Rumen Liquor Research Articles

Performance of lactating buffaloes on soybean hulls based concentrate mixture

Eighteen lactating buffaloes were fed for 90 days to assess the effect of utilization of soybean hulls replacing maize grains in the concentrate mixture of lactating buffaloes. The buffaloes were divided into three groups of six buffalo each and fed as (CG) with maize based concentrate mixture, (25SH) concentrate mixture with 25% replacement of maize with soybean hulls and (50SH) fed on concentrate mixture with 50% replacement of maize with soybean hulls. The DMI and DMI percent BW showed nonsignificant differences. The NDF digestibility was significantly (P<0.05) better in soya hulls groups, all other nutrient digestibility did not vary significantly. The milk production and composition did not alter on soya hulls feeding, except milk protein. The rumen liquor profile did not alter due to supplementation of soybean hulls. The milk economics was better in 50SH group. It was concluded that soybean hulls can replace corn up to 50% as an energy source in the concentrate mixture of lactating buffaloes for economical milk production.

Hematological and biochemical indices, Rumen pH, Ammonia concentration in rumen liquor and Urine pH of white Fulani (Bunaji) bull Yearling calves fed graded levels of urea and molasses ensiled rice straw supplemented with maize offal and cowpea husk

The study was carried out at Duware farm along Yola-Fufore Road Adamawa state. Nigeria to determine the hematological and biochemical indices, rumen pH, ammonia concentration in rumen liquor and urine pH of white Fulani (Bunaji) bull Yearling calves fed graded levels of urea and molasses ensiled rice straw supplemented with maize offal and cowpea husk. Six yearling white Fulani (Bunaji) bull calves weighed 80kg-100kg was used for the research. The treatments diets consist of graded levels of urea and molasses ensiled rice straw supplemented with maize offal in T1, graded levels of urea and molasses ensiled rice straw supplemented with cowpea husk in T2, and graded levels of urea and molasses ensiled rice straw only in T3 (control group). The feeds was offered at 8; 00 am in the morning and 6: 00 pm in the evening, remnants was weight before fresh feeds were offered, mineral lick and water was provided ad-libitum, and animals were weight weekly to determine their growth performance. Two weeks adaptation period was carried out, the experiment last for three months including the adaptation period. Techniques and statistical package for data analysis was completely randomize design (CRD) and the values were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using least significant difference (LSD) to separate the means. Results revealed that the hematological and biochemical indices PCV, RBC, WBC, HBC, MCV, MCH, MCHC, Total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, urea Con. Lymphocytes, Neutrophils, Monocytes were significantly (P<0.05) difference across the treatments means, but are not significantly (P>0.05) difference among T2 and T3 in Eosinophil (%),rumen pH, ammonia concentration in rumen liquor NH3(mg/100ml) and urine pH were not significantly affected (P>0.05) by the inclusion level of urea-molasses in an ensiled rice straw in the diets, it can be concluded that the hematological and biochemical indices fall within the recommended values and white Fulani (Bunaji) bull Yearling calves can be fed graded levels of urea and molasses ensiled rice straw supplemented with maize offal and cowpea husk without any deleterious effects.

Ficus hookeri tree leaves as herbal feed additives to enhance ruminal fermentation and reduced protozoal population in growing crossbred cattle

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of Ficus hookeri leaf meal as herbal feed additive on rumen protozoal population, enzyme profile and fermentation characteristics in growing crossbred calves. Ten growing male crossbred (Jersey × Tharparker) calves with similar initial body weight of 91.8+1.37 kg, were randomly divided into two equal groups (T1 and T2) and fed individually under stall feeding for 140 days on a mixed ration containing rice straw and concentrate mixture in 50:50 ratio. Two types (C1 and C2) of iso-nitrogenous concentrate mixtures were prepared. Wheat bran in concentrate mixture (C2) of test group (T2) was partially replaced (4 parts w/w) with Ficus hookeri leaf meal. Daily dry matter intake between two experimental groups was similar. Rumen pH, NH3-N concentration and total rumen protozoal population decreased while ruminal TVFA and propionic acid production increased due to dietary supplementation of Ficus hookeri leaf meal as herbal feed additive. Activity of carboxymethyl cellulase, xylanase and b-glucosidase enzymes were significantly higher in the rumen liquor of calves fed Ficus hookeri leaf meal. It could be concluded that dietary supplementation of Ficus hookeri leaf meals as herbal feed additive have a potential for reducing rumen protozoal population and ammonia nitrogen concentration with improving ruminal TVFA and propionate production in growing crossbred calves.

Effect of co-products from olive-oil production chain on rumen microbial communities: an in vitro study

Several edible agro-industrial co-products have been studied as unconventional ingredients in ruminant diets to reduce the environmental impact of food production chains. When the chemical profile of co-products is characterised by the presence of bioactive molecules, they represent a promising tool to modulate rumen microbiota activity. In the Mediterranean area, the olive oil production chain generates olive oil pomace and olive tree leaves post-milling that are animal edible bio-waste. Two in vitro trials were carried out to investigate the effect of olive oil pomace and olive tree leaves as dietary ingredients on rumen fermentation and microbiome ecology. Two experimental diets, respectively containing olive oil pomace or olive tree leaves, and the related control diets, formulated to be isoproteic and isoenergetic, were fermented and then collected after 6h and 24h. Olive oil pomace increased the content of C18:1 c9 and C18:3 c9c12c15. Considering the microbial communities, the genera Butyrivibrio, Fibrobacter, and Pseudobutyrivibrio were less abundant, while Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Manheimia, Uruburuella were more abundant in rumen liquor fermented with olive oil pomace. Similarly, the diet containing olive tree leaves increased the content of C18:1 c9 and C18:3 c9c12c15 and decreased the abundance of Pseudobutyrivibrio and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group. Data reported in this study showed that the two by-products deriving from the olive oil production chain are effective in modulating microbial community in a selective manner.

In vitro gas fermentation kinetics of compounded diets containing varying levels of Tetrapleura tetraptera fruit meal

The study investigated in vitro gas fermentation kinetics of compounded diets containing different quantities of Tetrapleura tetraptera (TTFM). Three replicates of each dietary sample (200 mg) were incubated in buffered rumen liquor for 48 hours and the parameters such as in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), organic matter digestibility (OMD), short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and methane gas (CH4) were determined using in vitro gas production technique. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the gathered data. The IVDMD exhibited substantial variation (p<0.05) among treatments. The diet with 1.0 % Tetrapleura tetraptera had the highest in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), which may be useful for effective feed conversion efficiency. The acetate and propionate with total volatile fatty acids raised the inclusion levels of TTFM in the rams' diet by 1.5 to 2.0 %. Tetrapleura tetraptera fruit meal can be added to ruminant diets at a rate of up to 2.0 % to increase daily weight gain, nitrogen utilization, and nutrient digestibility, resulting in better storage of energy

RUMEN FLUID CHARACTERISTICS OF YANKASA RAMS AS INFLUENCED BY COWPEA HAY AND GROUNDNUT HAULMS SUPPLEMENTATION

This study was conducted to determine the effect of cowpea hay and groundnut haulms supplementation on rumen characteristics of Yankasa rams. The experiment involved Sixteen (16) growing Yankasa rams weighing 20.19 ± 2.2 kg randomly assigned to four treatment groups: Rice straw (I), groundnut haulms (II), cowpea hay (III) and combination of cowpea and groundnut haulms supplementations (IV). The experiment was laid in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four (4) replications for a period of 84 days. The rumen liquor (15 ml) was drawn individually from the experimental animals. The rumen pH and microbial populations were determined using standard procedures. Data obtained were analyzed using Analysis of Variance with Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test used to separate significant means at 5% level. The results obtained revealed significant difference (P≤0.05) among the treatments in terms of pH and microbial counts. Treatment I had the least acidic value (6.29) at four hours after feeding. Treatment II had highest microbial counts (5.87 x106cfu/ml for bacteria and 4.26x105 cfu/ml for fungal counts) after 4 hours of feeding. The result inferred that supplementing basal rice straw with cowpea hay and groundnut haulms maintained the quality of rumen’s fluid pH of Yankasa rams. There was sufficient number of bacterial and fungal species in the rumen fluid for fibre degradation which aid digestibility and rumen fermentation. Thus, it is recommended that, cowpea hay and groundnut haulm be fed at 300g/day to growing Yankasa rams to enhance growth performance.

Effect of combination of essential oils on in vitro methane production, volatile fatty acid fractions and feed digestibility with goat rumen flora

Different combination of garlic oil (GO from Allium sativum L.), clove oil (CO from Eugenia spp.) and peppermint oil (P from Mentha piperita L.) as GO+PO (1:1), GO+CO (1:1), CO+PO (1:1) and GO+PO+CO (1:1:1) was evaluated in in vitro gas production test for their effect on total gas production, methane production, dry matter organic matter digestibility and volatile fatty acid fractions. The addition level was low (D1) at 0.25 g/L, medium (D2) at 0.5 g/L, and high (D3) at 1.0 g/L of fermentation medium. Concentrate mixture and bengal gram straw (Cicer arietinum L.) in 40:60 ratio was incubated with incubation medium containing goat rumen liquor for 24 h at 39°C in glass syringes. Three goats fed with concentrate pellet and Bengal gram straw served as donor of the rumen liquor. In vitro fluid pH varied between 6.50 to 6.59. Total gas production (mL/g DM) in control group was 154.07, at lower dose level (0.25 g/L) there was increase in gas production which significantly decreased at highest dose level. There was significant (P<0.05) decrease in the methane production (mL/g DM and mL/g DDM) on GO and PO supplementation together. At low dose level (D1, 0.25g/L) there was no statistically (P>0.05) significant difference in in vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility with the addition of different EO combinations evaluated as compared to control except PO+ CLO (1:1). At dose level (D2 and D3) GO+PO combination led to a moderate decrease in the in IVDMD and IVOMD along with decrease in in vitro methane production. Fraction of propionic acid was higher on addition of garlic and peppermint oil together. There was relative decrease in the methanogens population with bacteria as housekeeping gene as expressed by RT-PCR amplification with GO+PO addition. Present study concluded that among the EOs combinations in vitro tested, garlic and peppermint oil combination (GO+PO) has better potential in reducing in vitro methane production with lower effect on in vitro digestibility.

Effect of Direct Fed Microbial (DFM) on in-vitro Methanogenesis and Dry Matter Digestibility

The in-vitro rumen fermentation study was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementation of direct-fed microbial (DFM) in the total mixed ration (TMR) on total gas production, methanogenesis and dry matter digestibility by using rumen liquor of adult Surti buffaloes. DFM was supplemented at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8% with TMR (65% Straw and 35% concentrate) for in-vitro gas production trials. The result of the in-vitro study revealed significantly (P<0.05) higher IVDMD (57.03%) and lower CH4 production (3.20 ml CH4/100 mg DDM) at a 3% level of DFM supplementation in TMR. Based on the overall results of in-vitro studies 3% level of DFM supplementation was found to be most suitable for further in-vivo studies in adult Surti buffaloes.

Agroecological Zone-Specific Diet Optimization for Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) through Nutritional and In Vitro Fermentation Studies.

The water buffalo faces challenges in optimizing nutrition due to varying local feed resources. In response to this challenge, the current study introduces originality by addressing the lack of region-specific feeding strategies for water buffaloes. This is achieved through the formulation of 30 different diets based on locally available resources, offering a tailored approach to enhance nutritional optimization in diverse agroecological contexts. These diets were segmented into three groups of ten, each catering to the maintenance (MD1 to MD10), growth (GD1 to GD10), and lactation/production (PD1 to PD10) needs of buffaloes. Utilizing local feed ingredients, each diet was assessed for its chemical composition, in vitro gas and methane emissions, and dry matter (DM) disappearance using buffalo rumen liquor. The production diets (127 and 32.2 g/kg DM) had more protein and fats than the maintenance diets (82.0 and 21.0 g/kg DM). There was less (p < 0.05) fiber in the production diets compared to the maintenance ones. Different protein components (PB1, PB2) were lower (p < 0.05) in the maintenance diets compared to the growth and production ones, but other protein fractions (PB3, Pc) were higher (p < 0.05) in the maintenance diet. Furthermore, the growth diets had the highest amount of other protein components (PA), while the maintenance diets had the highest amount of soluble carbohydrates (586 g/kg DM), whereas the carbohydrate fraction (CB1) was highest (p < 0.05) in the production diets (187 g/kg DM), followed by the growth (129 g/kg DM) and maintenance diets (96.1 g/kg DM). On the contrary, the carbohydrate CA fraction was (p < 0.05) higher in the maintenance diets (107 g/kg DM) than in the growth (70.4 g/kg DM) and production diets (44.7 g/kg DM). The in vitro gas production over time (12, 24, and 48 h) was roughly the same for all the diets. Interestingly, certain components (ether extract, lignin, NDIN, ADIN, and PB3 and CC) of the diets seemed to reduce methane production, while others (OM, NPN, SP, PA and PB1, tCHO and CB2) increased it. In simple words, this study reveals that different diets affect gas production during digestion, signifying a significant step towards a promising future for buffalo farming through tailored, region-specific formulations.

IMPACT OF ADDING AJWAIN SEEDS TO THE MALE LAMBS’ RATIONS AS GROWTH PROMOTERS

This study was conducted to investigate the impact of adding ajwain seeds to the rations of the growing Ossimi ram lambs on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen liquor fermentation, and blood biochemical parameters. A total of 15 ram lambs, 5-6 months of age, were randomly allocated to the 3 treatments (5 lambs each). Lambs were fed a basal diet and regarded as a control group (T1), while the second (T2) and third (T3) treatments were fed on a basal diet plus 0.2 and 0.4 % of ajwain seeds respectively. At the end of the trial (150 days), three sheep from each treatment were used for a fourteen-day digestibility trial. Feed intake was similar for all groups. The treated groups exhibited higher (P&lt;0.05) average daily gain and lesser (P&lt;0.05) feed conversion ratio than the T1 group. All nutrients digestibility and nutritive value (TDN and DCP) were significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) in the T2 and T3 groups than in the T1 group. The blood attributes were within the reference values of healthy lambs. Serum cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, and MDA levels were decreased (P&lt;0.05), whereas, albumin, HDL and TAC concentrations increased in the treated than the control groups. I&lt;n conclusion, adding ajwain seed (0.2 and 0.4%) to the ram lambs' ration can enhance the animal health and promote the growth performance.

Growth Performances and Carcass of KUB Chicken Fed on A Diet Containing Different Levels of Fermented Mixture of Rice Bran and Protein from Slaughtered House

Rice bran is a common poultry feed ingredients. However, its use is limited due to its high fiber content and low phosphorus content. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of feeding a fermented mixture of rice bran and PSW (RPSW) on the growth performances and carcass of KUB chicken. A mixture of two parts of rice bran and one part of PSH was fermented using rumen liquor for 5 days. Two hundred two-week-old KUB chickens were randomly allocated into four dietary treatments with different levels of fermented RPSW i.e.; 0, 10, 20, and 30% for treatments 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Feed was provided ad libitum for ten-week observation period, and drinking water was always available. At the end of the feeding trial, chickens were slaughtered to measure carcasses and their components. The results showed that there were no significant differences in feed consumption and carcass percentage between treatments, but the final body weight, body weight gain, carcass weight, and organ weight of chickens fed rations containing 20 and 30% fermented RPSH were lower than those fed rations containing 20 and 30% fermented RPSH. 30% fermented RPSH. The control or ration was fed a ration containing 10% fermented RPSH. The results indicate that a fermented blend of rice bran and protein from slaughtered house waste incubated with rumen liquor for 5 days can be included in the KUB chicken diet up to 10%.

Impact of corn silage substitution for dry alfalfa on milk fatty acid profile, nitrogen utilization, plasma biochemical markers, rumen fermentation, and antioxidant capacity in Mahabadi lactating goats

This study aimed to investigate the effects of substituting conventional dry forage with corn silage, a more cost-effective supplementary feed, on a variety of parameters in lactating Mahabadi goats, native to arid and semi-arid regions. A total of fifty lactating Mahabadi goats, aged between 2 and 5 years and weighing an average of 45.3 ± 7.20 kg, were randomly allocated into two experimental groups. The experimental treatments consisted of a control diet and a diet incorporating corn silage at 20 % of dry matter (DM). Various measurements were conducted to assess milk compositions, fatty acid profiles, rumen fermentation parameters, selected plasma biochemical parameters, nitrogen balance, and antioxidant capacity. The results revealed that the substitution of dry forage with corn silage had no statistically significant impact on milk yield, dry matter intake (DMI), body weight, as well as the proportions of monounsaturated and unsaturated fatty acids, and specifically C18:1C9 in milk, non-esterified fatty acid content in milk, rumen concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA), microbial nitrogen, and nitrogen balance (p > 0.05). Nonetheless, this substitution led to a reduction in the percentage of milk polyunsaturated fatty acids and plasma urea nitrogen content (p < 0.05). It is noteworthy that goats fed with corn silage exhibited a notably higher antioxidant capacity in rumen liquor (p < 0.05), plasma, and milk (p < 0.01) compared to those receiving the control diet. The substitution of conventional dry forage with corn silage exhibited no adverse effects on the performance of lactating Mahabadi goats. On the contrary, it contributed to an enhancement in the antioxidant status. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing dietary composition by incorporating corn silage at 20 % of DM, thereby improving milk quality, reducing costs, and promoting overall health in lactating goats, particularly within arid and semi-arid regions.

Effect of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes cocktail incorporation on in vitro degradation and fermentation characteristics of oats straw based total mixed ration

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing doses: 0 (control), 0.20, 0.40, 0.60, 0.80 and 1.00 % DM of an exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) cocktail preparation on in vitro gas production (GP), nutrient degradability and fermentation characteristics of oats straw based Total Mixed Ration (TMR) with 60:40 roughage to concentrate ratio using sheep rumen liquor. The chemical composition of all the feed ingredients used for preparation of the experimental TMR (containing 16.63% crude protein and 90.51% organic matter) were within the normal ranges. Increasing the incorporation level of enzyme cocktail linearly as well as quadratically increased net GP, metabolisable energy content, short chain fatty acid concentrations and microbial crude protein production up to 0.60% DM level (L3) with no additional improvement at further higher levels. There were significant improvements in degradability of dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent fibre up to the enzyme dose of 0.60% DM (L3) with constant values thereafter. Fermentation characteristics response to varying incorporation doses of EFE cocktail also revealed improvements up to 0.60% DM level (L3) with no effect on non-protein nitrogen contents. It is recommended that EFE cocktail incorporation dose of 0.60% DM to be used for efficient utilisation of oats straw based complete feed; however, this requires further testing by in vivo studies.

Rumen Methanogens Diversity in Native Cattle under Different Feeding Regimen using 16s Metagenomic Techniques

Background: Pulikulam cattle is an indigenous cattle breed native to south India, Understanding the rumen microbiome is an important step to develop effective strategies to minimize their enteric methane emission. The rumen microbiome of this breed has not been documented. Hence, a study was executed in Pulikulam cattle, fed different diets, to investigate the diversity of rumen methanogens using metagenomic techniques. Methods: Twenty recently calved Pulikulam cattle with mean body weight of 200 Kg were randomly distributed into four treatments, with five animals per treatment. The animals were fed their respective diets as per their treatment for 30 days, after which the rumen liquor was collected. DNA from the samples were extracted and subjected for 16s rRNA gene amplification using region specific primers. Result: Methanogens belonging to five orders, four classes and eleven families were identified. Order Methanomassiliicoccales was not present in treatment group fed with high energy diet. The methanogens affiliated to the order Methanomicrobiales were predominant in treatment 1 (14%) and treatment 2 (16.30%). Order methanococcales (15%) was predominant in treatment 3 and order Methanosarcinales (18%) was predominant in treatment 4. Archaeal order belonging to Thermoplasmatales were also identified in Pulikulam cattle fed different dietary regimen except in treatment 3. Archaeal family Methanothermaceae belonging to the order Methanobacteriales was identified in Pulikulam cattle. Methanocorpusculum labreanum was the predominant species in all the treatment groups. Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, Sulfolobus islandicus, Sulfolobus solfataricus, Sulfolobus sp. A20 and Sulfolobus tokodaii were identified in treatment 1, which had higher dietary crude protein. It was concluded that methanogen diversity varied under different feeding regimen and predominant methanogen is varied in Pulikulam breed of cattle. M. labreanum was the predominant methanogen in Pulikulam cattle fed with different dietary regimen.

Statistical options for the analysis of in vitro gas production profiles illustrated using rumen liquor as the inoculum – ERRATUM

Statistical options for the analysis of <i>in vitro</i> gas production profiles illustrated using rumen liquor as the inoculum – ERRATUM

Statistical options for the analysis of in vitro gas production profiles illustrated using rumen liquor as the inoculum

AbstractThe use of repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) options for the analysis of in vitro ruminal fermentation gas production profiles is illustrated. Because of the different variances and covariance structures among profile observations, ordinary ANOVA for more than two-time points is not recommended. To mitigate this problem, the Greenhouse–Geisser epsilon correction can be applied to reduce the degrees of freedom, inflated by violation of the sphericity assumption, for F ratio probability calculations. After this correction, the Box–Greenhouse–Geisser ANOVA (modified ANOVA) layout appears similar to the layout of a split-plot design ANOVA with whole plots divided into subplots (incubation time). Any F tests in the main plot part are valid but F tests involving the time factor from the subplot part need modification because time factor, by its very nature, cannot be allocated at random. Application of multivariate ANOVA, distance multivariate ANOVA, ante-dependence and mixed model analysis are also considered. All these options lend themselves to wide application in the applied biological sciences.

Comparative therapeutic efficacy of hypertonic saline solution andisotonic normal saline for fore-stomach impaction disorders in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

The aim of present investigation was to evaluate the comparative therapeutic efficacy of isotonic (0.9%) saline solution (NSS) and hypertonic (7.5%) saline solution (HSS) along with supportive medical treatment in buffaloes suffered with forestomach impaction. A total of 26 buffaloes were undertaken in two groups. In Group 1, twenty buffaloes were infused with isotonic (0.9%) saline solution 20 ml/kg body weight and in Group 2 six buffaloes were infused with hypertonic saline solution (7.5%) 2 ml/kg. The physical parameters (heart rate and respiration rate) were decreased more significantly in Group 1 after treatment. Similar trend was observed in the pretreatment hematological parameters viz. Hb, PCV, TLC, neutrophil count and ESR after fluid therapy which was indicative of expansion of plasma volume. There was not much effect on rumen liquor parameters after fluid therapy. The biochemical profile (Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, total protein, glucose, globulin and fibrinogen) was more significantly declined in Group 1 after fluid therapy, whereas plasma sodium and chloride levels significantly increased, and plasma potassium level more significantly decreased in Group 2. The recovery rates were 60% and 17% respectively in Group 1 and Group 2. Thus, Isotonic (0.9%) saline solution appears to more effective in therapeutic management of forestomach impaction in buffaloes.

Evaluation of Beeswax Supplementation on Productive Performance of Growing Assaf Lambs.

The aim of this work was to assess the effects of beeswax supplementation on growth rate, feed intake, nutrient digestion, rumen fermentation, blood parameters, and economic sustainability in Assaf lambs. Eighteen growing Assaf (5 months old) lambs were separated into three experimental groups (n = 6 lambs/group). The lambs were fed a basal diet without supplementation (G1) or supplemented with 2 and 4 g beeswax/head/day in G2 and G3 groups, respectively. Zootechnical performance was evaluated over a 90 day period. Feed digestibility was assessed in faeces through the acid insoluble-ash method, and rumen liquor was collected to measure ammonia (NH3-N) and total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) levels. Blood samples were obtained for the titration serum metabolites by colorimetric tests. The findings showed that G3 had an improved performance compared to the other groups (p < 0.01). The lambs in G3 revealed the highest nutrient digestibility and feed use, followed by G2, and G1. G3 recorded the highest economic efficiency followed by G2 and G1 (p < 0.01). The TVFA, acetate, and propionate concentrations were higher and the pH values, NH3-N, and butyrate concentrations were lower in G3 compared to G2 and particularly to G1 (p < 0.01). The concentrations of total protein, globulin, and glucose were significantly higher with 4 g beeswax (p < 0.05). However, albumin, cholesterol, total lipids, urea, creatinine, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) concentrations as well as the albumin to globulin ratio decreased significantly with both levels of beeswax (p < 0.05). The addition of beeswax at the level of 4 g/head/day for growing Assaf lambs significantly improved the growth performance, digestibility, rumen fermentation, and blood serum parameters in addition to the economic efficiency.

Effects of Nigella Sativa Seed on Rumen Parameters, Digestibility, and Nitrogen Balance of Nubian Goat Fed Aflatoxin Contaminated Diet

Introduction: Animal health and productivity can be affected by Aflatoxin in feeds, which leads to reduced growth, decrease feed efficiency and potential contamination of animal-derived products. The current study investigated the influences of supplementing Nigella sativa (NS) seeds to an Aflatoxin-contaminated diet on rumen parameters, digestibility, and nitrogen balance of male Nubian goats. Materials and methods: A total number of 20 healthy male Nubian goat kids aged 8-9 months and an average weight of 11 ± 0.5 kg were randomly assigned to 5 equal groups. The control group (T1) received a basal diet. The second treatment group (T2) received the same diet contaminated with 150 ppb Aflatoxin and other treatments received an aflatoxin-contaminated diet supplemented with different levels of crushed NS seeds including 2% (T3), 4% (T4), and 6% (T5) of the total dry matter. Through using naturally infected groundnut cake, Aflatoxin was mixed with other ingredients of ration in different proportions to formulate treated diets. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine Aflatoxin concentration. Rumen liquor samples were collected after 40 days feeding period to evaluate rumen pH, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), rumen electrolytes, and protozoa count. Results: Rumen pH, ammonia nitrogen, ruminal sodium, and potassium were not significantly affected by the treatment groups. Rumen volatile fatty acids, protozoa count, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen retention were significantly reduced by an Aflatoxin-contaminated diet (T2) compared to other groups. Supplementation of NS seeds to an Aflatoxin-contaminated diet caused a significant increase in VFAs, decreased protozoa count, and improved digestibility and nitrogen retention in all treated groups compared to T2 and T1 groups. Conclusion: Supplementing NS seeds to an Aflatoxin-contaminated diet positively affected rumen ecology and improved digestibility and nitrogen retention. The study recommended supplementing 6% of NS seeds to goat diets can reduce the negative effects of Aflatoxin in the diet.

Propionibacteria as promising tools for the production of pro-bioactive scotta: a proof-of-concept study.

Dairy propionibacteria are Gram positive Actinomycetota, routinely utilized as starters in Swiss type cheese making and highly appreciated for their probiotic properties and health promoting effects. In this work, within the frame of a circular economy approach, 47 Propionibacterium and Acidipropionibacterium spp. were isolated from goat cheese and milk, and ewe rumen liquor, and characterized in view of their possible utilization for the production of novel pro-bioactive food and feed on scotta, a lactose rich substrate and one of the main by-products of the dairy industry. The evaluation of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 13 among the most common antibiotics in clinical practice revealed a general susceptibility to ampicillin, gentamycin, streptomycin, vancomycin, chloramphenicol, and clindamycin while confirming a lower susceptibility to aminoglycosides and ciprofloxacin. Twenty-five isolates, that proved capable of lactose utilization as the sole carbon source, were then characterized for functional and biotechnological properties. Four of them, ascribed to Propionibacterium freudenreichii species, and harboring resistance to bile salts (growth at 0.7-1.56 mM of unconjugated bile salts), acid stress (>80% survival after 1 h at pH 2), osmostress (growth at up to 6.5% NaCl) and lyophilization (survival rate > 80%), were selected and inoculated in scotta. On this substrate the four isolates reached cell densities ranging from 8.11 ± 0.14 to 9.45 ± 0.06 Log CFU mL-1 and proved capable of producing different vitamin B9 vitamers after 72 h incubation at 30°C. In addition, the semi-quantitative analysis following the metabolomics profiling revealed a total production of cobalamin derivatives (vitamin B12) in the range 0.49-1.31 mg L-1, thus suggesting a full activity of the corresponding biosynthetic pathways, likely involving a complex interplay between folate cycle and methylation cycle required in vitamin B12 biosynthesis. These isolates appear interesting candidates for further ad-hoc investigation regarding the production of pro-bioactive scotta.