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This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary levels of soluble and insoluble fibre on the performance and digestive development of slow-growing broilers during the starter period. A total of 400 one-day-old Isa LabelTM male chicks were used that were distributed in a completely randomized factorial design 2 × 2 + 1 (inclusion of 2% or 4% of corncobs as a source of insoluble fibre IF and citrus pulp as a source of soluble fibre (SF); and a control treatment) with eight replicates of 10 birds each. The addition of IF to diets improved the weight gain and feed conversion of broilers at 7 and 21 days of age. Both fibre sources added to diets resulted in higher relative weights of proventriculus + gizzard, liver, small and large intestine. The diets containing an SF source presented positive effects on the duodenal mucosa. In addition, positive effects on the caecal villus to crypt ratio were observed in broilers fed diets containing different types of fibre. It is concluded that dietary inclusion of IF up to 4% maintains the performance, nutrient metabolism and improves the development of the proventriculus + gizzard in slow-growing broilers. However, for improving the morphological and histomorphological parameters of slowgrowing broilers in the starter phase the addition of SF sources is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, agricultural by‐products have generated increasing interest as ruminant feed. In a completely randomized design with five experimental treatments, this in vitro study investigated the nutritional value of citrus pulp and onion peel as alternative feed for ruminants and their effects on rumen fermentation, digestibility, and gas production. The first group was the control (50% grass hay/50% concentrate mixture). The other four treatments represented citrus pulp and onion peel at inclusion levels of 10 and 20%, replacing the expensive, high‐quality feed ingredients such as the concentrate mixture. The chemical composition showed that citrus pulp is an energy‐rich material that could be included up to 20% to replace part of the concentrate in a mixed diet without any adverse impacts on rumen fermentation parameters. The onion peels were rich in fiber and minerals. Their inclusion in the diet of over 10% had detrimental effects on rumen fermentation. The inclusion of either citrus pulp or onion peel in the diet did not have the potential to reduce enteric methane production. In conclusion, citrus pulp showed promising results as a new feed for ruminants. It was effective when included in up to 20% of a ruminant diet, replacing the concentrate mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is concerned with the examination of the sorptive ability of a new carbonaceous (CPC) sorbent prepared under optimized conditions with H3PO4 activation from the citrus industrial processing pulp (CP) in removing Reactive Blue 19 dye (RB19) from an aqueous solution. Optimum removal conditions were determined based on the maximum effects of some variable process parameters. The kinetic data showed agreement with the pseudo-second-order model. The isotherm data fit the Langmuir isotherm model best, and the maximum amount of sorbed RB19 was determined as 437.89 mg/g. The calculated thermodynamic parameters showed that the process is spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Desorption studies were performed with various desorbents for the recovery of RB19 and/or recyclability of CPC. The results show that CPC is a highly effective and reusable sorbent for cleaning water containing RB19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global food industry and especially fruit juice production generates millions of tons of organic waste annually. Citrus waste, also known as citrus pulp оr citrus pomace, is a residue obtained during various citrus juices production. This by-product has the potential to become an excellent source of essential nutrients in animal feeding. In the current study, the chemical and mineral composition were determined in the citrus waste by Orange (Citrus sinensis), Lemon (Citrus limon), Red grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Lime (Citrus aurantifolia), Pomelo (Citrus maxima). Waste products are derived from the production factory of freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices located in the village of Musachevo, Western Bulgaria. For all citrus waste, the following indicators were determined: dry matter (DM), moisture (RH), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), crude ash (CA), ether extract (EE), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), potassium (K). The mineral content was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Their chemical and mineral composition analyses showed differences in the distribution of nutrients and minerals. The data obtained from the conducted analyses showed that citrus pulp could successfully replace some of the main raw materials in the animal’s ration, as it is a source of essential nutrients for it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the distribution pattern of bioactive components and their correlations between citrus varieties, we thoroughly analyzed secondary metabolites (including flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, and limonoids) in the peel and pulp of 11 citrus varieties from the production area of Zhejiang. Citrus peels accumulated metabolites far more than the pulp, and the accumulation varied significantly between species. Flavonoids were the most abundant compounds, followed by phenolic acids, with carotenoids and limonoids being far less abundant than the first two, but limonoids were more abundant than carotenoids. Hesperidin was the main flavonoid in most varieties, but cocktail grapefruit and Changshanhuyou contained naringin, with Ponkan having the most abundant polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs). The major components of phenolic acids, carotenoids, and limonoids were ferulic acid, β-cryptoxanthin, and limonin, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicated that these components were mostly correlated with each other, and these citrus varieties could be categorized into four groups by pulp and three groups by peel. The obtained results filled the data gap for secondary metabolites from local citrus and could provide data references for citrus resource utilization, selection and breeding of superior varieties, and other research.

Context: Energy supplementation with highly fermentable carbohydrates can be a strategy to maximise the efficiency of nitrogen use (ENU) from high-nutritional value forages. Aims: The study aimed to investigate the independent or associated effects of two diurnal feeding times (0900 or 1700 hours) with two sources of energy supplementation (corn or citrus pulp) in the growing of F1 Angus × Nellore young bulls on palisade grass pastures, and their implications on the forage chemical composition, nutrient intake and digestibility, ENU, microbial protein synthesis, animal performance, and gain per area. Methods: There were 36 bulls used as experimental animals, with initial bodyweight (BW) of 290 ± 5 kg, and 32 similar bulls were used in a put-and-take system to maintain sward characteristics. The experiment was conducted in a complete randomised design with four treatments and three replications (paddocks). The treatments consisted of energy supplementation at 0.3% BW with corn or citrus pulp fed at 0900 or 1700 hours for four periods of 28 days. For evaluation of ruminal and blood parameters, ENU, intake, and nutrient digestibility, eight ruminal cannulated 1/2 Aberdeen Angus × 1/2 Nellore young bulls were used, with 280 ± 7 kg of initial BW, distributed in a 4 × 4 double Latin square design, consisting of four periods and four treatments. Key results: Supplementation at 0.3% of BW with corn or citrus pulp at 0900 or 1700 hours can reach up to 1.06 kg/day of young bulls reared on palisade grass pastures fertilised with 180 kg nitrogen/ha/year and managed at 25 cm of height compared with corn-based supplements. There were no effects on microbial protein synthesis or its efficiency. Conclusions: Citrus pulp can be used as an alternative energy source to corn, because it has the same potential for animal performance, ENU and microbial protein synthesis in tropical pastures with a high proportion of soluble protein, and structural and non-fibrous carbohydrates with high dry matter digestibility. Implications: Supplementing grazing beef cattle at 0.3% BW with corn or citrus pulp in the morning or afternoon is an efficient nutritional strategy to improve animal performance. Different responses of energy supplementation to grazing beef cattle may occur due to the type of energy substrate and the supplementation time. Citrus pulp supplied in the afternoon can improve beef cattle performance. Citrus pulp can replace corn as an energy supplement and it is a non-human edible food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Diet may affect gut microbial composition and diversity. There were 3 dietary groups: 0% citrus pulp diet (C), 1.5% citrus pulp diet (I), and 2.5% citrus pulp diet (II). A total of 180 healthy AA broilers (21-day old) were divided into 3 groups (C, I, and II), each group was set up with 6 replicates, and each replicate including 10 broilers (half male and female). At 42 d, the cecal contents of 18 broiler chickens were collected after slaughter. The cecal contents were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing technology. Compared with group C, the abundance of Firmicutes in groups I and II decreased, while the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Lactobacillus, and Faecalibacterium increased. LEfSe analysis showed that Actinobacteria, Coriobacteriia, Coriobacteriales, and Ruminococcaceae_bacterium_Marseille_P2935 in group I were significantly higher than those in group C. Bacteria, Coriobacteriales, Coriobacteriia, Coriobacteriaceae, Slackia, Bacteroides_sp_Marseille_P3132, and Lactobacillus_pontis in group II were significantly higher than those in group C. The Staphylococcaceae, Bacteroides_sp_Marseille_P3132, Macroccus, Lactobacillus_pontis, and Streptococcus_equinus in group II were significantly higher than those in group I. Functional predictions indicated that the cecal microbiota of broilers fed the 2.5% citrus pulp diet was more tend to utilize carbohydrates through glycolytic/gluconeogenesis metabolism. Adding citrus pulp to the diet affects the microbial composition and has important implications for studying gut health and improving economic benefits.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of using total mixed ration silage based on citrus pulp on feed intake, growth performance, serum metabolites and ruminal fermentation of growing female lambs. For this purpose, sixty-eight female Zel lambs (5-6-months) with an initial body weight of 20.65 ± 3.71 kg were randomly divided into two equal groups (n=34). Two isonitrogenous and isoenergetics diets were formulated based on corn silage (TMRC) and citrus pulp silage (TMRPS), respectively. To prepare TMRPS, first the citrus pulp and wheat straw were poured into A feed mixer, after which the concentrate was added. After thoroughly homogenising all components, the resulting mixture was ensiled into a permanent horizontal silo (a concrete bunker) and was covered with plastic shortly after the silo was filled. Each diet was randomly assigned to a group of lambs. Feed was offered two times a day (at 08:00 and 16:00 h) ad libitum. Daily dry matter intake (DMI) averaged 1067 g for the TMRC and 924 g for the TMRPS group. No significant differences were observed in the Kleiber ratio (6.9 versus 6.6) and average daily gain (ADG; 86 g versus 91 g) between the TMRC and TMRPS group. There was no difference in serum glucose and total protein concentration between treatments, but serum concentrations of urea-N and cholesterol in lambs fed the TMRC diet (80.5 and 47.1 mg/dl, respectively) were higher than in lambs fed the TMRPS diet (65.5 and 22.8 mg/dl, respectively). Ammonia-N content of the rumen fluid was reduced by changing the diet from TMRC to TMRPS. It can be concluded that TMRPS can be used as a low-cost diet for lambs without negative impact on the growth performance.

Using agricultural by-products such as dehydrated orange pulp (DOP) in animal feeds is of interest to increase pig sector sustainability. With this aim, an assay was carried out to assess the effects of increasing inclusion levels of DOP in pig diets regarding animal performance, carcass quality, and environmental impact. Four experimental diets were designed, a control diet (T1) and three more diets with increasing levels of DOP with 80, 160, and 240 g/kg of DOP for diets T2, T3, and T4, respectively. One hundred and sixty growing pigs were used in the experiment. Growth performance (average daily gain, ADG; average daily feed intake, ADFI and feed conversion ratio, FCR) and in vivo backfat thickness (BF) and loin depth (LD) gain were recorded during the finishing phase (from 70 to 130 kg BW). Faecal samples were incubated for bacteria enumeration. At slaughter, carcass characteristics and meat quality traits were measured, and subcutaneous fat was sampled to analyse the fatty acid (FA) profile. Additionally, the slurry excreted by the animals was measured, characterised and subjected to a gaseous emission assay during its storage. The final BW and overall ADFI, ADG and FCR were similar among treatments. In vivo final LD and BF gain decreased (P ≤ 0.10) as the inclusion level of DOP increased. No differences were observed in carcass characteristics with the inclusion of DOP, except carcass weight that decreased linearly (P = 0.05) with DOP. Regarding the FA profile of the subcutaneous fat, the ratio of total monounsaturated to saturated FA increased with the inclusion level of DOP. Neither slurry excretion and characterisation nor bacterial counts from faeces showed any significant difference among treatments. The inclusion of DOP led to greater CH4 emissions in mg per L of slurry and hour, whereas these differences disappeared when expressed in mg per animal and day. In all, it has been demonstrated that the inclusion of DOP up to 240 mg/kg in pig diets had minor effects on growth performance, carcass quality traits or gaseous emissions from slurry, favouring the circular economy strategy and pig sector sustainability.

Understanding the effects of regionally available residues, wastes, and purpose‐grown energy crops on anaerobic microbes and corresponding digestion performance is important for designing and implementing suitable anaerobic digestion systems to manage them appropriately and to use them for bioenergy generation. This study analyzed and compared dynamic changes in anaerobic microbes and digestion performance using mixtures of six different materials (citrus pulp, olive pomace, cattle manure, poultry litter, whey, and corn silage) generated from Mediterranean agro‐industry. The results indicate that the feedstock mixture (FM3) with low citrus pulp (26% dry matter) and high olive pomace (18% dry matter) reached stable methane production of 210 mL methane/g volatile solids (VS) loading within 30 days after the start up. In contrast, the feedstock mixture (FM1) with high citrus pulp (44% dry matter) and low olive pomace (0% dry matter) required a longer time of at least 70 days to achieve a good methane production of 209 mL methane/g VS loading. The microbial community analysis and corresponding non‐metric dimensionless scaling (NMDS) analysis revealed dynamic relationships between microbial community, feedstock mixture, and digestion time. The feedstock mixtures with low citrus pulp content (FM2 and FM3) facilitated the accumulation of Archaea (i.e., Methanosarcinaceae), which led their digestion to reach stable methane production quicker than the digestion of FM1. This study provided useful information to valorize agricultural residues and wastes for bioenergy production in the Mediterranean region. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm heart processing generates a large amount of residues like leaves, sheath and stems that have potential for ruminant feeding. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of in natura peach palm heart (Bactris gasipaes Khunt.) residues on performance, dry matter (DM) digestibility and intake of ruminants. External sheath was the most suitable residue for sheep, cattle and buffaloes feeding, although sheep presented rejection of 43.5 g kg-1. Thereby, assays of apparent and in vitro dry matter digestibility were done under four feeding treatments, which were the exclusive peach palm sheath, and that one mixed with residues of banana and rice, besides citrus pulp. The experiment was carried out under randomized complete design, with five replications. Greater DM intake (p < 0.05) were observed in animals fed with peach palm sheath mixed with rice (1.12 kg day-1) and mixed with citrus pulp (0.91 kg day-1), however there were no difference among treatments regarding the sheep final weight (p > 0.05). Cattle and buffaloes accept different types of peach palm residues, unlike sheep that present a low rejecting for them. Citrus pulp and rice residue raise the roughage quality. Peach palm residues can be an alternative roughage source to feed ruminants.

Palm heart processing generates a large amount of residues like leaves, sheath and stems that have potential for ruminant feeding. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of in natura peach palm heart (Bactris gasipaes Khunt.) residues on performance, dry matter (DM) digestibility and intake of ruminants. External sheath was the most suitable residue for sheep, cattle and buffaloes feeding, although sheep presented rejection of 43.5 g kg-1. Thereby, assays of apparent and in vitro dry matter digestibility were done under four feeding treatments, which were the exclusive peach palm sheath, and that one mixed with residues of banana and rice, besides citrus pulp. The experiment was carried out under randomized complete design, with five replications. Greater DM intake (p < 0.05) were observed in animals fed with peach palm sheath mixed with rice (1.12 kg day-1) and mixed with citrus pulp (0.91 kg day-1), however there were no difference among treatments regarding the sheep final weight (p > 0.05). Cattle and buffaloes accept different types of peach palm residues, unlike sheep that present a low rejecting for them. Citrus pulp and rice residue raise the roughage quality. Peach palm residues can be an alternative roughage source to feed ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate the effects of two feeding times and two sources of energy supplementation on pH, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and in vitro gas production (IVGP) of beef cattle reared in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu pastures. We used eight rumen-cannulated ½ Aberdeen Angus x ½ Nellore young bulls (280±7 kg) distributed in a double 4x4 Latin square design. Treatments consisted of supplementation at 0.3% of body weight with corn or citrus pulp, supplied at 0900 or 1700. Ruminal fluid pH was measured with a digital pH analyzer and SCFA was analyzed on a Shimadzu HPLC. The IVGP was determined using a transducer and a data logger for 48 h after incubation of samples combining forage and supplement in real intake proportion (88% forage, 12% supplement). Considering the rapid fermentation of sugars, animals supplemented with pectin maintained higher pH (P = 0.021) due to changes in bacterial populations to digest the pectic substances (Table 1). Lactate production after starch digestion caused lower pH. Despite the differences in evaluated energy substrates, there was no effect on the primary SCFA concentration (P > 0.05). Citrus pulp provided greater formic (P = 0.005) and valeric (P = 0.042) acids concentrations compared with corn, but there was no influence of formic acid in lactic acid production (Table 1). The greater IVGP by citrus pulp (P = 0.0140; Figure 1) may be related to its greater carbohydrate fraction A, soluble with a rapid rate of rumen degradation, and also because its ruminal fermentation results in greater acetic acid production, which provides more ruminal H2 and CO2, favoring the CH4 production. The citrus pulp can be used as an alternative source to corn because it might prevent acidosis, does not affect the main SCFA production, and is a non-human edible feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dehydrated citrus pulp is a fibrous by-product generated by the juice industry. • Increasing levels of dehydrated citrus pulp did not affect growth performance. • Dehydrated citrus pulp reduced loin depth, backfat gain and carcass weight. • Dehydrated citrus pulp increased methane per litre of slurry, but not per animal. • Dehydrated citrus pulp is a potential ingredient for future pig-sustainable diets. Using agricultural by-products such as dehydrated orange pulp (DOP) in animal feeds is of interest to increase pig sector sustainability. With this aim, an assay was carried out to assess the effects of increasing inclusion levels of DOP in pig diets regarding animal performance, carcass quality, and environmental impact. Four experimental diets were designed, a control diet (T1) and three more diets with increasing levels of DOP with 80, 160, and 240 g/kg of DOP for diets T2, T3, and T4, respectively. One hundred and sixty growing pigs were used in the experiment. Growth performance (average daily gain, ADG ; average daily feed intake, ADFI and feed conversion ratio, FCR) and in vivo backfat thickness (BF) and loin depth (LD) gain were recorded during the finishing phase (from 70 to 130 kg BW). Faecal samples were incubated for bacteria enumeration. At slaughter, carcass characteristics and meat quality traits were measured, and subcutaneous fat was sampled to analyse the fatty acid (FA) profile. Additionally, the slurry excreted by the animals was measured, characterised and subjected to a gaseous emission assay during its storage. The final BW and overall ADFI, ADG and FCR were similar among treatments. In vivo final LD and BF gain decreased (P ≤ 0.10) as the inclusion level of DOP increased. No differences were observed in carcass characteristics with the inclusion of DOP, except carcass weight that decreased linearly (P = 0.05) with DOP. Regarding the FA profile of the subcutaneous fat, the ratio of total monounsaturated to saturated FA increased with the inclusion level of DOP. Neither slurry excretion and characterisation nor bacterial counts from faeces showed any significant difference among treatments. The inclusion of DOP led to greater CH 4 emissions in mg per L of slurry and hour, whereas these differences disappeared when expressed in mg per animal and day. In all, it has been demonstrated that the inclusion of DOP up to 240 mg/kg in pig diets had minor effects on growth performance, carcass quality traits or gaseous emissions from slurry, favouring the circular economy strategy and pig sector sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]