Alternative Approaches to Feeding Small Ruminants and Their Potential Benefits.

Small ruminants, such as sheep (Ovisaries) and goats (Capra hircus), contribute to approximately 475 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for approximately 6.5% of the global emissions in the agriculture sector. Crop residues, silage, grasses, hay, browse, plant leaves, shrubs, agro-industrial by-products, poultry litter, and other alternative feed sources are frequently utilized for small ruminant production. The use of these valuable alternative feeds can significantly improve animal productivity and reduce carbon footprints and GHG fluxes, making it both environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Additionally, these alternative feeds possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties that can enhance the quality of the meat and milk produced. By impacting the bacteria involved in ruminal biohydrogenation, alternative feeds can reduce methane emissions and contribute to a decrease in the carbon footprint. Overall, the use of alternative feed sources for small ruminants generally improves their apparent nutrient digestibility and productivity, and has an impact on the production of greenhouse gases, especially methane. Finally, this review recommends evaluating the economic analysis of reducing methane emissions in small ruminants by utilizing different feed sources and feeding techniques.

Effects of Enriched-in-Oleuropein Olive Leaf Extract Dietary Supplementation on Egg Quality and Antioxidant Parameters in Laying Hens.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of an olive leaf extract obtained with an up-to-date laboratory method, when supplemented at different levels in laying hens' diets, on egg quality, egg yolk antioxidant parameters, fatty acid content, and liver pathology characteristics. Thus, 96 laying hens of the ISA-Brown breed were allocated to 48 experimental cages with two hens in each cage, resulting in 12 replicates per treatment. Treatments were: T1 (Control: basal diet); T2 (1% olive leaf extract); T3 (2.5% olive leaf extract); T4 (Positive control: 0.1% encapsulated oregano oil). Eggshell weight and thickness were improved in all treatments compared to the control, with T2 being significantly higher till the end of the experiment (p < 0.001). Egg yolk MDA content was lower for the T2 and T4 groups, while total phenol content and Haugh units were greater in the T2. The most improved fatty acid profile was the one of T3 yolks. The α-tocopherol yolk content was higher in all groups compared to T1. No effect was observed on cholesterol content at any treatment. Based on the findings, it can be inferred that the inclusion of olive leaf extract at a concentration of 1% in the diet leads to enhancements in specific egg quality attributes, accompanied by an augmentation of the antioxidant capacity.

Association of MTNR1A and GDF9 gene allelles with the reproductive performance, response to oestrus induction treatments and prolificacy, in improved and non-improved local indigenous sheep breeds.

Sheep farming plays a crucial role for Mediterranean countries, wherefrom a plethora of dairy products is produced. Yet, numerous indigenous sheep breeds in temperate latitudes such as the Mediterranean present a serious drawback that milk production is impaired by the seasonality of reproduction. Towards the efforts for reduction of this phenomenon, the purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare different oestrus synchronization treatments, as well as to associate two genes alleles', namely the MTNR1A and the GDF9, with the response to those treatments. Three indigenous breeds were investigated (Florina, Chios and Karagouniko sheep) and inside each breed three different oestrus synchronization treatments were applied (A: intravaginal sponges, B: GNRH use and C: male effect). In group A, Florina ewes expressed oestrus at 90% in July and fecundity was 85%. Karagouniko and Chios ewes exhibited an oestrus expression of 100% with fecundity rates at 95% and 99%, respectively. In group B, Florina ewes expressed oestrus at 60% with fecundity at 57%, Karagouniko ewes expressed oestrus at 65% with fecundity at 54%, whereas Chios breed animals expressed oestrus at 87% with fecundity rate at 85%. In group C, 68% of the Florina breed expressed oestrus 20-25 days post ram induction, whereas this proportion was 84% and 94%, for Karagouniko and Chios breed, respectively. For the molecular analysis, partial segments of the two genes were sequenced and analysed, whereas alleles were scored based on the detected SNPs. All frequencies of the four detected SNPs in MTNR1A gene were statistically and significantly different in ewes that expressed oestrus in comparison with ewes that did not express oestrus in Florina and Karagouniko breeds concerning all treatments. Two SNP's were detected in GDF9 gene, G1 and FecG , from which, only the FecG mutation exhibited statistically significant difference in twins and triplets than in singles in Florina and Karagouniko breeds.

Determination of Heavy Metal Levels and Health Risk Assessment of Raw Cow Milk in Guelma Region, Algeria.

During the recent decades, adverse effects of unexpected contaminants, such as heavy metals on raw cow milk quality, have threatened human health. The objective of this study was to determine heavy metal levels in raw milk collected from autochthonous bovine breeds in the eastern region of Algeria. Eighty-eight pooled milk samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry for Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Fe, and Zn, and dietary risks were estimated for infants, children, and adults with minimum, average, and maximum milk consumption scenarios. Results revealed that Pb (0.94 ± 0.49 mg/kg), Cd (0.03 ± 0.01 mg/kg), and Cu (0.14 ± 0.08 mg/kg) levels in all analyzed samples were higher than their corresponding maximum residue levels (MRLs). The task hazard quotient (THQ) values suggest potential risk for infants in the three scenarios from Pb, Cd, and Cr; for children in the three scenarios from Pb and in the high scenario from Cr; and for adults in the medium and high scenarios from Pb. The hazard index (HI) values were higher than 1, and the contributions of each metal to the overall HI followed a descending order of Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, Zn, Cu, and Fe with values of 68.19%, 15.39%, 6.91%, 4.94%, 3.42%, 0.88%, and 0.28%, respectively. Our results indicated that there may be a potential risk of heavy metals, especially Pb, for infants through raw cow milk consumption. Moreover, data actualization and continuous monitoring are necessary and recommended to evaluate heavy metal effects in future studies.

The Influence of Naringin or Hesperidin Dietary Supplementation on Broiler Meat Quality and Oxidative Stability.

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of supplementing broiler feed with hesperidin or naringin, on growth performance, carcass characteristics, breast meat quality and the oxidative stability of breast and thigh meat. Two hundred and forty 1-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 6 groups. One of the groups served as a control (C) and was given commercial basal diets, whereas the other five groups were given the same diets further supplemented with naringin at 0.75 g/kg (N1), naringin at 1.5 g/kg (N2), hesperidin at 0.75 g/kg (E1), hesperidin at 1.5 g/kg (E2) and a-tocopheryl acetate at 0.2 g/kg (E). At 42 days of age, 10 chickens per treatment group were slaughtered for meat quality and oxidative stability assessment. No significant differences were observed among groups in final body weight, carcass weight and internal organs weights (P>0.05) apart from liver that decreased linearly with increased levels of naringin (P-linear<0.05). Regarding the breast meat quality parameters, only redness (a*) value was higher in E1 and N1 group compared to VE group (P<0.05), while all the others i.e. shear values (N/mm2), pH24, cooking loss (%) and L* and b* color parameters were not significantly different among groups (P>0.05). Measurement of lipid oxidation values showed that after hesperidin and naringin dietary supplementation, malondialdehyde values decreased in tissue samples in a dose depended manner (P-linear<0.05). In conclusion, hesperidin and naringin, positively influence meat antioxidative properties without negative implications on growth performance and meat quality characteristics in poultry, thus appearing as important additives for both the consumer and the industry.

Effects of gestational maternal undernutrition on growth, carcass composition and meat quality of rabbit offspring.

An experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of gestational undernutrition of rabbit does on growth, carcass composition and meat quality of the offsprings. Thirty primiparous non lactating rabbit does were artificially inseminated and randomly divided in three treatment groups: Control (C; fed to 100% of maintenance requirements throughout gestation, n = 10), early undernourished (EU; fed to 50% of maintenance requirements during days 7-19 of gestation, n = 10) and late undernourished (LU; fed to 50% of maintenance requirements during days 20-27 of gestation, n = 10). During the 4th week of the gestation period, LU does significantly lost weight compared to C and EU groups (P<0.05). At kindling, C does produced litters with higher proportions of stillborn kits (P<0.05) while the total litter size (alive and stillborn kits) was not different among groups (10.7, 12.8 and 12.7 kits in C, EU and LU groups, respectively). Kit birth weight tended to be lower in the LU group. During fattening, body weight and feed intake were not different among offsprings of the three experimental groups. Moreover, the maternal undernutrition did not have any impact on carcass composition of the offsprings in terms of carcass parts and internal organs weights as well as meat quality of L. lumborum muscle (pH24, colour, water holding capacity and shear values) at slaughter (70 days of age). Therefore, it can be concluded that the gestational undernutrition of the mother does not have detrimental effects on the productive and quality traits of the offsprings.

Severe maternal undernutrition and post-weaning behavior of rabbits.

The objective of the present experiment was to investigate the implications of severe maternal undernutrition on the post-weaning behavior of rabbits. Thirty two does were randomly assigned to four groups: the control group (C) that was fed 100% of the recommended energy maintenance requirements throughout pregnancy and lactation and the U1, U2 and U3 groups that were fed 50% of the recommended energy maintenance requirements between the 6th and the 19th day of pregnancy, between the 20th and the 27th day of pregnancy and between the 3rd and the 10th day of lactation, respectively. At the age of 50 and 65 days, behavior of rabbits in cages was recorded and rabbits were further subjected to an open-field test; a paradigm used as an indicator of fear and emotional distress. Significant differences were found between the U2 and the other experimental groups for the duration of eating and drinking, and duration of locomotory and investigatory behaviors (P<0.05). At the age of 65 days, duration of comfort behaviors was also lower in the U2 compared to the other groups (P<0.05). On the other hand, duration of resting appeared to be the highest in the group of rabbits born from undernourished does between the 20th and the 27th day of pregnancy (P<0.05). Duration of resting was significantly increased, although frequency and duration of eating and drinking were significantly decreased at the age of 65 days (P<0.05). Male rabbits had greater values for locomotory and investigatory behaviors, and duration of eating and drinking compared to the females (P<0.01). A decreased activity of rabbits during the light period was observed (as expected), whereas an increase in duration of locomotory and investigatory behaviors was observed during the first four and the last 4h of the light and dark periods, respectively (P<0.05). Rabbits born from the U1 and U2 group of does displayed increased rates of latency to leave the start position compared to the other groups during the implementation of the open-field test (P<0.05). No other significant differences in the exhibition of the examined behaviors were found between the treatment groups, with the exception of 'moving forelegs' activity that had the lowest value in the U3 group of rabbits. It is concluded that severe maternal undernutrition (50% of the recommended maintenance requirements) especially between the 20th and the 27th day of pregnancy has significant effects on the exhibition of rabbits' post-weaning behavior, since the offspring from the U2 undernourished does were significantly less active compared to the other experimental groups.