Tropical animal health and production最新文献

{"title":"Dietary fiber sources affect reproductive and lactation outcomes and colostrum protein concentration in sows.","authors":"Idael Matheus Góes Lopes, Marcelo Dourado de Lima, Soraia Viana Ferreira, Ana Clara Rodrigues de Oliveira, Betânia Rodrigues de Andrade, Rafaela Jorge Sarsur de Freitas Ribeiro, Naiara Cristina Dos Santos Silveira, Artur Cavalcanti de Souza, Luisa Lopes da Rocha Dos Santos, Luíza de Almeida Ramos, Francisco Carlos de Oliveira Silva, Eloísa de Oliveira Simões Saliba, Dalton de Oliveira Fontes","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05346-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05346-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing different dietary fiber sources during late gestation. A total of 400 sows (parity 1-5; 215.7 ± 22.8 kg) were allocated in a randomized block design with four treatments: control (no added fiber), soybean hulls, lignocellulose, and micronized citrus pulp (n = 100 per treatment). Diets were isoenergetic and isonitrogenous, differing only in fiber source, and were provided from day 89 of gestation to weaning. Reproductive traits, piglet performance, fecal score, serum biochemical parameters, and colostrum yield and composition were evaluated. Blood metabolites were analyzed using an automatic biochemical analyzer, and glucose was measured with a portable glucometer. Statistical analyses included linear mixed-effects models, ANOVA with Tukey adjustment, Poisson and logistic regression models, and non-parametric tests when appropriate, with significance declared at P < 0.05. Fiber inclusion reduced stillbirth rates (P = 0.04), with lignocellulose showing the lowest incidence, and increased the number of weaned piglets (P = 0.01). Piglet weaning weight was higher in the micronized citrus pulp group (P = 0.04). Lactation mortality was reduced in fiber-fed sows compared to control (P < 0.01). Serum triglycerides were higher in sows fed lignocellulose (P = 0.04), while other biochemical parameters were unaffected. Colostrum protein concentration increased with micronized citrus pulp (P = 0.03), whereas fat, lactose, and colostrum yield were not influenced (P > 0.05). Dietary fiber supplementation during late gestation improved reproductive and lactation outcomes, particularly by reducing stillbirths and lactation mortality and enhancing piglet performance, while specific effects were observed on serum triglycerides and colostrum protein concentration.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13585918/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148991373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of artificial shade on the performance and water intake of feedlot beef cattle in tropical environments.","authors":"Marcos Chiquitelli Neto, Rafael de Arruda Saron, Karime Chukr Bazzo, Diogo Tiago da Silva, Sheila Tavares Nascimento","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05306-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05306-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heat stress is one of the main challenges for animal production systems in tropical regions. One of the ways to mitigate the negative effects of thermal stress is to provide artificial shading structures. This work experimentally evaluates the effects of artificial shading on the productivity and water consumption of finishing beef cattle. The experiments were conducted in two locations: the Amazon Forest region (Mato Grosso State, Brazil) and the Atlantic Forest region (São Paulo State, Brazil). In both experiments, the animals were equally divided into groups with and without access to shade, totaling 997 animals. Beef cattle without access to shade drank 16.2% more water. Accumulated weight gain and finishing fat were higher in animals with access to shade (90.77 vs. 85.99 kg in the first experiment, p < 0.05; 88.85 vs. 84.75 kg in the second experiment, p < 0.05). Carcass yield was similar for both groups. In conclusion, artificial shading for feedlot beef cattle led to a reduction in water consumption (consistent with improved thermal comfort) and an increase in animal performance (greater cumulative weight gain), improving overall animal welfare within tropical feedlot systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13586039/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148991378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forage cactus as a substitute for ground corn in sugarcane-based diets for lactating dairy cows.","authors":"Felipe Douglas Barbosa Pedrosa de Oliveira, Airon Aparecido Silva de Melo, Ana Clara Silva Pinheiro Leite, Michelle Christina Bernardo de Siqueira, Sebastião Inocêncio Guido, Antônio Jorge Correa de Araújo Lopes de Freitas, Gilmar Natanael de Souza, Kaique Renan da Silva Salvador, Marcelo de Andrade Ferreira","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05350-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05350-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstrac: </strong>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing ground corn meal with forage cactus Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. in sugarcane-based diets on the performance of lactating dairy cows. Ten Holstein cows, with an average milk yield of 20 ± 0.9 kg day⁻¹, body weight of 592.5 ± 24.3 kg, and 15.5 ± 2.5 weeks in milk, were used and distributed into two simultaneous 5 × 5 Latin squares. The treatments consisted of levels of replacement of ground corn meal with forage cactus (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%). Replacement linearly reduced (P < 0.05) the intake of dry matter, crude protein, organic matter, non-fibrous carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients. Apparent nutrient digestibility was not affected by the replacement (P > 0.05). Milk yield not corrected to 3.5% fat decreased linearly (P = 0.002) with increasing replacement levels (18.33 and 16.25 kg day⁻¹ at 0 and 100%, respectively), whereas milk fat content increased linearly (P = 0.035) from 3.65 to 4.14%. Fat-corrected milk yield (3.5% FCM; 18.46 kg), as well as milk protein (3.42%), lactose (4.42%), total solids (12.61%) and feed efficiency (0.99 kg fat-corrected milk per kg of dry matter intake), were not affected (P > 0.05). Forage cactus can partially replace corn in diets for dairy cows fed sugarcane-based diets. However, replacing corn with forage cactus reduces dry matter and nutrient intake and milk yield not corrected for fat, although it results in significant increases in milk fat content.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148991376","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":"Repurposing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as adjunct therapies against biofilm-forming Staphylococcus aureus isolated from camel milk.","authors":"Maria Batool, Muhammad Ijaz, Arslan Ahmed, Muhammad Umar Javed, Hamza Rasheed, Ali Abdullah Jabir, Kehkshan Shahid, Ashraf Ali","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05332-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05332-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to biofilm-forming S. aureus is a worldwide issue associated with a variety of persistent infections, including mastitis. This study investigated the prevalence and molecular characterization of biofilm-forming S. aureus, risk factors associated with subclinical mastitis (SCM), and simulation-based computational modeling for biofilm-associated protein. Moreover, repurposing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as adjunct therapies against biofilm-forming S. aureus was investigated in combination with antibiotics. Overall, 384 camel milk samples were collected and subjected to the California mastitis test (CMT), and 51.30% SCM prevalence was found in sampled animals. Among these, 59.39% of SCM-positive milk isolates were positive for S. aureus, while the prevalence of staphylococcal biofilm-positive isolates by Congo red agar (CRA) and tube method was 41.88% and 31.6%, respectively. Further, on genotypic investigation, 47.86% and 31.62% of isolates were found to have icaA and icaD genes, respectively. After this, biofilm-forming isolates were subjected to phylogenetic assessment, and results exhibited strong sequence identity of local icaA and icaD isolates with neighbouring countries. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis was further validated with simulation-based computational modeling by using different tools, and results depicted a close evolutionary relationship and predominant structural integrity of the icaA protein. Drug susceptibility profiling of biofilm-positive isolates showed high resistance against amoxicillin, trimethoprim+sulphamethoxazole, and cefixime. Furthermore, In-Vitro combination therapy trials showed synergistic effect of amoxicillin and trimethoprim+sulphamethoxazole with flunixin meglumine and cefixime with meloxicam. This study will provide baseline data on biofilm-forming S. aureus persistence in the camel population, along with devising an effective therapy against biofilm-forming S. aureus infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148991393","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":"Gastrointestinal helminth infections in cattle and buffalo from small-scale farms in Phayao Province, Northern Thailand.","authors":"Ornampai Japa, Chorpaka Phuangsri, Benjamas Jantaloed, Chenchira Saelu, Nanthikan Hansuk, Panapon Inna, Shusak Namrat, Thidathip Rodchaona, Thanchanok Jinda, Wasupol Wongnoi, Khanuengnij Prakhammin","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05339-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05339-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gastrointestinal helminth infections remain a major constraint to ruminant health and productivity, particularly in small-scale farming systems where parasite control is often limited. This study investigated the prevalence and distribution of gastrointestinal helminth infections in cattle and buffalo raised in Phayao Province, Thailand. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and October 2025, during which 696 fecal samples were collected from cattle and buffalo across six subdistricts and examined using the formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique. The overall prevalence of infection was 47.8% (333/696), with a higher prevalence observed in cattle (53.8%) than in buffalo (29.7%). Five helminth groups were detected, with strongyle-type nematodes being the most prevalent (28.3%), followed by rumen flukes (11.8%), liver flukes (11.2%), Strongyloides spp. (6.0%), and Trichuris spp. (1.6%). Single infections were more common (37.8%) than mixed infections (10.1%). Analysis of host-associated factors showed no significant association between infection status and age or sex in either host species, whereas cattle breed was significantly associated with infection. These findings indicate a widespread occurrence of gastrointestinal helminth infections among ruminants in the study area and emphasize the need for strengthened parasite control programs and regular monitoring to reduce infection risk and associated production losses.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983634","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":"Sesame seed meal as a partial soybean meal substitute in ruminant diets: effects on rumen fermentation, nutrient utilization, and methane emissions.","authors":"Ahmed E Kholif, Hossam H Azzaz, Gouda A Gouda, Gamal M El-Garhy, Asmaa A Eid, Gamal A Mousa","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05326-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05326-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with sesame seed meal (SSM) on in vitro ruminal fermentation and methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) production using the ANKOM RF system for 48 h. Five total mixed rations were formulated, in which SBM was progressively substituted with SSM at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the concentrate protein, corresponding to dietary SSM inclusions of 0, 3.3, 6.6, 9.8, and 13.1% of DM. Results showed that partial replacement at the 25% level enhanced fermentation efficiency, significantly (P < 0.05) increasing asymptotic gas production, fractional gas production rate, metabolizable energy (ME), and DM degradability compared with the control. Conversely, higher substitution levels progressively reduced fermentation. Fiber degradability was particularly affected, with neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber degradability declining as SSM inclusion increased (P = 0.002). Total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations and individual VFA fractions also decreased significantly at higher SSM levels (P < 0.01), while ammonia nitrogen concentration declined linearly with increasing SSM (P = 0.007). Methane production was slightly elevated at the lowest SSM inclusion but declined substantially at higher substitution levels (P < 0.01). In contrast, the proportion of CO₂ in total gas increased with higher SSM inclusion (P < 0.001). These findings indicate that SSM can partially replace SBM (up to 25% of the concentrate protein) without compromising ruminal fermentation or nutrient degradability. Higher inclusion levels; however, reduce fermentative activity and fiber degradability while lowering CH₄ emissions, highlighting the potential environmental benefits of incorporating this oilseed by-product into ruminant feeding strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983692","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":"Association of polymorphisms in the ovine Leptin gene with body weight and body measurement traits in Balkhi sheep.","authors":"Azaz Alam Khattak, Rajwali Khan, Syed Muhammad Suhail, Adil Khan, Danyal Khan, Bilal Khan, Shakoor Ahmad Qureshi, Ijaz Ahmad, Amel Ayari Akari","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05295-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05295-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The leptin gene was studied as a marker for productive traits in Balkhi sheep. A total of 60 blood samples were collected from Balkhi sheep, and body measurements and weights were recorded. In the CDS (coding sequence) region of the Leptin gene, a 471 bp fragment was amplified by PCR with a pair of (forward and reverse) specific primers. Two novel SNPs were detected at positions (g.348 G > T) and (g.394 G > A). The highest genotypic frequency at position g.348 G > T was found for genotype GG (71.67%), followed by GT (20.00%), and TT exhibited the lowest frequency (8.33%). A similar pattern was observed for SNP2 at g.394 G > A, with the same genotypic frequencies: GG (75%), GA (18.33%), and AA (6.67%). In SNP1, the frequency of the G allele was highest in the population, at 81.67%, and the T allele was 18.33%. Similarly, in SNP2, the G allele was 84.17%, and the A allele was 15.83%. Both SNPs were significantly associated with some economically important body measurement traits. The results of this study can be concluded that, among the three genotypes of SNP1 (g. 348G > T) and SNP2 (g. 394G > A), the TT and AA genotypes could be used for the traits of economic importance like body length, fat-tail thickness, fat-tail length, and withers height in Balkhi sheep through marker-assisted selection for future breeding programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983644","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 composite feed additive approach for methane mitigation and improved rumen fermentation: toward sustainable livestock production.","authors":"Prasanth M Nair, Simran Kamboj, S Arulkumar, Goutam Mondal","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05338-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05338-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sustainable strategies to mitigate methane (CH₄) while maintaining rumen efficiency are important for climate-smart livestock production. This study evaluated a composite feed additive combining tamarind seed husk tannins with sodium nitrate, magnesium sulphate, calcium propionate and sodium bicarbonate, alongside each component group tested separately. Three independent in vitro experiments were conducted, one per additive, each with five inclusion levels (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4% of substrate dry matter) and three replicate syringes per level. Rumen liquor from a fistulated buffalo bullock was incubated for 24 h with 200 mg of a total mixed ration substrate. Total gas and CH₄ production, in vitro true digestibility, volatile fatty acids, ammonia nitrogen, partitioning factor and microbial biomass production were measured. Methane yield fell linearly with increasing inclusion of every additive (p < 0.001). Tamarind seed husk reduced CH₄ from 33.50 to 26.31 mL/g DM, the composite additive from 32.00 to 20.15 mL/g DM, and the chemical additive reduced CH₄ from 32.49 to 17.94 mL/g DM at 4% inclusion. In vitro true dry matter digestibility was unchanged by tamarind seed husk (p = 0.682) and increased with both the chemical additive (59.65 to 61.63%, p = 0.012) and the composite additive (60.58 to 62.91%, p = 0.008). Microbial biomass production rose by 55% with the composite additive (21.99 to 34.14 mg per 200 mg substrate, p < 0.001), and the acetate-to-propionate ratio fell from 3.13 to 2.16 (p < 0.001), driven principally by a decline in acetate rather than a rise in propionate. At 4% of substrate dry matter the chemical additive gave the greatest reduction in CH₄, while the composite additive combined a reduction of similar magnitude with the highest digestibility, partitioning factor and microbial biomass production of the three treatments. Both warrant further evaluation. Because each additive was incubated as a separate run, additive type is confounded with run and a synergistic interaction between components could not be established; a single simultaneous incubation is required to test this directly.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983616","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 a multi-strain probiotic on production performance, antioxidant indices, intestinal morphology, and fecal microbiota in heat-stressed quails.","authors":"Mohammad Saeed Shahraki, Bahman Abdi-Hachesoo, Seyed Shahram Shekarforoush, Fatemeh Namazi","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05340-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05340-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This experiment aimed to assess the impact of a multi-strain probiotic cocktail containing spore-forming and lactic acid-producing species on the growth performance, intestinal morphometry, antioxidant indices, and fecal bacterial populations of Japanese quails reared under heat stress (HS) conditions. A total of 400 one-day-old unsexed Japanese quails were randomly allocated to four experimental groups (100 birds per group; four replicates of 25 birds each): (1) Control (normal temperature), (2) Probiotic (normal temperature + probiotic), (3) Heat stress (HS), and (4) HS + Probiotic. The probiotic cocktail, containing six bacterial strains, was administered via drinking water at a concentration of 1 g/L (equivalent to 6 × 10⁹ CFU/g) from day 1 to day 42. Heat stress was applied from day 21 to day 42 by exposing birds to 38 ± 2 °C for 8 h daily, while the control groups were maintained at 24 ± 2 °C. The HS+Probiotic group exhibited significantly lower final body weight compared to the other groups (P < 0.05), and the lowest feed intake and highest feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed in the HS and HS+Probiotic groups, respectively. The HS and HS+probiotic groups had significantly lower serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels compared to the probiotic group (P < 0.05). The highest length of villus in both the jejunum and ileum was observed in the probiotic-treated groups (P < 0.05). In contrast, the villus length-to-crypt depth (VL/CD) ratio in the jejunum was significantly lower in the HS group than in the other experimental groups (P < 0.05). Fecal total bacteria and fecal Enterobacteriaceae counts were notably lower in the probiotic group (P < 0.05). The HS group showed a notably lower spore-forming bacterial count than the control (P < 0.05). It is concluded that adding probiotics to the drinking water of heat-stressed quails improved intestinal morphometry but did not significantly enhance production performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983613","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":"Lipid utilization efficiency and metabolic responses in lactating fat-tailed Turki-Qashqaei ewes fed graded levels of cracked safflower.","authors":"Shiva Forouzanfar, Amir Ahmadpour, Mousa Zarrin, Mehrdad Meamar","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05331-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05331-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although lipid supplementation is common in small ruminant diets to boost energy and essential fatty acids, little is known about how fat-tailed ewes adapt physiologically and utilize lipids during lactation. We addressed this gap by feeding graded levels of cracked safflower (0%, 3%, and 6% of dry matter) in lactating fat-tailed Turki-Qashqaei ewes (n = 12 per treatment). Nutrient intake relative to metabolic body weight (BW^0.75), apparent total-tract digestibility (acid-insoluble ash method), rumen fermentation (pH, ammonia-N, total volatile fatty acids and acetate: propionate ratio), blood metabolites (glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglycerides, total protein and albumin), and lipid utilization indices (milk fat yield per ether extract intake and milk long-chain fatty acid output per linoleic acid intake) were evaluated. Increasing safflower inclusion linearly elevated ether extract and linoleic acid intake (P < 0.05) but reduced digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber (P < 0.05). Rumen fermentation remained largely stable. At 6% inclusion, blood glucose decreased while NEFA and triglycerides increased (P < 0.05). Milk fat yield increased (P < 0.01), but lipid utilization indices showed nonlinear responses, consistent with metabolic regulation of lipid use. The results demonstrate that ruminal biohydrogenation and post-absorptive constraints limit efficient use of elevated unsaturated fatty acids. In lactating fat-tailed ewes, lipid supplementation primarily influences nutrient utilization efficiency and metabolic responses rather than producing linear productive gains, providing insights into lipid metabolism that may support physiologically based diet formulation for fat-tailed sheep breeds.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983664","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}