Animal Feed Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Effect of plantain in perennial ryegrass-white clover pasture on the ingestive behaviour, rumen fermentation parameters, and enteric methane emissions of spring-calving dairy cows","authors":"C.T. Minogue ,&nbsp;T.M. Boland ,&nbsp;I. Etxeberria ,&nbsp;F. Godwin ,&nbsp;N.A. Walsh ,&nbsp;M. Markiewicz-Keszycka ,&nbsp;A. Mirzapour-Kouhdasht ,&nbsp;M. García-Vaquero ,&nbsp;M. Dineen ,&nbsp;Z.C. McKay","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116500","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116500","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plantain (<em>Plantago lanceolata</em> L.; <strong>PL</strong>) is a forage herb that can reduce nitrogen (<strong>N</strong>) losses from pasture-based dairy systems. However, there is a paucity of information on its effect on dairy cows' ingestive behaviour, rumen fermentation, and enteric methane (<strong>CH</strong>_{<strong>4</strong>}) emissions during the grazing season. This study investigated the effect of including PL in perennial ryegrass (<em>Lolium perenne</em> L.; <strong>PRG</strong>)-white clover (<em>Trifolium repens</em> L.; <strong>WC</strong>) pasture on the ingestive behaviour, rumen fermentation parameters, and enteric CH₄ emissions of spring-calving dairy cows throughout the grazing season (34-week study). Six primiparous and 20 multiparous dairy cows were blocked on parity and assigned to a pasture treatment in a complete block design (n = 13 per treatment): (1) PRG-WC (<strong>GrC</strong>), (2) PRG-WC-PL (<strong>GCP</strong>). Treatment groups were balanced for economic breeding index, calving date, milk production, and body condition score and live weight at calving. Cows offered GCP had significantly (1) longer eating times (average +103 min/day); (2) lower rumen fluid pH in early lactation (6.46 vs. 6.69); (3) lower rumen fluid ammonia-N concentration in early (1.49 vs. 2.25 mg/dL) and late (4.98 vs. 6.33 mg/dL) lactation; (4) lower proportion of acetic acid in early lactation and a greater proportion of propionic acid in rumen fluid throughout the grazing season, and (5) lower (-9.2 %) enteric CH₄ emissions (327 vs. 360 g/day), than cows offered GrC. The results demonstrate that GCP can increase cows' eating time while reducing rumen fluid pH and ammonia-N concentration. The lower enteric CH₄ emissions of cows offered GCP are encouraging for the development of more sustainable pasture-based dairy systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116500"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105177","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":"Use of melatonin plus citrulline or arginine to mitigate ergot alkaloid-induced vasoconstriction in sheep","authors":"James L. Klotz ,&nbsp;Celina M. Checura ,&nbsp;John B. May ,&nbsp;Susan K. Duckett","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fescue toxicosis, a form of ergotism, causes chronic vasoconstriction in livestock that negatively impact livestock performance. Melatonin, citrulline, and arginine have all been previously associated with vasodilation. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate dosing of melatonin, melatonin + citrulline, and melatonin + arginine in sheep as potential supplements to offset the vasoconstriction caused by toxic tall fescue seed (E + ). Eighteen Suffolk lambs were randomly divided across 3 treatments: melatonin (MEL), MEL+citrulline drench (MEL-CIT) and MEL+arginine drench (MEL-ARG). Jugular blood samples and Doppler ultrasound measurements of carotid artery were taken daily for 12 days. Lambs only received a total mixed ration (TMR) on d 1–3, on d 4–6, lambs received TMR plus E + seed and on d 7–12 lambs received MEL, MEL+CIT, or MEL+ARG. For all 3 treatments, supplementation of MEL resulted in large increases in plasma melatonin on d 7–12 compared to d 1–6 (P &lt; 0.05). The MEL+CIT resulted in 2- to 3-fold increase in plasma citrulline compared to the other 2 treatment groups (P &lt; 0.05). Plasma arginine was greater in MEL+CIT and MET+ARG lambs on d 7 and 8 than MEL (P &lt; 0.05). There was a steady decline in heart rate and luminal area associated across days with initiation of E + seed dosing (P &lt; 0.01) and did not differ across treatment groups. Conversely, velocity increased with E + seed dosing (P &lt; 0.01) and did not differ when treatments were administered. There was no significant effect of treatment on carotid artery blood flow. Increases in plasma melatonin, arginine, or citrulline did not offset vasoconstriction associated with ergot alkaloids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116502"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105176","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 dietary supplementation with cysteamine on growth performance, rumen microflora, and endogenous hormones levels in Hu lambs","authors":"Songhua Yang,&nbsp;Tongtong Xie,&nbsp;Fei Li,&nbsp;Fadi Li,&nbsp;Long Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cysteamine (CS) is known for its ability to elevate the concentration of growth hormone and thereby promote animal growth. This study was conducted to determine the effects of CS on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation and bacterial community, endogenous hormone concentration and the expression of their receptors of <em>Hu</em> lambs during the whole feeding period. Thirty-six healthy male <em>Hu</em> lambs with similar age (75 ± 10 d) and initial body weights (20.3 ± 0.3 kg) were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups, including a CON group and a CS group. The CON group was fed with the basal diet, and the CS group was fed 20 mg/kg BW cysteamine added to the basic diet. The results showed that the addition of CS to the diet had no effects (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05) on growth performance, slaughter performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation characteristics, rumen bacterial diversity, growth hormone axis and related hormone receptors of lambs. Furthermore, dietary CS supplementation increased (<em>P</em> ＜ 0.05) hypophysis luteinising hormone concentrations and tended to increase hypophysis growth hormone (<em>P</em> = 0.09) and induced serum testosterone concentrations (<em>P</em> = 0.06). Analysis of rumen bacterial diversity revealed no differences in ACE and Chao1, but the Simpson and Shannon indices were lower in the CS group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), indicating reduced bacterial diversity. Community composition was dominated by Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, with CS supplementation decreasing the relative abundance of <em>Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014</em> and <em>Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group.</em> Our study demonstrates that supplementation of 20 mg/kg body weight cysteamine did not affect the growth performance, rumen fermentation and nutrient apparent digestibility of <em>Hu</em> lambs under house feeding conditions, but exerts effects on the secretion of reproductive hormones within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116503"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057242","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 fungal inoculants from sheep gut in rehydrated corn grain silage","authors":"Nathalia Stefanie Leite de Moraes ,&nbsp;Débora Fernandes Vieira Soares ,&nbsp;Thayanna Glória Scofield Colen Sedlmayer ,&nbsp;Alan Figueiredo de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Valdo Soares Martins Júnior ,&nbsp;Hemilly Cristina Menezes de Sá ,&nbsp;Luiz Gustavo Nussio ,&nbsp;Greiciele de Morais ,&nbsp;Eduardo Robson Duarte ,&nbsp;Bruna Maria Salotti de Souza ,&nbsp;Luciano Soares de Lima","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116501","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116501","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effects of <em>Trichoderma longibrachiatum</em> and <em>Paecilomyces lilacinus</em>, fungal strains isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of sheep, on the fermentation profile, chemical composition, and <em>in vitro</em> dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of rehydrated corn grain silage (RCGS). Importantly, the primary aim of using these fungal inoculants was not to enhance energy availability or fiber degradation in corn grain, an ingredient naturally low in fiber and high in energy, but to assess the feasibility of using RCGS as a practical matrix for delivering direct-fed microbials (DFM) to ruminants, particularly those consuming low-quality forages typical of tropical livestock systems. Treatments included a control (CTL), a commercial lactic acid bacteria inoculant (ICO), and three fungal inoculants: <em>P. lilacinus</em> (IPA), <em>T. longibrachiatum</em> (ITR), and a combination of both fungi (IPT). Silages were stored for 45 or 90 days in a completely randomized 5 × 2 factorial design (5 microbial inoculants × 2 storage lengths). Overall, fungal inoculation had limited effects on fiber fractions and pH but influenced lactic and acetic acid concentrations. IPT and ITR treatments yielded the highest lactic acid levels, with IPT reaching 21.0 g/kg DM at 45 days, while CTL and ICO showed 12.2 and 11.1 g/kg DM, respectively. Inoculated treatments showed reduced enterobacterial counts and improved aerobic stability. The IPT treatment showed lower silage temperature compared to CTL and ICO treatments for about 80 h post-opening, followed closely by the ITR and IPA treatments. DMIVD was highest in ICO treatment (969 vs. 958 g/kg DM) at 45 days of storage, but became similar across treatments at 90 days (&gt;957 g/kg DM). At 45 days of storage, CTL and IPT treatments exhibited 30.6 % lower gas losses and 29.8 % lower total losses compared to IPA and ITR. By 90 days, losses declined across all treatments, with CTL maintaining the lowest values and IPA the highest for both measures. These results suggest that combining <em>P. lilacinus</em> and <em>T. longibrachiatum</em> is an effective inoculation strategy for RCGS, promoting silage preservation through reduced fermentation losses and temperature rise, maintaining digestibility, stabilizing microbial populations, and enhancing fermentation end-products. The findings support the potential use of fungal-inoculated RCGS as a microbial delivery system for ruminants in tropical production settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116501"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105171","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 Lactobacillus plantarum Ep-M17 on growth performance, immune response, and intestinal flora of the Plecoglossus altivelis (Ayu)","authors":"Yang Du ,&nbsp;Ting Wu ,&nbsp;Wenlong Xu ,&nbsp;Xiaoman Hu ,&nbsp;Le Li ,&nbsp;Jiong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116499","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116499","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing use of probiotics as functional feed supplements in aquaculture has spurred extensive research into their health-promoting properties. This study investigated the protective effects of <em>Lactobacillus plantarum</em> Ep-M17 in <em>Plecoglossus altivelis</em> (Ayu), building on previous findings of its antibacterial activity against <em>Pseudomonas plecoglossicida</em>. Dietary supplementation with Ep-M17 significantly enhanced various aspects of fish health and performance. The probiotic improved growth parameters and feed utilization efficiency while providing substantial protection against pathogenic infection, as evidenced by a 61.1 % relative protection rate during challenge trials. Comprehensive analyses demonstrated that Ep-M17 strengthens intestinal barrier function by promoting villi development and maintaining mucosal integrity. The probiotic stimulated systemic immune responses through the activation of key enzymes such as α-AL, LPS, AKP, CAT, LZM, and SOD, and cytokine pathways including <em>IL-1</em>, <em>IL-10</em>, <em>TGF-β1</em>, <em>TNF-α</em>, <em>IgM</em>, and <em>IFN-γ</em> in the liver, intestine, spleen, and kidney. Notably, microbial community analysis revealed Ep-M17's ability to modulate gut microbiota composition, specifically increasing beneficial bacteria such as <em>Cetobacterium</em> spp. and <em>Bacillus</em> spp. While reducing pathogenic <em>Pseudomonas</em> populations. These combined effects enhanced the host's nutritional status, immune defenses, and microbial balance. The study highlights Ep-M17's potential as an effective alternative to antibiotics in aquaculture, demonstrating its ability to simultaneously address growth promotion and disease prevention through integrated physiological effects. These findings support the use of targeted probiotic strategies for sustainable aquatic health management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116499"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044999","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":"Comparative effects of inorganic, organic, and nanoparticulate forms of essential trace elements on growth performance, hematological indices, biochemical profiles, and antioxidant responses in Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer)","authors":"Houriyeh Moghadam ,&nbsp;Seyed Ali Johari ,&nbsp;Hemin Hussein Ali ,&nbsp;Simon John Davies ,&nbsp;Iman Sourinejad","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116498","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116498","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to compare the effects of inorganic, organic, and nanoparticulate forms of some essential trace elements (ETEs) on the growth, hematology, digestive and antioxidant enzymes, and histology of intestine and liver of Asian seabass (<em>Lates calcarifer</em>). Juvenile fish (3.16 ± 0.88 g) were stocked in twelve 300-liter fiberglass tanks at a density of 25 fish per tank. Three isonitrogenous diets were formulated, each containing one form of the selected ETEs (i.e. iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), and cobalt (Co)), and one without supplemented ETEs, as the control. Following 60-day feeding trials, notable reductions in feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increases in the fillet lipid content were observed in diets supplemented with ETEs (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), compare to the control. Additionally, growth parameters exhibited a marked increase in the nanoparticulate and organic groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), while the nanoparticulate treatment demonstrated better performance. Hemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell (WBC) counts, and the activities of trypsin and chymotrypsin were significantly elevated in the nanoparticulate and organic groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Besides, the concentration of albumin and serum protein demonstrated an increase in fish fed the dietary ETEs compared to the control (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA) revealed a decrease in all supplemented ETEs groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Moreover, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) in the nanoparticulate and organic groups displayed higher levels (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) at the end of the feeding trials and following the freshwater challenge. The bioaccumulation of elements in different tissues did not exhibit a discernible pattern. Overall, the findings suggest that ETE supplementation positively influences the physiological status of seabass, with nanoparticulate and organic forms demonstrating superior efficacy compared to the inorganic form.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116498"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105173","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":"Evaluation of soybean protein peptides on growth, antioxidative capacity, non-specific immunity, and disease resistance for juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei","authors":"Huaxing Lin ,&nbsp;Shuqing He ,&nbsp;Yuanming Yi ,&nbsp;Xiaomin Zhang ,&nbsp;Shiyu Kou ,&nbsp;Qihui Yang ,&nbsp;Beiping Tan ,&nbsp;Shuyan Chi","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116493","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116493","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to assess the effect of soybean protein peptides (SPP) on growth, antioxidative capacity, non-specific immunity, and disease resistance for <em>Litopenaeaus vannamei</em>. SPP was utilized to replace 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 % and 50 % of fishmeal protein in basic shrimp diet, respectively. Six iso-nitrogen and iso-lipid diets, namely, FM, S10, S20, S30, S40, and S50, respectively, were designed and fed to shrimp (0.83 ± 0.01 g) for 56 d. Specific growth rate and weight gain rate in S10 group, and protein deposition rate in S10 and S20 groups were significantly higher than those in FM group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The whole-body crude protein content in S10 group was significantly increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The S10 group had the highest total antioxidant capacity, whereas malondialdehyde contents in S10, S20, and S30 groups had significantly decreased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Alkaline phosphatase (excluding the S20 group), acid phosphatase, phenoloxidase and lysozyme activities in S10 and S20 groups were significantly increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). In S10 and S20 groups, <em>tor</em>, e<em>if3k</em> and <em>eif4e</em> (except in S20 group) as well as <em>pen3a</em> and <em>cru</em> (except in S10 group) mRNA expression levels significantly increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). <em>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</em> challenge test results demonstrated a significant reduction of cumulative mortality in S10 and S20 groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Microbial diversity was significantly reduced in S40 and S50 groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). There was a decrease in Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria abundance, an increase in Firmicutes abundance, and a decrease in Vibrionaceae abundance in S10 and S20 groups. In conclusion, combined with growth, antioxidant capacity, non-specific immunity and disease resistance, it is possible to replace fishmeal with SPP in shrimp feed. Based on WGR and SPP regression analyses simulations, the optimal level of SPP replacement for fishmeal was obtained as 14.82 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116493"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044996","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 different palmitic and oleic acid ratios on intake, feeding behavior, digestibility, lactation performance and selected blood parameters in lactating Holstein cows","authors":"A. Kahyani ,&nbsp;A. Zali ,&nbsp;O. Ramezani Afarani ,&nbsp;M. Dehghan-Banadaki ,&nbsp;F. Ahmadi ,&nbsp;M. Asemi-Esfahani ,&nbsp;D. Daneshvar ,&nbsp;M.H. Ghaffari","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116497","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116497","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effects of varying ratios of palmitic acid (C16:0; PA, provided as free fatty acid) to oleic acid (<em>cis-9</em> C18:1; OA, provided as calcium salts) on nutrient digestion, feeding behavior, milk production, and metabolic responses in lactating Holstein cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (mean parity = 3.2; days in milk (DIM) = 53 ± 9 d; BW = 577 ± 48 kg; milk yield = 39.2 ± 1.9 kg/d) were assigned to a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with four treatment diets: (1) 100 % PA: 0 % OA (100PA:0OA), (2) 66 % PA:34 % OA (66PA:34OA), (3) 34 % PA:66 % OA (34PA:66OA), and (4) 0 % PA:100 % OA (0PA:100OA). All diets were isocaloric and iso-nitrogenous. Feed intake and feeding behavior were unaffected by PA-to-OA ratios. However, digestibility of NDF and total FA increased with higher OA levels, with the 0PA:100OA diet showing the highest NDF (513 g/kg DM) and FA digestibility (831 g/kg DM); higher OA levels were also associated with lower plasma free fatty acids and triglyceride concentrations. Milk yield, protein yield, and lactose yield were similar across treatments, but milk fat content decreased with higher OA levels. Milk FA composition showed reduced <em>de novo</em> FA synthesis and increased preformed FA with greater OA intake. Energy partitioning metrics, including net energy intake (167.2–171.7 MJ/d), milk energy output (103–106 MJ/d), maintenance energy (50.6–50.8 MJ/d) and energy balance (10.16–13.8 MJ/d), did not differ between treatments. Overall, these results indicate that increasing OA improves nutrient utilization and energy metabolism in dairy cows, primarily by reducing adipose tissue mobilization and improving metabolic efficiency, despite a concomitant reduction in milk fat concentration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116497"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044993","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":"Protease improves performance, GHR gene expression, nutrient deposition, hematological, and biochemical indicators of Nile tilapia","authors":"Thamara Luísa Staudt Schneider ,&nbsp;Luiza Beatriz Hermes ,&nbsp;Mara Rúbia Schmidt ,&nbsp;Bruno Bianchi Loureiro ,&nbsp;Nilce Coelho Peixoto ,&nbsp;Daniel Angelo Sganzerla Graichen ,&nbsp;Rafael Lazzari","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116496","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116496","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Proteases are enzymes responsible for hydrolyzing proteins, which improves absorption. This study was conducted to determine the optimal level and assess the effects of protease in diets for Nile tilapia on performance, nutrient deposition, hematological and biochemical parameters, and the expression of genes associated with growth. An extruded control diet was formulated and supplemented with protease at four concentrations: 194, 316, 390, and 600 mg/kg (corresponding to 14,550, 23,700, 29,250, and 45,000 U/kg, respectively). Fish with an initial weight of 5.69 ± 0.27 g were fed these diets for 49 days. Nile tilapia fed the control diet showed lower performance compared to the 390 mg/kg diet. The optimal protease level recorded was 440 mg/kg. The crude lipid content was higher at the 600 mg/kg level but did not differ from the 390 mg/kg group. Protein and lipid retention were higher in the 390 mg/kg group than in the control group. The protease affected the body deposition of proteins and lipids. There was a positive linear effect on the number of red blood cells and a negative mean corpuscular volume. A lower concentration of amino acids was observed at higher levels of protease. In tissues (liver and muscle), the protease had a positive linear effect on the concentration of total proteins and amino acids and a negative impact on the ammonia content. In the liver, alanine aminotransferase activity showed a positive linear effect. The protease increased growth hormone receptor gene expression in the 390 mg/kg group. Exogenous protease has a positive impact on growth, feed efficiency, gene expression, and protein retention and deposition, without negative effects on hematological and physiological indicators of Nile tilapia. In conclusion, the estimated optimal inclusion level was 440 mg/kg of protease (33,000 U/kg).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116496"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044997","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 dietary supplementation with probiotic Bacillus cereus G1-11 improved the growth parameters, immune performances, intestinal histomorphology, and disease resistance of hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus ♂)","authors":"Ming-Qing Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhong-Xuan Zhong ,&nbsp;Qian-Ping Du ,&nbsp;Wen Li ,&nbsp;Ya-Ting Zhu ,&nbsp;Guang-Ting Xie ,&nbsp;Feng-Ying Yan ,&nbsp;Jin-Lin Yang ,&nbsp;Shui-Sheng Li ,&nbsp;Hu Shu","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116495","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116495","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groupers are popular in the Asia-Pacific region for their high protein content, but disease remains a major challenge in their culture. Probiotics represent a safer and eco-friendly alternative to antibiotics. Although various indigenous probiotics have been studied, research specifically targeting grouper remains limited and requires further exploration. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a probiotic, <em>Bacillus cereus</em> G1–11, isolated from the gut of hybrid grouper (<em>Epinephelus fuscoguttatus</em> ♀ × <em>Epinephelus lanceolatus</em> ♂), on multiple physiological aspects, including growth performance, expression of growth- and immune-related genes, antioxidant capacity, intestinal histology, and resistance to <em>Vibrio harveyi</em>. A total of 360 hybrid groupers were randomly allocated into four groups, each with three replicates of 30 fish (29.55 ± 0.10 g initial weight per fish). Fish were fed the following diets for 60 days: commercial feed without <em>B. cereus</em> G1–11 (group C), commercial feed containing 10⁶ CFU/g <em>B. cereus</em> G1–11 (group L), commercial feed containing 10⁸ CFU/g <em>B. cereus</em> G1–11 (group M), and commercial feed containing 10¹⁰ CFU/g <em>B. cereus</em> G1–11 (group H). The results showed that dietary <em>B. cereus</em> G1–11 improved the growth performance and up-regulated the expression of <em>ghr1</em>, <em>igf-2</em>, <em>s6k1</em>, and <em>tor</em> in the liver and muscle, as well as appetite-regulating genes in the brain of hybrid groupers, and the group H exhibited the most significant effect (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Meanwhile, dietary <em>B. cereus</em> G1–11 also elevated expression of various immune-related genes (<em>myd88</em>, <em>Cu/Zn-sod</em>, <em>tlr3</em>, and <em>tnf-2</em>) in the spleen, liver, and head kidney (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), but increased malondialdehyde content and reduced acid phosphatase activity in the serum and liver (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Challenge with <em>Vibrio harveyi</em> indicated that <em>myD88</em> is a core immune gene mediating the effects of <em>B. cereus</em> G1–11, potentially activating the NF-κB pathway and thereby up-regulating pro-inflammatory genes (<em>il-1β</em>, <em>il-8</em>, <em>tnf-α</em>) to enhance resistance, slow down death, and reduce mortality of hybrid grouper. In addition, groups L and H modulated the expression of anti-inflammatory genes (<em>nrf-2</em>, <em>piscidin</em>, <em>tgf-β1</em>), thereby mitigating excessive inflammatory responses. Histological analysis further revealed that <em>B. cereus</em> G1–11 dietary increased villus width, villus height, and microvillus height in the intestine, which may facilitate improved nutrient absorption. In conclusion, this study provides new evidence supporting the application of <em>B. cereus</em> G1–11 in grouper aquaculture and suggests an optimal dosage of 10¹⁰ CFU/g feed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"329 ","pages":"Article 116495"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044995","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}