Innovative use of indigenous dadih probiotics to enhance feed intake, digestibility, growth performance, and health in heat-stressed Sapera goats.

Abstract

Background and aim: Heat stress resulting from rising ambient temperatures in tropical climates poses a significant threat to ruminant productivity, leading to suppressed feed intake, impaired growth, and reduced health. Indigenous fermented foods such as dadih - a traditional probiotic made from fermented buffalo milk in bamboo tubes - may offer a sustainable nutritional intervention. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dadih supplementation on feed consumption, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, pathogenic bacterial load, and hematological profiles of heat-stressed Sapera goats.

Materials and methods: The dominant bacterial strain in dadih was characterized using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing and evaluated for in vitro antagonism against Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. An in vivo trial was conducted using 15 Sapera crossbred goats (15 ± 1.46 kg), randomly allocated into three treatment groups (n = 5): 8 cc dadih/day (Group A), 4 cc/day (Group B), and control (Group C). The trial lasted 4 weeks, during which feed consumption, daily weight gain, feed efficiency (FE), fecal pathogenic bacteria load, and hematological parameters were measured.

Results: The probiotic strain was identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Japan collection of microorganisms 1149, exhibiting antibacterial activity with inhibition zones of 9.3 mm (E. coli) and 9.5 mm (Salmonella). Goats supplemented with 4 cc dadih (Group B) demonstrated the highest daily weight gain (127.14 g/day), FE (0.15), and nutrient digestibility. A higher dadih dose (8 cc) significantly reduced fecal E. coli levels. Hematological indices remained within normal physiological ranges across all treatments, suggesting no adverse effects.

Conclusion: This study provides the first empirical evidence supporting the use of dadih as a climate-adaptive probiotic intervention in goats. Supplementation with 4 cc dadih optimized performance without disrupting hematological homeostasis, while 8 cc effectively suppressed gut pathogens. These findings offer novel insights into the functional role of traditional fermented probiotics in improving resilience to heat stress and promoting sustainable small ruminant production in tropical environments.