Animal Feed Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Growth performance, meat quality, rumen morphometrics and microbiota of finishing bulls fed diets supplemented with oregano essential oils","authors":"Stella Dokou ,&nbsp;Ilias Giannenas ,&nbsp;Ioanna Stylianaki ,&nbsp;Eleftherios Bonos ,&nbsp;Vangelis Economou ,&nbsp;Georgios Arsenos","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116405","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116405","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim was to investigate the effects of microencapsulated oregano essential oil (OEO) dietary supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, rumen morphometrics and microbiota, in finishing bulls. Sixty-eight Limousin bulls were randomly allocated into 2 groups (CON: offered basal diet and OREG: basal diet supplemented with 50 mg OEO in microencapsulated form/kg dry matter). The trial lasted 90 days. Thereafter all bulls were slaughtered. At slaughter samples of <em>Longissimus dorsi</em> muscle (13^th rib steak) were collected to evaluate meat pH, color, fatty acids profile and oxidation status. Rumen tissue samples were collected to assess histomorphology. Additionally, rumen fluid samples were collected to examine bacterial diversity, through 16S rRNA sequencing. One of the key findings was that DMI was influenced by OEO dietary inclusion, with OEO supplemented bulls consuming less feed (P &lt; 0.01), without negatively affecting average daily gain and final body weight. In terms of meat quality OEO supplementation improved antioxidant status and caused a 47.31 % reduction in Elaidic acid (P &lt; 0.05). Rumen papillae length and width remained similar between groups (P &gt; 0.05), while a 32 % reduction in keratinized layer thickness (P = 0.034) was observed in OEO supplemented bulls. However, no differences were observed in meat pH and color (P &gt; 0.05). The analysis of rumen fluid samples revealed that beta-diversity was significantly altered (P = 0.009) and the abundance of <em>Succinivibrionaceae</em> family was higher (P &lt; 0.05) in OEO supplemented bulls, while <em>Rikenellaceae</em> RC9 gut group population decreased (P &lt; 0.05). Finally, glutathione peroxidase metabolic pathway, which is involved in protecting cells from oxidative damage, was upregulated by OEO supplementation. These findings suggest that microencapsulated OEO supplementation favorably modified rumen microbiome, contributing to reduced feed intake without compromising performance and meat quality in finishing bulls. Additionally, OEO supplementation in this study was associated with improvement in meat preservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 116405"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144205102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Virtual screening and in vitro validation of methane inhibitor – Fraxin","authors":"Xiao Li ,&nbsp;Liu ZiHao ,&nbsp;Zhou MengTing ,&nbsp;Guo Jian ,&nbsp;Nan XueMei ,&nbsp;Tang XiangFang ,&nbsp;Xiong BenHai","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The production of methane (CH₄) poses a major challenge to both livestock and the environment, in particular contributing to the greenhouse effect, so reducing CH₄ emissions is urgent. In this study, methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) was used as a target to screen natural product libraries, identify potential natural CH₄ inhibitors, and then verify their inhibitory effects on MCR and decreased in vitro CH₄. The results showed that fraxin and MCR scored well. In the follow-up verification, fraxin showed significant inhibitory activity on MCR, significantly decreased in vitro CH₄ production (<em>P</em> = 0.010), and significantly increased DMD (<em>P</em> = 0.049). The inhibition effect of 1 mg/gDM was the best, and the inhibition rate was 10.85 %. In this study, we found that fraxin can be used as a new feed additive that can inhibit CH₄.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 116404"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144212079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Technical Note: Different analytical approaches in the quantification of microbial crude protein pool in abomasal digesta of nursling goat kids","authors":"Jardeson de Souza Pinheiro ,&nbsp;Paulo Sergio Dornelas Silva ,&nbsp;Isadora Emily Ribeiro ,&nbsp;Dhones Rodrigues Andrade ,&nbsp;Natalia Veloso Trópia ,&nbsp;Yame Fabres Robaina Sancler-Silva ,&nbsp;Erollykens Ferreira Santos ,&nbsp;Giarlã Cunha da Silva ,&nbsp;Simone Eliza Facione Guimarães ,&nbsp;Marcos Inacio Marcondes","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116399","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116399","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We evaluated methodologies to quantify microbial crude protein (MCP) pool in abomasum samples of pre-weaned dairy goat kids fed with milk replacer (MR). Sixty newborn male goat kids of the Saanen and Swiss Alpine breeds at an average age of 2 ± 1 days, and an average body weight (BW) of 3.834 ± 0.612 kg were included in the study. The goat kids received different liquid diet levels categorized as low nutritional plan (<strong>LNP</strong>; providing 1 liter of MR/goat kid/day), and a high nutritional plan (<strong>HNP</strong>; at 2 liters of MR/goat kid/day). All goat kids were harvested with 45 days of life at six-time points after feeding. Abomasum contents were sampled to determine the microbial pool and to estimate the MCP. Four methods were adopted for MCP quantification: yeast RNA – method 1, Bradford Blue – method 2 (<strong>BBM</strong>), Flow cytometry – method 3 (<strong>FCM</strong>; method proposed in the current study), and Polymerase Chain Reaction -method 4 (<strong>PCRM</strong>; method proposed in the current study). All four methods were compared with each other in 2 × 2 pairs. The yeast RNA method had the greatest estimate (1.03 g of MCP) compared to the other methods. Comparative analyses of the different methods presented the lowest variability data for PCRM with SD = 0.07. In conclusion, the four evaluated methods provided different MCP estimates. However, for precise MCP determination, we recommend the PCRM method, with FCM as a reliable alternative. These methods showed lower SD due to better control and primer specificity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 116399"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 multi-species probiotic as a functional feed additive on immune response, health status, and offspring quality of female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) breeders","authors":"Erfan Akbari Nargesi ,&nbsp;Mir Masoud Sajjadi ,&nbsp;Bahram Falahatkar","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116403","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116403","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a functional feed additive, probiotics have the potential to improve the health status of fish and enhance the quality of offspring. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of multi-species probiotic supplementation on immunological parameters, enzyme activities, stress response, and alevins' malformations in female rainbow trout (<em>Oncorhynchus mykiss</em>) breeders. To achieve this goal, a total of 60 three-year-old female breeders with an average initial weight of 2267.4 ± 54.9 g were randomly divided into four groups (in triplicate) and fed diets (twice a day up to satiation) containing 0 (P0), 1 × 10⁹ (P1), 2 × 10⁹ (P2), and 4 × 10⁹ (P4) colony-forming unit (CFU) of commercial multi-species probiotics (contains eight bacterial and one yeast species) kg⁻¹ of diet for eight weeks. In the experiment, fish were placed in twelve different sections (three sections per feed) in a flow-through system, each with a water volume of 4 m³ . Blood samples were collected after the end of the feeding trial from the caudal vein of three fish per replicate using a heparinized syringe both before and after stripping. According to the results, the complement component 3, complement component 4, and immunoglobulin M concentrations significantly increased in the P4 treatment compared to the P0 group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Plasma enzyme activities were significantly reduced following multi-strain probiotics administration in P2 and P1-treated fish (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). No significant differences were observed in plasma ions concentration among the experimental groups. For the stress indicators, breeders of P4 treatment showed significantly lower cortisol (41.0 ± 5.2 ng mL⁻¹) and glucose (151.5 ± 3.3 mg dL⁻¹) concentrations compared to the P0 fish, which had represented cortisol and glucose levels of 71.8 ± 4.0 ng mL⁻¹ and 184.9 ± 5.8 mg dL⁻¹, respectively (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the administration of multi-species probiotics decreased the percentage of yolk-sac resorption defects (up to 17.9 %) and total malformations (up to 0.24 %) in the offspring of P2 and P4 treatments (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, multi-species probiotics supplementation in the diet (i.e., the level of 4 × 10⁹ CFU kg⁻¹) of female rainbow trout breeders could be suggested as a functional feed additive to improve immune response, well-being, and offspring quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 116403"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feeding a bromoform-based feed additive for methane mitigation in beef cattle","authors":"T. Gyeltshen ,&nbsp;P.S. Alvarez-Hess ,&nbsp;S. Jacques ,&nbsp;M.J. Auldist ,&nbsp;F.C. Cowley","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116401","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116401","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bromoform (CHBr₃) is a compound with strong methane-mitigating potential that binds to reduced vitamin B₁₂, thereby inhibiting the cobalamin-dependent methyltransferase step of methane formation. However, bromoform is highly volatile and requires stabilization. This experiment evaluated the methane (CH₄) mitigating effect of feeding Rumin8 Investigational Veterinary Product (Rumin8 IVP), a feed additive containing stabilized bromoform in an oil medium to beef cattle in a cross-over design experiment with two treatments and 10 animals, i.e., Control and Rumin8 IVP (with the active ingredient at 30 mg bromoform/kg dry matter). Methane and hydrogen (H₂) gases emitted were measured using respiration chambers. Rumen fluid and blood samples were collected 3 h post-feeding on the days steers exited the respiration chambers to assess rumen function and plasma biochemical parameters. On average, supplementing with Rumin8 IVP reduced CH₄ emission by 93 % and CH₄ yield by 94 %, and increased hydrogen (H₂) emission by more than 2.5-fold when compared to Control. There was a shift in the dissolved CH₄ and H₂ concentration in the rumen fluid samples consistent with the reduction in the CH₄ production and CH₄ yield. Supplementing Rumin8 IVP had no effect on feed dry matter intake or plasma biochemical parameters. Rumin8 IVP containing stabilized bromoform when fed at 30 mg bromoform/kg DMI is a promising feed additive to reduce enteric CH₄ emissions. However, further investigation is necessary to understand its long-term effect on the animal.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 116401"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of 3-NOP applied in drinking water on enteric methane reduction in sheep","authors":"Ines Rivelli ,&nbsp;Rafael Hueso ,&nbsp;Isabel Müller ,&nbsp;Josef Hoermansperger ,&nbsp;Iván Gaytán-Pérez ,&nbsp;Maik Kinderman ,&nbsp;David R. Yáñez-Ruiz","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116400","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116400","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The most effective strategy to reduce CH₄ emissions is to incorporate CH₄ inhibitors into ruminant diets. However, there is a need to broaden the actual presentation form (i.e., solid powder) of the commercially available products to allow their use in grazing systems. This study aimed to test the efficacy of 3-NOP on enteric CH₄ reduction in sheep when applied in drinking water as a possible delivery system in livestock grazing conditions. The study followed a 4 × 4 Latin square design, enrolling 4 non-lactating female adult sheep with an average body weight (BW) of 44.9 ± 2.6 kg. The study lasted 8 weeks, with 4 experimental periods of 2 weeks each. The experimental periods consisted of 7 days of adaptation to the treatments and 3 days of enteric gas emission measurements (CH₄ and H₂) in open-circuit respiration chambers, followed by a wash-out period of 4 days. Sheep were randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 experimental treatments. The treatments were: i) a basal diet without supplementation (CTL); ii) a basal diet supplemented with 80 mg of 3-NOP per kg of dry matter intake (DMI) (Bovaer® 10); iii) a basal diet supplemented with 80 mg of 3-NOP in the drinking water (DW80) per kg of DMI; and iv) a basal diet supplemented with 120 mg of 3-NOP in the drinking water (DW120) per kg of DMI. There were no significant differences (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05) in the feed or water intakes across treatments. Methane emissions (g/d) and yield (g/kg DMI) were significantly lower in Bovaer® 10 (-26.8 %), DW80 (-41.4 %), and DW120 (-35.7 %) than in CTL (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Sheep in the Bovaer® 10 treatment had a greater emissions reduction in the first 2 hours after feeding and a smaller reduction in the following 2 hours. In contrast to Bovaer® 10, the impact of treatments in DW80 and DW120 lasted for 4 hours post-feeding. For the second half of the day (i.e., 4 hours after the second feeding), Bovaer® 10, DW80, and DW120 had lower emission values than CTL. The lower emissions in sheep in DW80 and DW120 treatments than Bovaer® 10 is explained by their drinking pattern and, thereby, the supply of 3-NOP into the rumen. Results suggest that adding 3-NOP to the drinking water could be a potential strategy where feed formulation does not necessarily allow for the delivery of 3-NOP mixed with the diet. This strategy requires further research in livestock systems with different drinking water patterns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 116400"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 Bacillus subtilis supplementation on growth performance, immunity, and intestinal health of juvenile Salmo trutta fario","authors":"Kuankuan Lei ,&nbsp;Wanliang Wang ,&nbsp;Zhuangzhuang Wang ,&nbsp;Ming Li ,&nbsp;Jianshe Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116398","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116398","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Bacillus subtilis</em> (BS) is a widely used feed additive in aquaculture, enhancing growth rates, feed conversion, and immunity in farmed aquatic animals. This study aims to explore the effects of adding different doses of BS in the feed on the health and growth of juvenile Salmo trutta fario to investigate the effective dose of BS as an additive. The experiment included a control group (CG), a B1 group (0.25 %), a B2 group (0.5 %), and a B3 group (1 %) in a 70-day feeding trial. The effects of BS on juvenile Salmo trutta fario growth parameters, blood biochemical indexes, liver antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health were investigated. The results showed that compared to CG, FBW and WGR significantly increased in the B2 and B3 groups, while CF significantly decreased (P &lt; 0.05). Regarding blood biochemical indices, AST activity was significantly elevated in the B1 group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), and ALP activity decreased considerably in the B3 group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Liver antioxidant analyses revealed that MDA content was significantly higher in the B1 group compared to the CG (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), whereas it was substantially lower in the B2 and B3 groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The activities of SOD in the B1 and B3 groups were significantly higher than those in the CG group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), but there was no significant change between the B2 and CG groups (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). There were no substantial changes in CAT and GSH activities in the B1, B2, and B3 groups compared with the CG group (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Gut microbiota analysis showed that the OTUs of the B1, B2, and B3 groups were higher than those of the CG group, but there was no significant difference in alpha diversity (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Beta diversity analysis showed that the clusters of microbial communities in groups B1, B2, and B3 were more similar than those in the CG group. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed a more complex and stable microbial community structure in the B2 group. In conclusion, adding <em>Bacillus subtilis</em> to the feed enhances the growth performance, liver antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiome stability of juvenile <em>Salmo trutta fario</em>, with the effect being more pronounced at an addition of 0.5 % <em>Bacillus subtilis</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 116398"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144194713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The lubricating effect of fats on pellet manufacturing","authors":"T.M.M. Bastiaansen ,&nbsp;G. Verge-Mèrida ,&nbsp;R.T. Benders ,&nbsp;J.A. Dijksman ,&nbsp;M. Thomas ,&nbsp;W.H. Hendriks ,&nbsp;S. de Vries ,&nbsp;M. Devant ,&nbsp;G. Bosch","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116390","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116390","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Increased fat inclusion in livestock feed reduces physical pellet quality, which is often attributed to die lubrication. Concrete evidence for lubrication remains, however, limited to a water-based lubrication layer. Here, we investigated the lubricating role of fat during pellet manufacturing. Feed mashes were formulated to contain different levels (0, 20, 40, 60 g kg⁻¹) of separately added (exogenous) fat with a low- (soya oil; −22 °C) or high melting point (poultry fat; 30 °C), or fat stored within feed particles (intrinsic) by including sunflower expeller. Increasing fat content decreased net energy consumption by the compactor (-0.02 ± 0.01 kWh t⁻¹ (g kg⁻¹ dry matter)⁻¹; P = 0.001) and the addition of exogeneous fats resulted in fat-enriched areas on the pellet surface, indicating the formation of a lubrication layer. Higher inclusion levels of fat reduced compressive pellet strength (-0.08 ± 0.04 kN m⁻¹ (g kg⁻¹ dry matter)⁻¹; P &lt; 0.001), which is partially attributable to the concurrent decrease in pellet temperature increment during compaction due to lubrication. Inclusion of intrinsic fat had a more limited effect on net specific energy consumption (0.02 ± 0.01 kWh t⁻¹ (g (kg⁻¹ dry matter)⁻¹; P = 0.049) relative to the inclusion of exogeneous soya oil. A similar trend was observed for pellet compressive strength (0.07 ± 0.04 kN m⁻¹ (g kg⁻¹ dry matter)⁻¹; P = 0.084). The selection of fat source and inclusion level are essential for producing high quality pellets, by managing the occurrence of lubrication.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 116390"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144146790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving lipid utilization and growth through lecithin inclusion in diets for giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)","authors":"Grace Butler ,&nbsp;Caroline Lourdes Candebat ,&nbsp;Simon Kumar Das ,&nbsp;Leo Nankervis","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116393","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116393","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Giant grouper (<em>Epinephelus lanceolatus</em>) is a culturally and economically significant farmed fish species in Asia and an emerging aquaculture species in Australia. However, the historical reliance on ‘trash fish’ as feed has hindered the development of species-specific formulated diets. Preliminary findings suggest that methionine and choline influence lipid metabolism, highlighting the need to re-evaluate dietary lipid levels for optimal growth. Building on these findings, this study examined how dietary lipid levels and phospholipid (lecithin) inclusion interact to influence lipid metabolism and growth performance in <em>E</em>. <em>lanceolatus</em>. Six isoproteic diets (44.47 ± 0.05 % protein) were formulated with 10 % or 15 % lipid and 0, 0.5 %, or 1 % lecithin inclusion. The results showed that increasing lipid content from 10 % to 15 %, combined with 1 % lecithin inclusion, enhanced weight gain by 12.14 %. This growth-promoting effect was associated with elevated circulating triglycerides and altered cholesterol and glucose levels, suggesting improved lipid transport and utilization. In contract, no growth improvement was observed with 0 % or 0.5 % lecithin inclusion. These findings demonstrate the critical role of lecithin in optimizing lipid metabolism and growth performance in juvenile <em>E</em>. <em>lanceolatus</em>, providing a foundation for sustainable, species-specific diet formulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 116393"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144146791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 phytogenic feed additive blend as a replacement for monensin in lactating Rahmani ewes' diets: Effects on feed utilization and milk production","authors":"Hossam H. Azzaz ,&nbsp;Noha A. Hassaan ,&nbsp;Gouda A. Gouda ,&nbsp;Yanting Chen ,&nbsp;Ahmed E. Kholif","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the potential of phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) as a replacement for monensin in the diets of lactating Rahmani ewes. Two experiments were conducted using a completely randomized design. The first was an <em>in vitro</em> study that evaluated the effects of increasing doses (0, 0.3, 0.6, and 1 g/kg dry matter [DM]) of PFAs and monensin. The second experiment was an <em>in vivo</em> trial involving 30 lactating ewes (53 ± 0.5 kg body weight), all in their first week of lactation (1–7 days in milk). The ewes were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: control, 0.3 g PFAs, or 0.3 g monensin/ kg DM diet, with 10 ewes per treatment, over a 60-day period. The doses for PFAs and monensin were selected based on the optimal results observed in the <em>in vitro</em> experiment. Before the 60-day experimental period, all ewes underwent a 14-day adaptation period to their respective diets. In the <em>in vitro</em> study, both PFAs and monensin significantly reduced gas and methane production (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), with the most substantial reductions observed at the 1 % inclusion level, decreasing by up to 17.6 % and 35.3 %, respectively. Digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), and fiber improved at moderate inclusion levels (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01) but declined at 1 %. Additionally, short-chain fatty acids were significantly reduced (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01) with both additives. In the lactation experiment, supplementation improved nutrient digestibility, including DM, OM, crude protein, and fiber (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), with no differences between PFAs and monensin. Blood parameters such as total protein, albumin, glucose, and cholesterol were positively influenced (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), while blood urea nitrogen and liver enzymes decreased (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). Milk yield, energy output, and feed efficiency improved significantly (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), with no differences between the two supplements. The milk fatty acid profile showed reductions in total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and increases in unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), with a higher UFA:SFA ratio. Specific fatty acids, such as α-linolenic acid, increased significantly (<em>p</em> = 0.019). This study concludes that PFAs, at 0.3 g/kg, could effectively replace monensin to improve feed efficiency and lactational performance in Rahmani ewes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 116397"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144146788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}