Animal Feed Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Impact of dietary phytochemicals on production and quality of ruminant meat and milk: A comprehensive systematic review","authors":"Cletos Mapiye ,&nbsp;Farouk Semwogerere ,&nbsp;Lobke Steyn ,&nbsp;Hasitha Priyashantha ,&nbsp;Antonio Natalello ,&nbsp;Jeannne Marais ,&nbsp;Olugbenga P. Soladoye ,&nbsp;Alessandro Priolo ,&nbsp;Eric N. Ponnampalam","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116609","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116609","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The role of phytochemicals such as polyphenols, essential oils, saponins and organosulfur compounds in ruminant production systems has evolved from their riddance as anti-nutritional factors in the past to current exploration as potential natural antimethanogens, anthelmintics, stress alleviators, growth enhancers, and biopreservatives. This shift stems from the desire to improve animal health, production and product quality while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on antibiotics and synthetic additives. The impact, mechanism of action and transfer efficiency of dietary phytochemicals for ruminant production and product preservation have, however, been reported to be uncertain primarily due to a lack of optimized application conditions. The current review provides a comprehensive update on the impacts of dietary phytochemicals for ruminant production and product quality enhancement and suggests directions for future research, innovation and adoption. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases to identify and select peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2010 and 2025. The comprehensive systematic review used data from 174 <em>in vivo</em> studies. The results show no impact, insufficient investigation into the mechanisms and transfer efficiency of dietary phytochemicals for ruminant production and product quality. Nonetheless, there are indications that essential oils and polyphenols hold potential to enhance ruminant production, oxidative stability and health value of edible products. A portfolio of future directions, including optimizing application conditions, customizing diet formulations, educating value-chain actors, enacting harmonized regulations and polices, fostering transdisciplinary collaboration and establishing institutions to coordinate research and innovation, was proposed to fully unlock the value of dietary essential oils and polyphenols in ruminant production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"332 ","pages":"Article 116609"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145921554","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":"Incorporating mushroom production by-product in mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) rearing: Implications for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) growth performance and nutrient utilization","authors":"Diogo Amaral ,&nbsp;Thaís Cavalheri ,&nbsp;Gabriel Campos ,&nbsp;Soukaina Hilali ,&nbsp;Emilie Stierlin ,&nbsp;Pablo Ramírez ,&nbsp;Alex H.L. Wan ,&nbsp;Helena Peres ,&nbsp;Rodrigo O.A. Ozorio","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116608","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116608","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The yellow mealworm (<em>Tenebrio molitor</em>) has gained attention as a sustainable alternative in aquafeed formulation due to its favourable nutritional composition and reduced environmental footprint. Nevertheless, high production cost remains a key constraint. This study investigated the use of mushroom spent substrate (SMS), an agro-industrial byproduct, as a partial replacement for conventional mealworm larvae rearing substrates, with the goal to increase the sustainability and reduce the production cost of mealworm meal (MM), when used as fishmeal and vegetable oil replacer in aquafeeds for juvenile rainbow trout (<em>Oncorhynchus mykiss</em>). Five experimental diets were formulated for juvenile rainbow trout to be iso-proteic (45 %) and iso-lipidic (22 %). A control diet (CTRL) was designed to reflect a standard commercial formulation. Four additional diets, formulated based on the CTRL diet, included 12.5 or 25 % of mealworm meal (replacing 50 and 100 % of the fishmeal, respectively) produced from larvae reared either on a commercial substrate (CC-MM) or partially reared on SMS (SMS-MM) (CC12.5, CC25, SMS12.5, and SMS25). An eight-week growth trial and a digestibility trial were conducted to evaluate growth performance, apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs), nutrient retention, digestive enzyme activities and economic indicators. Mealworm meal partially produced on SMS (SMS-MM) exhibit a lower lipid content compared to the mealworm meal reared conventionally (CC-MM). No significant differences on growth performance were observed across diets; however, the 25 % inclusion of both mealworm meals resulted in reduced voluntary feed intake. Rainbow trout juveniles fed SMS-MM, especially at a 25 % dietary inclusion, exhibited higher apparent digestibility coefficients for dry matter, protein, ash, phosphorus, and energy. Additionally, fish fed the SMS25 diet showed higher trypsin activity than those fed the CTRL diet, while fish fed the CC25 showed improved feed efficiency, reduced hepatosomatic index, and higher digestible energy retention relative to the CTRL diet. Despite these benefits, the SMS25 and CC25 diets showed higher economic conversion ratios. Overall, these findings show that MM derived from larvae partially reared on SMS is nutritionally comparable to conventional MM and fishmeal in rainbow trout diets, with no adverse effects on zootechnical performance. The use of SMS as a rearing substrate represents a valuable approach to valorise an agro-industrial by-product. Thereby contributing to the circular economy and supporting a more resource-efficient and sustainable aquafeed production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"332 ","pages":"Article 116608"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788622","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":"Replacing soybean meal and maize with white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) seeds alters growth performance, rumen fermentation, fatty acid metabolism, and meat quality in growing lambs","authors":"Guido Mangione ,&nbsp;Martino Musati ,&nbsp;Antonino Bertino ,&nbsp;Manuel Scerra ,&nbsp;Fabrizio Mangano ,&nbsp;Marco Sebastiano Bella ,&nbsp;Alessandro Priolo ,&nbsp;Alfio Spina ,&nbsp;Luisa Biondi ,&nbsp;Massimiliano Lanza ,&nbsp;Antonio Natalello","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116607","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116607","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the impact of replacing soybean meal and part of maize with white lupin (<em>Lupinus albus</em> L.) seeds in growing lamb diet on animal performance, rumen fermentation, fatty acid (FA) metabolism, and meat quality. Twenty male lambs were assigned to a control diet (CON) or to an experimental diet (LUP) in which white lupin seeds were included at 350 g/kg dry matter (DM) of the total diet. In the LUP diet, soybean meal was completely replaced and 30 % of maize was substituted with lupin seeds. Diets were formulated to be similar in crude protein content and metabolizable energy. Over 56 days, lambs fed the white lupin-based diet exhibited significantly lower feed intake, final body weight, and average daily gain compared to control, likely due to reduced palatability and the presence of antinutritional factors. Moreover, white lupin-based diet altered ruminal fermentation by increasing acetate and butyrate proportions, and shifted FA biohydrogenation pathways, favoring the production of C18:1 <em>t</em>11 and C18:2 <em>c</em>9, <em>t</em>11 beneficial to human health. Meat from white lupin-fed lambs had a higher n-3 PUFA content and a reduced n-6/n-3 ratio, with no detrimental effects on meat oxidative stability or color during storage. These findings suggest that fully replacing soybean meal and 30 % of maize with white lupin seeds could beneficially influence meat lipid quality, though adjustments to diet formulation are necessary to mitigate negative effects on feed intake and growth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"332 ","pages":"Article 116607"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788621","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":"Replacing sodium benzoate for hexamine in sodium nitrite-based additives on the conservation of guinea grass silage","authors":"J.M. Bragatto ,&nbsp;M.G.M. Carvalho ,&nbsp;S.C. Buttow ,&nbsp;P.J. Roco ,&nbsp;R.C.C. Pinto ,&nbsp;H.U. Auerbach ,&nbsp;J.L.P. Daniel","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116606","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116606","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to verify whether hexamine can be replaced by sodium benzoate in sodium nitrite-based silage additives in a difficult to ensile forage. Guinea grass cv Aries II (dry matter (DM) concentration = 185 g/kg fresh matter (FM) and fermentability coefficient = 218) was mowed at 60 d of regrowth, chopped, and divided into 24 piles (6 kg fresh matter (FM)/pile) to receive one of the six treatments: no additive (CON); sodium nitrite (0.9 g/kg FM) + hexamine (0.6 g/kg FM) (NH); sodium nitrite (0.9 g/kg FM) + sodium benzoate (0.6 g/kg FM) (NB6); sodium nitrite (0.9 g/kg FM) + sodium benzoate (0.9 g/kg FM) (NB9); sodium nitrite (0.9 g/kg FM) + sodium benzoate (1.2 g/kg FM) (NB12) and sodium nitrite (0.9 g/kg FM) + sodium benzoate (1.5 g/ kg FM) (NB15). Each treatment was applied to 4 piles (replicates). Treated forage was ensiled in 7.2-L experimental silos, and stored for 66 d. Expectedly, the NH was able to inhibit <em>Clostridium</em> development, as it decreased ammonia, n-butyric, i-butyric, i-valeric and n-valeric acids, and DM loss during fermentation. Additionally, the NH and treatments providing greater doses of sodium benzoate (i.e., NH12 and NH15) enhanced the <em>in vitro</em> DM digestibility and the proportion of rumen undegradable protein compared to CON. However, in treatments where hexamine was replaced with sodium benzoate, silages showed typical characteristics of clostridial fermentation, such as low concentration of lactic acid and high concentrations of n-butyric acid and higher homologues. Silage aerobic stability was longer than 7 d for all treatments. In conclusion, sodium benzoate, even when added at high doses, could not replace hexamine to efficiently prevent undesirable fermentations in guinea grass silages with low DM content.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"332 ","pages":"Article 116606"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788620","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 fish meal replacement with guar meal concentrate on growth, food conversion, digestive enzyme activity and intestinal histology of Gilthead sea bream (Spars aurata)","authors":"Mohamed M. Toutou ,&nbsp;M.H. Habashy ,&nbsp;Hien Van Doan ,&nbsp;Ehab El-Haroun","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116605","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116605","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study conducted to evaluate the effects of guar meal concentrate (Gmc) as substitute of fish meal on growth, digestive enzymes activity, and intestinal histological of seabream (<em>Sparus aurata</em>). Fish fed four experimental diets with a protein level set at 45 % for 12 weeks by replacing the 0 % (Gu0), 10 % (Gu1), 20 % (Gu2), and 30 % (Gu3) of fish meal with Gmc. The results showed that fish fed Gu2 elevated growth and feed utilization indices, respectively. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between Gmc inclusion and specific growth rate, and a positive relationship with feed conversion ratio. The protein body composition content rose when fish fed Gu2 and the lowest body lipid content noticed when seabream fed Gu0, the activity of the digestive enzymes lipase and amylase were reduced when seabream were fed Gmc at all levels. According to this trial, it is advantageous to supplement seabream diets with 10–12 % Gmc in formulated and balanced diets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"332 ","pages":"Article 116605"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788618","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":"Nutritive value of fodder beet for broilers chickens","authors":"K. Ganraj,&nbsp;L.S. David,&nbsp;P.C.H. Morel","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116604","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116604","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An experiment was conducted to determine the apparent metabolisable energy (AME), nitrogen-corrected AME (AMEn) and the standardised ileal digestible content of amino acids in fodder beet (FB). Three maize-soybean-based diets were formulated, a basal diet (FB0), the basal diet supplemented with 12.5 % of FB (FB12.5), and the basal diet supplemented with 25 % of FB (FB25). Each diet was randomly allocated to six replicate cages with six birds per cage and fed from days 14–21. Titanium dioxide (4 g/kg) was included in all diets as an indigestible marker for the measurement of marker-based AME and ileal nutrient digestibility. The total collection (TC) method was also used for the measurement of AME. A regression method was used to determine the nutritive value of FB. The AME and AMEn of FB were determined to be 9.63 MJ/kg and 9.36 MJ/kg, respectively, using the TC method, and 7.97 MJ/kg, 7.79 MJ/kg, respectively, using the marker method. The apparent ileal crude protein (CP) and gross energy (GE) content of FB were 56.4 g/kg and 11.2 MJ/kg, respectively. Standardised ileal digestible amino acid content was higher for glutamic acid (21.1 g/kg) while it was lower for sulfur containing amino acids (-0.1 to −0.4 g/kg). In conclusion, nutritive value of FB was determined for 14–21 day old broilers using regression method. Further studies are needed to validate the current findings, and to determine the optimal inclusion level of FB in poultry diets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"332 ","pages":"Article 116604"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145735630","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":"Influence of an inoculant containing Lentilactobacillus hilgardii, Lentilactobacillus buchneri, and Pediococcus pentosaceus on the aerobic stability and nutrient degradability of whole-plant corn ensiled at different dry matter levels","authors":"X. Liu ,&nbsp;N. Romero ,&nbsp;S.K. Cronin ,&nbsp;E.B. da Silva ,&nbsp;L. Kung Jr. ,&nbsp;T.F. Gressley","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of an inoculant containing <em>Lentilactobacillus hilgardii</em> CNCM-I-4785, <em>Lentilactobacillus buchneri</em> NCIMB 40788, <em>Pediococcus pentosaceus</em> NCIMB 12455, β-glucanase, and xylanase on the fermentation profile, aerobic stability, and nutrient degradability of whole-plant corn silage. In Experiment 1, a brown midrib corn hybrid was harvested at 35.4 % dry matter (DM) and ensiled for 14 and 90 d. In Experiment 2, a conventional corn hybrid was harvested at either a low DM content (26.2 %) or a high DM content (39.7 %) and ensiled for 30, 60, 120, and 180 d. In Experiment 1, inoculation increased acetic acid concentrations at both 14 and 90 d and markedly improved aerobic stability at 90 d (+ 360 h). In Experiment 2, inoculation increased acetic acid concentrations at 60, 120, and 180 d in both DM levels and at 30 d only in low DM. Inoculation improved aerobic stability at 30 (+ 30 h), 120 (+111 h), and 180 d (+ 89 h) across both DM levels. At 60 d, the increase in stability by inoculation was greater in low DM (+ 58 h) than in high DM silage (+ 36 h). Inoculation enhanced starch degradability by 9.8 %age points at 90 d in Experiment 1, and by 4.7 and 2.7 %age points at 120 and 180 d, respectively, in Experiment 2. Overall, the inoculant effectively enhanced aerobic stability and starch degradability across two hybrids and three distinct DM levels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"332 ","pages":"Article 116603"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145735631","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 valine in granulated valine biomass is not different from that in crystalline L-valine in growing pigs","authors":"Noa Park,&nbsp;Junghyun Oh,&nbsp;Beob Gyun Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of the present study was to determine the coefficient of standardized ileal digestibility (CSID) of crude protein (CP) and Val in Val biomass (VB; 737 g/kg Val) fed to pigs with the hypothesis that the CSID of Val in VB is comparable to that in crystalline <span>L</span>-Val. Eight barrows (initial body weight = 58.4 ± 3.3 kg) fitted with a T-cannula at the distal ileum were fed 4 diets for 4 periods in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design to obtain 8 replications for each experimental diet. A basal diet consisted of 759 g/kg corn and 110 g/kg soybean meal as the sole source of amino acids (AA). Two experimental diets were prepared by adding <span>L</span>-Val at 75 g/kg and VB at 100 g/kg to the basal diet at the expense of corn and soybean meal. Additionally, a nitrogen-free diet was also prepared to determine the basal endogenous losses of CP and AA. Chromic oxide was included at 5 g/kg as an indigestible index in all diets. Each period consisted of a 4-day adaptation period and a 2-day ileal digesta collection period. The coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID) and CSID of CP and Val in the <span>L</span>-Val and VB were calculated using the difference procedure. The CAID of Lys in the crystalline <span>L</span>-Val diet was less than that in the VB diet (P &lt; 0.05). The values for CSID of most AA except for Lys (P = 0.049) and Val (P &lt; 0.001) did not differ among the three experimental diets. Based on the difference procedure, the values for CSID of Val were not different between crystalline <span>L</span>-Val and VB (0.996 and 0.998, respectively). In conclusion, the Val biomass used in the present work contains 737 g/kg of Val and the Val in the Val biomass is highly digestible, which is comparable to crystalline <span>L</span>-Val.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"332 ","pages":"Article 116602"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145705754","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 supplementation of Lactobacillus brevis postbiotics on nutrient digestibility, growth and intestinal health in growing mink","authors":"Jian Chen,&nbsp;Ziyi Jiang,&nbsp;Lingpeng Kong,&nbsp;Huanle Zhang,&nbsp;Lihua Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics on growth performance and intestinal health in growing male mink. A total of 88 male white mink was selected and randomly allocated into four treatments, each with 11 replicates of 2 mink. The mink in the four treatments received a basal diet supplemented with 0 % (control), 0.05 %, 0.1 %, and 0.15 % <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics, respectively. Compared to the control group, 0.1 % <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics decreased feed to weight ratio during the 0–8 weeks period (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and increased average daily gain during 0–4 and 0–8 weeks of the experiment (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), resulting in greater body weight (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Compared to the control, all <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics treatments had greater the ether extract apparent digestibility, secretory immunoglobulin A, and less interleukin 6 (all <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The 0.05 % and 0.1 % <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics treatments exhibited higher apparent digestibility of crude protein and glutathione peroxidase capacity (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The 0.1 % and 0.15 % <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics treatments had greater interleukin 10 levels and trypsin activity (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The 0.05 % <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics treatment had less interleukin 1 beta levels (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05<em>)</em>. Compared to the control group, dietary supplementation with 0.1 % <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics significantly enhanced duodenal villus height, the villus height to crypt depth ratio, and jejunum villus height (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), decreased crypt depth. Compared to the control group, the abundance of <em>Lactococcus</em> increased and <em>Paraclostridium</em> declined in all <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics supplementation treatments, and 0.1 % <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics treatment increased the abundance of <em>Sphingomonas</em> (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Based on these results, dietary supplementation with 0.1 % <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics is recommended for growing male mink. Quadratic regression analysis of growth performance and immune responses in relation to <em>Lactobacillus brevis</em> postbiotics inclusion levels indicate an optimal range of 0.091–0.114 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116601"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145733218","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 concentrate feeding strategies in an intensive grass silage-based dairy production system","authors":"Sari Kajava,&nbsp;Auvo Sairanen,&nbsp;Marketta Rinne","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental and societal pressures are encouraging to reduce the proportion of concentrate feeds in grass-based dairy production systems. The objective of this experiment was to compare two concentrate feeding strategies to reduce the concentrate use in dairy cow diets: 1) a constant concentrate proportion of 35 % throughout the lactation period, and 2) an adjusted strategy with 45 % in early lactation (EL) and 25 % in late lactation (LL). The strategies were simulated in two separate and parallel 8-week sub-experiments for EL and LL, each including a common concentrate level of 35 %. In EL, the comparison was made against 45 %, and in LL against 25 %. The strategies were indirectly compared based on production responses. Sub-experiments were conducted with 20 multiparous Nordic Red cows per lactation stage. Higher concentrate in EL (EL-45) increased energy-corrected milk, fat and protein yields compared to EL-35, with no significant differences in body weight change, energy balance or plasma BHBA and NEFA concentrations. The production response to concentrate supplementation was greater in EL than LL (1.3 and 0.9 kg ECM per kg additional concentrate, respectively). In LL, feed efficiency was higher, and body weight gain was lower with the lower concentrate diet. These findings suggest that under current feed prices, prioritising concentrate use in early lactation and reducing it in late lactation is more cost-effective and helps limit excessive body weight gain in late lactation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116595"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681926","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}