Livestock Science最新文献

{"title":"Growth rate and carcass characteristics of Scottish Blackface and Texel x Scottish Blackface lambs offered forage brassica, perennial ryegrass or cereal based concentrate diets","authors":"M.A. Dolan ,&nbsp;T.M. Boland ,&nbsp;N.A. Claffey ,&nbsp;F.P. Campion","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105765","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105765","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined the performance of lambs offered one of six diet types; <em>ad-libitum</em> concentrates (ALC), forage rape (<em>Brassica napus</em> L. <em>FR</em>), hybrid brassica (<em>Brassica napus</em> L. <em>HB</em>), kale (<em>Brassica oleracea</em> L. <em>K)</em>, permanent pasture (predominantly <em>Lolium perenne.</em> PP) or reseeded perennial ryegrass (<em>Lolium perenne.</em> RS). Lamb grazing days (LGD) were higher for FR, HB and K compared to PP and RS (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Lambs offered ALC had higher average daily gain (ADG) compared to lambs offered FR, HB and K (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Lambs offered PP and RS had the lowest ADG (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Texel x Scottish Blackface (TXSB) lambs achieved a higher ADG compared to Scottish Blackface (SBF) entire males or SBF castrate males offered ALC, FR, HB, K and RS (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). SBF entire males achieved a higher ADG compared to SBF castrate males offered ALC, FR and PP (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). Lambs, slaughtered at ≥40 kg live weight, offered ALC had higher slaughter and carcass weights compared to lambs offered FR, HB and K (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001). TXSB lambs had lower carcass fat and superior carcass conformation than SBF entire males and SBF castrate males (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). The results indicate that ALC diet maximises ADG, but lambs offered FR, HB and K outperform those offered PP and RS during autumn/winter grazing. PP and RS swards were inadequate for finishing lambs in the autumn/winter period due to the decline in nutritive quality and lower LGD compared to FR, HB and K.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 105765"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144597349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comparison of three nutritional models for estimating total metabolisable energy requirements for a ewe, beef breeding cow, lamb, and a calf/yearling in New Zealand’s pasture-only system","authors":"Joseph A. Adjabui,&nbsp;Patrick H.C. Morel,&nbsp;Stephen T. Morris,&nbsp;Paul R. Kenyon,&nbsp;Peter R. Tozer","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105766","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105766","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In New Zealand (NZ), the metabolisable energy requirements (MER) of ruminants can be estimated using nutritional models from Nicol and Brookes (2017), CSIRO (2007), and NZ’s Agricultural Inventory Model (AIM) of the Ministry for Primary Industries [MPI] (2022). The aim in this study was to calculate the total MER of a ewe, beef breeding cow, lamb, and a calf/yearling in a pasture-only system in NZ under the same assumptions to assess the extent and reasons for variations among the three commonly used nutritional models, and the implications for a given farm/s. The study utilised MER models from the three sources above using a factorial method. This method determines the MER for each physiological phase of an animal, to estimate total MER for each animal. The AIM (MPI 2022) model relative to Nicol and Brookes (2017), and CSIRO (2007) models respectively, estimated 13.4 % and 8.0 % higher MER for a ewe, 16.3 % and 16.6 % for a cow, 1.1 % and 2.0 % lower for a lamb, and 9.2 % and 9.2 % higher for a calf/yearling mainly due to a higher maintenance MER compared to the other models. This has implications for feed budgeting and stocking rates (SR) for a given farm, as the AIM (MPI 2022) model leads to a lower SR than the other two models for a given level of feed available. Energy balances and productivity could be negatively impacted if a model underestimates MER. This also yields different greenhouse gas (GHG) profiles, especially enteric methane, for a given farm and could potentially have financial consequences for farmers if an Emissions Trading Scheme was introduced. For consistency in ME estimates and GHG reporting, further research (feeding trials) is required to compare these model estimates to actual requirements of ruminants under NZ conditions. This could help identify the model that most accurately reflects MER for ruminants in the country.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 105766"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nutritional protocols that alter ruminal fermentation and nutrient disappearance to increase marbling precursors in Nellore cattle","authors":"Mariana M. Squizatti ,&nbsp;Antonio M. Silvestre ,&nbsp;Luana D. Felizari ,&nbsp;Breno L. Demartini ,&nbsp;Leandro A.F. Silva ,&nbsp;Daniel M. Casali ,&nbsp;Lidiane S. Miranda ,&nbsp;Katia L.R. Souza ,&nbsp;Vanessa G. Gasparini ,&nbsp;Werner F. Schleifer ,&nbsp;Thaiano I.S. Silva ,&nbsp;Johnny M. Souza ,&nbsp;Garret Suen ,&nbsp;Danilo D. Millen","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105758","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105758","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this was to investigate the effects of various nutritional protocols on the marbling precursors of Nellore cattle, including high-moisture corn (HMC), calcium salts of fatty acids (CSFA) and organic zinc and chromium (ZnCr) in the finishing diet. Five Nellore steers fitted with ruminal cannulas were utilized in a 5 × 5 Latin square design, with each period lasting 28 days and a 7-day washout between periods. Animals were randomly allocated to one of five treatments in each period: T1) Finely-ground corn (FGC); T2) HMC; T3) FGC + CSFA T4) HMC + CSFA, and T5) HMC + CSFA + ZnCr. Sodium monensin was added to all treatments at a dosage of 25 ppm. The replacement of FGC with HMC reduced dry matter intake by 5.9 % (<em>P</em> = 0.02) and increased blood glucose concentrations by 24.6 % (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) without significantly altering (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05) ruminal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and pH. The addition of CSFA decreased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) the ruminal degradability of nutrients such as dry matter, crude protein, and neutral and acid detergent fiber, without impacting propionate and SCFA concentrations in the rumen, as well as blood glucose and insulin levels (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). An increase (<em>P</em> = 0.02) in protozoa populations from the genera <em>Entodinium</em> and <em>Diplodinium</em> was observed when CSFA were added to the diet. The addition of ZnCr increased the molar proportion of propionate (<em>P</em> = 0.01) from 29.29 to 38.08 mol/100 mol, resulting in a greater concentration of SCFA 12 h after feeding (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Moreover, adding ZnCr to the diet elevated insulin levels by 53.5 % and decreased blood glucose by 34.2 %. The addition of CSFA did not affect marbling precursors in Nellore cattle, and HMC only increased blood glucose concentrations. However, incorporating organic Zn and Cr into diets may enhance the positive effects of HMC and CSFA on marbling precursors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 105758"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144523323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of a simulated udder on survival and weight gain of neonatal piglets in a practical farm setting","authors":"C. Jensen ,&nbsp;E. Rønving ,&nbsp;V.A. Moustsen ,&nbsp;M. Hinge ,&nbsp;F. Hakansson ,&nbsp;I. Czycholl","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105757","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105757","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hyperprolificacy in sows presents challenges for piglet nutrition and survival in modern pig production. This study investigated the potential to ensure the survival of one additional piglet by using a specifically designed simulated udder (test group, T-group) compared to the control group (C-group). The hypothesis further holds that there is no negative effect on piglet weight gain. The experiment involved 53 litters from 26 control-sows (C-group) and 27 test-sows (T-group), conducted over seven weeks on a Danish pig farm. In the T-group, litters were divided into sets of six based on birth order, rotation between nursing by the sow and the simulated udder, while the C-group piglets were nursed continuously by the sow. Numerically, in the T-group, 0.6 more piglets survived; however, this effect was not statistically significant. (<em>P</em> = 0.7). 69.8 % of the sows successfully nursed 17 piglets, with 74.1 % of these sows belonging to the T-group. 96.5 % of the piglets maintained or exceeded their birth weight, and 86.8 % experienced a weight gain of at least 10 % within 76 h <em>postpartum</em>. The weight gain in the T-group was 5.8 ± 1.3 kg and 4.9 ± 1.6 kg in the C-group. The utilization of a simulated udder did not result in significant changes in piglet survival, though it did have an impact on weight gain compared to sow nursing. However, the sample size in this study was too low to detect smaller effects. Importantly, no negative consequences were observed from the use of simulated udders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 105757"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144523324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of replacing timothy silage by red clover silage on environmental impacts, growth performance and carcass traits of finishing beef bulls","authors":"Arto Huuskonen ,&nbsp;Sanna Hietala ,&nbsp;Maiju Pesonen ,&nbsp;Katariina Manni","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105755","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105755","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of replacing timothy grass silage (GS) by red clover silage (RS) on environmental impacts, growth performance and carcass traits of finishing beef bulls. Total mixed rations (TMR) based on GS, RS and mixture of GS and RS (1:1 on dry matter (DM) basis; GRS) were fed <em>ad libitum</em> to sixty bulls. The proportion (g/kg DM) of the silages in the TMRs were as follows: (1) GS (600); (2) RS (600); (3) GS (300) and RS (300). Concentrate proportion was 400 g/kg DM with all treatments. Environmental impacts of the treatments were estimated using life cycle assessment approach with the following key impact categories: climate change, eutrophication, and acidification potential. As the red clover-grass modelling was acknowledged to have most uncertainty, it was completed with different scenarios of clover cultivation. Replacing GS by RS did not affect DM intake, gain, carcass weight or carcass conformation of the bulls. Carcass fat score of the bulls decreased with increasing RS proportion. As an average of the calculated scenarios the climate change impact was 17.8, 15.9, and 15.8 kg CO₂ equivalents/kg of produced carcass, eutrophic emissions 18.6, 15.0, and 9.9 g phosphate equivalents/kg of produced carcass and acidifying emissions 38, 35, and 35 g acid equivalents/kg of produced carcass for GS, GRS, and RS, respectively. It can be concluded that replacing GS partially or completely with RS reduced environmental impacts (climate change impact, eutrophic emissions, acidifying emissions) per kg of produced carcass.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 105755"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic parameters of fiber density traits and their relationship with textile traits in alpacas","authors":"Alan Cruz ,&nbsp;Edgar Quispe ,&nbsp;Alex Yucra ,&nbsp;Renzo Morante ,&nbsp;Alonso Burgos ,&nbsp;Max David Quispe ,&nbsp;Juan Pablo Gutiérrez ,&nbsp;Gustavo Gutiérrez-Reynoso","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105754","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105754","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Genetic improvement programs for alpacas that focus on reducing fiber diameter have succeeded in enhancing fiber quality but they have also decreased fleece weight. Fiber diameter and fleece weight have an unfavorable genetic correlation, which makes it difficult to improve both traits simultaneously. This study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters of fiber density traits, and their genetic correlations with fleece weight (FW), fiber diameter (FD), density score (DS) and percentage of medullation (PM), as well as to evaluate their incorporation as selection criteria to increase fleece weight. The density traits were the number of hair ducts per mm²(HD), number of fibers per mm² (NF) and the NF/HD ratio (RT). Fiber density traits were objectively measured by using high-resolution skin images taken from 402 Huacaya alpacas. Animal model was used to estimate genetic parameters. Pedigree (15,360 alpacas) and phenotype records for FW (11,271), DS (5,752), FD (8,763) and PM (8,763) were retrieved from the Pacomarca database. The heritability was 0.40±0.05, 0.47±0.03, 0.37±0.05, 0.34±0.02, 0.31±0.01, 0.28±0.01 and 0.16±0.01 for HD, NF, RT, DS, FD, PM and FW respectively. Favorable genetic correlations were found between NF-FW, NF-FD and DS-FW, with values of 0.36, -0.50 and 0.50, respectively. However, unfavorable genetic correlations were also found between FD-FW and PM-FW, with values of 0.35 and 0.24 respectively. NF is an appropriate selection criterion for improving fiber diameter, percentage of medullation and fleece weight simultaneously in Huacaya alpacas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 105754"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144471827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic parameters and single-step genomic predictions for feed efficiency, carcass, and meat quality traits in Senepol beef cattle","authors":"Clélia Soares de Assis ,&nbsp;Fernando dos Santos Magaço ,&nbsp;José António Fernandes Júnior ,&nbsp;Marcelo Neves Ribas ,&nbsp;Gilberto Romeiro de Oliveira Menezes ,&nbsp;Claudiana de Fátima Miranda ,&nbsp;Idalmo Garcia Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105753","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105753","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Improving feed efficiency, carcass, and meat quality is crucial for sustainable beef production and meeting consumer demand. This study aimed to estimate (co)variance components and genetic parameters using pedigree and genomic information and assessed the impact of genomic data on genetic prediction for feed efficiency, carcass, and meat quality traits in Senepol beef cattle. Phenotypic data were available from 4194 animals for residual feed intake (RFI), 4071 for dry matter intake (DMI), 11,411 for rib eye area (REA), 11,165 for subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), 9563 for marbling (MAR). Additionally, 4419 animals were genotyped. Genetic evaluations were performed using the traditional pedigree-based BLUP and the single-step GBLUP (ssGBLUP) via Bayesian inference, single-trait and multi-trait animal models. Predictive ability was validated through linear regression (LR) analysis, excluding 50 % of the phenotypic data. Heritability estimates were consistent across methods, ranging from 0.094 for RFI to 0.25 for REA. A positive genetic correlation (0.56) was observed between RFI and DMI, indicating that selection for lower RFI reduces DMI. However, an unfavorable positive correlation was observed between RFI and MAR (BLUP: 0.447; ssGBLUP: 0.33), suggesting that the intense selection for RFI alone could reduce marbling in the evaluated population. Genetic correlations were null between RFI-SFT and RFI-REA. Notably, ssGBLUP generally resulted in slightly reduced genetic correlation estimates for some traits. Overrall, ssGBLUP consistently yielded higher prediction accuracy, with an average increase of 16.20 % across traits compared to BLUP. These results underscore that incorporating genomic data significantly enhances genetic evaluation in Senepol beef cattle, enabling more accurate selection decisions for improved residual feed intake and meat quality traits in breeding programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 105753"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gene expression in the skeletal muscle of broilers fed diets supplemented with vitamins C and E under acute or chronic heat stress","authors":"Cynthia Pieri Zeferino ,&nbsp;Aurea Maria Oliveira Canavessi ,&nbsp;Gustavo Gasparin ,&nbsp;Andrezza Maria Felicio ,&nbsp;José Roberto Sartori ,&nbsp;Gerson Barreto Mourão ,&nbsp;Luiz Lehmann Coutinho ,&nbsp;Ana Silvia Alves Meira Tavares Moura","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105752","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105752","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to investigate if dietary supplementation with vitamins C and E, simultaneously, can neutralize, or reduce, the effects of acute and chronic heat stress on the expression of key genes in the skeletal muscle of chickens. A total of 384 one-day-old male broiler chickens were housed in thermoneutral chambers up to 28 days of age. They were then reallocated in groups of four per cage, in three environmentally controlled chambers: two thermoneutral (22.5 and 22.6 °C) and one for heat stress (32 °C). Half the chickens in each chamber were fed a diet supplemented with vitamins C (257 to 288 mg/kg) and E (93 to 109 mg/kg). In the thermoneutral chambers, half of the chickens were pair-fed to heat stressed chickens. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was performed to access gene expression in breast muscle samples after 21 h (acute) or 16 days (chronic) under heat stress. Vitamin supplementation, under acute heat stress, contributed to downregulate <em>avUCP, MSTN</em>, and <em>ACLY</em> expressions. Vitamin supplementation reduced <em>avUCP</em> expression with pair-feeding compared to thermoneutral controls. Chickens did not show any changes in <em>HSP70</em> expression level from both heat stress experiments, probably because they have adapted quickly. Under chronic heat stress, vitamin supplementation upregulated <em>MSTN</em> expression, possibly to reduce muscle mass hypertrophy and, consequently, maintain homeothermy. <em>ACLY</em> was not differentially expressed under chronic stress. In conclusion, exposing chickens to heat stress in the grower finishing phases impacted gene expression, but not all the effects were due to the high temperature <em>per se</em>. Diet supplementation with vitamins C and E under stress conditions (acute heat stress or feed restriction) produced the unexpected effect of decreasing <em>avUCP</em> expression, possibly a metabolic adaptation to regulate the antioxidative function. Diet supplementation with vitamins C and E may assist the body in coping with the effects of heat stress on metabolism by regulating the expression of <em>MSTN</em> and <em>ACLY</em>, genes involved in the maintenance of homeothermy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"298 ","pages":"Article 105752"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144364501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ameliorative effects of different additives on growth, meat quality, and histological indices in heat-stressed broilers exposed to prolonged fasting","authors":"Shahina Rahman ,&nbsp;Tanvir Ahmed ,&nbsp;Ankon Lahiry ,&nbsp;Afifa Afrin ,&nbsp;Bapon Dey ,&nbsp;Mohini Paul ,&nbsp;Shubash Chandra Das","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105750","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105750","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While 'fasting' is a common practice for reducing heat stress (HS) in broilers, it may negatively impact the birds' growth and other physiological functions. This study aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects of four different biological additives—prebiotic, probiotic, synbiotic, and betaine—on reducing HS as well as the negative effects of fasting in broiler chickens raised in the hot and humid conditions of Bangladesh. A total of 600 mixed-sex day-old chicks were divided into six treatment groups: T₁ = received a basal diet with no fasting and no supplementation (NF-NS); the other five groups underwent 8- h fasting, with T₂ = no supplementation (F8-NS), T₃ = ‘prebiotic’ supplement (F8-PRE), T₄ = ‘probiotic’ supplement (F8-PRO), T₅ = ‘synbiotic’ supplement (F8-SYN), and finally, T₆ = ‘betaine’ supplement (F8-BETA). Each treatment was replicated five times. All the birds were raised under identical care and management with <em>ad libitum</em> feed supply until the third week of age and subsequently underwent different treatment applications. Data on growth, carcass metrics, meat quality, gut histomorphology, and cost-benefit parameters were recorded and analyzed using SPSS. Results revealed significantly increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) body weight, body weight gain, and better FCR with various supplementations compared to control (NF-NS or F8-NS) groups. The abdominal fat (%) was decreased, however, various meat quality indices, gut histomorphology, and the net profit per kg of live birds were significantly enhanced (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) with the incorporation of different supplements. In conclusion, administering probiotics, synbiotics, and betaine via drinking water to broilers fasted for 8 h may effectively alleviate HS and the adverse effects of fasting, resulting in improved growth, carcass characteristics, and intestinal histomorphology in broilers raised in the hot and humid climate of Bangladesh. Of the four additives evaluated, the probiotic demonstrated better performance and economic return.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"298 ","pages":"Article 105750"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144491358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hepatic cytoprotective and immunomodulatory responses to dietary phytogenic inclusion level in laying hens","authors":"Ioannis Brouklogiannis ,&nbsp;Vasileios V. Paraskeuas ,&nbsp;Eirini Griela ,&nbsp;Evangelos C. Anagnostopoulos ,&nbsp;Renata Breitsma ,&nbsp;Milan Hruby ,&nbsp;Konstantinos C. Mountzouris","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105749","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105749","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the inclusion level effects of a phytogenic premix (PP) on critical homeostasis gene components related to detoxification (Aryl hydrocarbon receptor; AhR), antioxidant (Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2; Nrf2), and inflammatory (Nuclear factor-kappa B; NF-κB) responses in laying hens’ liver. A total of 385 Hy-Line Brown hens (20-weeks-old) were allocated to 5 dietary treatments with 7 replicates of 11 hens each. Treatments received a corn-soybean meal basal diet with no PP (CON) or inclusion of PP at 500 (P500), 750 (P750), 1000 (P1000) and 1500 mg/kg diet (P1500), respectively. The PP consisted of bioactive compounds derived from ginger, lemon balm, oregano, and thyme (Anco FIT Poultry). Layers had <em>ad libitum</em> access to feed and water throughout the 12-week feeding trial. Liver samples were collected at experimental weeks 8 and 12 (i.e., 28^th and 32^nd week of layers age) and stored deep frozen until gene expression analysis. The nutrigenomic results revealed that at week 8 (layers 28-week-old), PP significantly (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.05) down-regulated all of the AhR (5/5) and most of the NF-κB (10/15) pathway-related genes while up-regulating (4/11) the Nrf2 pathway-related genes assessed. At week 12, (layers 32-week-old) PP inclusion led to consistent beneficial modulation (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.05) of the AhR (4/5), Nrf2 (7/11), and NF-κB (13/15) pathway-related genes assessed in the liver, with P1000 displaying the most significant differences from the control treatment. Overall, the nutrigenomic analysis revealed phytogenic benefits, providing mechanistic evidence for enhanced hepatic function and health, with P1000 displaying the optimal effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"298 ","pages":"Article 105749"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144279132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}