Tropical animal health and production最新文献

{"title":"Mitigating high-density housing stress in broilers: a comparative evaluation of vitamin E vs. Zinc on immunity, molecular markers, carcass yield, and profitability.","authors":"Seham F Shehata, Mohamed M M El-Sokary, Maha Mamdouh, Samar H Baloza","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05349-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05349-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present study investigated the effects of stocking density (StD) on growth traits, carcass cuts, immune responses, and economic efficiency in broiler chickens, and evaluated whether dietary supplementation with vitamin E (Vit E) or zinc (Zn) could mitigate the adverse effects of high StD. A total of 636 one-day-old male Cobb chicks were allocated to seven experimental groups representing low (LStD; 23 kg/m²), moderate (MStD; 34 kg/m²), and high (HStD; 39 kg/m²) stocking densities. Selected MStD and HStD groups received either zinc or vitamin E supplementation at 100 mg/kg dietary dry matter (DM). Medium and high stocking densities significantly reduced feed intake, cumulative weight gain, carcass yield, and economic returns, while increasing stress indicators and hepatic HSP70 gene expression (P < 0.05). Birds reared under these stocking densities also showed impaired humoral immunity, reflected by lower plasma IgM, IgG, and IgA concentrations and reduced expression of interferon-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, and SOD mRNAs. Supplementation with either Zn or Vit E effectively alleviated these adverse effects by improving growth performance, immune function, antioxidant status, and economic profitability. In conclusion, the findings indicate that dietary Zn supplementation at 100 mg/kg DM allows the stocking density to be increased from 23 to 34 kg/m² while maintaining productivity. In addition, supplementation with either Zn or Vit E provides a practical nutritional strategy for maintaining health, immunity, and production efficiency under intensive rearing conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149184693","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 preliminary assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from dairy production in Morocco.","authors":"Mohamed Taher Sraïri, Engineer Yazid Belghiti Alaoui","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05436-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05436-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dairy production plays a central role in Moroccan agriculture allowing for regular incomes and directly contributing to food sovereignty, yet farm-level data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remain limited. This study aimed to (1) estimate farm-gate GHG emissions and milk emission intensity in 40 farms representing the diversity of Moroccan dairy systems, (2) quantify the contribution of major emission sources, and (3) assess the influence of production system characteristics on emission intensity. A farm-gate perspective was applied using the Cool Farm Tool, with 1 kg of - fat and protein corrected milk - (FPCM) as the functional unit. Farms were grouped into four profiles according to marketing channel and feed sourcing strategy, ranging from specialized, high-productivity systems with partial feed autonomy to small-scale, input-dependent farms operating under drought and limited irrigation. Average emission intensity reached 2.4 kg CO₂e kg FPCM^-1, varying from 1.6 to 3.3 kg CO₂e kg FPCM^-1, respectively in the most and the least efficient systems. Enteric methane was the main source of emissions (40%), followed by feed production (33%), manure management (11%), transport (10%), and on-farm energy use (6%). Farms supplying the dairy industry directly had lower emission intensity and higher annual milk yields per cow, and these yields were negatively associated with emission intensity. Each 1,000-liter increase in annual yield per cow was associated with 0.21 kg CO₂e kg FPCM^-1 reduction. This study provides the first farm-level reference values for dairy GHG emissions in Morocco and highlights their heterogeneity among production systems, as well as it suggests mitigation measures adapted to each farm type.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149184708","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":"Pasture area increases livestock rabies risk in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a geospatial analysis of neurological syndrome cases (2020-2024).","authors":"Rafael Veríssimo Monteiro, Renata Falcão Rabello da Costa, Leda Maria Silva Kimura, Glenda Ribeiro de Oliveira, Natiane Rodrigues Viana, Alessandro de Sá Guimarães, Márcio Roberto Silva, Guilherme Nunes de Souza","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05359-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05359-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Animal rabies poses a risk to livestock in Brazil due to transmission by hematophagous bats. The Brazilian sanitary surveillance system mandates rabies testing for any livestock exhibiting signs of neurological syndrome. This geospatial, retrospective, longitudinal, observational study analyzed rabies test results for 204 cattle and 56 horses presenting with neurological syndrome in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, from 2020 to 2024. We calculated correlations and linear models between rabies results and municipal land-use types, as well the population of herbivores. Most neurological syndrome cases and positive rabies results occurred in cattle. The final linear model for the number of neurological syndrome cases and positive rabies results incorporated pasture area, shrub area and cattle population. Pasture area was positively correlated with higher numbers (p = 0.011 and p = 0.005, respectively). Larger shrub area was associated with fewer neurological syndrome reports and fewer positive results (p = 0.009 and p = 0.010, respectively). Greater cattle population showed a negative association with neurological syndrome notifications and positive detections (p = 0.085 and p = 0.046, respectively).A higher proportion of positive rabies tests was associated with larger pasture areas (p = 0.019) and with lower equine populations (p = 0.115). These findings indicate that the lower animal diversity in pasture areas provides few alternative feeding options for Desmodus rotundus besides livestock, leading to more neurological syndrome cases and animal rabies infections. A larger shrub area offer feed alternatives other than cattle to the bats and a larger cattle population dilutes the frequency of bat meals across individuals, reducing both neurological syndrome notifications and positive rabies detections.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13669118/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149184647","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":"Landscape, livestock mobility, and traditional management of Belahi cattle in the Shivalik foothills pastoral system.","authors":"Ashish Yadav, Rajesh Kumar Gahlyan, Rani Alex, Vikas Vohra, Gopal R Gowane","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05427-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05427-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Belahi cattle constitute a distinct indigenous cattle population maintained primarily by the Gujjar/Gurjar pastoralist community in Haryana, India. The aim of this study was to document pastoral management practices relevant to the conservation and sustainable utilization of Belahi cattle within their native breeding tract. Data were collected through structured surveys and field observations across different ecological zones of the Shivalik foothills, an ecotonal region between the Himalayan ecosystem and the Indo-Gangetic plains. Transhumant pastoralism was practiced by 60% of respondents, followed by village-based (26%) and sedentary pastoralism (14%). Feeding relied predominantly on extensive grazing (79%), with minimal stall feeding. Herds typically comprised 40-45 animals, were strongly female-biased, and maintained either a single breeding bull or depended on community Belahi bulls during migration. Pure Belahi herds constituted 70% of the population and were predominantly associated with transhumant systems, piedmont zones, and river banks, whereas mixed cattle were more common in sedentary and village-based systems. Highly significant associations were observed between herd purity and ecological location, mobility pattern, feeding management, and community affiliation (χ², p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis (MCA with hierarchical clustering) confirmed this pattern and identified three distinct farm management typologies, including a previously undetected sedentary hill-zone groups. Seasonal mobility functioned as an adaptive strategy to optimize forage and water use, while lactation showed strong seasonality, peaking during summer and monsoon months. The estimated effective population size was 71 with an inbreeding rate of 0.7%, placing the population in the vulnerable category. Looking in to the highly efficient management system, there are several better implications for animal health, productivity, sustainable management and animal welfare. Assessment of bull's genomic relatedness to herd may help in avoiding accumulation of further inbreeding in the population and development of healthy Belahi herds. Progressive loss of grazing resources, market constraints, and limited institutional support were identified as major challenges to the sustainability of the production system. The results underscore the ecological, cultural, and livelihood importance of Belahi cattle and provide critical baseline information for conservation and breeding interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149184698","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":"Performance, carcass quality, serum biochemistry, and stress resilience in broilers supplemented with chromium picolinate and lemon peel powder during hot-humid summer.","authors":"T M Elamathi, Divya Sharma, M Monika, Chandra Deo, Avishek Biswas, A K Tiwari","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05390-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05390-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heat stress negatively affects broiler growth, productivity, and mineral retention, particularly chromium, leading to impaired metabolism and reduced growth rate. Chromium supplementation helps alleviate stress and improves weight gain in heat-stressed birds. Citrus peel, rich in bioactive compounds, can also enhance growth performance and feed efficiency in broilers. A total of 288, day-old CARIBRO VISHAL broiler chicks were reared in 9 different treatment groups with 4 replicates per treatment and 8 birds per replicate in cages. Treatment groups were fed with different levels of Chromium Picolinate (CrPic) and Lemon Peel Powder (LPP). Groups were: T1 (Basal Diet, BD), T2 (BD + 0.5 mg CrPic), T3 (BD + 1 mg CrPic), T4 (BD + 2 g LPP), T5 (BD + 2 g LPP + 0.5 mg CrPic), T6 (BD + 2 g LPP + 1 mg CrPic), T7 (BD + 4 g LPP), T8 (BD + 4 g LPP + 0.5 mg CrPic), and T9 (BD + 4 g LPP + 1 mg CrPic). The results demonstrated that the combined supplementation of CrPic and LPP (T5) significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced body weight, although feed conversion ratio (FCR) remained unaffected. On serum assay, there was no notable interaction effect (P > 0.05) on serum protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. However, chromium picolinate supplementation alone significantly (P < 0.01) reduced serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. Notably, an increasing dietary inclusion of CrPic and LPP significantly (P < 0.01) lowered the Heterophil-to-Lymphocyte (H:L) ratio, indicating a potential stress-mitigating effect. Additionally, corticosterone levels were significantly (P < 0.01) reduced with supplementation highlighting its potential benefits in mitigating heat stress in broilers during summer.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149184634","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":"Growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilization and economic efficiency of West African dwarf rams fed rice straw, maize stovers or maize cobs.","authors":"Abisoye Adeola Adesote, Immanuel Ishaku Madziga, Olalere Johnson Olayide, Stephen Kehinde Moses","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05402-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05402-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the effects of rice straw, maize stovers, and maize cobs supplemented with poultry-litter-based concentrate on feed intake, growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilization, serum metabolites, and economic efficiency of West African Dwarf (WAD) rams. Twenty-four rams were allotted to three dietary treatments, with each crop residue offered as the basal feed and supplemented with a common concentrate containing 20.8% crude protein and 10.5 MJ/kg DM metabolizable energy. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed among treatments for feed intake, growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilization, selected serum metabolites, and economic returns. Rams fed maize stovers had the highest dry matter intake (910 g/day), final body weight (27.8 kg), weight gain (9.2 kg), and average daily gain (132 g/day), compared with 780 g/day, 24.2 kg, 5.8 kg, and 82 g/day for rice straw and 720 g/day, 23.5 kg, 5.0 kg, and 71 g/day for maize cobs, respectively. Feed conversion ratio was lowest with maize stovers (6.89). Maize stovers also produced the highest dry matter (68.4%), crude protein (70.2%), and neutral detergent fibre (59.6%) digestibility. Nitrogen retention was greatest in maize stover-fed rams (9.2 g/day; 62.1%). Serum total protein, albumin, and glucose were higher with maize stovers, whereas serum urea and cholesterol were unaffected. Maize stovers had the highest net profit (USD 38.4) and benefit-cost ratio (1.61), with the lowest cost per kilogram of gain (USD 1.08). Thus, maize stovers supplemented with poultry-litter-based concentrate provided superior biological and economic performance and represent a promising basal feed resource for WAD rams.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149184641","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":"Socioeconomic evaluation of feeding strategies and profitability in dual-purpose livestock systems settled in the southwest of the state of Mexico.","authors":"Cynthia Angélica Aguirre-Sánchez, Benito Albarrán-Portillo, Sherezada Esparza-Jiménez, Adolfo Armando Rayas-Amor, Carlos Galdino Martínez-García, Anastacio García-Martínez","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05405-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05405-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of feeding management on the socioeconomic performance of dual-purpose cattle production units (PU) in southwest of the State of Mexico. A total of 213 PU located in four municipalities of southwest of the State of Mexico were analyzed. These PU were previously classified through multivariate statistics; PCA (12 variables related to the structure, management and feeding of livestock; KMO = 0.608 with a Bartlett chi-square test of 1367.419 (P < 0.05), four components that explained 74.23% of the total variance of the model) and cluster analysis(using the coordinates of the first four factors obtained from PCA through Ward's method and squared Euclidean distance and the distance cutoff was 200) into four groups according to their feeding management: (i) cow supplementation (G1CS), (ii) semi-intensive (G2SI), (iii) fattening supplementation (G3FS), and (iv) traditional (G4T). Subsequently, social, structural, and economic variables were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) based on the general linear model (GLM), and Tukey's test was applied for multiple comparisons among groups. No significant differences were observed in most social variables (P > 0.05); however, differences were detected in certain structural variables, as well as in income, costs, and economic indicators (P < 0.05). Feeding represented the main component of production costs across all groups, accounting for up to 70% of total costs (P < 0.05). Group G1CS showed the highest income and economic indicators (P < 0.05), whereas G3FS ranked second in incomes, mainly associated with cattle fattening. In contrast, G2SI registered the lowest economic indicators (P < 0.05), reflecting a limited capacity to generate incomes. Finally, G4T exhibited the lowest costs (P < 0.05) and greater efficiency in the management of its own resources. It is concluded that the economic performance of dual-purpose systems is primarily determined by the efficiency of resource use rather than by the level of intensification or land size.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149184715","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":"Feed additives as frontline tools in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural animals.","authors":"Mona Mohamed Mohamed Yasseen Elghandour, Moyosore Joseph Adegbeye, Abdelfattah Zeidan Mohamed Salem","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05400-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05400-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Feed additives are among the most promising nutritional strategies for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock. Numerous studies have investigated their potential to mitigate GHG emissions from ruminants and pseudo-ruminants using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. These studies have examined a wide range of additives, including phytogenic compounds, microbial additives, seaweeds and microalgae, enzymes, dietary lipids, synthetic inhibitors, agricultural by-products, and nano-encapsulated bioactive compounds. Feed additives have been investigated in various forms, including plant extracts, microbial combinations, nano-encapsulated formulations, and purified bioactive compounds, with several demonstrating promising potential for reducing methane and other GHG emissions while maintaining desirable fermentation characteristics. However, the translation of promising findings into practical livestock production requires further validation through well-designed in vivo studies, particularly to establish effective doses, consistency of responses, and potential interactions with animal species and diets. This editorial highlights recent advances in the use of feed additives for GHG mitigation and discusses key priorities for their practical application. It also recognises the receipt of the 2026 TWAS-UNESCO Award in Agriculture, Nutrition and Food Systems Sciences by Prof. A.Z.M. Salem for his contributions to improving animal production and health and mitigating GHG emissions through innovative feed additives and alternative food resources for cleaner agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13653832/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164984","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":"Growth and reproductive responses of goat bucks to range grazing and concentrate-based production systems.","authors":"Selamu Abraham, Yisehak Kechero, Jane Wamatu","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05383-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05383-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of range grazing and three concentrate-based production systems on the growth, sexual behavior, scrotal circumference, and semen quality of breeding bucks. A total of 40 yearling bucks (10 bucks/treatment) were randomly allocated to range grazing (T1) and three different roughage-to-concentrate ratios: 60:40% (T2), 50:50% (T3), and 40:60% (T4) on a DM basis for a period of 90 days. All data were analyzed via ANOVA in SAS-JMP Pro 19. Bucks in T3 and T4 presented greater average daily gains (ADG) than those in T1 and T2 did, although T2 presented better gains than did T1. In T1 bucks, scrotal development, the number of mounts, the frequency of ejaculation, the courtship behavior score, and the testosterone concentration were lower, whereas the reaction time and refractory period were greater than those in T3 and T4. Bucks fed the T4 diet presented greater semen volume, followed by those fed T3 and T2, and the lowest semen volume was observed at T1. Strong positive correlations were observed between dry matter intake (DMI), scrotal circumference, and semen volume. ADG was also strongly correlated with semen volume (r = 0.81), motility (r = 0.78), and scrotal circumference (r = 0.82). The results of this study indicated that concentrate-fed bucks had better daily gain, scrotal development, and functional semen quality traits (semen volume, motility, and concentration) than did range grazing bucks, although the ADG, feed conversion efficiency, and mating frequency of the bucks fed the T3 and T4 diets were similar.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149171001","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 barley malt extract on growth performance, immune parameters, intestinal fermentation and gut microbiota in nursery piglets.","authors":"Laya Kannan Silva Alves, Flávio de Aguiar Coelho, Rafaella Fernandes Carnevale, Matheus Saliba Monteiro, Janaina Cristina da Silva Maciel de Souza, Eduarda Buck Bernardes Guimarães, Cecília Archangelo Ferreira de Melo, Roberta Yukari Hoshino, Erick Marlon Pereira, Fernanda Mariane Dos Santos, Nadia de Almeida Ciriaco Gomes, Ana Lígia Braga Mezzina, Caroline Veloso, José Alfonso Echavarria Martínez, Guilherme Marques Campora, Ana Clara Rodrigues de Oliveira, Allan Paul Schinckel, Monique Danielle Pairis-Garcia, Cesar Augusto Pospissil Garbossa","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05388-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05388-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the effects of graded dietary barley malt extract (BME) supplementation on growth performance, fecal consistency, immune parameters, antioxidant status, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations, and gut microbiota composition in nursery piglets. A total of 144 weaned piglets (24 days of age; 7.02 ± 1.08 kg) were allocated to four treatments containing 0, 0.33, 0.66, or 0.99% BME for 42 days. Performance variables were assessed at the pen level, and laboratory analyses were performed using one representative piglet per selected pen. No consistent dose-response effects were observed for body weight, average daily gain, feed intake, or diarrhea incidence throughout the nursery period. A linear increase in feed conversion ratio was detected during the pre-starter II phase (P = 0.023), but no cumulative performance effects were observed over the overall nursery period. Antioxidant enzyme activities, leukocyte populations, and fecal SCFA concentrations were unaffected by BME inclusion (P > 0.05). Microbial alpha diversity indices were unchanged; however, specific microbial taxa, including Veillonellaceae, Mitsuokella, and Mogibacterium, differed among inclusion levels. Overall, dietary BME up to 0.99% did not improve growth performance, immune parameters, antioxidant status, or intestinal fermentation in nursery piglets, although modest shifts in microbial composition were observed.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13653829/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149170644","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}