Tropical animal health and production最新文献

{"title":"Integrating camel production systems into circular bioeconomy frameworks in arid and semi-arid regions: a narrative review of feed resources, waste valorization, and sustainability.","authors":"Kamran Khan, Naseer Ahmad, Ali Akbar, Hangshu Xin, Yong Liu, Nazir Ahmad Khan","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05403-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05403-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Camels, the one-humped Camelus dromedarius and the two-humped Camelus bactrianus, are uniquely adapted livestock species to the arid and semi-arid regions. Their distinctive behavioral and physiological adaptations enable them to maintain productivity in these challenging ecosystems, characterized by prolonged heat stress, limited feed resources, and water scarcity. Despite these advantages and their vital role in rural livelihoods, food security and the resilience of dryland ecosystems, the potential contribution of camel production systems to the circular bioeconomy has not been comprehensively synthesized. This review examines how camel production can contribute to circular bioeconomy priciples through (i) the efficient utilization and valorization of scarce feed resources in drylands, particularly crop residues and fibrous agro-industrial by-products (ii) the valorization of manure, processing residues, and other coproducts (iii) value-addition and diversification of camel-derived products, (iv) the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of camel production system, and (v) the identification of key research gaps, and priorities for future research. Relevant literature was identified from major scientific databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, using combination of keywords related to camel production, circular bioeconomy, resource utilization, waste valorization, and sustainability, with evidence drawn from North Africa, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, Australia, and Central Asia. The golobal camel population is estimated to be 42 million heads, with more than 80% concentrated in Africa, where they efficiently utilize halophytic vegetation, browse species, crop residues, and agro-industrial by-products that are unsuitable for human consumption, thereby enhancing resource-use efficiency and contributing to the sustainability of circular production systems. Similarly, camel manure and processing residues can be transformed into valuable bio-based products that may enhance resource efficiency and reduce waste generation in circular production systems. The economic viability and long-term sustainability of camel production systems may be significantly improved by value-added processing of camel-derived products, such as meat, milk, hides, fiber, and other coproducts, thereby promoting income diversification. Sustainability considerations include resource efficiency, waste reduction, economic returns, livelihood resilience, and environmental impacts, although quantitative life-cycle evidence remains limited. Furthermore, appropriate herd management, disease prevention, supportive institutional frameworks, and well-developed marketing channels could enhance the environmental and socioeconomic sustainability of camel production systems. Nevertheless, challenges including long reproductive intervals, relatively low productivity, diseases, and limited life-cycle assessment data, incomplete nut","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220836","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":"Reproductive and litter performance following artificial insemination using semen transported in conventional and temperature-monitored carriers: a field evaluation in rural smallholder pig farms.","authors":"Pachara Pearodwong, Kajohn Nitiwararak, Thananon Junsuri, Thuwanon Boonkerd, Sarawanee Khunmanee, Winai Kaewlamun","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05411-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05411-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the association between semen transportation method and reproductive and litter performance following artificial insemination (AI) in rural smallholder pig farms. A total of 191 inseminated Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred females (40 gilts and 151 sows) from 23 farms in Nan Province, Thailand, were included. Females were classified according to semen transportation method as either conventional carrier (n = 96) or temperature-monitored carrier (n = 95). Associations between transportation method, distance group, season, female category, and their interactions and reproductive performance, litter traits, and birth weight characteristics were evaluated. Transportation method was not significantly associated with conception, pregnancy, or farrowing rates (P > 0.05). However, the temperature-monitored carrier was associated with higher numbers of piglets born alive (10.95 ± 0.71 vs. 9.03 ± 0.60; P = 0.029) and total born piglets per litter (12.26 ± 0.63 vs. 10.84 ± 0.60; P = 0.039) compared with the conventional carrier. Significant interactions between transportation method and distance group were observed for born alive (P = 0.007) and total born piglets (P = 0.029). Litter size remained relatively constant across distance groups in the temperature-monitored carrier group, whereas litter size was observed at greater transportation distance in the conventional carrier group. In conclusion, the use of a temperature-monitored carrier was associated with higher numbers of born alive and total born piglets per litter but was not associated with fertility rates under practical smallholder farming conditions. The association between transportation distance and litter performance varied between semen transportation methods under practical conditions in rural smallholder pig farms.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220840","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":"Breeder age outweighs egg grading method on hatchability and chick quality in broiler hatcheries.","authors":"Jumara Coelho Ticiano, Roberto Carlos de Freitas, Luzianna Macedo Fonseca, Dauisia Corsino de Souza, Robson Mateus Freitas Silveira, Lúcio Francelino de Araújo, Arele Arlindo Calderano","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05417-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05417-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Incubation efficiency and chick health are fundamentally linked to fertile egg quality, which is influenced by both grading methods and breeder age. This study evaluated the effects of manual versus automated grading and Cobb breeder age (28-42, 43-56, and 57-70 weeks) on hatchability, chick quality, and embryonic mortality. The study was conducted in a commercial hatchery and a total of 54,432 fertile eggs were incubated and distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 3 factorial scheme (two sorting methods × three age groups). Egg quality was first assessed by identifying cracked, dirty, inverted, and rejected eggs. Post-incubation, the study evaluated hatchability and chick quality (categorized into first and second grades). A detailed embryo diagnosis was performed to determine the incidence of rejects, embryonic mortality by stage, and the presence of live or dead pecked eggs. Data were statistically analyzed to evaluate the influence of classification methods and breeder age on key production performance indicators. This study revealed that breeder age significantly affected hatchability and incubation performance. Younger breeder hens demonstrated higher hatchability rates, whereas eggs from older breeder hens exhibited reduced incubation efficiency. In contrast, automated and manual grading systems showed comparable hatchability performance, with no significant differences observed between classification methods. These findings indicate that automated grading may be applied without negatively affecting hatchability outcomes across different breeder age groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220759","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":"High-energy diets with reduced digestible lysine for Japanese laying quails under thermoneutral conditions: effects on laying performance, egg quality, and profitability.","authors":"Ana Paula S Ton, Lidiane Staub, Aldemar M de Jesus, Anderson Corassa, Adedoyin T Amos, Adriana G do Amaral, Ednaldo A de Andrade, Leonardo W de Freitas, Maicon Sbardella","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05412-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05412-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) are widely used for commercial egg production, requiring an adequate dietary energy-to-amino acid ratio to support egg production and economic returns. However, current recommendations for laying Japanese quails remain inconsistent due to variations among strains, production phases, and environmental conditions. In this study, the interactive effects between dietary metabolizable energy (ME) and digestible lysine (DL) on laying performance, egg quality, and profitability in quails reared in a climate-controlled environment were assessed. Birds were fed diets formulated to contain three ME levels (2600, 2875, or 3150 kcal/kg) combined with four DL levels (0.90, 1.05, 1.20, or 1.35%) in a 3 × 4 factorial arrangement. Responses were monitored over a 32-week experimental period divided into two consecutive 16-week phases (Phase I: 60 to 172 days; Phase II: 173 to 285 days of age). Compared with lower-ME diets, increasing dietary ME to 3150 kcal/kg improved the laying percentage, egg mass, feed-to-egg ratio, and profitability (P < 0.05). Conversely, increasing dietary DL above the lowest level tested (0.90%) provided no additional productive or economic benefits, despite ME-dependent interactions affecting eggshell traits and body weight. These findings suggest that, in climate-controlled production systems, Japanese laying quails may benefit from greater dietary energy density than some current recommendations indicate, whereas additional DL supplementation above 0.90% was not associated with consistent improvements in laying performance and profitability. Therefore, high-energy diets formulated with 3150 kcal/kg ME combined with 0.90% DL supported egg production and egg quality while improving feed efficiency and profitability under thermoneutral conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220736","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":"Phenotypic diversity and morphometric differentiation of indigenous chickens in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.","authors":"Bongiwe Nontobeko Vilakazi, Cyprial Ndumiso Ncobela, Nokuthula Winfred Kunene","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05424-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05424-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Morphological variation among indigenous chickens reflects both adaptive divergence and underlying genetic structure; however, such information remains limited for KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This study evaluated phenotypic differentiation among indigenous chicken populations sampled from seven communal areas: Cedara, Jozini, Ladysmith, Empangeni, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, and Port Shepstone. A total of 350 adult birds were characterised using six qualitative traits and eight quantitative morphometric measurements. Canonical discriminant analysis was employed to assess population differentiation. Substantial variation was observed in plumage, skin, shank, and comb characteristics, with golden-laced plumage and yellow skin predominating across most locations. Quantitative traits differed significantly among populations (p < 0.001), with body weight (Wilks' Λ = 0.813; F = 13.082) contributing most strongly to population discrimination. Mahalanobis distance analysis revealed pronounced separation between Jozini and Empangeni populations (D² = 53.23; p < 0.001), while Newcastle and Port Shepstone exhibited minimal divergence (D² = 3.58; p < 0.001). Hierarchical cluster analysis identified two primary population groupings, with Jozini forming a distinct outlier. The apparent classification accuracy based on the original grouped cases was 51.1%, suggesting considerable overlap in morphometric characteristics among populations. These findings demonstrate appreciable phenotypic diversity among indigenous chickens in KwaZulu-Natal, likely shaped by environmental adaptation and management practices. The observed variation represents a valuable genetic resource for community-based breeding and conservation programmes aimed at improving productivity while maintaining adaptive resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220809","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 dietary barberry root powder on growth performance, immune responses, antioxidant status, and antioxidant-related gene expression in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).","authors":"Rakhshanifar Khalil, Gharaei Ahmad, Mirdar Harijani Javad, Rahdari Abdolali, Karami Roghayeh, Pinar Arslan Yüce, Caterina Faggio","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05418-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05418-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Due to having positive effects on aquaculture, plant-based dietary is very important. Therefore, this research examined the barberry root powder (BRP) supplementation on various parameters including growth performance, blood characteristics, antioxidant activity, gene expression related to antioxidant activity, and antibacterial properties in juvenile grass carp. The carps (mean weight 9 ± 0.58 g) were divided into 4 groups (a control group and three treatment groups receiving 0.5%, 1%, and 2% BRP), and the experiment duration was for 56 days. The results indicated no significant differences in growth metrics among the treatment groups consuming diets with varying BRP concentrations. However, blood analysis revealed significant variations in white blood cell counts in fish that received BRP. After the feeding period, serum lysozyme activity and alkaline phosphatase activities in fish were significantly elevated in the BRP-fed groups compared to the controls. In contrast, activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase were notably lower in the BRP-fed groups. Additionally, the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and malondialdehyde in blood serum were significantly increased in fish that consumed BRP-enriched diets. Enhanced expression of mRNA for CAT, GPX, and SOD enzymes was observed in the gills, liver, and kidneys of BRP-fed fish. Furthermore, dietary BRP supplementation significantly improved survival rates (up to 90% in the 2% BRP group) following a challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila. These findings indicate that BRP supplementation, particularly at 1-2% levels, may positively influence certain immune functions, antioxidant status, and disease resistance in juvenile grass carp.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220724","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 systematic review on the challenges facing Latin-American tropical dairy cattle production.","authors":"Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez, Manuel Gonzalez-Ronquillo, Héctor A Lee-Rangel, Juan Pablo Keim, Lance H Baumgard, Navid Ghavipanje","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05413-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05413-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Driven by population growth and ascending prosperity, the demand for high-quality protein and especially dairy products is expected to surge in developing countries, particularly in tropical regions. However, satiating this appetite through intensified production poses significant challenges including rising feed costs, limited resource availability, and heat stress. Tropical livestock farming dominates the global scene when it comes to the number of animals, output, and stakeholders. Similarly, Latin America's tropical regions have been rapidly integrated into development, with large-scale dairy production as a primary economic driver, but hasty expansion has led to severe ecosystem degradation, highlighting the need for more sustainable planning. This review focuses on the unique challenges and opportunities associated with dairy production, animal health, and nutrition in tropical climates. Tropical dairy systems face interconnected environmental, nutritional, health, economic, and social constraints that can reduce productivity, profitability, animal welfare, and product quality. Heat stress, feed scarcity, variable forage quality, and disease pressure impair animal performance and increase production costs. Addressing these challenges requires integrated strategies combining heat-adapted genetics, improved nutrition, preventive health, efficient resource use, and precision technologies. In tropical Latin America, sustainable intensification also requires protecting natural resources. Collaboration among farmers, researchers, industry, and governments is essential to develop locally adapted solutions that enhance productivity, resilience, sustainability, and food security.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220761","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":"Horticultural wastes as sustainable alternative feed resources for livestock: processing technologies, nutritional value, and animal performance.","authors":"Himani Sharma, Rohit Bishist, Ankit Sharma, Samridhi Kapoor, Kamal Kishore, Rishav Sharma","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05441-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05441-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The rapid expansion of the horticulture sector has resulted in the generation of substantial quantities of fruit and vegetable waste, posing environmental and waste disposal challenges. The improper disposal of these residues may contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, environmental pollution, and loss of potentially valuable nutrients. Concurrently, the rising cost and increasing demand for conventional feed resources have intensified the exploration of sustainable and economical alternatives for livestock and poultry feeding systems. This review examines the potential of horticultural waste and by-products as alternative feed resources in livestock and poultry production systems, with emphasis on their nutritional characteristics, processing technologies, dietary inclusion levels, and effects on animal performance and health. Fruit and vegetable by-products such as avocado residues, mango residues, tomato pomace, watermelon rinds, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, potato residues, mushroom waste and pumpkin seed meal have been evaluated as feed ingredients at different inclusion levels and through different processing approaches. The reported effects vary considerably depending on the animal species, by-product type and composition, processing technique, dietary formulation and inclusion level. While several studies have reported improvements or no adverse effects on growth performance, feed efficiency, milk production, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation and gut health at appropriate inclusion levels, other studies have reported reduced drymatter intake, average daily gain, digestibility, body weight or carcass characteristics at higher or unsuitable inclusion levels. Processing methods such as drying, ensiling, fermentation and pelleting can improve storage characteristics and may modify nutrient availability, but their effectiveness is also material and process specific. Therefore, the use of horticultural by-products requires careful consideration of species-specific responses, nutritional composition, processing conditions, inclusion limits and feed safety risks. Overall, horticultural waste represents a promising complementary feed resource with potential environmental and economic benefits, although its practical utilization should be guided by evidence based, species and diet specific inclusion strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220743","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 in ovo administration of selenomethionine and vitamin E on hepatic injury in broilers challenged by lipopolysaccharide.","authors":"Yongliang Zhang, Jia Yang, Shixiong Lai, Nawei Jike, Yucai Sun, Tingting Liu, Weidong Feng, Kaiqing Rao","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05421-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05421-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the effects of in ovo administration of selenomethionine (Se-Met) and vitamin E (VE), individually or in combination, on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and immune response in broilers challenged by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 280 fertilized eggs from a yellow-feathered broiler strain were randomly assigned to five groups: Control, LPS, VE + LPS, Se-Met + LPS, and Combo + LPS (VE, Se-Met, and LPS) groups. On embryonic day 10, eggs in the Control and LPS groups received a yolk-sac injection of 0.1 mL saline, whereas those in the VE + LPS, Se-Met + LPS, and Combo + LPS groups were injected with 5 mg VE, 0.02 mg Se-Met, and their combination, respectively. After hatching, all groups except the Control (normal saline) received intraperitoneal injection of 0.3 mg/kg LPS on days 16, 18, and 20 to induce hepatic injury. Results showed that, at 21 days of age, feed conversion ratio (FCR, P = 0.030), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT, P = 0.003) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, P < 0.001) were significantly elevated in the LPS group relative to the Control group, accompanied by hepatic vacuolar degeneration and inflammatory cell infiltration. Conversely, the Combo + LPS group showed significantly improved leg muscle index (P = 0.019) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) antibody titers (P = 0.041), alongside reduced ALT (P = 0.003) and TNF-α (P < 0.001) levels compared to the LPS group. Histopathological examination revealed that both Se-Met and the combined treatment effectively attenuated LPS-induced hepatic inflammatory infiltration and vacuolar degeneration. In conclusion, in ovo co-administration of Se-Met and VE showed an improving trend for antioxidant capacity, mitigated inflammatory responses, and alleviated LPS-induced hepatic injury in broilers.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220753","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 feeding a Bacillus-based probiotic to grazing Nellore bulls finished on tropical pasture.","authors":"Rodrigo J Oliveira, Barbara C Afonso, Bernardo C Petean, Giovanna L O Araujo, Pedro H C Ribeiro, Ariany F Toledo, Danilo Domingues Millen","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05430-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05430-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Interest in probiotics as an alternative to ionophores has increased, particularly in pasture-based systems using energy supplementation. While these additives aim to improve feed efficiency and mitigate acidosis risk, probiotics may also modulate rumen function by enhancing fiber digestion. This study evaluated the effects of including a Bacillus-based probiotic in an energy supplement on intake, performance, total tract digestibility, and rumen and cecum morphometrics of finishing Nellore cattle. Twenty-eight bulls (502.6 ± 7.0 kg) were blocked by initial body weight and assigned to four paddocks of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu. A ground corn-based supplement was offered daily at 0.3% of body weight for 112 d with either no probiotic (CON; n = 14) or 2 g/animal of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis (6.4 × 10⁹ CFU/g; n = 14) using a Calan gate system. Forage intake and fecal output were estimated using indigestible neutral detergent fiber and titanium dioxide. Probiotic supplementation reduced pasture intake (6.32 vs. 7.18 kg/d; P = 0.04), total dry matter intake (8.23 vs. 9.25 kg/d; P = 0.02), and total crude protein intake (0.83 vs. 0.92 kg/d; P = 0.02), as well as NDF intake (4.40 vs. 5.04 kg/d; P = 0.02), without affecting nutrient digestibility (P > 0.10). Average daily gain was reduced (0.75 vs. 0.91 kg/d; P = 0.02), as was final P8 fat thickness (6.47 vs. 7.49 mm; P = 0.05), whereas feed efficiency (0.098 vs. 0.101; P = 0.76), hot carcass weight (318.61 vs. 320.32 kg; P = 0.70), and dressing percentage (53.88 vs. 52.65%; P = 0.30) were unchanged. Rumen and cecum morphometrics were not affected. Supplementation with this Bacillus-based probiotic did not improve performance of pasture-finished Nellore bulls, indicating limited benefits under these conditions and highlighting the need to clarify interactions among probiotic strains, supplementation level, and rumen kinetics.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220749","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}