José Morais Pereira Filho

Ensiling ground corn after rehydration improves its conservation and increases starch susceptibility to ruminal degradation, potentially replacing costly chemical preservatives. Three complementary experiments were conducted. Intake, ingestive behavior, and blood parameters were evaluated in 32 growing goat kids; nutrient digestibility and N-balance were evaluated in 24 growing goats; and ruminal parameters and in situ degradability were assessed in four rumen-cannulated, castrated male Santa Inês sheep (30.4 ± 6.0 kg) using a 4 × 4 Latin square design, evaluating the replacement of ground corn (GC) with rehydrated GC silage using water (RCSwater), cactus pear cladode mucilage (RCSmucilage), or whey (RCSwhey). Dry matter intake was higher (p < 0.05) with RCSmucilage than with RCSwhey, whereas crude protein and neutral detergent fiber intakes were lower (p < 0.05) with RCSwhey than with GC and RCSmucilage. The proportion of ingested N excreted in urine was lower in goats fed GC and similar for rehydrated silages. RCSmucilage resulted in the highest N intake and lowest N-fecal/N-intake ratio and ruminal pH. RCSwhey also resulted in the lowest ruminal N-NH₃ concentration. Overall, RCSmucilage showed potential to replace ground corn at 415 g/kg diet in growing goats based on nutrient intake, digestibility, and N-utilization responses. Ruminal measurements obtained in cannulated sheep provided complementary information on the evaluated corn sources and should not be directly extrapolated to growing goats. Future studies should validate these responses across animal species and production conditions and test other rehydrating additives.

This systematic review synthesises recent literature (2014-2024) on the effects of supplementing ruminant diets with rumen-protected fat (RPF) on animal performance, nutrient digestibility, and meat quality traits. Lipid nutrition remains a critical strategy for enhancing dietary energy density, but production responses are highly variable. An integrated correlation analysis herein resolves a key physiological trade-off where a strong negative correlation between dry matter intake and dry matter digestibility (r = -0.71) was driven by an accelerated digesta passage rate that reduces microbial fermentation time. However, standalone digestibility variation demonstrated a negligible linear relationship with growth (r = -0.13). Daily weight gain was strongly associated with absolute volume of feed consumption (r = 0.86), suggesting that the high net energy intake provided by RPF may compensate for minor drops in digestive efficiency to optimise tissue deposition. Post-ruminal absorption of bypassed lipids successfully increases oleic and linoleic acid concentrations in muscle tissue, thereby improving meat flavour and tenderness without altering carcass sensory attributes. Therefore, RPF is an effective strategic tool for modulating meat nutritional value and ruminant animal performance, but its application must be balanced against distinct bioenergetic and digestive transit dynamics rather than standalone digestibility metrics.

The synchronization between nitrogen sources and carbohydrate fractions represents a critical factor for optimizing microbial protein synthesis and overall ruminant performance. This systematic review, conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, comprehensively evaluated the interactions between different nitrogen sources (true protein, urea, controlled-release urea, and bypass amino acids) and carbohydrate fractions (rapidly degrading soluble, slowly degrading soluble, fibrous, non-fibrous, and Van Soest fractions) in ruminant nutrition. A comprehensive search across PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus databases identified 1855 records, of which 164 studies met the eligibility criteria for qualitative synthesis and 89 for quantitative meta-analysis. The review reveals that synchronization effectiveness varies significantly depending on the nitrogen source–carbohydrate combination, with controlled-release urea showing superior synchrony with slowly degrading carbohydrates, while conventional urea performs better with rapidly degrading sources. Meta-analytical results indicate that optimal nitrogen–carbohydrate synchronization can improve microbial protein synthesis by 18–34%, reduce urinary nitrogen excretion by 12–28%, and enhance feed efficiency by 8–15%. These findings provide evidence-based recommendations for precision nutrition strategies in ruminant production systems.

This study investigated whether supplying rumen-protected lysine (RPL), alone or in combination with tannins, could modify the fatty acid (FA) profile, physicochemical characteristics, carcass traits, and sensory attributes of lamb meat. Forty Santa Inês × Dorper lambs (≈23 kg, 4 months old) were assigned to four dietary treatments for 55 days: a control diet, free lysine (0.44%), RPL microencapsulated in a carnauba-wax matrix, and RPL + tannins blend (1.34%). Feed intake, carcass weight, and quantitative carcass measurements did not differ among treatments (p > 0.05). Likewise, pH, color, proximate composition, water-holding capacity, cooking losses, and shear force remained unchanged. Dietary supplementation influenced the FA composition of the meat. RPL, especially when added with tannins, increased concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid (C18:2 cis–9, trans–11), eicosapentaenoic (C20:5 n–3), and docosahexaenoic acids (C22:6 n–3), improving the n–6:n–3 ratio (p < 0.05). The sum and ratio of other FA and cardiometabolic indices were not altered. Lipid oxidation was reduced in RPL treatments, indicating enhanced oxidative stability. Sensory attributes scores were not affected (p > 0.05), ranging from “liked slightly” to “liked very much”. RPL, particularly when combined with tannins, improved specific health-related FA without adversely affecting carcass characteristics or consumer acceptance.

Urea is one of the most widely used sources of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) in ruminant diets due to its low cost and high availability. However, its rapid solubilization in the rumen can result in abrupt ammonia release, leading to toxicity risks and low nitrogen utilization efficiency. In this context, slow-release technologies, particularly microencapsulation, have been developed to synchronize NPN release with fermentable carbohydrate availability, thereby enhancing microbial protein synthesis, improving animal performance, and reducing environmental impacts. This review compiles recent advances in urea microencapsulation, emphasizing different wall materials such as waxes, lipids, polysaccharides, and fatty acids, as well as drying techniques and formulation strategies. Slow-release urea (SRU) addition in small ruminants’ diet may increase nutrient intake and digestibility, improve N balance, and reduce urinary excretion losses. Regarding performance, positive responses are observed when nitrogen release is properly synchronized with energy availability, although the results may vary depending on the encapsulant type, forage-to-concentrate ratio, and ruminal passage rate. Additionally, effects on meat quality and environmental parameters indicate that this technology holds not only zootechnical but also socio-environmental potential. It is concluded that urea microencapsulation can represent a promising alternative to optimize NPN use efficiency in ruminant production systems, though greater methodological standardization, long-term evaluations, and comparative economic analyses are required to encourage its broader adoption.

Simulating scenarios under climate change is essential to understanding vegetation dynamics, ensuring the survival of forage species, and minimizing uncertainties in project costs and timelines. This study aimed to simulate historical probabilities and develop a biomass production model using PHYGROW software (Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA), combined with Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) in the @RISK program (Ithaca, NY, USA), to evaluate long-term biomass production in a native pasture area of the Caatinga biome. The results show strong agreement between software estimates and field data. For 2016, PHYGROW estimated 883 kg/ha, while field measurements reached 836.8 kg/ha; for 2017, 1117 kg/ha was estimated, while 992.15 kg/ha was observed. For 2018, the model estimated 1200 kg/ha compared with 1763.5 kg/ha in the field, and for 2019, 1230 kg/ha was estimated versus the 1294.3 kg/ha observed. The Monte Carlo simulations indicated that the Weibull distribution best fitted the synthetic series, with 90% adherence. Biomass production values ranged from 618 to 1427 kg/ha with a 90% probability. Only 5% of the simulations projected values below 600 kg/ha or above 1400 kg/ha. Moreover, there was a 95% risk of production issues if planning was based on biomass values above 1000 kg/ha. These findings highlight PHYGROW’s potential for pasture management under semi-arid conditions for predicting and avoiding degradation scenarios that could even lead to areas of desertification.

Antioxidant feed additives, such as cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL), rich in phenolic compounds, have gained attention for improving animal production and meat quality. The study evaluated the dietary effects of blending CNSL (0.5%) with different vegetable oils (1.5%) varying in unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) profiles on the meat quality and fatty acid composition of muttons. Forty Santa Inês × Dorper crossbred rams (24.44 ± 1.5 kg) were allocated to five treatments for 70 days: CNSL combined with canola (MUFA-rich) compared to corn, soybean, sunflower, or cottonseed oils (PUFA-rich). The CNSL + canola blend improved meat quality, showing higher water-holding capacity and tenderness and lower cooking loss than CNSL + PUFA-rich oils (p < 0.05). Meat yellowness (b*) increased with CNSL + soybean or cottonseed blend. Meat proximate composition was unaffected (p > 0.05). Minor variations in specific fatty acids were observed, including higher C14:0 and C16:1 in canola and cottonseed + CNSL blend groups and greater EPA (C20:5 n–3) with soybean oil + CNSL blend (p < 0.05). The ∑n–6:∑n–3 ratio was highest with cottonseed and lowest with soybean oil (p < 0.05). Overall, combining CNSL with MUFA-rich oils, particularly canola, compared to PUFA oils, enhances meat quality while supporting the sustainable use of CNSL in ram diets.

O estresse causado pelo ambiente, interfere significativamente na expressão genética de animais, tanto em termos de produtividade quanto de reprodução. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar os parâmetros fisiológicos de ovinos, da raça Soinga, em condições ambientais na região do Cariri Cearense. O experimento foi conduzido na Fazenda Novo Horizonte, localizada no município de Santana do Cariri, mesorregião sul cearense, microrregião do cariri estado do Ceará. Foram selecionadas inicialmente, 25 fêmeas e 01 macho (posteriormente seus descendentes), da raça Soinga. As fêmeas foram distribuídas em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com parcela subdividida no tempo. Durante o período experimental, as coletas foram realizadas a cada 15 dias no período às 9h e às 15h. Foram coletadas as variáveis ambientais como a temperatura do Globo Negro ao sol e a sombra, temperatura ambiente máxima e mínima, temperatura média e umidade relativa do ar com auxílio de um termo-higrômetro. Em relação aos parâmetros fisiológicos, foram mensuradas as frequências cardíaca e respiratória com o auxílio do estetoscópio clínico e através da visualização dos movimentos torácico abdominal com o auxílio de um cronômetro, durante um minuto, respectivamente, a temperaturas retal e vaginal com o auxílio de um termômetro clínico veterinário, colocado no reto e na vagina do animal por 2 minutos respectivamente. Para averiguar a temperatura superficial corpórea foi utilizado câmera termográfica, sendo mensurada em graus Celsius (°C). As variáveis foram submetidas aos testes de homogeneidade de variância e normalidade dos erros e, posteriormente realizou-se a análises de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey. Os valores de temperatura do ar com relação aos períodos, resultaram em uma menor média encontrada de 25,23ºC período chuvoso pela manhã e a maior média de 39,56ºC no período seco turno da tarde. A frequência respiratória, frequência cardíaca e a temperatura retal se mantiveram dentro da normalidade. A temperatura retal (TR) e vaginal (TV) tem uma alta correlação.

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar os parâmetros fisiológicos de ovinos da raça Soinga submetidos às condições ambientais do Cariri Cearense. O experimento foi reali-zado na Fazenda Novo Horizonte, localizada no município de Santana do Cariri, região Sul do Ceará. Foram utilizados 25 fêmeas e 1 macho reprodutor, todos adultos. As vari-áveis ambientais registradas incluíram temperatura de globo negro ao sol e à sombra, temperaturas máxima, mínima e média do ar, além da umidade relativa, por meio de um termo-higrômetro. Os parâmetros fisiológicos avaliados foram: frequência cardíaca e respiratória, medidas com auxílio de estetoscópio clínico e cronômetro; temperatura retal e vaginal, aferidas com termômetro clínico veterinário; e temperatura superficial corpo-ral, obtida com o uso de uma câmera termográfica. Os dados foram submetidos aos tes-tes de homogeneidade de variância e normalidade dos erros, seguidos de análise de va-riância e comparação de médias pelo teste de Tukey. Observou-se que a menor tempera-tura do ar foi de 35,23 ºC no período chuvoso pela manhã, e a maior, 39,56 ºC, no perí-odo seco à tarde. As frequências cardíaca e respiratória, assim como a temperatura retal, mantiveram-se dentro dos padrões fisiológicos normais. Houve alta correlação entre as temperaturas retal e vaginal.

Hydrogels are substances designed to retain significant quantities of water and slowly release it to support plant growth. This study produced and evaluated the use of a test hydrogel (TH), a natural polymer derived from cashew gum (Anacardium occidentale), on the growth, chemical composition, and mineral content of cactus pear genotypes. The TH was compared to a negative control (no hydrogel; NH), and to a positive control or commercial hydrogel (CH). The CH was a synthetic polyacrylamide-based hydrogel. The study was carried out in a completely randomized design with a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement (n = 36), involving three hydrogel types × three cactus pear genotypes [Elephant Ear (Opuntia stricta); Giant (Opuntia ficus-indica); and Sweet (Nopalea cochenillifera)]. There was a significant effect of interaction (p ≤ 0.05) between genotypes and hydrogel types on cladode area, plant height, dry biomass of cladodes, and macro- and micromineral content. The use of TH promoted greater growth and improved chemical and mineral composition (p ≤ 0.05) to cactus genotypes. The Sweet genotype hydrated with TH presented the highest crude protein accumulation (p ≤ 0.05). Cashew gum-based hydrogel improved both growth and chemical composition of the cactus genotypes, and it is an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic polymers.