From the microscope to the dish: anatomy applied to sustainability

Sustainability is an overused term whose true meaning is often unknown. Sustainability means the condition of a development able of ensuring the satisfaction of the present generation needs without compromising the possibility of future generations to realize their own. In this view, the conservative management of grassland ecosystems is able to maintain their ecological processes and biodiversity. Indeed, grasslands represent a feed source for grazers and, at the same time, grazing activity helps to preserve natural grassland biodiversity. However, the environmental sustainability has to be balanced with the economic sustainability of the farmers. Due to climatic change, enhancing summer drought stress, the moment of maximum flowering of the pasture tends to be anticipated and the period between the maximum flowering and the maximum dryness of the pasture to be reduced. So, summer aridity decreases the grassland pastoral value, consequently affecting the morpho-functional features and physiology of different organ tissues of ovines. This, negatively reflects on both animal’s production and farm income. But the farmers that cannot have adequate income will stop bringing their flocks to the mountain pastures and, this inevitable choice, will lead to a loss of biodiversity. How the anatomy can aid to solve this problem? First, a comparative analysis of the modifications induced by those due to the vegetative cycle of the forage on organs closely related to animal production (rumen, abomasum, reproductive system, mammary glands) must be performed in tandem with the body state of the animal and product quality tests. Then, buffer actions towards worsening in forage pastoral value have to be carried out, and a comparative analysis between control and experimental animal groups of the previously investigated parameters must be carried out. At the same time, an economical analysis of cost/benefit of buffering actions in order to evaluate if they could mitigate the productive loss induced by summer aridity preserving the farm economic sustainability must be performed. Anatomical competences were applied to investigate the morphology of above mentioned organs (Approval 95/2018-PR) in different pasture vegetative cycle time, and to assess the expression of the apelinergic system in mammary gland, abomasum and female reproductive apparatus, in order to contribute to plan useful buffer actions and to improve the scientifc knowledge about apelinergic system. Results demonstrated that a diet supplementation during the period between maximum pasture flowering and dryness allows to a better organ’s functionality and to an higher milk quality and quantity reflecting also on organoleptic and chemical composition of cheese [1-3]. The cheese properties were recognized by consumers which were willing to pay an higher price for the cheese, so, enhancing the farm income. Farmers and consumers need to be trained on these issues; so, we started with an ambitious scientific dissemination project to raise awareness among children about environmental sustainability and the social usefulness of research, in order to train aware future consumers.