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This study investigated the effect of the inclusion of an enzyme complex-treated rice protein concentrate (RPC) in an extruded diet of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). A mixture of RPC, corn gluten and soybean meal was pretreated with an enzyme complex before extrusion processing of the diets. An enzyme complex-pretreated RPC (5, 10 and 15%) was formulated with 20% fish meal. A diet without RPC was used as a control. A total of 240 rainbow trouts with an average body weight of 6.04 g were placed in 12 rectangular glass aquaria and fed one of the experimental diets at apparent satiation for 12 weeks. There were no significant differences in growth, feed intake and survival among the groups. Slightly inferior weight gain and specific growth rate were observed in the RPC15E group compared to those in the other groups. The protein and ash contents of the whole body of the final fish were not significantly different among all groups, but the lipid content was significantly lower than that of the control when the dietary RPC level was >10%. Protein digestibility was negatively affected by increased RPC levels in diet. Significantly lower phosphorus digestibility was observed in fish fed the diet containing 5% enzyme-treated RPC than the control. Although there was no significant difference in lipid digestibility in all groups, significantly lower lipid retention was observed in fish fed a diet formulated with more than 10% RPC. These results suggest that the inclusion of RPC in the diet affects lipid retention and the content of rainbow trout. It also decreased protein digestibility. In conclusion, rainbow trout can be fed an extruded diet formulated with 20% fishmeal and 10% enzyme-treated RPC without negative effects on fish growth.

Attention to the association of cellulolytic bacteria with probiotic potential as an additive in animal feeding has risen in the last decades. Such additive use in livestock feed is essential in improving animal health, growth, and production performances. This study was designed to identify probiotic characteristics and test the cellulolytic ability of Bacillus strains isolated from the dromedary gastrointestinal tract. Thus, thirty-two Bacillus strains were tested for their cellulolytic ability on cellulose Congo-red agar media. Among the isolates, only the strain D1B3 showed the largest degradation zone (2.4 cm) and was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefacians by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) retained this strain for cellulase and biomass production using wheat bran as a substrate. The fermentation was optimized through a central composite design, by exploring three factors: incubation temperature, moisture ratio, and pH. Biomass and cellulose enzyme activity were selected as responses and corresponding regression coefficients were calculated. The optimal parameters were: liquid-to-solid ratio (1.19%), pH buffer (6.2), and incubation temperature (36.99 °C) to obtain the highest level of biomass and cellulose enzyme activity reaching a value of 9.828 log CFU/g and 0.0144 g/L.min, respectively. The potentiality of Bacillus amyloliquefacians D1B3 as a probiotic was examined in vitro. It also showed antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa 9027, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli 10536. The isolate tolerates low pH and bile salt (0.3% Oxygall). The hydrophobicity and coaggregation abilities were 1.7% and 69.79%, respectively. The results indicated that Bacillus amyloliquefacians D1B3 could be a potential probiotic additive for improving in vitro fermentation of wheat bran and suggests the possibility of combining the probiotic attributes of this strain with its cellulolytic ability to enhance the rumen fermentation of animal feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat consumption is one of the major drivers contributing to the growth of the global animal nutrition market. Subsequently, the demand on quality of animal feed increases. Because of growing public concern about the use of pharmaceuticals in livestock production, the application of natural agents, such as tannins and flavonoids, with a potential to improve animal health and animal food product has become more desirable. The present review summarize and analyse plant derived bioactive compounds as a feed additive in the diet of cows, sheep and goats, mainly emphasizing recently published data. Particular attention has been paid to tannins and flavonoids. We concluded that animal performance and quality of the derived products can be improved by using feed additives, such as tannins and flavonoids. All the same, high doses of some compounds might reduce voluntary dry matter intake and digestion of nutrients and cause toxicity. Thus, more research is needed to fully exploit benefits of incorporating tannins and flavonoids in livestock feed and identify an optimal dose to obtain consistent beneficial effects of additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: More than 10 million tons of coffee are consumed annually in the world, generating two kg of wet spent coffee grounds per kg of coffee consumed, which are considered food waste. Despite the interesting nutritional value of spent coffee grounds for ruminant feeds, their fibre fraction is very high, which presents a limitation for including this alternative ingredient in animals' diets due to its low digestibility. This study considered thermal and mechanical treatments combined with enzymatic hydrolysis to improve the spent coffee grounds' nutritive value and digestibility. The main conclusions are that the effect of enzymatic treatments is overwhelmed by the action of ruminal bacteria and that diminution of the particle size is the best strategy to improve the spent coffee grounds' digestibility. Lignin in animal diets is a limiting factor due to its low digestibility. This study assessed the effects of thermal or mechanical pre-treatments and enzymatic hydrolysis on spent coffee grounds' (SCG) nutritional value and digestibility. A first trial studied the effect of thermal pre-treatment and hydrolysis with removal of the liquid part and a second trial studied mechanical pre-treatment and hydrolysis with and without removal of the liquid part. Autoclaving did not improve the enzymatic performance nor the nutritional value. Hydrolysis reduced the digestibility of the solid phase and impaired its ruminal fermentation efficiency. Hydrolysates without removing the liquid part improved its nutritional value, but not compared with unprocessed SCG. Grinding increased crude protein and reduced crude fibre and protein, which led to greater fermentation and in vitro digestibility. Thus, grinding emerges as the most promising valorisation strategy to improve SCG nutritional characteristics and their use for animal feed, contributing to the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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One of the main obstacles to finding cultivars with consistent performance across locations and years is the genotype × environment (GE) interaction effect. A new approach to stability analysis for qualitative characteristics in maize was conducted utilizing G × E interactions and further analysis via AMMI and GGE biplots. The study aimed to identify the type of trait inheritance through estimations of the stability index, to evaluate multiple locations and multiple genotypes to determine how different ecosystems and maize genotypes relate to one another, and, finally, to suggest the ideal climatic conditions and genotypes, carefully chosen for their stability. Fifteen F1 commercial maize hybrids comprised the genetic materials tested, along with 15 open-pollination lines created by 4-cycle Honeycomb assessment, at four different environments, Giannitsa, Florina, Trikala, and Kalambaka in Greece. The experiments were conducted in Randomized Complete Block Designs (RCB) with four replications. The tested characteristics were protein content (%), fat (%), ash (%), starch (%), crude fiber (%), moisture (%), seed length, seed thickness, and seed width. All genotypes showed statistically significant differences for all characteristics measured, especially for protein content and size of the kernel. G × E interaction was present only for moisture content and size of the kernel. Environments significantly affected fat, starch content, moisture content, and the kernel's size (under a multiple G × E interaction). Protein, ash, and fiber content showed no G × E interaction. Further analysis via AMMI and GGE biplots was applied to explore the genotypic stability across all experimental environments for the traits that showed noteworthy G × E interaction. According to our results and approach, protein content is less qualitative than other characteristics like moisture and starch content. Correlations showed that negative selection for the last two characteristics, as well as for ash content, in combination with longer seeds, may lead indirectly to improved stability performance for protein content. Three environments, Giannitsa, Trikala and Kalambaka, exhibited higher stability index values for almost all characteristics measured. Therefore, those environments are perfect for ensuring the stability of the quality characteristics and could be recommended. The best maize hybrids were Mitic, 6818 and 6040, exhibiting high stability indices of quality characteristics and Kermes displaying stability for protein content. Therefore, those should be further tested in multiple environments to confirm the consistency of their high-stability performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Have you ever thrown away food that you didn't eat? Most people do this all around the world but throwing away food can actually harm the environment. One way to reduce this harm is by turning the food scraps into animal feed. This not only helps the environment but also makes livestock production cheaper. Different technologies have been developed to make a safe and healthy animal feed from food waste. This helps us to get rid of waste by giving animals a new source of protein and recycling the discarded food waste. This article talks about how to turn food waste into animal food and its advantages. However, it is important to make sure the feed is of high quality and safe for the animals. It is also important to do research and development to make even better food-waste-based animal feed by reducing production costs and waste disposal, thereby making things better for both the animals and the environment. Overall, using food waste as animal food is a good waste management idea that provides food security and preserves the environment. So, next time when you have some leftover food, remember that it could be turned into something useful instead of being thrown away. The growing population and healthy food demands have led to a rise in food waste generation, causing severe environmental and economic impacts. However, food waste (FW) can be converted into sustainable animal feed, reducing waste disposal and providing an alternative protein source for animals. The utilization of FW as animal feed presents a solution that not only tackles challenges pertaining to FW management and food security but also lessens the demand for the development of traditional feed, which is an endeavour that is both resource and environmentally intensive in nature. Moreover, this approach can also contribute to the circular economy by creating a closed-loop system that reduces the use of natural resources and minimizes environmental pollution. Therefore, this review discusses the characteristics and types of FW, as well as advanced treatment methods that can be used to recycle FW into high-quality animal feed and its limitations, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of using FW as animal feed. Finally, the review concludes that utilization of FW as animal feed can provide a sustainable solution for FW management, food security, preserving resources, reducing environmental impacts, and contributing to the circular bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The analysis of myo‐inositol phosphates (InsPx) released by phytases during phytic acid degradation is challenging and time‐consuming, particularly in terms of sample preparation, isomer separation, and detection. However, a fast and robust analysis method is crucial when screening for phytases during protein engineering approaches, which result in a large number of samples, to ensure reliable identification of promising novel enzymes or target variants with improved characteristics, for example, pH range, thermal stability, and phosphate release kinetics. Results: The simultaneous analysis of several InsPx (InsP1‐InsP4 and InsP5 + 6) as well as free phosphate was established on cellulose HPTLC plates using a buffered mobile phase. Inositol phosphates were subsequently stained using a novel enzyme‐assisted staining procedure. Immobilized InsPx were hydrolyzed by a phytase solution of Quantum® Blueliquid 5G followed by a molybdate reagent derivatization. Resulting blue zones were captured by DAD scan. The method shows good repeatability (intra‐day and intra‐lab) with maximum deviations of the Rf value of 0.01. The HPTLC method was applied to three commercially available phytases at two pH levels relevant to the gastrointestinal tract of poultry (pH 5.5 and pH 3.6) to observe their phytate degradation pattern and thus visualize their InsPx fingerprint. Conclusion: This HPTLC method presents a semi‐high‐throughput analysis for the simultaneous analysis of phytic acid and the resulting lower inositol phosphates after its enzymatic hydrolysis and is also an effective tool to visualize the InsPx fingerprints and possible accumulations of inositol phosphates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pineapple is a commodity and economic fruit with a high market potential worldwide. Almost 60% of the fresh pineapple, such as peels, pulp, crowns and leaves, are agricultural waste. It is noteworthy that the waste has a high concentration of crude fibre, proteins, ascorbic acid, sugars and moisture content. The pineapple waste utilisation in animal feed has recently drawn the attention of many investigators to enhance growth performance and concomitantly reduce environmental pollution. Its inclusion in animal feed varies according to the livestock, such as feed block, pelleted or directly used as a roughage source for ruminants. The pineapple waste is also fermented to enrich the nutrient content of poultry feed. To date, the inclusion of pineapple waste in animal feed is optimistic not only for livestock but also for farmed fish. Indeed, it is an ideal strategy to improve the feed supply to the farm. This paper aims to overview the source, nutritional composition, and application of pineapple waste in animal feed. The recent findings on its effect on animal growth performance, nutrition and disease control are discussed comprehensively and summarised. The review also covers its benefits, potential impacts on sustainable farming and future perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the chemical composition of animal feed is important for the normal health of dairy cows and the high production of quality milk. The research presents an examination of the chemical composition of animal feed shown in percentage such as: fodder crop - alfalfa hay and straw - which are a by-product of wheat and two types of fodder mixes (FM). As for the research the following nutrients were examined: protein, crude fiber, fat, moisture, ash and their total values, as well as nitrogen-free extractive substances (NES) in 3 samples of each animal feed from 3 different farms (A, B, C). The highest total value for all nutrient compounds was obtained in alfalfa, at farm A =65.91%. The lowest total value was obtained in straw used in farm A=53.78%. The total value of NES in all three farms was 34.78%. Namely, according to the results farm A=38.54% used FM2, however farm B=39.13%, and farm C=42.15 % used FM1. Analyses of chemical composition of the milk (dry matter, fat, protein, lactose and density) provide a conclusion indicating that the values from the three farms appear to be similar, the milk sample from farm B has the highest value of dry matter with 8.22% and fat 3.65%. The milk sample from farm C appears to have the highest value of protein with 3.20% and a density of 28.56%. The aforesaid refers to the fact that the feed mixture used for dairy cows contain at least 18-22% protein, which is ideally balanced feed in order to obtain a daily production of over 30 liters. The use of alfalfa and straw enriches the animal feed with proteins and influences the milk quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies a triple bottom line (TBL) framework that incorporates the environmental, economic, and social impacts of producing animal feed from food waste (FW) collected at the post-consumption stage of the food supply chain. The environmental bottom line (BL) is conducted using life cycle assessment (LCA), the economic BL is calculated using the net present value (NPV), while the social BL is assessed using the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. The results within the environmental BL indicate that at a 13.8% recovery rate, animal feed produced from a ton of FW saves 0.33 m2 equivalent of crop land but requires 3.5 tons of water compared to 0.9 tons and 0.78 tons for landfilling and incineration for FW treatment respectively. In addition, the production of animal feed from one ton of FW emits 1064.6 kg CO2-eq, compared to 823.6 kg CO2-eq using landfilling and 781.9 kg CO2-eq when incinerated. The economic BL indicates a profit of $3.65/ton from incinerating FW, compared to cost of $93.8 and $137.6 per ton for animal feed production and landfilling of FW respectively. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to integrate the TBL scores and rank the scenarios accordingly. AHP recommends animal feed and incineration over landfilling by a fourfold higher score. A simulation using an augmented simplex lattice mixture (ASLM) design recommends incineration with energy recovery over animal feed production from FW collected at the consumer stage. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the production of animal feed from FW is environmentally feasible if the safe recovery rate exceeds 48%, is which possible for FW collected at early stages of the food supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feed is a very important factor in the world of animal husbandry. Subang Regency is one of the beef cattle breeding centers in West Java and even in Indonesia and occupies the top 5 beef cattle populations in Indonesia. In Subang Regency, 1,500 families depend on beef cattle and other livestock businesses for their income, with an average of 3 to 4 livestock per family. but breeders in Subang Regency only focus on conventional livestock production processes and have not touched modern livestock. so that the level of welfare of farmers in Subang Regency is still not optimal. The biggest cost for livestock in Subang Regency is still the high price of concentrate and forage feed. This research aims to increase the knowledge of beef cattle breeders through counseling and coaching regarding the management of beef cattle in terms of improving the quality of feed so that it has added value. The research was carried out in Cibogo District, Subang Regency from July to November 2022 using the focus group discussion, training and monev methods. The results of this study are that the feed problem at the smallholder farmer level is the poor quality of the feed due to the lack of knowledge of breeders on how to process and store feed. Processing and storage are applied at the farmer level, namely storing forage fodder using the silage method and increasing knowledge of feed management. Breeders who are members of a group of beef cattle and are able to develop institutional management with standards for the production and management of feed in the group. There is a positive and significant influence between the provision of assistance in making feed on increasing the welfare of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada is one of the world's largest producers of oat (Avena sativa L.) grains and their derivatives, such as oat flakes. During oat flake production, considerable amounts of residue are generated, which constitutes a major issue for producers. We applied life cycle assessment (LCA): (1) to quantify the environmental impacts of oat flakes production in northeastern Canada and (2) to compare two agro-industrial symbiosis scenarios applied to agricultural residues (transformation of residues into feed for farm animals vs. composting). LCA results indicated that the environmental impacts of oat flake production are largely dominated by the production and use of synthetic fertilisers (contributing to at least 50% of the impact of each evaluated category). Regarding end-of-life scenarios, an environmental advantage is observed for the scenario of residue transformation into animal feed in the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba. However, this recommendation may change depending on the electricity mix used and the assumptions made for the avoided products. The choice of industrial symbiosis chains must take into consideration the economic characteristics of the region where they will be implemented and the methodological parameters that can influence the decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the middle of the last century, the use of antibiotic growth promoters in feed has improved the performance of several food-producing animal species. However, bacterial resistance to these drugs threatens public health and has led to their prohibition in animal feed. This has increased enteric problems in broilers and consequently the use of antibiotics for therapeutic purposes. In this context, several alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters have been proposed, among them organic acids, which, according to their physical and chemical properties, modify the composition of the intestinal microbiota, whose metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, favor the intestinal morphology, physiology, integrity, and immunity, aspects that contribute to maintain the health of this organ and increase the bioavailability of nutrients and, ultimately, to improve the productive response of birds. This review describes the main characteristics of the organic acids commonly used in the poultry industry, their mechanisms of action and their effects, individually, in combinations of organic acids or with bioactive, on the microbiota, their metabolites, and how this affects the intestinal health and productive performance of broilers under different sanitary and environmental conditions, as well as factors that potentially interfere with the activity of organics acids.

Algae provide a rich source of proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals, making them valuable feed ingredients in animal nutrition. Beyond their nutritional benefits, algae have been recognized for their potential to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of poultry production. Poultry production is crucial for the global food supply but contributes to environmental concerns, particularly in terms of ammonia and carbon dioxide gas emissions. This study emphasizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas and ammonia production in poultry operations by utilizing algae species suitable for animal consumption, highlighting the need for sustainable feed sources. This study investigated the effects of poultry exhaust air and culture conditions on the amino acid profiles of three microalgae species, namely, Scenedesmus sp. (AQUAMEB-60), Ankistrodesmus sp. (AQUAMEB-33), and Synechococcaceae (AQUAMEB 32). The experiments were conducted in a commercial broiler farm in Bursa, Turkey, focusing on reducing pollutant gas emissions and utilizing poultry exhaust air in algae cultivation. The highest protein content of 50.4% was observed in the biomass of Synechococcaceae with BBM and DI water. Scenedesmus sp. had the highest carbohydrate content of 33.4% cultivated with DI water. The algae biomass produced from Synechococcaceae growth with DI water was found to have the highest content of essential and nonessential amino acids, except for glutamic acid and glycine. The arsenic, cadmium, and mercury content showed variations within the following respective ranges: 1.076–3.500 mg/kg, 0.0127–0.1210 mg/kg, and 0.1330–0.0124 mg/kg. The overall operating costs for producing 1.0 g L−1 d−1 of dry algal biomass with the existing PBR system were $0.12–0.35 L−1 d−1, $0.10–0.26 L−1 d−1, and $0.11–0.24 L−1 d−1 for Scenedesmus sp., Ankistrodesmus sp., and Synechococcaceae, respectively. The operating cost of producing 1.0 g L−1 d−1 of protein was in the range of $0.25–0.88 L−1 d−1 for the three algae species. The results provide insights into the potential of algae as a sustainable feed ingredient in animal diets, emphasizing both environmental and economic considerations. The results demonstrated a considerable reduction in the production costs of dry biomass and protein when utilizing poultry house exhaust air, highlighting the economic viability and nutritional benefits of this cultivation method.

Industrial food production systems depend on inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides, and commercial animal feeds that are highly traded commodities in global markets. Disturbances in international trade can threaten the local food production if the imports of the key agricultural inputs were drastically reduced. However, despite the importance of the topic, a comprehensive analysis focusing on the import dependency of multiple agricultural inputs at the global level and thus revealing the vulnerability of regions and individual countries does not exist. Here, we analyse the temporal trends of agricultural input trade globally at the national scale from 1991 to 2020 by applying statistics of the use and trade of synthetic fertilisers (N, P, and K), pesticides and livestock and aquaculture feeds (grouped into oilseed feeds and other feed crops). The results show that the import dependency of agricultural inputs has increased over the past 30 years, but there is high variation between countries. Countries with high import dependency combined with high use of these inputs, such as many industrial agricultural producers in South America, Asia as well as Europe, show high vulnerability to trade shocks. Also, our findings highlight that potential agricultural intensification in Sub-Saharan African countries—currently with low use of the inputs per cropland area but high import dependency—can lead to higher dependency on imported agricultural inputs. Therefore, understanding of the past trends and current risks associated with the dependency on imported agricultural inputs should be highlighted to mitigate the risks and build more resilient and sustainable food systems.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern, and livestock play a significant role in selecting for resistance and maintaining such reservoirs. Here we study the succession of dairy cattle resistome during early life using metagenomic sequencing, as well as the relationship between resistome, gut microbiota, and diet. In our dataset, the gut of dairy calves serves as a reservoir of 329 antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) presumably conferring resistance to 17 classes of antibiotics, and the abundance of ARGs declines gradually during nursing. ARGs appear to co-occur with antibacterial biocide or metal resistance genes. Colostrum is a potential source of ARGs observed in calves at day 2. The dynamic changes in the resistome are likely a result of gut microbiota assembly, which is closely associated with diet transition in dairy calves. Modifications in the resistome may be possible via early-life dietary interventions to reduce overall antimicrobial resistance.

Our objectives were to characterize responses in the field to a mix of fibrolytic enzymes using large commercial dairy herds and sufficient study power to evaluate milk production and reproductive responses to an enzyme treatment started during the precalving period. We hypothesized that the use of the enzyme treatment would increase milk production when provided to dairy cows precalving and for approximately 200 d of lactation. The study was conducted on 7,507 cows, in 8 replicates and 16 pens, at 3 dairies in the United States. Eight pens were randomly allocated as control pens and received no enzyme, and another 8 pens received enzyme treatment at a dose of 750 mL/t of dry matter feed. Milk production and energy-corrected milk yield were increased with the enzyme treatment by 0.70 and 0.80 kg/d, respectively, across a 5-month period. Milk fat percentage was not significantly increased by enzyme treatment, but milk fat yield was significantly increased by 0.040 kg/d, compared with controls. Milk protein yield increased 0.010 kg/d with enzyme treatment despite a small reduction of 0.020 percentage units in milk protein percentage. We found no evidence of an increase in the ln somatic cell count for the enzyme-treated cows. Body weight overall was not increased for enzyme-treated cows, but we did observe a numerical increase in dry matter intake (0.20 kg/head per day) for enzyme-treated cows. Most production responses to the enzyme treatment were influenced by dairy. Compared with controls, milk yield in enzyme-treated cows was significantly higher by 3.6 kg/d in dairy 2 and numerically higher by 0.60 and 0.20 kg/d in dairies 1 and 3, respectively. Reproduction, health, and risk of removal or death were not significantly influenced by treatment, apart from a reduced time to first breeding. Production responses to the enzyme treatment varied by dairy from substantial to minor increases, but variation among dairies was not evident in differences in dry matter intake or in partitioning of body weight among enzyme-treated and control pens and cows. It appears likely that the increase in production reflected increased digestibility of feed; however, further work is needed to identify factors influencing the variation in production responses to enzymes.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary grape seed polyphenols (GSP) supplementation during the late gestation and lactation period on reproductive performance, antioxidative status in serum, nutrient composition, and Ig content in colostrum of multiparous sows. On day 80 of gestation, a total of 64 sows with similar body condition were allocated to a completely randomized block design with 4 dietary treatments (n = 16 sows per treatment): 1) basal diet (CON, control group); 2) basal diet supplemented with 200 IU/kg vitamin E (200VE, positive control group); 3) basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg GSP (200GSP); and 4) basal diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg GSP (300GSP). The trial lasted 56 d until the piglets were weaned on day 21 of lactation. Reproductive performance, parameters of antioxidative status, and levels of progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) in serum, nutrient composition, and Ig content in colostrum of sows were determined. The number of dead fetuses was reduced, and farrowing survival was significantly improved in the litters from 300GSP-fed (P < 0.05). Preweaning survivability significantly increased in the litters from sows fed 200GSP and 200VE (P < 0.05). The activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the serum was significantly increased in sows fed 200GSP and 300GSP (P < 0.05). The activity of GSH-Px in the serum also significantly increased in sows fed 200VE (P < 0.05). Sows fed 300GSP had the greatest levels of P4 and E2 in the serum, which was significantly greater than sows fed 200VE and CON (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found among treatments for the content of solids-not-fat, fat, protein, and lactose in colostrum (P > 0.05). However, sows fed GSP had greater IgM and IgG content in colostrum compared with sows fed 200VE and CON (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary GSP supplementation during late gestation and lactation improved the farrowing survival and preweaning survivability, enhanced the antioxidant status and hormone levels in serum, and increased the IgM and IgG content in colostrum of sows.

BackgroundOral administration of magnesium and boron might have a beneficial effect on headshaking behavior in horses.ObjectiveEvaluate the effects of oral magnesium alone or in combination with boron on headshaking behavior in affected horses.AnimalsTwelve geldings (6 healthy controls and 6 affected).MethodsProspective randomized controlled dietary trial over 42 days in 12 horses (6 horses diagnosed with trigeminal-mediated headshaking and 6 unaffected healthy controls). All horses received a hay diet and were randomized into 3 treatment groups: pelleted feed combination (PF), pelleted feed combination with magnesium (M), and pelleted feed combination with magnesium-boron (MB) with a week washout of hay only between treatments. Headshaking behavior and biochemical blood variables were assessed at baseline (hay only) and then after each week of supplementation.ResultsAll 3 diet interventions increased blood ionized and total magnesium. Groups M and MB further increased Mg2+ when compared to PF. Horses receiving treatments had a significant reduction in headshaking behavior, as measured by incidence rate ratio (IRR), when compared to unsupplemented hay diet (44% for PF, IRR, 0.558; CI, 0.44, 0.72; P

In July 2018, the Food and Drug Administration warned about a possible relationship between dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs and the consumption of dog food formulated with potatoes and pulse ingredients. This issue may impede utilization of pulse ingredients in dog food or consideration of alternative proteins. Pulse ingredients have been used in the pet food industry for over 2 decades and represent a valuable source of protein to compliment animal-based ingredients. Moreover, individual ingredients used in commercial foods do not represent the final nutrient concentration of the complete diet. Thus, nutritionists formulating dog food must balance complementary ingredients to fulfill the animal's nutrient needs in the final diet. There are multiple factors that should be considered, including differences in nutrient digestibility and overall bioavailability, the fermentability and quantity of fiber, and interactions among food constituents that can increase the risk of DCM development. Taurine is a dispensable amino acid that has been linked to DCM in dogs. As such, adequate supply of taurine and/or precursors for taurine synthesis plays an important role in preventing DCM. However, requirements of amino acids in dogs are not well investigated and are presented in total dietary content basis which does not account for bioavailability or digestibility. Similarly, any nutrient (e.g., soluble and fermentable fiber) or physiological condition (e.g., size of the dog, sex, and age) that increases the requirement for taurine will also augment the possibility for DCM development. Dog food formulators should have a deep knowledge of processing methodologies and nutrient interactions beyond meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials nutrient profiles and should not carelessly follow unsubstantiated market trends. Vegetable ingredients, including pulses, are nutritious and can be used in combination with complementary ingredients to meet the nutritional needs of the dog.

In July 2018, the Food and Drug Administration warned about a possible relationship between dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs and the consumption of dog food formulated with potatoes and pulse ingredients. This issue may impede utilization of pulse ingredients in dog food or consideration of alternative proteins. Pulse ingredients have been used in the pet food industry for over 2 decades and represent a valuable source of protein to compliment animal-based ingredients. Moreover, individual ingredients used in commercial foods do not represent the final nutrient concentration of the complete diet. Thus, nutritionists formulating dog food must balance complementary ingredients to fulfill the animal's nutrient needs in the final diet. There are multiple factors that should be considered, including differences in nutrient digestibility and overall bioavailability, the fermentability and quantity of fiber, and interactions among food constituents that can increase the risk of DCM development. Taurine is a dispensable amino acid that has been linked to DCM in dogs. As such, adequate supply of taurine and/or precursors for taurine synthesis plays an important role in preventing DCM. However, requirements of amino acids in dogs are not well investigated and are presented in total dietary content basis which does not account for bioavailability or digestibility. Similarly, any nutrient (e.g., soluble and fermentable fiber) or physiological condition (e.g., size of the dog, sex, and age) that increases the requirement for taurine will also augment the possibility for DCM development. Dog food formulators should have a deep knowledge of processing methodologies and nutrient interactions beyond meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials nutrient profiles and should not carelessly follow unsubstantiated market trends. Vegetable ingredients, including pulses, are nutritious and can be used in combination with complementary ingredients to meet the nutritional needs of the dog.

Over-the-counter (OTC) limited ingredient canine diets could be reliable alternatives to veterinary therapeutic formulations for the diagnosis and management of adverse food reaction (AFR). However, the possibility of undeclared ingredients jeopardizes the efficacious use of OTC options for medical purposes. The objective was to determine the presence of undeclared ingredients in OTC canine dry diets marketed as limited or single protein source diets. Twenty-one OTC adult canine diets marketed as limited or single protein source diets were purchased. Multiplex PCR was used to screen for DNA of 10 mammalian species with species-specific primers that anneal to regions of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The presence of DNA from one or more species not declared on the label was identified in all 21 diets: cow (Bos taurus), pig (Sus scrofa), sheep (Ovis sp.), goat (Capra hircus) and bison (Bison bison). Twenty diets were positive for the declared protein source and one diet was negative for the declared species. Cat (Felis catus), dog (Canis sp.), horse (Equus sp.), mouse (Mus musculus) and rat (Rattus norvegicus) DNA was not identified in any samples. The presence of undeclared mammal species in OTC canine dry diets marketed as having limited or single protein source ingredients may complicate AFR diagnosis and treatment. However, PCR can detect a miniscule amount of DNA which might not be clinically significant, because the amount needed to elicit a response is unknown. Quantification of the contamination was not determined in this study, precluding discrimination of intentional adulteration from unavoidable cross-contamination.

The probiotics, Lactobacillus plantarum ST-III, plays an important role in modulating microbiota and alleviating intestinal metabolic disorders. Herein, we reported that Lactobacillus increases biodiversity of zebrafish gut flora, and attenuates toxic effects from chronic triclosan (TCS) exposure. Lactobacillus-feeding recovered the species and amount of microorganisms in the intestines of zebrafish, and inhibited toxin production by saprophytic bacterial growth. Abnormal physiological indexes and malonaldeyhde content resulting from TCS exposure were effectively alleviated. Additionally, lipid-metabolism disorders, such as increased triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, were attenuated by a probiotics diet. The number of CD4+ T cell lymphocytes in the lamina propria of the duodenal mucosa was decreased in zebrafish receiving a Lactobacillus diet compared to the TCS-exposed group, showing a consistent expression trend for six immune genes (NF-κB, IL-1β, TNF-α, lysozyme, TLR4α, IL-10) in the intestinal mucosa. Histopathological observations of intestines, spleen and kidney showed that TCS exposure produced severe damage to the morphology and structure of immune and metabolism-related organs. Lactobacillus was capable of mitigating this damage, but bile salt hydrolase, an active extract of Lactobacillus, was not an effective mitigation strategy. The Lactobacillus-induced decrease in the number of inflammatory cells confirmed its role in preventing inflammatory injury. Three behavioral tests (T-maze, bottom dwelling and social interaction) indicated that a probiotics diet improved zebrafish movement and learning/memory capacity, effectively alleviating anxiety behavior due to TCS exposure. These findings inform development of beneficial strategies to alleviate intestinal metabolic syndromes and neurodegenerative diseases resulting from exposure to environmental contaminants through modifying gut flora with a probiotics diet.

Conventional broiler diets include synthetic methionine to optimize fast muscle growth. Recently, a conventional synthetic methionine-rich diet was compared to alternative diet regimens providing natural sources of methionine. Broilers fed diets with natural methionine sources grew at a slightly slower rate. From this study, we hypothesized that the difference in a growth rate would be reflected in features of the breast muscle from broilers fed the alternative diet. We hypothesized that white striping of pectoralis major muscle would be reduced in slower growing broilers fed the alternative diet regimen with natural methionine. We also hypothesized that there would be associated differences in gene expression for cell differentiation and pathology markers. Broilers fed a conventional corn/soy diet regimen with synthetic methionine were compared to those fed roasted cowpea and sunflower seed meal (60% corn/soy, 20% sunflower seed meal, and 20% roasted cowpea) and no synthetic methionine. Overall broiler growth, muscle gene expression, and muscle collagen content data were compared. Expression analyses of combinations of MYOD1, PPARG, COL1A2, TRIM63, SOD1, PTGS2, and CD36 genes were used to examine differentiation and inflammation in the pectoralis muscles. The group fed an alternative diet gained less weight than those fed the control diet in the starter and grower phases but not in the finisher phase. Ultimately, the conventional diet resulted in a greater final weight for the broilers. However, mean white striping scores for the pectoralis major muscles were greater in the conventional control diet regimen. Gene expression results indicated greater expression of PPARG, PTGS2, and CD36 in the muscle of broilers fed the control diet. These data associate white striping with fat deposition and inflammation. Thus, whether due to differences in feed intake, growth rate, or actual compositional differences, the alternative diet with natural methionine sources seemed to curtail amounts of white striping in broiler muscle. More studies are necessary to further discern the effect of growth rate and natural methionine sources on white striping.

The objective of this clinical trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of zinc supplementation on diarrhea and average daily weight gain (ADG) in pre-weaned dairy calves. A total of 1,482 healthy Holstein heifer and bull calves from a large California dairy were enrolled at 24 to 48 hours of age until hutch exit at approximately 90 days of age. Calves were block-randomized by time to one of three treatments: 1) placebo, 2) zinc methionine (ZM), or 3) zinc sulfate (ZS) administered in milk once daily for 14 days. Serum total protein at enrollment and body weight at birth, treatment end, and hutch exit were measured. Fecal consistency was assessed daily for 28 days post-enrollment. For a random sample of 127 calves, serum zinc concentrations before and after treatment and a fecal antigen ELISA at diarrhea start and resolution for Escherichia coli K99, rotavirus, coronavirus, and Cryptosporidium parvum were performed. Linear regression showed that ZM-treated bull calves had 22 g increased ADG compared to placebo-treated bulls (P = 0.042). ZM-treated heifers had 9 g decreased ADG compared to placebo-treated heifers (P = 0.037), after adjusting for average birth weight. Sex-stratified models showed that high birth weight heifers treated with ZM gained more than placebo-treated heifers of the same birth weight, which suggests a dose-response effect rather than a true sex-specific effect of ZM on ADG. Cox regression showed that ZM and ZS-treated calves had a 14.7% (P = 0.015) and 13.9% (P = 0.022) reduced hazard of diarrhea, respectively, compared to placebo-treated calves. Calves supplemented for at least the first five days of diarrhea with ZM and ZS had a 21.4% (P = 0.027) and 13.0% (P = 0.040) increased hazard of cure from diarrhea, respectively, compared to placebo-treated calves. Logistic regression showed that the odds of microbiological cure at diarrhea resolution for rotavirus, C. parvum, or any single fecal pathogen was not different between treatment groups. Zinc supplementation delayed diarrhea and expedited diarrhea recovery in pre-weaned calves. Additionally, zinc improved weight gain differentially in bulls compared to heifers, indicating a research need for sex-specific dosing.

The strategy to disseminate innovative technology is vital. It expects the technology to be effective and can be adopted. The assessment of the perception of farmers towards the characteristics of innovative technology is needed to identify the potential implementation of sustainability. The study aims to understand the characteristics of technology innovation of Probio_FM in the food processing of palm oil and to examine the impact of innovation characteristics on the adoption of innovation. The survey was employed as the research method. Structural equation modeling with smart partial least squares was used to analyze the data. The study discovered that the innovation characteristics and adoption of Probio_FM technology were relative advantages, compatibility, complexity, liability, and observability. The innovation characteristics had a significant impact on the adoption process. Technology innovation was accepted by society. The variable of relative advantage, trialability, and compatibility was the most important innovation characteristic of livestock farmers in the process of adoption of Probio_FM technology in food processing of palm oil.

Carbohydrates or polysaccharides are the main products derived from photosynthesis and carbon fixation in the Calvin cycle. Compared to other sources, polysaccharides derived from microalgae are safe, biocompatible, biodegradable, stable, and versatile. These polymeric macromolecules present complex biochemical structures according to each microalgal species. In addition, they exhibit emulsifying properties and biological characteristics that include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antimicrobial activities. Some microalgal species have a naturally high concentration of carbohydrates. Other species can adapt their metabolism to produce more sugars from changes in temperature and light, carbon source, macro and micronutrient limitations (mainly nitrogen), and saline stress. In addition to growing in adverse conditions, microalgae can use industrial effluents as an alternative source of nutrients. Microalgal polysaccharides are predominantly composed of pentose and hexose monosaccharide subunits with many glycosidic bonds. Microalgae polysaccharides can be structural constituents of the cell wall, energy stores, or protective polysaccharides and cell interaction. The industrial use of microalgae polysaccharides is on the rise. These microorganisms present rheological and biological properties, making them a promising candidate for application in the food industry and agriculture. Thus, microalgae polysaccharides are promising sustainable alternatives for potential applications in several sectors, and the choice of producing microalgal species depends on the required functional activity. In this context, this review article aims to provide an overview of microalgae technology for polysaccharide production, emphasizing its potential in the food, animal feed, and agriculture sector.

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that productivity of sows fed diets containing canola meal produced from high-protein or conventional varieties of canola seeds is not different from that of sows fed corn-soybean meal (SBM) diets. A total of 180 sows (initial BW: 207.8 ± 29.11 kg) were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 diets with 36 to 40 sows per diet. A 2-phase feeding program was used with gestation diets fed from day 7 of gestation to farrowing and lactation diets fed during the lactation period and from weaning to first estrus. The 5 diets within each phase consisted of a control diet based on corn and SBM, 2 diets were based on corn and high-protein canola meal (CM-HP) that was included to replace 50 or 100% of the SBM in the control diet, and 2 diets contained conventional canola meal (CM-CV) included to replace 50 or 100% of the SBM in the control diet. Soybean hulls were included in diets fed during gestation to standardize the concentration of NDF to approximately 13% in all diets. However, no soybean hulls were used in lactation diets resulting in increased concentrations of NDF as the dietary concentration of CM-HP or CM-CV increased. Results of the experiment indicated that there were no differences in sow BW changes during gestation, in sow BW on day 1 post-farrowing, or at weaning due to dietary treatments. No differences were observed among diets in ADFI during gestation or lactation or in the number of total pigs born, pigs born alive, still-born pigs, or weaned pigs per litter. Likewise, no differences were observed among diets in litter birth weight, live litter birth weight, litter BW at weaning, or litter ADG. As the inclusion level of CM-HP or CM-CV increased, the percentage of pigs surviving during the lactation period increased (linear, P < 0.05), but the wean to first estrus interval also increased as the dietary concentration of CM-CV increased (linear, P < 0.05). Average pig BW at weaning and pig ADG decreased (linear, P < 0.05) as the inclusion level of CM-HP increased. No differences were observed between CM-HP and CM-CV with the exception that pigs born from sows fed CM-CV during gestation had greater (P < 0.05) average live pig birth weight compared with pigs born from sows fed CM-HP during gestation. Results of this experiment indicate that CM-HP or CM-CV may replace all SBM in diets fed to sows during gestation and lactation.

BackgroundThe increasing production of almonds worldwide has resulted in the significant generation of byproduct streams that require end uses. One potential use for byproducts is for cultivation of additional food sources including insects. Studies were performed to determine if black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens L.) could be cultivated on almond byproducts (hulls and shells) and to examine the effect of aeration and moisture on larvae growth and hull composition.ResultsIncreasing aeration from 0.04 to 0.36 mL min-1 g dry weight-1 tripled the harvest weight of larvae and increased larvae yield by a factor of five. Larvae calcium content increased by 18% with an increase in aeration from 0.04 to 0.95 mL min-1 g dry weight-1 . Moisture content also affected harvest dry weight and yield; increasing moisture content from 480 g kg-1 (wet basis) to 680 g kg-1 increased harvest weight by 56% and yield by a factor of 2. Variables did not affect larvae methionine and cysteine content. Low moisture content and aeration rate yielded an environment that supported microbial consumption of hulls over larvae consumption and growth.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that almond hulls are a suitable feedstock for larvae production under controlled management of moisture content and aeration. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

There are heightened concerns globally on emerging drug-resistant superbugs and the lack of new antibiotics for treating human and animal diseases. For the agricultural industry, there is an urgent need to develop strategies to replace antibiotics for food-producing animals, especially poultry and livestock. The 2nd International Symposium on Alternatives to Antibiotics was held at the World Organization for Animal Health in Paris, France, December 12-15, 2016 to discuss recent scientific developments on strategic antibiotic-free management plans, to evaluate regional differences in policies regarding the reduction of antibiotics in animal agriculture and to develop antibiotic alternatives to combat the global increase in antibiotic resistance. More than 270 participants from academia, government research institutions, regulatory agencies, and private animal industries from >25 different countries came together to discuss recent research and promising novel technologies that could provide alternatives to antibiotics for use in animal health and production; assess challenges associated with their commercialization; and devise actionable strategies to facilitate the development of alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) without hampering animal production. The 3-day meeting consisted of four scientific sessions including vaccines, microbial products, phytochemicals, immune-related products, and innovative drugs, chemicals and enzymes, followed by the last session on regulation and funding. Each session was followed by an expert panel discussion that included industry representatives and session speakers. The session on phytochemicals included talks describing recent research achievements, with examples of successful agricultural use of various phytochemicals as antibiotic alternatives and their mode of action in major agricultural animals (poultry, swine and ruminants). Scientists from industry and academia and government research institutes shared their experience in developing and applying potential antibiotic-alternative phytochemicals commercially to reduce AGPs and to develop a sustainable animal production system in the absence of antibiotics.

The majority of seafood is farmed, with most finfish coming from freshwater ponds. Ponds are often fertilized to promote microbial productivity as a natural feed source to fish. To understand if pond fertilization with livestock manure induces a probiotic or prebiotic effect, we communally reared tilapia (Oreochromis shiranus), and North African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), for 4 weeks under seven manure treatments including layer chicken, broiler chicken, guinea fowl, quail, pig, cow, vs. commercial feed to evaluate microbial community dynamics of the manure, pond water, and fish feces using 16S and 18S rRNA marker genes along with metagenome sequencing. Catfish growth, but not tilapia, was positively associated with plankton abundance (p = 0.0006, R2  = 0.4887) and greatest in ponds fertilized with quail manure (ANOVA, p

Agricultural and industrial activities around the world lead to the production of large quantities of agro-industrial wastes (e.g., peels of cassava, pineapple, plantain, banana, and yam, as well as rice husks, rice bran , corn husks, corn cobs, palm kernel cake, soybean meal, wheat bran, etc.). These agro-industrial wastes are discarded indiscriminately, thereby polluting the environment and becoming hazardous to human and animal health. Solid-state fermentation (SSF), a microbial fermentation process, is a viable, efficient approach that transforms discarded agro-industrial wastes into a plethora of useful value-added bioproducts. There is growing interest in the application of SSF in valorizing agro-industrial wastes for the production of fermented, protein-rich animal feed within the livestock industry. SSF reduces anti-nutritional factors whose presence hinders the digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients in agro-industrial wastes. Thus, the application of SSF improves the nutrient contents and quality of valorized agro-industrial wastes as animal feed. Fermented animal feed production may be safer, cheaper and enhance the overall growth performance and health of animals. SSF, therefore, as a strategic approach in a circular bioeconomy, presents economic and practical advantages that guarantee efficient recycling and valorization of agro-industrial wastes that ameliorate environmental pollution. This paper reviews the status of global and local Ghanaian biotransformation and valorization of agro-industrial wastes through SSF for the production of nutrient-rich animal feed.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination of food crops and feeds is almost impossible to avoid completely; however, through best management practices, this risk can be effectively managed and maximumly mitigated. Accurate and rapid detection of DON contamination as early in the entire value chain as possible is critical. To achieve this goal, we developed a DON test strip based on time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) and a specific DON monoclonal antibody for the rapid quantification of DON in food crops and feeds. The strip displayed a good linearity (R2 = 0.9926), with a limit of quantification of 28.16 μg/kg, a wide linear range of 50 ~ 10,000 μg/kg. The intra-batch coefficient of variation (CV) and the inter-batch CV was

Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) suppress the growth of infectious pathogens. These pathogens negatively impact agricultural production worldwide and often cause health problems if left untreated. Here, we evaluate six Bacillus strains (BPR-11, BPR-12, BPR-13, BPR-14, BPR-16 and BPR-17), which are known for their ability to survive harsh environmental conditions, as AGP replacements in animal feed. Four of these Bacillus strains (BPR-11, BPR-14, BPR-16 and BPR-17) showed antimicrobial activity against the pathogenic strains Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at 25 μg/mL, with BPR-16 and BPR-17 also able to inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica at 100 μg/mL. Further chemical investigation of BPR-17 led to the identification of eight metabolites, namely C16, C15, C14 and C13 surfactin C (1–4), maculosin (5), maculosine 2 (6), genistein (7) and daidzein (8). Purified compounds (1–4) were able to inhibit all the tested pathogens with MIC values ranging from 6.25 to 50 μg/mL. Maculosin (5) and maculosine 2 (6) inhibited C. perfringens, E. coli and S. aureus with an MIC of 25 μg/mL while genistein (7) and daidzein (8) showed no activity. An animal trial involving feeding BPR-11, BPR-16 and BPR-17 to a laboratory poultry model led to an increase in animal growth, and a decrease in feed conversion ratio and mortality. The presence of surfactin C analogues (3–4) in the gut following feeding with probiotics was confirmed using an LC–MS analysis. The investigation of these Bacillus probiotics, their metabolites, their impacts on animal performance indicators and their presence in the gastrointestinal system illustrates that these probiotics are effective alternatives to AGPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste from apple juice and cider industries (pomace) compares poorly against spent grains and other relatively high-nutrient wastes as a substrate for bioconversion by the black soldier fly (BSF: Hermetia illucens). However, global pomace production exceeds 24 million tonnes annually and novel management approaches are required to reduce waste to landfill. We examined the effects of BSF inoculation densities (intraspecific competition) and larval size categories on cohort weight gains and apple pomace waste reduction. We found that, by increasing larval densities, cohort biomass and bioconversion rates (BRs) increased; however, at very high densities (overcrowding), BRs declined and cohorts lost weight. Furthermore, larger larval size classes accelerated substrate desiccation, possibly because of greater demands for water by older larvae. Larger larvae have slower relative growth rates and BRs compared to smaller size categories and require comparatively less dry weight substrate. Our results suggest that overcrowding on low-nutrient substrates reduces BRs and could exaggerate differences between BSF relative performances in comparative studies, particularly if intraspecific interference competition for space and exploitation competition for water diminish BSF weight returns at the end of the bioconversion cycle. We make a series of recommendations for the use of BSF in pomace waste reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the physical, chemical and microbiological composition of silage obtained from mixtures of plant residues. The research was experimental with a quantitative approach, the data obtained from the response variables were analyzed using statistical tools for the subsequent interpretation of the data. For the execution of the experiment, plant residues of potatoes, cassava, eggplant and watermelon discarded in supermarkets in the city of Valledupar were used. For the production of silage, a completely random experimental design was applied with four treatments and three repetitions. The best treatment was selected through the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and comparison of means through the Tukey test. Three of the four alternatives for the production of silage are viable since they carry the process in a correct way because the pH values given suggest that there is an optimal production of lactic acid bacteria. The tests carried out comply with adequate characteristics in treatments two, three and four. Treatments containing the highest percentage of cassava showed the best values in fiber, carbohydrates and protein. While the silages that contained in greater proportion the potato were the richest in moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the proximate, physieo-ehemieal and fatty aeid analysis were earried out to evaluate the quality of animal feeds (eompound and seed eake) eommereially available in Sindh, Pakistan. The proximate eomposition of feed was found as follows: moisture (5.0-12%), ash (0.5-3.2%), erude protein (9.19-2.47%), fibre (49.8-72.81%), earbohydrate (34.03-67.79%), energy value (1392.05-1679.23 KJ/mol) and oil eontent (0.8-10.5%). Offieial AOCS methods were used to evaluate the quality of animal feed oil. Higher free fatty aeids (2.5-59%) and peroxide value (0.4-12 meq/Kg) were determined in feed oil. The fatty aeid analysis revealed that saturated and unsaturated fatty aeids in animal feed oil were found in the range of2.44 to 57.12% and 3.5 to 40.97%, respeetively. Comparatively, eompound animal feed showed better quality eharaeteristies than seed eake. The proximate and ehemieal analysis of animal feed showed that oil present in animal feed supports good quality exeept for peroxide value and free fatty aeid, whereas proximate eomposition still needs improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mulberry leaf is a kind of unconventional feed resource with high yield and rich in avariety of natural active substances. The mulberry leaf has high nutritional value and feeding value. Animal feeding mulberry leaf can improve growth performance, enhance immunity and antistress ability. At present, feed resource shortage and distribution are unreasonable in China. The paper reviews the functions of mulberry leaves and their applications in livestock and poultry production, to provide reference for the development and utilization of mulberry leaves as unconventional feed resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in animal feed samples collected between 2018 and 2021 in Colombia. Methods. This was a laboratory-based cross-sectional study using routine data from the program for inspection, surveillance, and control of animal feed at the Colombian Agriculture Institute. Samples of animal feed for swine, poultry, canine, feline, leporine, piscine, and equine species were processed for detection of E. coli and Salmonella spp. using enrichment and selective culture methods. Isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using an automated microdilution method. Results. Of 1 748 animal feed samples analyzed, 83 (4.7%) were positive for E. coli and 66 (3.8%) for Salmonella spp. The presence of E. coli and Salmonella spp. was highest in feed for poultry (6.4% and 5.5%) and swine (6.1% and 4.3%). Antimicrobial resistance testing was performed in 27 (33%) E. coli isolates and 26 (39%) Salmonella isolates. Among E. coli, resistance was most frequently observed to ampicillin (44.5%) followed by cefazolin (33.3%), ciprofloxacin (29.6%), ampicillin/sulbactam (26%), and ceftriaxone (11.1%). The highest resistance levels in Salmonella spp. isolates were against cefazolin (7.7%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (7.7%). Conclusions. This is the first study from Colombia reporting on the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of E. coli and Salmonella spp. in animal feed samples. Its results establish a baseline over a wide geographical distribution in Colombia. It highlights the need to integrate antimicrobial resistance surveillance in animal feed due to the emergence of resistant bacteria in this important stage of the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes can influence the genetic diversity of forage plants, which may contribute to the improvement and development of new species. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the influence of temperature increase on the genetic diversity of Macroptilium accessions based on morphoagronomic descriptors. The experiment was carried out in a growth chamber in a 2×16 factorial arrangement (temperature regimes x Macroptilium accessions), with the temperatures consisting of T1 (20-26-33 ℃) and T2 (24.8-30.8-37.8 ℃) and 16 accessions. Eleven morphoagronomic descriptors allowed estimating the diversity among accessions. The measurements of genetic dissimilarity enabled us to observe the genetic distance between the studied materials, standing out the accessions T1.M3 and T2.S4 as the most divergent (446.01). The morphoagronomic descriptors percentage of leaves and stem diameter were the most efficient for estimating the diversity between access. Genetic variability points to the adaptation of Macroptilium accessions in the climate change scenario. The accessions more divergent can be explored in genetic breeding programs for the species aiming at the expansion of genetic variability as an adaptation mechanism to heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elephant grass is indicated for silage production but requires additives to increase dry matter content because it reduces the production of effluents, potentially improves the fermentation pattern, and preserves the nutrients of the silage. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of including macaúba cake in elephant grass ensilage on dry matter content, lactic acid bacteria population, lactic acid production, pH values, losses by gases and effluents, and dry matter recovery. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 3x6 factorial scheme, with three levels of inclusion of macaúba cake (0, 10, and 20%) and six opening times (1, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 days after ensilage), with four repetitions. Macaúba cake was an effective moisture-absorbing additive, increasing dry matter content, lactic acid bacteria population, and lactic acid content and reducing the pH. The losses by effluents and gases decreased, and dry matter recovery increased with the addition of this biodiesel co-product. The 20% level of inclusion of macaúba cake in elephant grass ensilage allowed for better preserving the ensiled material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of the inclusion of an enzyme complex-treated rice protein concentrate (RPC) in an extruded diet of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). A mixture of RPC, corn gluten and soybean meal was pretreated with an enzyme complex before extrusion processing of the diets. An enzyme complex-pretreated RPC (5, 10 and 15%) was formulated with 20% fish meal. A diet without RPC was used as a control. A total of 240 rainbow trouts with an average body weight of 6.04 g were placed in 12 rectangular glass aquaria and fed one of the experimental diets at apparent satiation for 12 weeks. There were no significant differences in growth, feed intake and survival among the groups. Slightly inferior weight gain and specific growth rate were observed in the RPC15E group compared to those in the other groups. The protein and ash contents of the whole body of the final fish were not significantly different among all groups, but the lipid content was significantly lower than that of the control when the dietary RPC level was >10%. Protein digestibility was negatively affected by increased RPC levels in diet. Significantly lower phosphorus digestibility was observed in fish fed the diet containing 5% enzyme-treated RPC than the control. Although there was no significant difference in lipid digestibility in all groups, significantly lower lipid retention was observed in fish fed a diet formulated with more than 10% RPC. These results suggest that the inclusion of RPC in the diet affects lipid retention and the content of rainbow trout. It also decreased protein digestibility. In conclusion, rainbow trout can be fed an extruded diet formulated with 20% fishmeal and 10% enzyme-treated RPC without negative effects on fish growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]