Animal Feed Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Lactic acid bacteria reduce protein degradation in whole-crop maize silage infected with smut disease","authors":"Dan Wu ,&nbsp;Jinjing Zheng ,&nbsp;Yi Wang ,&nbsp;Ping Xiong ,&nbsp;Caihuan Deng ,&nbsp;Qiongmei Song ,&nbsp;Yuanyan Meng ,&nbsp;Liuxing Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116687","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116687","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Smut disease reduces not only the biomass yield of whole-crop silage maize (WCSM) but also its fermentation quality and nutritional value. The present study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of smut disease on fermentation characteristics and protein degradation processes of WCSM and evaluate the efficacy of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculation as a remediation strategy. The experiment consisted of three treatments: healthy maize (Healthy), smut-infected maize (Diseased), and smut-infected maize inoculated with LAB (DLAB), with five fermentation periods (3, 7, 15, 30, and 60 d). The diseased treatment exhibited higher levels of neutral detergent fiber (528 vs. 442 g/kg DM) and acid detergent fiber (320 vs. 265 g/kg DM) than the healthy treatment. Although protease activity declined over time in all treatments, overall protease activity remained higher in the diseased group than in the healthy and DLAB groups. Bacterial community composition in the DLAB treatment closely resembled that of the healthy group and showed a significant increase in <em>Lactobacillus plantarum</em> abundance (P &lt; 0.01) compared to the diseased treatment, with negative correlations observed between <em>L. plantarum</em> and most protein degradation-related parameters. The diseased treatment accumulated a wide range of protein degradation-related metabolites. In contrast, the DLAB treatment achieved rapid pH reduction; effectively inhibited key proteases, such as aminopeptidase and carboxypeptidase; reduced accumulation of free amino acids and their derivatives, and increased the abundance of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates such as cis-aconitic anhydride, significantly, thereby enhancing microbial energy metabolism. Additionally, the DLAB treatment increased the levels of plant-derived metabolites with known antioxidant and anti-pathogenic properties, contributing to silage microecological stability and fermentation quality. In conclusion, DLAB treatment mitigated silage deterioration under smut disease stress through multi-level regulation of protein degradation and metabolic network reprogramming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"336 ","pages":"Article 116687"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187505","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 coffee pulp in the diets of growing lambs on growth, meat quality, and blood parameters","authors":"Belal S. Obeidat ,&nbsp;Jafar Al-Khazaleh ,&nbsp;Hadil S. Subih","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of including varying amounts of coffee pulp (COP) in the diet on the growing lambs' meat quality, growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and slaughtering performance. In a random design, twenty-four Awassi lambs (body weight: 16.7 ± 1.36 kg) were divided into three treatment diets, each containing eight. Experimental diets contained 0 (CON), 50 (COP50), or 100 (COP100) g of COP per kg DM. The study lasted 80 days, with the first 10 days being used to acclimatize the lambs in the pens and diets, followed by 70 days for data collection. The results showed that intakes of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) were comparable among the three treatment groups. While the acid detergent fiber (ADF) consumption of lambs fed COP50 was similar to that of lambs fed CON and COP100, the ADF intake of lambs in the COP100 group was considerably greater (P ≤ 0.04) than that of the CON. Lambs' initial, final, total, and average daily gain weights were similar across treatment diets. Adding the COP did not affect the feed efficiency. In contrast to the CON diet, the cost gain for the COP diets were significantly lower (P &lt; 0.05). The digestibility of DM, CP, aNDF, and ADF, as well as N balance parameters did not differ among the three treatment diets (P ≥ 0.15). Including of COP in the diet had no effect on the lambs' slaughter performance or meat quality metrics. Additionally, adding COP to the diet did not affect blood serum content such glucose, urea N, lipid profile, and liver enzymes. In summary, supplementing lambs' diets with 50 or 100 g/kg of COP showed similar results in feed intake, digestibility, growth, slaughter performance, meat quality, and health. Crucially, COP up to 100 g/kg DM reduced production costs and proved to be a viable alternative feed source.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"336 ","pages":"Article 116688"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187501","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 feeding high-moisture corn on growth performance, serum biochemistry, and serum metabolomics in Simmental crossbred bulls","authors":"Linhai Song ,&nbsp;Yu Gao ,&nbsp;Subinuer Abuduli ,&nbsp;Kadeliya Abudureyimu ,&nbsp;Wei Shao ,&nbsp;Liang Yang ,&nbsp;Yong Wei ,&nbsp;Yong Luo ,&nbsp;Wanping Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to investigate the effects of replacing cracked corn with different proportions of high‑moisture corn (HMC) on the growth performance, serum biochemistry, and serum metabolomics of Simmental crossbred bulls.Thirty-two bulls were randomly assigned to four dietary treatment groups, where cracked corn was substituted with high-moisture corn (HMC) at inclusion rates of 0 % (CT), 15 % (T1), 30 % (T2), and 45 % (T3) on an equal-weight basis. The experiment lasted 120 days. Compared with the CT group, all HMC‑supplemented groups showed increased average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI). The T3 group (45 % HMC) exhibited the most pronounced improvement, with final body weight and ADG being significantly higher than those of the other groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Serum biochemical analysis indicated that the T3 group had significantly elevated levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG), growth hormone, and insulin‑like growth factor‑1 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Metabolomics analysis further revealed that HMC supplementation significantly affected lipid‑related pathways, including glycerophospholipid metabolism and linoleic acid metabolism. Key lipid metabolites such as phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and triglycerides were markedly up‑regulated (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). In conclusion, feeding HMC at a 45 % substitution rate effectively promoted growth, enhanced immune function, and modulated lipid metabolism pathways in Simmental crossbred bulls.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"336 ","pages":"Article 116682"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187502","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":"MRAP2-dependent histidine metabolic pathway mediates the improvement of meat quality and production efficiency in Holstein bulls fed fermented brewer's grains","authors":"Chunli Hu ,&nbsp;Jiaxin Lei ,&nbsp;Xiaoyang Li ,&nbsp;Dezhi Wang ,&nbsp;Tianle Xu ,&nbsp;Jianan Dong ,&nbsp;Yanfen Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116690","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116690","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The current investigation examined the impact of incorporating fermented brewer's spent grain (FBSG) into the diet on various aspects including growth performance, rumen fermentation, slaughter performance, meat quality, and metabolic and transcriptional regulation of the longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) in Holstein bulls. Thirty-six Holstein bulls (initial body weight of 540 ± 9.63 kg) were randomly divided into two groups: CON group: fed a control diet, FBSG group: 10 % of the whole-plant corn silage in the control diet was substituted with FBSG. After a 15-day pre-feeding phase, the 60-day experiment commenced. Bulls in the FBSG group showed increased body weight and average daily gain (ADG), but decreased dry matter intake (DMI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Rumen fermentation in the FBSG group of cattle showed enhancements, with significant increases in concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, isobutyric acid, and isovaleric acid (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Slaughter performance metrics, including carcass weight, dressing percentage, lean meat percentage, backfat thickness, and loin eye area, were significantly improved. Meat quality indicators, such as elevated amino acid and fatty acid contents, increased muscle fiber density, and reduced fiber diameter, also showed significant improvement (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Integrated omics analysis pinpointed histidine metabolism and <em>MRAP2</em> as pivotal regulatory elements. Targeting the <em>MRAP2</em> gene was found to impede proliferation and enhance differentiation of bovine primary muscle cells. The supplementation of FBSG was observed to optimize growth, rumen function, and meat quality formation through <em>MRAP2</em> - mediated muscle development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"336 ","pages":"Article 116690"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187504","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":"Circular use of supercritical CO₂-extracted Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) residues in ruminant nutrition: An In Vitro fermentation model","authors":"Giulia Dallavalle ,&nbsp;Selene Massaro ,&nbsp;Jonas Andersen ,&nbsp;Andrea Angeli ,&nbsp;Urska Vrhovsek ,&nbsp;Nicola De Zordi ,&nbsp;Giorgia Secchi ,&nbsp;Franco Tagliapietra ,&nbsp;Elena Franciosi","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116673","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116673","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing focus on circular economy strategies has encouraged the valorization of agro-industrial by-products as functional feed ingredients for ruminants. This study evaluated the effects of peppermint (<em>Mentha</em> × <em>piperita</em> L.) biomass and its post-distillation residues on in vitro rumen fermentation, volatile fatty acids (VFA), gas kinetics, methane production, and microbial composition. Four treatments were tested: control forage (<em>Lolium multiflorum Lam</em>., CTRL), raw peppermint (Mp), residue after supercritical CO₂ extraction (rMp), and the same residue supplemented with peppermint extract (erMp). Compared to CTRL, rMp promoted gas production per gram of dry matter, while Mp and rMp increased acetate and decreased butyrate, indicating a shift of hydrogen flow from methanogenesis to acetogenesis. Methane concentration (CH₄ % v/v) was significantly reduced in Mp, confirming inhibition of methanogenesis, whereas erMp showed delayed fermentation, higher methane yield, and reduced microbial diversity, likely due to excess essential oil compounds. Microbial analysis revealed treatment-specific shifts: Mp and rMp promoted acetogenic and lactate-utilizing taxa (e.g., <em>Lachnospiraceae, Selenomonas ruminantium</em>) and suppressed <em>Prevotella</em>. Overall, peppermint-based substrates significantly altered microbial community structure (PERMANOVA, UniFrac). These results highlight that peppermint biomass and its extraction residues can beneficially modulate rumen fermentation, enhance acetate production and lower methane, if inclusion levels are properly managed. Post-extraction residues retain functional bioactivity, offering a sustainable strategy for waste valorization in circular livestock systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"335 ","pages":"Article 116673"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077004","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 symbiotic lignocellulose-degrading bacteria isolated from leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina (L.) on chemical composition, in vitro gas production, fermentation parameters and microbial enzyme activity of some agricultural by-products","authors":"Ayoub Azizi ,&nbsp;Afrooz Sharifi ,&nbsp;Fahimeh Dehghanikhah ,&nbsp;Ali Kiani","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116660","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116660","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The leopard moth, <em>Zeuzera pyrina</em> L. (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), is a destructive wood-boring pest whose gut harbors bacteria capable of degrading lignin and lignocellulose. This study aimed to identify lignocellulose-degrading bacteria from the gut of leopard moth and evaluate their effects on the chemical composition, <em>in vitro</em> gas production (IVGP), fermentation characteristics, nutrient digestibility, and rumen microbial enzyme activity of lignocellulosic substrates. Gut contents were cultured on seven lignin-rich media prepared from water-extracted wheat straw (WS), sawdust, and sugarcane tops (ST). Three isolates with the highest lignin peroxidase activity (0.136, 0.128, and 0.123 U for <em>Staphylococcus</em> sp., <em>Brevibacterium</em> sp., and <em>Enterobacter</em> sp. respectively) were identified via 16S rRNA sequencing. These three isolates were used either individually or as a bacterial mixture to incubate WS and ST in liquid media for 10 days. For each substrate (<em>i.e.,</em> WS or ST), five experimental treatments were incubated: an untreated control (no bacteria), treatments inoculated with <em>Enterobacter</em> sp., <em>Staphylococcus</em> sp., <em>Brevibacterium</em> sp., and a bacterial mixture. Results showed that bacterial treatments, particularly the mixture, significantly increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) dry matter (DM) loss and crude protein content in both substrates. In both substrates, the lowest (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) organic matter (OM) and ash-free neutral detergent fiber (NDFom) content was recorded following treatment with bacterial mixture. Bacterial treatments differently decreased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) the acid detergent lignin (ADL) content of WS; and the effects were more marked for inoculation with bacterial mixture. The bacterial mixture yielded the highest (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) total IVGP and GP potential (b coefficient) for both WS and ST. Furthermore, the bacterial mixture enhanced (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) digestibility of DM and OM, microbial production, and ammonia-N compared to the control. <em>In vitro</em> two-stage digestibility of DM, OM, CP, and NDFom also improved (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) following treatment with the bacterial mixture. Compared to the control, the bacterial mixture significantly increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) the activity of fiber-degrading enzymes (carboxymethyl cellulase, microcrystalline cellulase, and filter paper-degrading enzymes) on both tested substrates. Overall, the results demonstrate that a combination of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria from leopard moth gut effectively improves the nutritive value of WS and ST by enhancing fermentation, digestibility, and microbial enzymatic activity, offering a promising approach for enhancing nutrient quality of agricultural by-products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"335 ","pages":"Article 116660"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071078","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":"Late gestation supplementation with or without calcium propionate and rumen-protected methionine using nulliparous beef cows grazing dormant range forages","authors":"Richard C. Waterman ,&nbsp;Thomas W. Geary ,&nbsp;Mary S. Reil ,&nbsp;Megan L. Van Emon ,&nbsp;Lance T. Vermeire","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116672","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116672","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Beef production in the northern Great Plains and similar semi-arid environments depends on raising young beef females that can adapt to intra and interannual changes in forages and nutritional quality that accompanies these changes. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of rumen protected methionine and calcium propionate supplements fed to nulliparous beef cows on body weight, calf performance, and milk production. Four isocaloric and isonitrogenous supplements were formulated and fed at a rate of 908 g•cow⁻¹•d⁻¹ for 101 d (Yr 1) and 127 d (Yr 2). Supplements contained 183 g CP and approx. 560 g TDN: 1) control <strong>(Con);</strong> 2) rumen protected methionine (<strong>Met</strong>; inclusion of 20 g•hd⁻¹•d⁻¹ Mepron85); 3) calcium propionate (<strong>Prop</strong>; inclusion of 50 g•hd⁻¹•d⁻¹ NutroCal®); 4) or rumen protected methionine and calcium propionate (<strong>Met+Prop</strong>; inclusion of 20 g•hd⁻¹•d⁻¹ Mepron85®, and 50 g•hd⁻¹•d⁻¹ NutroCal®). Cows from each supplement treatment were randomly assigned to pastures targeting one of two stocking rates to achieve either 40 % (moderate) or 60 % (heavy) utilization for two consecutive years. Nulliparous cows’ body weight at the termination of the supplementation period were similar (<em>P</em> = 0.99) for supplemental treatment, however cows in the moderate stocking rate pastures tended to be heavier (<em>P</em> = 0.06). A supplement × year interaction was measured for calf birth weight (<em>P</em> = 0.04) with no influence derived from pasture stocking rates on calf birth weight (<em>P</em> = 0.36). Calves born from cows that received the Met supplement were heavier in Yr 2 whereas calves in the Met+Prop treatment were heaviest in Yr 1 with all other treatment × year combinations being similar. A supplement × year effect was observed for peak milk production and energy corrected milk (<strong>ECM</strong>, <em>P</em> = 0.01 and <em>P</em> = 0.03, respectively). Peak milk yield was 3.8 kg•d⁻¹ lower for Con when compared to the Prop cows and ECM was 3.9 kg•d⁻¹ lower for Con when also compared to the Prop cows in Yr 2 of the study, whereas all other treatment combinations within and across the two years were similar. These data indicate that rumen protected methionine and calcium propionate can augment dietary efficiencies and magnitude of responses are dependent on environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"335 ","pages":"Article 116672"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077006","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":"Standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in full-fat rice bran and its effects on growth performance and carcass quality in broiler chickens","authors":"William Owusu-Afriyie ,&nbsp;Frank Idan ,&nbsp;Vladimir Zmrhal ,&nbsp;Filip Dytrt ,&nbsp;Eliska Drackova ,&nbsp;Vlastimil Brandejs ,&nbsp;Martina Lichovnikova","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116671","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116671","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice bran is abundant in many regions, but utilizing it as a feed ingredient in broiler diets at higher levels requires precise information about the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) coefficients of its amino acids (AA). This study assessed the SID coefficients of AA in full-fat rice bran (FFRB) and investigated broiler performance and carcass quality when diets were formulated based on a SID AA framework while maintaining ideal ratios of eight AA. In Study 1, 240 broilers were fed either a nitrogen-free diet to determine basal endogenous amino acid losses or an assay diet with FFRB as the sole protein source. Apparent (AID) and SID ileal digestibility were calculated using chromium oxide as an indigestible marker. AID consistently underestimated the availability of AA compared to SID (mean AID 0.432 vs. SID 0.880). In Study 2, 560 Ross308 broilers (from day 10–32) received FFRB at 28.5/16.5 % (grower/finisher; RB_29) or 13.5/8.3 % (RB_14). Diets were energy-matched with identical SID amino acid profiles. RB_14 improved growth and efficiency (final BW 2114 vs. 2029 g; overall FCR 1.35 vs. 1.47; p = 0.013), while RB_29 increased breast yield (31 % vs. 29 %; p = 0.016) without affecting carcass yield, leg yield, breast meat quality, or abdominal fat content. FFRB can be included at moderately high levels when diets are formulated based on SID amino acids and ideal ratios: 13.5/8.3 % maximizes efficiency, while 28.5/16.5 % enhances breast yield with a trade-off in FCR. These findings support using rice bran as a viable, locally accessible ingredient for sustainable broiler production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"335 ","pages":"Article 116671"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071079","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 protective effect of puerarin on the rumen epithelial barrier in heat-stressed beef cattle","authors":"Wanwan Wang,&nbsp;Yutong Liu,&nbsp;Xiaozhen Song,&nbsp;Mingren Qu,&nbsp;Yanjiao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116668","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116668","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to assess the impacts of puerarin on the growth performance, rumen epithelial morphology, microbiota, and metabolites of beef cattle subjected to heat stress. Thirty-six male simmental hybrid beef cattle (initial weight 606.86 ± 4.73 kg) were randomly allocated into a control diet or a diet containing 400 mg/kg puerarin (dry matter basis) for a 60-days summer trial after a 10-days adaptation period (n = 6, average daily THI = 81.56). The results revealed that puerarin significantly improved (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) the average daily gain, dry matter intake, papillae length, thickness of stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum and basale, and total epithelia, interleukin-4 level, contents of microbial crude protein and isovalerate. Puerarin significantly decreased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) thickness of stratum corneum, levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, cortisol, and adreno cortico tropic hormone. Furthermore, puerarin significantly increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) the abundance of <em>Oribacterium</em>, <em>Streptococcus</em>, <em>Enterococcus</em> and <em>Akkermansia</em> and reduced (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) the abundance of Fusobacteriota. Metabolomics analysis revealed that puerarin upregulates the differentially expressed metabolites including O-acetyl- <span>L</span>-serine, pyridoxal phosphate, <span>L</span>-glutathione, reduced, <span>L</span>-alanine, <span>L</span>-aspartic acid, N-acetyl-<span>L</span>-glutamate, pantothenic acid, dodecanoic acid, pyridoxamine, DL-homocysteine, and alpha-ketoglutarate (VIP ≥ 1, t-test <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The correlation analysis revealed that <em>Akkermansia</em> exhibited negative correlations with interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and cortisol (|R| &gt; 0.5, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). And <em>Enterococcus</em> exhibited a positive correlation with O-acetyl- <span>L</span>-serine, DL-homocysteine, pyridoxal phosphate, pyridoxamine, and <span>L</span>-glutathione, reduced (R| &gt; 0.5, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, 400 mg/kg puerarin supplementation alleviates heat stress by repairing rumen epithelium, optimizing microbial community, and enhancing metabolic functions, thereby improving growth performance of beef cattle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"335 ","pages":"Article 116668"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077005","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":"Optimisation of alkali hydrolysis to enhance the nutritional value of grape stems for ruminant diets","authors":"David San Martin ,&nbsp;Bruno Iñarra ,&nbsp;Mónica Gutiérrez ,&nbsp;Nagore Luengo ,&nbsp;Jorge Ferrer ,&nbsp;Ainhoa Bikandi ,&nbsp;Arantza Salvarrey ,&nbsp;Aser García-Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Idoia Goiri ,&nbsp;Jaime Zufía ,&nbsp;Estíbaliz Sáez de Cámara ,&nbsp;Jone Ibarruri","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116674","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116674","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wine production generates large volumes of grape stems (GS), which are rich in fibre and phenolic compounds but have low digestibility due to their high lignin content. This study optimized alkali hydrolysis conditions to improve GS digestibility for ruminant diets using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and a Box–Behnken design (BBD). Optimal conditions—90 °C, 2.08 h, and 33 % solids—yielded a predicted in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of 41.9 %, representing an 42 % increase compared to the untreated control (CTR) with 30.3 %. Hydrolysis also modified fibre fractions and fermentation patterns. However, trade-offs included a reduction in total reducing sugars (TRS) and total phenolic compounds (TPC), which may lower antioxidant capacity (AOC). Despite these compositional changes, structural modifications enhanced fibre degradability, which supports the inclusion of GS as a functional feed ingredient. This approach promotes circular economy principles by upcycling winery by-products into sustainable livestock feed resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"335 ","pages":"Article 116674"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077034","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}