Ahmad Reza Seradj

Thymol, with antimicrobial, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties, shows promise in improving epithelial barrier function and reducing inflammation. This study investigated whether thymol could alleviate the detrimental impacts of severe feed restriction (SFR) on barrier function by its effects on inflammatory signaling pathways and tight junction (TJ) protein expression. Thirty Baluchi ram lambs (45.2 ± 6.2 kg; 8 months of age) were randomly allocated to three groups: control (CON), SFR, and SFR plus thymol (SFRT), with 10 lambs per group serving as experimental replicates. The experiment consisted of four weeks of feed restriction (FR) followed by four weeks of ad libitum feeding (Ad-L). Thymol (300 mg/d per lamb) was orally administered to SFRT group during the FR period. Growth performance, ruminal fermentation parameters, plasma metabolites, and inflammatory biomarkers were assessed. Histological measurements of the rumen tissue, as well as mRNA expressions of TJ proteins and proinflammatory cytokines in the rumen epithelium were analyzed. Compared with CON, the final body weight of lambs significantly decreased during FR in SFRT and SFR groups (P < 0.001). During the Ad-L, FR lambs showed greater average daily gain and feed efficiency compared to CON (P < 0.05). Total volatile fatty acid (VFA) (P = 0.033), acetate (P = 0.025), and propionate (P = 0.014) concentrations were significantly higher during FR compared to Ad-L, while ruminal pH was greater during the Ad-L period (P = 0.017). SFRT lambs tended to have higher concentrations of total VFA (P = 0.102), acetate (P = 0.073), isovalerate (P = 0.071), and isobutyrate (P = 0.080) than SFR. During the Ad-L period, the plasma concentration of haptoglobin in SFRT lambs was significantly lower than that in both CON and SFR (P = 0.005). Significant differences were observed in papillae length, muscle layer thickness, and connective tissue width among the experimental groups (P < 0.05). Thymol upregulated the relative mRNA expression of claudin-1 (CLDN-1) (P = 0.015), occludin (OCLDN) (P < 0.001), and zonula occludens 1 (ZO1) (P < 0.001) in the ruminal epithelium and mitigated the upregulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) relative mRNA expression induced by FR (P < 0.001). In conclusion, thymol administration during SFR has the potential to maintain rumen epithelial barrier integrity and modulate inflammatory responses in lambs.

Adiposity results from a complex interplay among host genetics, diet and gut microbiota. Major genes are valuable models for unravelling how host genetics

Objective: Recent advancements in chelate compound technology offer improved bioavailability of trace minerals, potentially enhancing growth performance and reducing disease incidence. Milk fortification is an efficient method to supplement young calves before transition to solid feed. This study evaluated the response of dairy calves to milk fortification with an advanced chelated trace minerals supplement containing Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Co, Cr, and Se, each selected for their specific roles in calf development, synthesized using chelate compoundtechnology.Methods: Forty-two Holstein dairy calves (21 males and 21 females) were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: control (CON, unfortified milk), chelated minerals (BON, milk fortified with chelated trace minerals), and inorganic minerals (IOR, milk fortified with inorganic trace minerals). Calves received their respective milk treatments daily from d 3 until weaning at 70 d of age. Growth performance and body measurements were assessed throughout the experiment, while rectal temperature, fecal consistency, and frequency of medical treatment were recorded until d 21. Blood metabolites and nutrient digestibility were also determined.Results: BON supplementation resulted in 9% body weight increase (p = 0.027) and improved some body measurements (p<0.05). The calves in BON group showed a lower fecal consistency index (p<0.05) and required fewer medical treatments compared to CON and IOR (p = 0.103). Blood analysis revealed 27% reduction in globulin levels (p = 0.022), 10% increase in albumin levels (p = 0.023) and a 42% elevation in albumin/globulin ratio (p = 0.042) in BON compared to the CON groups. The activities of liver enzymes were higher in IOR than in the BON and CON group.Conclusion: Milk fortification with advanced chelated trace minerals significantly enhanced growth performance and health indicators in dairy calves, while inorganic sources showed no beneficial effects. These findings establish the superiority of chelated mineral supplementation for early-life dairy calf development;nevertheless, appropriate supplementation procedures require additional experiments.

High-moisture corn products offer potential advantages in intensive cattle feeding systems by providing high-energy feedstuffs while allowing earlier harvest. This study evaluated the nutritional value and fermentation characteristics of fermented high-moisture grain corn (HMG) and high-moisture ear corn (HME) compared to conventional corn grain (CG) and corn silage (CS) through in vitro and in situ techniques. Six samples from each corn product were collected from commercial farms, pooled, and analyzed in five replicates. Chemical analysis revealed that HME contained higher neutral detergent fiber (19.0% vs. 4.25%) but lower starch (60.95% vs. 66.75%) and crude protein (7.27% vs. 8.32%) compared to HMG (p

Objective: Environmental stressors negatively affect poultry productivity by increasing oxidative stress levels. This study evaluated the performance and health status of broilers supplemented with either the medicinal plant Dracocephalum moldavica L. powder (DP) or a commercial probiotic (Lactofeed) in the context of oxidative stress induced by dexamethasone.Methods: A total of 300 one-day-old chicks were enrolled in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement of six treatments, in each consisting five replicates of 10 chicks. The experimental treatments were: 1) basal diet without feed additives and no challenge, 2) basal diet supplemented with 0.01% Lactofeed, 3) basal diet with 0.4% DP, 4) basal diet and challenged with dexamethasone (2 mg/kg body weight), 5) basal diet with 0.01% Lactofeed and challenged with dexamethasone, and 6) basal diet with 0.4% DP and challenged with dexamethasone. Growth performance, carcass traits, and internal organ weights were evaluated. Gastrointestinal pH and ileum histology were assessed on days 28 and 42, while cecal microbial counts were determined on days 14, 28, and 42. Serum samples collected on days 14, 28, and 42 analyzed for antibody titers against Newcastle disease and avian influenza viruses, along with white blood cell counts.Results: The dexamethasone challenge negatively impacted performance, certain carcass traits, white blood cell count, and ileum villus height (p = 0.039), while it reduced cecal Escherichia coli and coliform counts (p = 0.001). It suppressed humoral immune response to the Newcastle disease virus on day 28, whereas on day 42, it enhanced the response. Lactofeed and DP additives significantly improved feed intake, body weight gain, white blood cell count, intestinal histology, and microbiota, largely irrespective of dexamethasone challenge.Conclusion: While dexamethasone challenge induced various physiological stresses in broilers, both Lactofeed and DP feed additives demonstrated potential in mitigating these effects, improving overall performance and gut health parameters regardless of stress conditions.

The delicate balance of trace mineral supplementation is critical for optimizing rumen function and overall ruminant health. This study evaluated the solubility of an advanced chelate technology-based supplement and assessed its impact on rumen degradability and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) when replacing inorganic sources. The solubility of the advanced trace minerals supplement (ACTM) was assessed at pH 5 and pH 2. In situ ruminal degradability of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), and fiber fractions was evaluated using two fistulated rams fed diets supplemented with either ACTM or inorganic trace minerals. ATTD was determined in 6 lambs fed diets supplemented with 100% ACTM, 50% ACTM, and 50% inorganic (50% ACTM), or 100% inorganic sources in a Latin square design. Results showed solubilities ranging from 6.75% to 11.81% at pH 5, increasing to 69.24% to 80.47% at pH 2. ACTM supplementation significantly enhanced the rumen degradability of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) at 6 h of incubation (p ≤ 0.05). The 100% ACTM treatment significantly decreased rumen pH (p = 0.051) and improved DM, OM, NDF, and ADF digestibility, as well as trace mineral absorbability compared to 100% inorganic (p ≤ 0.05). These findings highlight the potential of ACTM supplementation to enhance ruminal degradability, promote better trace mineral absorption, and improve the ATTD of nutrients compared to inorganic sources.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of milk supplementation with different zinc (Zn) sources on growth rate, starter intake, diarrhea incidence, and nutrient digestibility in dairy calves during the pre-weaning period. Forty newborn Holstein heifer calves were assigned to four treatments: control (no Zn supplementation; CON) or supplementation with 80 mg/day Zn from zinc sulfate (Zn-Sul), chelated zinc (Zn-Bon), or zinc methionine (Zn-Met). The Zn supplements were provided via milk from days 3 to 14 of age. Body weight (BW) and starter intake (SI) were monitored until weaning on day 70. Serum metabolite concentrations were determined in blood samples collected on days 15 and 70. Fecal consistency index (FCI) and frequency of medical treatments were measured during the first 21 days of life. Apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) was determined in the 10th week of life. Although the effects of Zn supplementation on BW gain or body measurements were non-significant, a tendency for treatment × time interaction on BW was observed, with variations among the experimental groups becoming more pronounced on days 56 and 70, showing higher values in Zn-supplemented calves compared to CON. SI was improved by Zn supplementation, with the greatest response in the Zn-Bon group. Compared to control, ATTD of organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and starch tended to increase with Zn supplementation. Blood metabolites and FCI did not differ among the experimental treatments. Although no significant difference was detected between Zn-Met and CON, the frequency of medical treatment was significantly lower in Zn-Bon and Zn-Sul compared to CON calves. In conclusion, zinc supplementation in milk, particularly with the organic chelated zinc source (Zn-Bon), showed promising effects on increasing starter intake and reducing medical treatments, along with trends toward enhanced growth and nutrient digestibility in pre-weaned calves.

Following an increase of the demand of dairy products, higher quantities of manure are consequently produced, with the subsequent pollutant gas emission charge associated with its management. The two mostly used housing systems in the northeast of Spain, cubicles (CUB) and compost-bedded pack (CBP), entail different manure management techniques; thus, our main objective was to describe the microbiota present in manure of both systems during two distinct climatic situations (winter, mean temperature of 6.2ºC; and summer, mean temperature of 36.4ºC). The secondary aim was to correlate these microbiological profiles with literature findings on the emission of certain well-known pollutant gases from manure. CBP showed to have higher alpha biodiversity as well as presenting a remarkable clustering by season, but showed lower network complexity than CUB. Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was found superior in CUB, which also presented a significantly higher abundance of methanogenic genera belonging to Euryarchaeota phylum, such as Methanobrevibacter, Methanosaeta or Methanosarcina. On the other hand, CBP manure presented a significant presence of Corynebacterium, Pseudomonas or Truepera, among other genera, which activity has been linked to nitrogen (N) transformation pathways in manure. Season also had a relevant role to play on the fluctuation of these populations within each housing system under study. These results show how microbial populations change when manure is differently managed, and how these variations can be related to the synthesis of certain pollutant gases upon housing systems.