid and 4-hydroxyhippuric acid), followed by lignans (such as enterolactone) and isoflavonoids (such as equol and O-desmethylangolensin). Taken together, our findings suggested that both the feeding systems and the ability of dairy cows to process parent phenolic compounds were the main factors providing the final (poly)-phenolic profile of the milk samples. Future targeted and ad hoc studies appear of great interest to evaluate the potential biological effects of these compounds on cow health. Full article

The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the effect of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme derived from Trichoderma reesei on dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) degradability of whole plant faba bean silage (Snowbird), (2) evaluate the effects of fibrolytic enzyme (FETR) on DM and NDF degradation kinetics of whole plant faba bean silage, and (3) compare the difference between in the vitro approach (Daisy^II incubation method) and the in situ assay-biological approach (nylon bag technique) in the determination of degradability of dry matter (DMD) and neutral detergent fibre (NDFD). The fibrolytic enzyme from Trichoderma reesei was a mixture of xylanase and cellulase. The whole plant faba bean silage was treated with seven doses of fibrolytic enzyme, with 0 as a control and 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25 and 1.5 mL of FETR/kg DM of silage. The results obtained from the in situ method show that fibrolytic enzyme cubically (p < 0.05) affected DMD and quadratically (p < 0.01) affected NDFD with increasing level of enzyme application. In vitro DM and NDF degradability were quadratically and cubically (p < 0.01) affected by the increasing dosage of enzyme. Correlation analysis between the in situ assay-biological approach and the In vitro Daisy^II approach showed a strong correlation (r = 0.98, p < 0.01) on overall DMD and also a satisfactory relationship (r = 0.84, p < 0.01) was found on overall NDFD. The enzyme application showed a great impact on NDF rumen degradation kinetics by decreasing the undegradable fraction and increasing the potential degradable fraction and the effective degradable content of fiber. The washable (W) and potential degradation fraction (D) were linearly (p = 0.05) increased by the enzyme treatments. Therefore, the undegradable fraction was linearly decreased (p = 0.05) with increasing dosage of enzyme. Both bypass (BNDF) and effective degradable NDF (EDNDF) were cubically (p = 0.05) affected by fibrolytic enzyme. In conclusion, the exogenous fibrolytic enzyme derived from Trichoderma reesei highly impacted rumen degradation characteristics and degradability of whole plant faba bean silage and could be used to improve fibre digestion of whole plant faba silage in dairy cows. Full article

This work investigates the composition of whey protein phospholipid concentrate (WPPC), an underutilized dairy stream, and reveals that it is a source of many bioactive compounds that can benefit the immune system and gut health. Our glycoproteomics approach uncovered that proteins derived from the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) represent 23% of the total protein relative abundance and identified 85 N-glycans. Released sialic acid, an additional marker of glycosylation, ranged from 1.2 to 2% of the total weight. Xanthine oxidase, a glycosylated marker of MFG bioactivity, was found in high abundance and displayed higher antimicrobial activity than bovine milk, despite its similar fat and solids content. An average MFG diameter of 2.64 ± 0.01 µm was found in liquid WPPC, compared to 4.78 ± 0.13 µm in bovine milk, which likely explains the unusually high presence of glycosylated membrane-bound proteins and phospholipids, whose total fatty acids accounted for 20% of the WPPC total fatty acid pool. Free and bound oxylipins (mainly derived from linoleic acid) were also identified, together with other less abundant anti-inflammatory lipid mediators derived from eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Our study demonstrates that WPPC represents a promising starting material for bioactive compound extraction and a functional vehicle for the delivery of small MFGs. Full article

In dairy cattle, teat disinfection at the end of milking is commonly applied to limit colonization of the milk by pathogenic microorganisms via the teat canal. The post-milking products used can irritate the teat skin and unbalance its microbial population. Our study aimed to assess the impact of different milking products on the balance of the microbial communities on the teat skin of cows and in their milk. For 12 weeks at the end of each milking operation, three groups of seven Holstein dairy cows on pasture received either a chlorhexidine gluconate-based product (G) or a hydrocolloidal water-in-oil emulsion (A), or no post-milking product (C). The composition of the bacterial and fungal communities on the teat skin and in the milk were characterized using a culture-dependent method and by high-throughput sequencing of marker genes to obtain amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). The individual microbiota on the cows’ teat skin was compared for the first time to that of a cow pool. In contrast to the milk, the post-milking treatment influenced the microbiota of the teat skin, which revealed a high microbial diversity. The water-in-oil emulsion appeared to slightly favour lactic acid bacteria and yeasts and to limit the development of undesirable bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus. Full article

Treatment of dairy white wastewater (WW) by reverse osmosis (RO) is usually performed to generate process water and to reclaim dairy components for their valorization. For this study, a mixture of pasteurized milk and WW from a dairy plant was concentrated by RO to achieve a protein concentration similar to that of skimmed milk. Retentates, which are concentrated WW, were used in the preparation of cheese milk. The effect of using model concentrated WW was evaluated on (1) the soluble–colloidal equilibrium between protein and salt, (2) the milk-coagulation kinetics, and (3) the cheese composition and yield. An economic assessment was also carried out to support the decision-making process for implementing a new RO system in a dairy plant for the valorization of dairy WW. The results showed that substituting more than 50% of the amount of cheese milk with model pasteurized WW concentrates decreased the moisture-adjusted cheese yield and impaired the coagulation kinetics. Excessive cheese moisture was observed in cheeses that were made from 50% and 100% model WW concentrates, correlating with a change in the soluble–colloidal equilibrium of salts, especially in calcium. To achieve sustainable and economic benefits, the ratio of added WW concentrates to cheese milk must be less than 50%. However, for such an investment to be profitable to a dairy plant within 0.54 years, a large-size plant must generate 200 m³ of WW per day with at least 0.5% of total solids, as the economic analysis specific to our case suggests. Full article

Donkey milk (DM) has been known in the world for 5000 years for its benefits for human nutrition and health. Nowadays, DM has become more and more attractive as a commercial product. DM contains several physiologically functional components, including high-quality whey proteins, vitamins, important minerals, unsaturated fatty acid and bioactive components. Therefore, it is not only consumed as food but also as a remedy. The average daily milk yield of a female donkey over the entire lactation season was 1.57 ± 1.12 kg/day and fluctuated between 0.20 and 6.00 kg/day. Average milk concentrations (±SD) of fat, protein, lactose, total solids and ash in DM were 0.63 ± 0.41%, 1.71 ± 0.24%, 6.34 ± 0.37%, 9.11 ± 0.95% and 0.39 ± 0.04%, respectively. Interestingly, DM is similar in composition to mare’s milk, and both are similar to mother’s milk. The anatomical and morphological properties of the mammary gland of the female donkey are special and can be compared with those of mare udders. However, the cistern cavity of the mammary gland of female donkeys is characterized by the presence of multiple pockets that open directly into the teat, instead of a single cistern cavity. Therefore, the mammary gland capacity in donkey mare is low and milking technique and routine are of most importance. So far there is no special milking machine for female donkeys and mares. The milking machines used nowadays were initially designed for smaller sheep and goat udders. The company Siliconform, Germany, has set itself the task of developing an optimized milking machine for donkey mares, which is adapted to the anatomical and morphological properties of the donkey mammary gland. Furthermore, it should achieve a physiologically ideal milking process meeting high animal welfare standards for increased milk production with high quality standards. Full article

The occurrence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk has been widely reported in Kenya, with levels freqently exceeding national and international thresholds. Exposure to aflatoxin increases the risk of hepatic cancers and can also have other negative health impacts in children such as growth impairment and immunosuppression. Anti-mycotoxin agents (AMAs) included in contaminated feeds can greatly reduce the amount of AFM1 released in milk. A 45-day trial was designed to assess secretion of AFM1 in milk from individual cows fed commercial Kenyan dairy feed, as well as the efficacy of Novasil™ Plus in reducing the levels. A four-by-four Latin square cross-over design was used for the experiment. Four cows were fed on naturally contaminated with AFB1 feed, with levels ranging from 19 to 47 µg/kg, and either no binder or inclusion of binder at the rate of 0.6 or 1.2%. Milk samples were collected each day and analyzed for AFM1. The results showed that AFM1 levels in the milk varied between the cows, even when fed similar levels of contaminated feed. On average, inclusion of 0.6% binder into the diet resulted in 34% decline in milk AFM1 levels, while 1.2% binder dose resulted in a decline of 45%. Significant reduction in AFM1 secretion was observed in all experimental units (p < 0.005), though only minimal reduction was recorded in one of the units (Cow 4) compared to the other three. This trial shows novel data on aflatoxin exposure and excretion in Kenyan dairy cows in a field setting where AFB1 level is uncontrolled. We demonstrate significant reduction in AFM1 secretion in milk using AMA, though AFM1 levels were still above the recommended EC standard of 50 ŋg/kg. This study suggests that AMAs alone cannot be relied on to reduce AFM1 in milk to safe levels. Training and good feeding practices are recommended in addition to use of AMAs. Full article

Milk is a major source of dietary iodine in the United States. Due to a relatively low margin of safety for iodine intake, there are concerns for both deficiency and over-exposure. Iodine concentrations of raw milk samples from farms and retail milk in the Northeastern U.S. region were compared between seasons (winter vs. summer) and farming practices (conventional vs. organic). Overall, mean iodine concentration was 46.2% higher in raw milk from conventional farms vs. organic farms. An interaction effect between season and farming practices was observed. Organic raw milk had higher iodine content in the winter than in the summer (423 ± 54 μg/L vs. 273 ± 24 μg/L), whereas conventional raw milk had higher iodine content in the summer than in the winter (618 ± 75 μg/L vs. 398 ± 27 μg/L). Milk samples from conventional farms had 2.27-fold higher average iodine concentration compared to milk coming from organic farms in the summer but did not differ in the winter. Out of 68 and 98 raw milk samples originating from conventional and organic farms, 22 (32.4%) and 19 (19.4%) respectively, had iodine concentrations > 500 µg/L, reaching as high as 1928 μg/L. In contrast, the overall mean concentration of iodine in retail milk did not differ between conventional and organic milk (345 ± 23 vs. 320 ± 42 μg/L, respectively). The current study confirms dairy milk remains to be a good source of iodine to U.S. consumers. However, dairy farms should be aware of the potential adverse health effects of excess iodine intake. Careful considerations in dairy management may be necessary to not exceed the recommended level of iodine supplementation in both conventional and organic operations at the farm level—to maintain optimal iodine concentrations in retail fluid milk accessible to the consumers. Full article

As livestock production systems have changed to intensive commercial structures to meet the increasing demand for animal-based products, there has been an increase in food production diseases, subsequently resulting in animal welfare issues. After mastitis and infertility, lameness is one of the three major issues affecting dairy cattle globally, resulting in reduced productivity, economic losses, and animal welfare problems. Lameness is associated with reduced milk yield, lack of weight gain, poor fertility, and frequently, animal culling. Environmental (temperature, humidity) and animal risk factors contribute to disease severity, making this multifaceted disease difficult to eradicate and control. As such, prevalence rates of lameness in dairy herds ranges from 17% to 35% globally. Clinical lameness is often treated with antibiotic therapy, which is undesirable in food-producing animals, as outlined in the One Health and the European Farm to Fork food sustainability goals. Lameness is not a single disease in dairy cows but is the manifestation a range of issues, making lameness control one of the greatest challenges in dairy farming. Lameness prevention, therefore, must be a key focus of farm management and sustainable food production. There is an urgent need to establish farm-level aetiology of disease, promote the recognition of lameness, and implement effective control measures to lower incidence and transmission of disease within herds. Full article

Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) and caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) are two infectious diseases affecting goat welfare and production throughout the world. There are no current data regarding their prevalence in Sweden, and the aim of this pilot study was therefore to estimate the occurrence in Swedish milk-producing goats, but also to assess the agreement between milk and sera as sample material for diagnosis and to investigate the association between the somatic cell count (SCC) in bulk milk and the occurrence of CAE and CLA. Serum, individual milk, and bulk-tank milk samples were collected from 214 dairy goats in 10 herds. All samples were analysed by ELISA to detect antibodies for CAE and CLA, and 14.6% of the goats were seropositive for CAE, whereas 19.3% of the goats were seropositive for CLA. The agreement between individual milk and serum samples was over 90% for both diseases and individual milk samples can therefore be considered as an alternative material for analysis in a future eradication programme. Based on the limited number of samples, there was also a significant correlation between bulk-milk test results and within-herd seroprevalence for both CAE and CLA. The SCC in bulk-milk samples was measured using a DeLaval cell counter. The medium SCC was 639,000 cells/mL and no association between SCC and CAE or CLA could be found. The results indicate that CAE and CLA are two common diseases in Swedish goat herds, but further studies based on a larger number of herds are needed to draw conclusions about the national prevalence. The results also indicate that milk can be used as a more cost-effective sampling media for diagnosing CAE and CLA compared to serology, which is the standard procedure today. Hopefully, the results can support the establishment of a successful programme to control the diseases, with the ambition to eradicate CAE and CLA in Sweden. Full article

In this case study, we compared the gross composition and fatty acid (FA) composition of milk from cows milked once a day (OAD) and twice a day (TAD) at different stages of lactation in real farm conditions with no control on feed. Seventy-two cows from a OAD milking herd and 181 cows from a TAD milking herd were sampled in early, mid and late lactation. Calibration equations were developed to enable the prediction of proportions of individual FAs using mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy. Cows milked OAD produced 25% lower daily milk yield (MY) compared to cows milked TAD. Percentages of fat and protein were 21% and 9% higher in cows milked OAD compared to cows milked TAD, respectively. The proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (molecules with unbranched hydrocarbon chains and all single bonds) was significantly lower, while the proportions of de novo synthesised FAs from C8:0 to C14:0 were significantly higher, in cows milked OAD compared to cows milked TAD. OAD milking improved the energy balance of cows, which led to higher proportions of de novo synthesised FAs and lower proportions of long-chain fatty acids (16:0 and above). The proportion of SFA was significantly higher in mid lactation (ML) compared to early lactation (EL) and late lactation (LL) in cows milked OAD and TAD. In EL, the proportions of C4:0 to C12:0 FAs in cows milked OAD were significantly higher compared to the cows milked TAD due to the improved energy status of cows milked OAD. Understanding the proportions of individual FAs in cows milked OAD and TAD will enable further studies on milk fat characteristics and on butter hardness and coagulation properties of milk. Full article

Adequate supply of amino acids can improve the efficiency of nitrogen use. Casein is the predominant milk protein, and its supplementation can improve milk protein synthesis and nitrogen efficiency. We evaluated the effects of post-ruminal supplementation of casein on milk yield and composition and whole-body protein deposition. Two ruminally cannulated Holstein dairy cows (599 kg) were used in a switch-back design, and treatments were an abomasal infusion of 0 or 400 g/day casein. Cows were fed a diet consisting of corn silage, alfalfa hay, wet corn gluten feed, whole cottonseed, and grain mix, and they received 320 g/day dextrose via abomasal infusion to increase energy:metabolizable protein. The experiment used three 8-day periods. Milk, urine, and feces samples were collected to evaluate milk production, milk composition, and nitrogen retention. Abomasal casein infusion increased (p < 0.01) milk protein percentage and milk urea nitrogen. Nitrogen retention (p = 0.03) and urinary N excretion (p < 0.001) were increased and fecal N excretion (p < 0.001) was decreased by casein infusion. Results suggest casein stimulated protein deposition and altered nitrogen use in lactating dairy cattle. Adaptation periods of 4 days were appropriate for evaluating responses to casein supplementation. Our data provide elements that can aid the design of future experiments. Full article

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition that affects 11.2% of the world’s population. The management of gut microbiota using probiotic and synbiotic agents might be a valid alternative to assist in the treatment of IBS. The focus of this study was to evaluate the effects of prebiotic and synbiotic compounds carried by different foods on major symptoms of IBS through a systematic literature review. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and LILACS were accessed during July 2021. The studies included in this review were the ones that tested volunteers older than 16 years of age and were conducted using a randomized, controlled clinical trial. The risk of bias was assessed by using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB2). Furthermore, the data found were qualitatively evaluated due to the studies’ differences. Two papers were able to fit the criteria, with a total sample size of 280 participants. No datum was found regarding the use of prebiotics in the treatment of IBS. Synbiotic agents, however, had a positive effect on gastrointestinal symptoms and the participants’ overall bowel satisfaction; however, it was not possible to reach a consensus on which effects. Further studies regarding the use of synbiotics and prebiotics must be carried out to determine which effects are the most significant in the treatment of IBS. Full article