DEPARTMENT 2

Animal Production, Ichthyology, Ecology and Protection of the Environment

Animal Husbandry

Site: http://zootexnia.vet.auth.gr

  1. Production methods of farm animals, including poultry, and their effects on animal health and welfare.
  2. Feeding behaviour and physiological mechanisms that underlie food intake and diet selection in farm animals.
  3. Modelling the responses of animals to their treatments including feeding and health challenges.
  4. Interactions between nutrition and disease in farm animals and poultry.
  5. Interrelationship of genetics and disease in farm animals.
  6. Product quality from livestock enterprises.
  7. Growth and development of farm animals.
  8. Organic Livestock production systems.
  9. Association of molecular markers with economically important traits in farm animals.
  10. Studies on the health and welfare of working equines with emphasis on Donkeys.
  11. Studies of sheep lameness.
  12. Genetic relationship between body energy, reproduction, growth and health in dairy cattle.
  13. Improvements in national and international genetic evaluations of dairy cattle.
  14. Genetic study of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (scrapie) in sheep.
  15. Improvement of sheep health and fertility using molecular markers.
  16. Applications of Information Technology to herd management and genetic improvement programs in cattle, sheep and goats.
  17. Bio-diversity and inbreeding in horses.

Laboratory of Nutrition

Research interests

  1. The potential use of agricultural by-products in animal feeding.
  2. Improvement of the nutritive value of feeds by incorporating various natural or synthetic feed additives, such as probiotics, prebiotics, acidifiers, aromatic plants and/or their extracts, etc.
  3. Characterization of the lipids used in animal nutrition.
  4. Development of methods for the determination of additives in feeds and their residues in animal products.
  5. Development of methods for the determination of toxic and/or antinutrive substances occurring naturally in feeds.
  6. Development of methods for the determination of various nutrients in feeds.

Current research activities

  1. INNOVATIVE FEEDS WITH MEALS FROM INSECT, WHICH WILL BE REARED ON A SUBSTRATE ENRICHED WITH FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS OF AROMATIC AND MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE GREEK FLORA, FOR REARED SEABREAM, BROILER CHICKENS AND PIGLETS
  2. RESEARCH STUDIES ON THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE PROTEINACEOUS FEEDS IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AIMING TO REDUCE PRODUCTION COST AND TO APPLY INNOVATIVE PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TRADITIONAL DAIRY PRODUCTS WITH SUPERIOR QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS
  3. DEVELOPMENT OF A BROILER MEAT PRODUCTION SYSTEM WITH REDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND ANTIBIOTIC FREE
  4. EXPLORATION OF INNOVATIVE HERB-BASED NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO REDUCE ANTIMICROBIAL USE FOR GREEN PIG AND PO RESEARCH STUDIES ON THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE PROTEINACEOUS FEEDS IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AIMING TO REDUCE PRODUCTION COST AND TO APPLY INNOVATIVE PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TRADITIONAL DAIRY PRODUCTS WITH SUPERIOR QUALITY CHARACTERISTISTICS
  5. INNOVATIVE POULTRY PRODUCTION USING PHYTOBIOTICS AND PHARMACEUTICAL SUBSTANCES OF PLANT ORIGIN, MAINLY FROM THE REGION OF EPIRUS, FREE OF ANTICOCCIDIAL DRUGS, IN ORDER TO PRODUCE BROILER MEAT OF PREMIUM QUALITY
  6. STUDIES ON THE SUSTAINABLE PORK PRODUCTION WITH FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES BY UTILIZING LOCAL NATURAL RESOURCES AND REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION.

Recent Publications

  1. Giannenas I., Bonos E., Christaki E., Florou-Paneri P. Oregano: a feed additive with functional properties (2017) Therapeutic Foods: Volume 8 in Handbook of Food Bioengineering (ELSEVIER).
  2. Giannenas I., Nisianakis P., Sarakatsianos I., Bonos E., Christaki E., Florou-Paneri P. Trace and major elements content of cereals and proteinaceous feeds in Greece analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (2017). Therapeutic Foods: Volume 8 in Handbook of Food Bioengineering (ELSEVIER).
  3. Giannenas I., Sidiropoulou, E., Bonos E., Christaki E., Florou-Paneri P The history of aromatic plants: past, current situation and future perspectives.. Chapter 1 in book: Feed additives- aromatic plants and herbs in animal nutrition and health. Editors: P. Florou-paneri, E. Christaki, I. Giannenas, Elsevier academic press, London, UK, 2019.
  4. Effect of dietary supplementation with oregano essential oil on performance of broilers after experimental infection with Eimeria tenella. I. Giannenas, P. Florou-Paneri, M. Papazahariadou, E. Christaki, N.A. Botsoglou, A.B. Spais. Archives of Animal Nutrition, 2003, 57(2): 99-106 (IF 1.450) Times cited 250.
  5. Effects of Protease Addition and Replacement of Soybean Meal by Corn Gluten Meon the Growth of Broilers and on the Environmental Performances of a Broiler Production System in Greece, Ilias Giannenas, Eleftherios Bonos, Vasileios Anestis, Georgios Filioussis, Dimitrios K. Papanastasiou, Thomas Bartzanas, Nikolaos Papaioannou, Athina Tzora, Ioannis Skoufos, Published: January 3, 2017http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169511
  6. Effect of herbal feed additives on performance parameters, intestinal microbiota, intestinal morphology and meat lipid oxidation of broiler chickens. Giannenas I., Bonos E., Skoufos I., Tzora A., Stylianaki I., Lazari D., Tsinas A., Christaki E., Florou-Paneri P.. British Poultry Science (2018), DOI: 1080/00071668.2018.1483577
  7. Effect of a polyherbal or an arsenic-containing feed additive on growth performance of broiler chickens, intestinal microbiota, intestinal morphology and lipid oxidation of breast and thigh meat. Giannenas I., Bonos E., Filliousis G., Stylianaki I., Kumar P., Lazari D., Christaki E., Florou-Paneri P. The Journal of Applied Poultry Research (2018), 0:1-2, DOI: 10.3382/japr/pfy059.
  8. Effect of dietary rape seed meal on growth performance and meat quality of growing-fattening pigs. A. Kargopoulos, V., Dotas, I. Giannenas, E. Christaki, South African Journal of Animal Science, 2018, 48, 897-906.
  9. Evaluation of in-field efficacy of dietary ferric tyrosine on performance, intestinal health and meat quality of broiler chickens exposed to natural Campylobacter jejuni challenge. Ioannis Skoufos, Athina Tzora, Ilias Giannenas, Eleftherios Bonos, Anastasios Tsinas, Εlinor ΜcCartney, Hannah Lester, Efterpi Christaki, Panagiota Florou-Paneri, Jafar Mahdavi, Panos Soultanas. Livestock Science (2019) 221 44–51
  10. Effects of reducing growth rate via diet dilution on bone mineralization, performance and carcass yield of coccidiainfected broilers. Idiegberanoise Oikeh, Panagiotis Sakkas, James Taylor, Ilias Giannenas, Damer P. Blake, Ilias Kyriazakis, Poultry Science 98(11), pp. 5477-5487
  11. In vitro Anticoccidial Study of Oregano and Garlic Essential Oils and Effects on Growth Performance, Fecal Oocyst Output, and Intestinal Microbiota in vivo. Sidiropoulou, E., Skoufos, I., Marugan-Hernandez, V., Giannenas, I., Bonos, E., Aguiar-Martins, K., Lazari, D., Blake, D.P., Tzora, A., Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2020
  12. The effect of whey on performance, gut health and bone morphology parameters in broiler chicks. Tsiouris, V., Kontominas, M.G., Filioussis, G., Ι.Giannenas, Papadopoulos, G., Koutoulis, K., Fortomaris, P., Georgopoulou, I., Foods Open Access Volume 9, Issue 5, May 2020, Article number 588
  13. Effect of a dietary modification for fattening pigs on the environmental performance of commercial pig production in Greece. Anestis, V., Papanastasiou, D.K., Bartzanas, T.b, Giannenas, I., Skoufos, I., Kittas, C. Sustainable Production and Consumption Volume 22, April 2020, Pages 162-176
  14. The effect of feed structure on gastrointestinal tract traits and performance in laying hens: an overview of 70 years’ experience. M. Bozkurt, I. Giannenas , M. Çabıık & A. E. Tüzin. World’s Poultry Science Journal, 2020 76:3, 493-516, DOI:10.1080/00439339.2020.1790330
  15. Untargeted UHPLC‑MS metabolic profiling as a valuable tool for the evaluation of eggs quality parameters after dietary supplementation with oregano, thyme, sideritis tea and chamomile on brown laying hens. Ilias Giannenas, Katerina Grigoriadou, Erasmia Sidiropoulou, Eleftherios Bonos, Antigoni Cheilari, Argyro Vontzalidou, Chrisoula Karaiskou, Nektarios Aligiannis, Panagiota Florou‑Paneri, Efterpi Christaki. Metabolomics (2021) 17:51

Doctoral Thesis (on going)

  • Doctorate candidate: Konsantinos Kalaitsidis, Veterinarian. «Study on the use of Hemp and Stevia byproducts of the local agroindustry in dairy cow nutrition».
  • Doctorate candidate: Stylianos Vasilopoulos, Agronomist. «Study on the use of insect meal as a feed for broiler chicken»
  • Doctorate candidate: Styliani Dokou, Veterinarian. «Study of the role of cellulose, fats and oregano essential oil in the diet of fattening cattle on their performance and the quality of produced meat»

Laboratory of Animal Production Economics

Main research interests

  • Assessment of the economic performance and sustainability of livestock sectors through the application of quantitative methods of analysis.
  • Design of experimental processes and statistical analysis of experimental and survey data.
  • Analysis of issues of entrepreneurship and management of veterinary/livestock units.
  • Design and implementation of epidemiological studies.
  • Assessment of risks concerning animal health and One Health issues.

Research projects in progress (as coordinator)

  • BIO-INNOVATE – Fauna assessment and management to safeguard biodiversity in cross – border mountainous areas of Bulgaria and Greece

Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020

  • PAPESHE – Protection of autochthonous populations of Pelagonia sheep breed in the CBA

Interreg IPA CBC Greece – Republic of North Macedonia 2014-2020

  • SmartMussel – Smart automatic management system for mussel farms

Operational Programme Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation 2014-2020

Ichthyology – Culture and Pathology of Aquatic Animals

Site: https://www.vet.auth.gr/ichthyology/index.htm

  1. Applied research on extensive, semi-intensive and intensive aquaculture systems.
  2. Studies on the pathology of farmed aquatic animals.

Ecology and Protection of the Environment

Site: http://ecoenvir.vet.auth.gr/

  1. Water pollution (sea, lakes, rivers), pollution of aquatic organisms, evaluation and management of wetlands, eutrophication.
  2. Environmental toxicology.
  3. Animal wastes management.
  4. Interactions between environment and animal production.
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