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In this study, our subjects were 18 female crossbred Saanen lactating goats; the goats weighed approximately 43.25 ± 2.35 kg and had been producing milk for 14 ± 2 days. They were assigned to three equally sized experimental groups based on the cycle of the lactation period. In accordance with the randomized complete block design (RCBD), six animals were randomly assigned to the treatments in each block. There were three treatments: (1) control = Napier Pakchong-1 grass silage (NPS); (2) = sweet grass silage (SGS); and (3) = purple Napier silage (PNS). Our findings show that the goats fed with purple Napier grass silage had a higher DM intake (1805.97 g/day) than those that underwent a different treatment (1312.76 and 1443.43 g/day). The goats fed with purple Napier grass silage had higher protein digestibility (79.85) than those fed with Napier Pakchong-1 and sweet grass silage. There were significant differences in the ruminal ammonia nitrogen and blood urea nitrogen. Nevertheless, purple Napier grass silage significantly increased butyric acid 2 and 4 h after feeding and increased the number of microorganisms. In the dairy goats fed purple Napier grass silage, we observed a reduction in protozoa and methanogen populations. The levels of antioxidants shown by the plasma indices differed in the goats fed with purple Napier grass silage and showed enhanced milk composition, higher levels of total antioxidants, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the plasma, reduced protozoa methanogen, and a decreased level of malondialdehyde in the plasma. This study highlights that purple Napier grass silage has the potential to be a beneficial source of roughage for lactating dairy goats.

Oxidative stress resulting from an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants can cause damage to certain cellular components. Purple Napier grass, a semi-dwarf variety, is characterized by its purple leaves and contains anthocyanins, which provide it with antioxidant properties. This study examined the effects of feeding purple Napier grass (“Prince”) silage to lactating dairy goats on blood antioxidant activity, milk yield, and milk quality. Eighteen female Saanen crossbred goats, weighing 52.34 ± 2.86 kg and producing milk for 14 ± 2 days, were systematically divided into three groups based on their lactation period in the previous cycle as follows: early, mid, and late lactation. In a randomized complete block design (RCBD), treatments were randomly allocated to six animals in each block. The dairy goats were fed a total mixed ration (TMR) consisting of the three following treatments: control (100% Napier Pakchong 1 grass silage), 50% (a 50% replacement of the control with purple Napier grass silage), and 100% (100% purple Napier grass silage). The results show that goats who were fed a diet including 100% purple Napier grass silage showed higher levels of certain milk contents, especially with regard to lactose, when compared to those who were fed a control diet, as well as a diet with a 50% replacement of purple Napier grass silage. The somatic cell count (SCC) of these goats was reduced. In terms of antioxidant activity, dairy goats who were fed 100% purple Napier grass silage showed higher levels of enzymes in both plasma and milk, including glutathione s-transferase, total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, compared to the control group and the 50% replacement group. The plasma and milk of these goats showed lower levels of malondialdehyde. The dairy goats who were fed a 100% purple Napier grass silage diet showed higher concentrations of anthocyanins, including C3G, P3G, Peo3G, M3G, Cya, Pel, and total anthocyanins in milk, when compared to the control group and the 50% replacement group. The increased replacement of purple Napier grass silage led to significant differences in lactose levels, somatic cell count, glutathione S-transferase, total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, and the composition of anthocyanins. This study provides evidence to support the use of purple Napier grass silage as a beneficial source of roughage for lactating dairy goats.

This study aims to investigate the effect of neem leaf supplementation on the feed intake, digestibility, performance, fermentation characteristics, and ruminal microbes in goats. We included 24 Anglo-Nubian Thai native male goats with a body weight of 20 ± 2.0 kg, using 2 × 2 factorial in a completely randomized design for the following four treatments: (1) control, (2) control + 15% PEG in the concentrate, (3) 6% NL in concentrate, and (4) 6% NL + 15% PEG in concentrate. The results show that supplementation with 6% NL + 15% PEG in the concentrate had a higher (p < 0.05) feed intake gDM/d, % BW, g/kgBW0.75, nutrient intake, nutrient digestion, weight change, and ADG than did the goats that were fed with 0% NL + 0% PEG, 0% NL + 15% PEG, and 6% NL + 0% PEG in concentrate, respectively. The feeding with 6% NL + 15% PEG had a higher (p < 0.05) level of propionic acid at 2 and 4 h post feeding compared to the other treatments. Supplementation with 6% NL + 15% PEG in the concentrate had the lowest (p < 0.05) methanogen, protozoa, blood urea nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, acetic acid, and butyric acid, as well as a lower ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid at 2 and 4 h post feeding than the other treatments. However, supplementation with 6% NL + 15% PEG in concentrate had the highest values of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and Streptococcus gallolyticus at 2 and 4 h post feeding compared to the other treatments (p < 0.05). Collectively, this study indicates that neem leaf supplements can increase growth performance and propionic acid and can modulate the abundance of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and Streptococcus gallolyticus. Thus, neem leaf could potentially be a good supplement for goat feed.

Purple Napier grass is a semi-dwarf, purple-leaved Napier grass. The purple color is anthocyanins. Anthocyanin is classified as a group of flavonoids. It has antioxidant properties. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of plant spacing and harvesting age on the forage yield, morphological characteristics, chemical composition, and anthocyanin composition of purple Napier grass. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of plant spacing and harvesting age on the forage yield, morphological characteristics, chemical composition, and anthocyanin composition of purple Napier grass when grown on a sandy soil. The cultivars were Napier Pakchong 1 (Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum americanum cv. Pakchong 1) and purple Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum “Prince”), with plant spacings of 50 × 50, 50 × 75, and 75 × 75 cm, and the harvesting ages were 45, 60, and 75 days. The experiment was a 2 × 3 × 3 factorial layout in a randomized complete block design with four replications, for a total of 72 plots, each 5 × 5 m. The purple Napier grass had a higher number of tillers per plant than the Napier Pakchong 1 grass. The LSR value (leaf/stem ratio) was influenced by the interaction of cultivar × plant spacing × harvesting age. The purple Napier grass planted at 75 × 75 cm for 45 days had the highest LSR value. The crude protein of the purple Napier grass, the grass planted at 75 × 75 cm, and the grass for 45 days were significantly higher than the other treatments. The purple Napier grass planted at 75 × 75 cm for 45 days had the highest (p < 0.05) anthocyanin content. It was concluded that purple Napier grass planted at 75 × 75 cm for 45 days would contain the proper number of tillers per plant, LSR value, chemical composition for ruminants, and the highest anthocyanin composition.

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effect of Purple Neem foliage as a feed supplement on nutrient apparent digestibility, nitrogen utilization, rumen fermentation, microbial population, plasma antioxidants, meat quality and fatty acid profile of goats. Eighteen Boer male goats (approximately 20 ± 2 kg body weight; mean ± standard deviation (SD)) were randomly allocated into three treatments. All goats were fed a 60 d daily feeding with three treatments: (1) control, (2) 3% Purple Neem foliage (PNF) + 3% sunflower oil (SFO) in concentrate, and (3) 6% Purple Neem foliage (PNF) + 3% sunflower oil (SFO) in concentrate. The findings indicate that goat feed containing 6% PNF + 3% SFO in concentrate increased feed consumption, nutrient intake, nutrient apparent digestibility and nitrogen utilization compared to the goat feed at 3% PNF + 3% SFO and the control group. The feeding of goats with 6% PNF + 3% SFO in concentrate resulted in high ammonia nitrogen, BUN, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and the total VFA levels were increased at 2 and 4 h after feeding (p < 0.01). The individual microbial population with 6% PNF + 3% SFO had higher (p < 0.01) total bacteria, higher Butyrivibrio fibrisolven, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefacises, and Streptococcus bovis, decreased protozoa and methanogen levels at 2 and 4 h after feeding. The antioxidant in plasma indices varied, with 6% PNF + 3% SFO having higher total antioxidant (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and catalase (CAT) antioxidant activity and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma at 2 and 4 h after feeding. Additionally, goat fed 6% PNF + 3% SFO can improve meat quality by lowering drip loss, cooking loss, shear force, and saturated fatty acid as well as increase the fatty acid profile (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids) in goat meat. Our findings suggest that Purple Neem foliage might be an excellent alternative additive for goat feed.

This study aimed to investigate how the consumption of purple neem foliage rich in anthocyanins improves rumen fermentation, growth performance and plasma antioxidant activity in growing goats. In total, 25 Anglo-Nubian Thai native male goats (about 20 ± 2 kg body weight; mean standard deviation (SD)) were assigned to 2 × 2 + 1 factorial in a completely randomized study design. There were five treatments: (1) control, (2) 3% normal neem foliage in concentrate, (3) 6% normal neem foliage in concentrate, (4) 3% purple neem foliage in concentrate and (5) 6% purple neem foliage in concentrate. The results show that the goats that were fed 6% purple neem foliage in concentrate had a higher (p < 0.01) feed intake gDM/d, %BW, g/kgBW0.75, nutrient intake, nutrient digestion, final weight, weight change and ADG than did the goats that were fed 3% purple neem foliage in concentrate, 3% normal neem foliage in concentrate, 6% normal neem foliage in concentrate and control treatment. The feeding of 6% purple neem foliage in concentrate had higher (p < 0.01) N intake, N urine, N digestion, N digestion (%), N retention and N retention (%) than the other treatments. The goats receiving 6% purple neem foliage in concentrate had no negative effect (p < 0.01) on pH but had a higher (p < 0.01) level of ammonia nitrogen, BUN, acetic acid, propionic acid, ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid and total VFA at 2 and 4 h after feeding compared to the other treatments. The effect of anthocyanin-rich 6% purple neem foliage was shown to be higher than the other treatments (p < 0.01) for total bacteria, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Streptococcus bovis at 2 and 4 h after feeding. The goats fed 6% purple neem foliage displayed higher (p < 0.01) levels of total antioxidant (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and catalase (CAT) antioxidant activity in plasma at 2 and 4 h after feeding. The goats fed 6% purple neem foliage had lower (p < 0.01) protozoa methanogen and malondialdehyde (MDA) at 2 and 4 h after feeding. In developing growing goats, the introduction of anthocyanin-rich purple neem foliage boosted plasma antioxidant capacity, improved rumen volatile fatty acids and caused a shift in the structure and relative abundance of the ruminal microbial community.