Department "Fundamental Research in Animal Science"
Head: Prof. Dr. Eng. Teodora Popova
DIRECTION “NUTRITION OF FARM ANIMALS AND FEED TECHNOLOGY"
Research Focus
- Opportunities for the use of new and unconventional feed sources are being explored.
- The chemical composition of by-products from biofuel production – rapeseed meal and dried distillers grains – has been determined, and their productive effects when included in feed for pigs, poultry, sheep, and rabbits have been tested.
- The possibilities for using insect meal in poultry nutrition are being investigated.
- Research is being conducted on the distribution of mycotoxins and their accumulation in feed in order to protect animal health and ensure the safety of animal products.
- Ways are being sought to improve the health and productivity of farm animals and reduce the environmental impact of livestock farming through testing various feed additives: probiotics, prebiotics, flavorings, enzymes, acids (organic and inorganic), minerals, phytogenic additives (herbs, extracts, and essential oils), and bee products.
Academic Staff
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nadezhda Sertova
- Chief Assist. Prof. Dr. Maria Todorova
- Chief Assist. Prof. Dr. Asen Nikolov
- Assist. Yanko Mihov
DIRECTION “QUALITY AND ECOLOGY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTS”
Research Focus
- Classification of carcasses according to the SEUROP system and carcass analysis of lambs, pigs, and cattle.
- Monitoring of the physicochemical composition of meat (pH, water-holding capacity, color, protein, myoglobin, ash, and fat content), as well as biochemical analyses (lipid oxidation, protein oxidation, and antioxidant activity).
- Determination of genetic-economic efficiency for optimizing breeding programs and modeling the selection process in dairy cattle breeding.
- Histochemical and electrophoretic analyses (identification of the metabolic type of muscle fibers, growth and development of muscle and adipose tissue, muscle cell and adipocyte size, microscopic analyses of muscle sections), as well as lipidological studies – determination of the fatty acid composition of adipose and muscle tissue, cholesterol content, and total phospholipids.
- Ecophysiological studies (ecological aspects of stress) in farm animals and poultry.
- Studies on the impact of greenhouse gas and other harmful emissions from livestock farms and possibilities for their utilization.
- Studies of hematological and biochemical profiles of different cattle and sheep breeds under various seasons and environmental conditions.