Animal Feed Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Effects of dietary selenium on placental development, antioxidant status and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factors in sheep","authors":"Yue Zhang ,&nbsp;Hongze Niu ,&nbsp;Jun Li ,&nbsp;Jianing Dong ,&nbsp;Chunxiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Youshe Ren ,&nbsp;Lei Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the effects of maternal selenium (Se) supplementation on placental development, antioxidant status and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) in sheep. A total of 80 Hu ewes (body weight: 57.45 ± 4.72 kg, age: 0.83 ± 0.15 yrs.) were randomly assigned to a control (basal diet) or Se group (0.5 mg Se/kg DM) for 150 d. Dietary Se supplementation increased the litter birth weight, average birth weight, Se concentrations in maternal blood (120 d) and placental tissues, placental weight, the number and weight of cotyledons, and the number of umbilical artery and vein branches. Hematoxylin and Eosin (<em>H&amp;E</em>) staining revealed that dietary Se could increase the number of placental trophoblast cells. Additionally, Se supplementation improved the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT), and decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in cotyledons. Dietary Se supplementation increased the mRNA and protein expression associated with antioxidant pathway, selenoproteins, and VEGFs and its receptors in cotyledons. The results were further verified by immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, maternal Se supplementation was associated with increased placental size and offspring birth weight by increasing trophoblast cell numbers, cotyledon growth, and umbilical vessel branching, while boosting antioxidant capacity and upregulating selenoproteins and VEGF pathways in cotyledons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116561"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145463223","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 licheniformis supplementation on growth performance, intestinal health and oxidative stress in weaning transition male dairy calves","authors":"Yulin Ma ,&nbsp;Yubin Ma ,&nbsp;Shuangming Yang,&nbsp;Yuchen Cheng,&nbsp;Wenyi Ren,&nbsp;Xiaonv Liu,&nbsp;Rui Wang,&nbsp;Yan Kang,&nbsp;Haibo Li,&nbsp;Lili Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaofeng Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The weaning transition imposes significant physiological stress on dairy calves, compromising growth and health. <em>Bacillus licheniformis</em> (BL) supplementation has shown benefits in monogastric species, but its efficacy in alleviating weaning stress in calves remains underexplored. Twenty-four 35-day-old male calves (60.0 ± 3.8 kg BW) were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: milk replacer without BL (CON) or supplemented with a low (LBL; 1.0 g/d, 1.0 × 10 ¹¹ CFU/d) or high (HBL; 2.0 g/d, 2.0 × 10 ¹¹ CFU/d) dose of BL from d 35–89. Body weight, feed intake, and structural growth were measured weekly. Diarrhea incidence was recorded daily. Blood and fecal samples were collected to assess oxidative stress markers (MDA, SOD, CAT), immunology (IgG, IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α), and intestinal permeability (DAO, D-lactate). Data were analyzed using a mixed-effect model with orthogonal polynomial contrasts. The results revealed pronounced, dose-dependent effects of BL supplementation. During the postweaning period (d 76–89), HBL supplementation linearly increased starter intake (HBL: 4553 vs. CON: 2609 g/d; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and average daily gain (HBL: 0.54 vs. CON: 0.41 kg/d; <em>P</em> = 0.02). Concurrently, preweaning diarrhea incidence exhibited a linear decrease with increasing BL dosage (<em>P</em> = 0.007). Immunological improvements were evidenced by a linear increase in plasma IL-10 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and a positive quadratic response in IgG postweaning (246.7 vs. 230.1 μg/mL for HBL vs. CON; <em>P</em> = 0.02). Notably, BL conferred significant benefits to intestinal health, reducing fecal MDA preweaning (LBL: 11.5; HBL: 13.6 vs. CON: 23.5 nmol/g; <em>P</em> = 0.004) and lowering plasma DAO postweaning (LBL: 9.4; HBL: 9.3 vs. CON: 17.0 U/L; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), which is consistent with a reduction in weaning-induced intestinal mucosal injury. Conversely, a rise in plasma MDA postweaning (<em>P</em> = 0.001) indicated an increase in systemic oxidative stress. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with BL at 2.0 g/d improves postweaning growth performance, reduces preweaning diarrhea, and enhances gut health and immune function in dairy calves, despite concurrently elevating systemic oxidative markers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116560"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517359","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 American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) meal as a fishmeal replacement on growth, physiological metabolism, and intestinal health of Juvenile Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)","authors":"Yan Luo ,&nbsp;Yuping Chen ,&nbsp;Liyun Pu ,&nbsp;Liujia Li ,&nbsp;Xiaowen Long","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The American cockroach (<em>Periplaneta americana</em>) is a highly nutritious insect containing protein and bioactive compounds, making it a promising feed ingredient for livestock. This study evaluated the effects of replacing varying proportions (0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, and 100 %) of fishmeal with <em>P. americana</em> meal (PAM) in diets for juvenile Nile tilapia (<em>Oreochromis niloticus</em>) over a nine-week feeding trial. Results showed no significant differences in growth performance, crude protein, total lipids, or amino acid content in whole fish across treatment groups. Enzymatic activities of trypsin, amylase, and lipase in the esophagus and intestines were significantly higher in the control group (0 % PAM) compared to groups receiving 50–100 % PAM substitution. Similarly, serum and liver glucose levels were significantly higher in the 0 % and 25 % PAM groups. Serum malondialdehyde levels increased in the 25 % and 50 % PAM groups, while intestinal malondialdehyde content showed a decreasing trend with higher fishmeal replacement levels. Intestinal villi counts decreased with increasing PAM substitution, with the 75 % and 100 % PAM groups having significantly lower counts than the control. Interestingly, fishmeal replacement exceeding 50 % increased the relative abundance of <em>Microbacteriaceae</em>, <em>Clostridiaceae</em>, <em>Lactobacillus</em>, and <em>Clostridium</em>, while decreasing <em>Bacteroidaceae</em> and <em>Bacteroides</em>. In conclusion, while fishmeal replacement exceeding 25% resulted in altered intestinal structure and shifts in the microbial community, replacing 25 % of dietary fishmeal with PAM had no adverse effects on growth, physiological metabolism, intestinal morphology, or microbial community structure, suggesting PAM represents a promising sustainable alternative protein source at this substitution level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116562"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517328","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":"Mulberry (Morus spp.): A promising field crop for livestock forage","authors":"Gulab Khan Rohela ,&nbsp;Pawan Saini ,&nbsp;Kiran Rudramani ,&nbsp;Plabani Roy ,&nbsp;Syam S ,&nbsp;Shivam Bhardwaj ,&nbsp;Omais Bin Ayoub ,&nbsp;Danishta Aziz ,&nbsp;Gulzar Ahmad Khan ,&nbsp;Sardar Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mulberry (<em>Morus</em> spp.) is traditionally cultivated for its nutrient-rich foliage, serving as the primary feed for silkworms (<em>Bombyx mori</em>) in sericulture. In recent years, however it’s potential as a high-quality forage crop for livestock has gained increased attention. Livestock nutrition plays a crucial role in ensuring optimal growth, milk yield, and meat production, necessitating a consistent supply of protein-rich, digestible, and energy-dense feed. Although grasses are the predominant forage source, their availability is often limited by seasonal fluctuations particularly during summer in tropical regions and winter in temperate climates. This variability has led to growing interest in alternative, perennial, and nutritionally rich forage crops that can support sustainable livestock farming. Mulberry emerges as a promising forage crop due to its rapid growth, adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions, and superior nutritional profile, which includes high crude protein content, essential amino acids, minerals, and fibre. It serves not only as a viable feed during forage-deficient periods but also as a valuable supplementary feed during peak forage seasons, thereby enhancing overall livestock productivity. Moreover, its deep-rooted system and perennial nature contribute to soil conservation and sustainable fodder production. This review critically examines the nutritional composition of mulberry leaves, their digestibility and palatability across different livestock species, and recent research supporting their integration into livestock feeding systems. Additionally, the paper explores the economic viability and environmental benefits of growing mulberry specifically as a forage crop, highlighting its potential as a sustainable substitute in contemporary livestock feeding practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116558"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145463567","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":"Selenium yeast supplementation in diet containing Hermetia illucens larvae meal can improve growth performance, health status and flesh quality of Ctenopharyngodon idellus","authors":"Zechao Hu,&nbsp;Handong Li,&nbsp;Meng Xia,&nbsp;Gang Wang,&nbsp;Jian Sun,&nbsp;Hong Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A feeding trial was conducted for 70 days to appraise the effect of selenium yeast (Se-yeast) supplementation in diet containing black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) on growth performance, health status and flesh quality of grass carp. Three hundred grass carp (weight of 370.14 ± 0.74 g) were arbitrarily assigned into 5 groups (groups were repeated in triplicate) fed five experimental diets, including the soybean meal-based diet (25 % soybean meal inclusion, diet SM), the BSFLM-based diet (16.1 % BSFLM inclusion, diet BSFLM75) by replacing 75 % of soybean meal with BSFLM, and three other diets with Se-yeast were supplied to the BSFLM75 diet at 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 mg Se/kg diet (diets Se0.3, Se0.6, and Se0.9) respectively. The growth performance of BSFLM75 group was significantly lower than that of the SM and Se0.6 group, and which was in line with changes in the villus height of the mid-gut (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The muscle and liver antioxidant capacity in the BSFLM75 group was significantly improved compared with those of the SM group, and they were further significantly promoted in Se-yeast groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Muscle nutritional value was elevated on account of the significant increase of eicosapentaenoic acid level in the BSFLM75 group and further significantly increased docosahexaenoic acid level in the Se0.6 group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The muscle springiness of the BSFLM75 group significantly increased compared with that of the SM group, and the Se0.3 group had significantly higher the hardness, springiness, chewiness and collagen content of muscle than those of SM and BSFLM75 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Muscle fiber density in the BSFLM75 groups was significantly higher than that in the SM group, and which was further significantly increased in the Se0.3 group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The mRNA relative expression level of <em>MyoD</em>, <em>Mrf4</em>, <em>Myf5</em> and <em>FGF6b</em> in the BSFLM75 group were significantly up-regulated compared with those of the SM group, and they were further significantly up-regulated at a fitting level of Se-yeast (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). In brief, the 0.6 mg/kg Se-yeast supplementation (dietary total Se at 1.01 mg/kg diet) could not only significantly reverse the negative effect of dietary BSFLM on growth performance, but resulted in the enhancement of health status and flesh quality. Additionally, the flesh quality was optimal when 0.3 mg/kg Se-yeast was supplemented in BSFLM diet (dietary total Se at 0.79 mg/kg diet).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116557"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145413904","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":"Multi-omics analysis of the effects of dietary Spirulina replacing different ratios of fishmeal on the liver metabolic function of Zig-zag eel (Mastacembelus armatus)","authors":"Di Sun ,&nbsp;Xiaoping Huang ,&nbsp;Dongjie Wang ,&nbsp;Wenzhou Xiang ,&nbsp;Hualian Wu ,&nbsp;Jixing Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The demand for fishmeal brought about by the vigorous development of the aquaculture industry has brought unprecedented stress to the ecological environment. In this experiment, <em>Spirulina platensis</em> powder (SPP) was used to replace 0 % (F0), 5 % (F1), 10 % (F2), 15 % (F3), and 20 % (F4) of fishmeal in the diet of Zig-zag eel (<em>Mastacembelus armatus</em>, MA), respectively. The metabolic mechanisms of the MA on SPP-containing diets were analyzed by histomorphology, liver biochemical indices, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. The final results of the study showed that, after replacing a portion of the fishmeal, SPP significantly improved the degradation of lipids and decreased the accumulation of fat in the liver of MA. The SOD of F3 was significantly lower than that of F0 and the other experimental groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), and the T-AOC of F4 was significantly lower than that of the control group and all the other groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The transcriptome results indicated that the increase in SPP addition ratio significantly up-regulated relevant pathways of protein metabolism and lipid metabolism. These pathways included the cAMP signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, the MAPK signaling pathway, pancreatic secretion, protein digestion and absorption, fat digestion and absorption, steroid biosynthesis, and glycerolipid metabolism. Metabolomic results confirmed that SPP addition significantly affected the α-linolenic acid metabolism pathway and resulted in a decrease of this metabolite. This information lays the theoretical foundation for the application of SPP and extends our understanding of the potential mechanisms of liver metabolism as it replaces fishmeal.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116521"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145463226","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 sustainable and green analytical method for assessing Cu and Mn content in livestock feed using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence","authors":"J. Silva,&nbsp;M. Pistón","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The relevance of minerals in maintaining animal health is well established, as their deficiencies and excesses are associated with various disease conditions. The primary sources of these nutrients for livestock are water and feedstuffs. Therefore, the analytical determination of micronutrients in these matrices is crucial for monitoring purposes. Usually, the quantification of Cu and Mn in vegetables is performed using atomic spectrometry, a technique that requires expensive instruments, gases, and long analysis times. Furthermore, livestock feed samples typically require a prior mineralization step to eliminate organic matter before analysis. To incorporate new analytical methods with the principles of Green Analytical Chemistry and White Analytical Chemistry approaches, a simple methodology was developed using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). This nondestructive technique enables direct analysis of solid samples with minimal preparation. The samples were only pulverized and pressed before measurements. The AGREE, AGREEprep, and WAC tools were applied to assess the greenness and whiteness of the proposed method. This method was validated with the following figures of merit: limit of detection: 0.6 and 2.6 mg kg⁻¹; limit of quantification: 1.9 and 8.7 mg kg⁻¹ for Cu and Mn, respectively. Precision, expressed as percentage relative standard deviation, was 3.7 (Cu) and 5.5 (Mn). Trueness was evaluated using certified reference material with mean recoveries of 95 % and 97 % for Cu and Mn, respectively. These results demonstrated that the developed methodology using EDXRF was reliable, noticeably more sustainable, and environmentally friendly than conventional standard methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116556"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145413903","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":"Seaweed species and pre-treatment methods: Effects on fatty acid profile and performance in black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae","authors":"H.W.S.S. Subhasinghe ,&nbsp;W.A.D.E.I. Wijesingha ,&nbsp;B.C. Jayawardana ,&nbsp;R. Liyanage ,&nbsp;P. Weththasinghe","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116542","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116542","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated how the species and pre-treatment methods of seaweed incorporated in substrates affects the fatty acid profile and performance of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL; <em>Hermetia illucens</em>). Two feeding experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, 5-day-old BSFL were reared 14 days on eight poultry manure-based substrates: a control (100 % poultry manure), four substrates containing 12 % of either fish offal or a seaweed species (<em>Kappaphycus alvarezii</em>, <em>Gracilaria salicornia</em>, or <em>Sargassum wightii</em>), and three substrates containing 6 % fish offal combined with 6 % of each seaweed species. In Experiment 2, 6-day-old BSFL were reared 14 days on eight poultry manure-based substrates: one with 100 % poultry manure, one with 67 % untreated <em>K. alvarezii</em>, and six with 67 % <em>K. alvarezii</em> subjected to different pre-treatments: enzyme treatment (Allzyme® at 1.5 % and 2 % w/w), fermentation (10 % and 15 % v/v <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em>), or microwave treatment (800 W for 2 and 3 min). Experiment 1 showed that feeding seaweed together with fish offal enhanced the omega-3 content in BSFL (p &lt; 0.05). Among the tested seaweeds species, only <em>K. alvarezii</em> increased omega-3 levels when used alone, though this came at the cost of reduced larval performance (p &lt; 0.05). Experiment 2 demonstrated that pre-treatment of <em>K. alvarezii</em> enhanced larval omega-3 fatty acids, compared to untreated seaweed (p &lt; 0.05). While both untreated and pre-treated <em>K. alvarezii</em> reduced larval performance (p &lt; 0.05), pre-treated seaweed showed numerical improvements in performance compared to untreated seaweed. In conclusion, BSFL can bioaccumulate omega-3 from seaweed, with pre-treatment enhancing enrichment efficiency and potentially improving larval performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116542"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145413902","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 herbal plant supplementation on immunity and antioxidant status in mid-lactation dairy cows","authors":"G. Gulyás ,&nbsp;L. Czeglédi ,&nbsp;M. Kokas ,&nbsp;E. Török ,&nbsp;L.D. Brassó ,&nbsp;Á. Béni ,&nbsp;A. Kiss","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116544","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116544","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-yield dairy farms have maximised their productivity, which is a challenge concerning animal physiology even beyond the transition period. While several studies have verified a wide range of beneficial effects of plant essential oils during the periparturient period in dairy cows, their effects in mid-lactation are less studied. However, this period is critical for maintaining milk production and metabolic stability in high-yielding cows. The objective of the present study is to determine the effects of supplementation with herbal plants on immunity and antioxidant status in mid-lactation dairy cows. Thirty-six Holstein-Friesian cows used in this experiment were randomly assigned to 6 groups (1 control and 5 treatments, n = 6/group). The treatments were conducted using oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, or yarrow, while the control was exempt from any supplementation. The feeding experiment lasted 14 days. Milk samples were collected on days 1 and 14 to assess milk quality. Milk and blood samples for molecular analysis were collected on day 15, following the 14-day feeding trial. The applied herbs were standardised to two grams of essential oil/cow/day. All parameters were analyzed by a linear mixed model and expressed relative to the control group. The basil essential oil resulted in a significant increase in the total immunoglobulin level in milk, and the serum IgM level was found to be significantly higher in the rosemary. Significantly higher serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) values were detected in the oregano, thyme, rosemary, and yarrow groups. Significant increases were observed in milk TAC for groups given oregano and thyme. The activity of the superoxide dismutase enzyme (SOD) was found to be significantly higher in the oregano group, and significantly lower C-reactive protein levels, an indicator of inflammation and oxidative stress, were measured in the oregano and rosemary groups. Of the antioxidant-related genes, a significantly higher expression of the SOD gene was detected in the oregano group, while for the glutathione peroxidase gene, significantly higher mRNA expression was observed in the oregano and thyme groups. In conclusion, our results suggest that dietary supplementation with oregano and thyme improves antioxidant status in mid-lactation dairy cows. These findings may support the development of more precisely tailored feeding protocols to enhance well-being and promote the health and performance of dairy cows during mid-lactation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116544"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145413905","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 forms of methionine added to different protein diets on nutrient digestibility, serum biochemical, and antioxidant indexes of fur-growing raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides)","authors":"K. Liu,&nbsp;Y. Wu,&nbsp;G. Li,&nbsp;W. Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116543","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116543","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Methionine (&lt;strong&gt;Met&lt;/strong&gt;) is the first limiting animo acid for fur animals, plays a critical role in raccoon dogs (&lt;em&gt;Nyctereutes procyonoides&lt;/em&gt;). This species is characterized by dense fur, excellent thermal insulation properties, and efficient nutrient utilization from low-quality diets compared to other fur species. As common synthetic sources of D&lt;span&gt;L&lt;/span&gt;-Met, DL-HMTBA [DL-2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid] is widely use in animal diets. Low crude protein (&lt;strong&gt;CP&lt;/strong&gt;) formulations with supplemental amino acids are used to enhance intestinal reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, and maintain growth performance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of supplementing Met to a low protein diet for raccoon dogs by analyzing the effects of Met and HMTBA added to different crude protein (&lt;strong&gt;CP&lt;/strong&gt;) diets on the growth performance, digestibility of nutrients, serum biochemical and antioxidant indexes of fur-growing phase. A total of 60 male racoon dogs, matched for age and body weight, were randomly allocated into four groups. After a 7-day adaptation period, the 30-day experimental phase was conducted. The experimental treatments were factorially designed, with 2 levels of dietary CP (High CP and Low CP), and 2 forms Met supplementation (D&lt;span&gt;L&lt;/span&gt;-Met and DL-HMTBA). The results showed that the average daily feed intake in the high CP groups was highly lower than that in the low CP groups (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). The average daily gain and feed conversion ratio in the group adding DL-HMTBA were notably higher than these in the other groups (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). The low CP groups exhibiting significantly higher digestibility than the high CP groups (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). The digestibility of Gly, Ala, Pro, Phe, Trp, Ser, Tyr, Thr, Cys, Glu, Asp, His and total amino acid were higher in the low CP groups compared to the high CP groups (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). The total protein concentration in the serum was obviously influenced by the interaction between dietary CP levels and forms of Met supplementation (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). Serum albumin concentrations were significantly reduced in the DL-HMTBA supplemented groups (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05), whereas blood urea nitrogen levels were markedly elevated relative to other groups (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). Conversely, serum level of glucose, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased significantly with decreasing CP levels in the diets (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). The serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were significantly elevated by DL-HMTBA supplementation and dietary CP levels (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). The total antioxidant capacity was significantly influenced by the forms of Met added to the diets, as well as, by the interaction between CP content and Met supplementation (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). An interaction effect between dietary CP and Met supplementation on glutathione peroxidase ","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116543"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517358","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}