There is a wide range of feed additives deliberately designed to be used in sheep diets that can improve production performance. Whereas herbal supplementation is gaining popularity not only for improving sheep productivity and mutton quality but also for safe application without any harmful residual effects. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) and/or garlic leaf (Allium sativum) dietary supplementation on growth performance, immunity, rumen histology, serum antioxidants and meat quality of sheep. The experiment consisted of a completely randomized design with 32 one-year-old sheep (initial mean live weight 9 ± 0.2 kg) allocated to four groups (8 sheep per group). Rice straw and concentrates-based total mixed ration pellets (2390 kcal/kg DM, CP = 15.1%) were offered as a control diet (CL diet). Herbal treatment diets included (i) CL diet + 10 g DM of plantain herb (PL diet), (ii) CL diet + 10 g DM of garlic leaf (GL diet) and (iii) CL diet + 5 g DM of PL and 5 g DM of GL (PG diet). Compared with the CL diet group, the live weight gain and feed conversion ratio were 18% to 26% and 13% to 20% higher in herbal-supplemented groups, respectively. Moreover, the herbal-supplemented groups, especially the PL diet group had higher serum immunoglobulin concentration, antioxidant capacity and rumen papillae size compared to the control. Besides, the lowest caul fat and pelvic fat levels were observed in the PL diet group followed by PG, GL and CL diet groups. In addition, lower mutton ether extract and saturated fatty acid along with higher polyunsaturated fatty acid levels were found in all herbal-supplemented groups. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with PL and/or GL might be used as an alternative in sheep to promote growth, health status and lean mutton production.

This review explores the potential of Chlorella vulgaris (CLV) as an alternative supplement in animal feed. CLV is rich in essential nutrients including fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, as well as bioactive compounds such as antioxidants, which contribute to its health-promoting properties. The nutritional composition of CLV can vary depending on factors such as cultivation methods, nutrient availability, light intensity, temperature, water pH, strain, and processing techniques. The rigid cell wall of the microalga limits nutrient accessibility, particularly in monogastric animals. However, processing techniques such as enzymatic treatments can disrupt the cell wall, enhancing nutrient bioavailability and improving its utility as a feed ingredient. Research across livestock species has demonstrated the positive effects of CLV supplementation. For instance, CLV has improved milk production and composition in ruminants, modulated rumen microbiota, enhanced lamb growth, and elevated blood immunoglobulin levels. Moreover, the impact of CLV on ruminal fermentation is dose-dependent, with higher inclusion rates exhibiting more pronounced effects, and it may also play a role in mitigating methane emissions. In poultry, CLV supplementation leads to better growth, feed conversion ratios, immune responses, and meat and egg quality. Similarly, studies on pigs suggest that CLV can benefit immune response and fatty acid profiles, while in rabbits, CLV has been found to reduce oxidative stress and improve immune responses. Additionally, CLV has shown promise in aquaculture, improving feed utilization, immunity, and disease resistance in various fish species. While CLV shows considerable potential, the variability in animal responses and the need for optimized inclusion levels necessitate further species-specific research to elucidate the long-term implications of its inclusion in animal diets.

This study was aimed to find out the suitable dose of fresh plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) supplementation for optimum growth, serum antioxidants status, liver health, and meat quality in broilers. A total of 1152-days-old Cobb-500 broilers (average weight: 45 ± 0.7 g) were randomly assigned into four dietary treatments, including (i) control (CON): corn-soya based basal diet, and plantain (PL) supplemented groups (ii) PL40: CON + 40 g fresh PL/kg diet; (iii) PL80: CON + 80 g fresh PL/kg diet; and (iv) PL120: CON + 120 g fresh PL/kg diet. Improved growth efficiency (p < .05) was observed in PL supplemented groups compared to CON, where PL80 and PL120 groups had the highest value. Serum superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase concentrations were comparable in the PL80 and PL120 groups, but higher (p < .05) than other groups. The lowest concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were found in the PL80 group, while alkaline phosphatase was the highest in the PL40 group. Furthermore, the PL80 group exhibited the lowest (p = .001) abdominal fat content and the highest (p = .002) breast meat yield. Meat linoleic acid content was nevertheless improved linearly with PL supplement levels, and the highest value was found in the PL120 group. Furthermore, the maximum meat redness (a*) was observed in PL80 and PL120 groups, which was approximately twice that of the CON. Overall, the growth and health responses of both PL80 and PL120 groups were similar, while the latter had improved the meat fatty acid profile.

Herbal supplements containing diverse phytochemicals have been proven to improve digestibility, beneficial serum metabolites, milk yield, and quality in cows. However, the temperature sensitivity of phytochemicals in herbs complicates their practical use as livestock supplements. In response, this study aimed to assess how shade-dried plantain, lemongrass, and their combination influence cow performance, digestibility, serum and milk antioxidants, and milk fatty acids. Forty multiparous mid-lactating Holstein-tropical crossbred cows were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 10) for 63 days in a completely randomized design with covariates adjustment. The control group received a basal diet (14.9% crude protein, 11.0 MJ metabolizable energy/kg dry matter (DM)) without herbs. The herbs-supplemented groups received shade-dried powder (per cow/day) of either 100 g plantain (plantain), 100 g lemongrass (lemongrass), or 50 g each of plantain and lemongrass (combined), along with the basal diet. Compared with the control, the plantain or lemongrass group presented improved performance, i.e., DM consumption (3–4%), milk (10–11%) and its components yield (p ≤ 0.05). Similar to the control, the combined group had no effect on performance or digestibility, whereas the digestibility of all nutrients in the plantain or lemongrass group substantially increased. Herbs-supplementation reduced serum bad-cholesterol and urea-nitrogen while increasing good-cholesterol and albumin compared with the control (p < 0.01). Notably, 4–8% serum and 8–23% milk antioxidants were greater in the herbs-supplemented groups than the control, while the lemongrass had the optimum milk β-carotene. Substantially, herbs-supplementation resulted in a 6–10% higher unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs), whereas the combined group presented a 3.56-fold greater n-3 fatty acids than the control. Significantly, the plantain or lemongrass group presented better benefit‒cost‒ratio than the combined and control. Therefore, shade-dried herbs-supplementation improved the beneficial serum metabolites, serum and milk antioxidants, and milk USFAs in cows. Additionally, shade-dried plantain or lemongrass enhanced cow DM consumption, digestibility, milk yield, and profitability.

Our objective was to determine the effects of isoacids (ISO) on the lactation performance, digestibility, and milk fatty acids (FA) profile of Holstein cows fed 2 forage NDF levels (FL). The study lasted 10 wk (including 2 wk for covariate) using a randomized complete block design. Sixty-four mid-lactating Holstein cows (662 ± 71 kg BW, 119 ± 51 DIM, 2 ± 0.9 parity [±SD]) were blocked by parity, DIM, and prior milk yield (MY) for multiparous cows or genetic merit for primiparous cows, and randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 diets (n = 16). Diets were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial, with 2 FL containing 21% forage (HF) and 17% forage NDF (LF) without (WIA) or with ISO supplementation (IA; 7.85 mmol/kg of DM and 3.44 mmol/kg of DM for isobutyrate and 2-methylbutyrate, respectively). Diets were balanced for similar NE_L (1.58 Mcal/kg of DM), CP (16.0%), and total NDF (27.2%). Feed intake and MY were recorded daily. Nutrient digestibility for each cow was determined using indigestible NDF as a marker, and fecal samples were collected at 8-time points (4-h intervals between samples). Individual cow milk samples composited over a 10-wk period were analyzed using GC for FA profile. The statistical model included FL, ISO, and FL × ISO as fixed effects and block as a random effect (lme4 in R). The ISO did not affect DMI, and LF cows had greater DMI than HF cows (27.8 vs. 26.0 kg/d). However, ISO increased MY (34.7 vs. 37.2 kg/d) and ECM (41.9 vs. 39.0 kg/d) by 7% in cows fed the HF but not in those fed the LF diet, suggesting a FL × ISO interaction. Interestingly, ISO increased ADG (0.4 kg/d) but decreased MUN by 9% only in LF diet as indicated by the FL × ISO interaction. Additionally, ISO increased DM, OM, NDF, and CP digestibility by 10% to 24% in HF, but not in LF (FL × ISO). As expected, ISO increased milk odd-chain FA profiles in the IA groups irrespective of FL; for example, the IA had greater C15:0 (1.87 vs. 1.54 g/100g FA) and a tendency to be greater C17:0 levels (0.86 vs. 0.76 g/100g FA) compared with WIA groups. Overall, ISO improved MY and nutrient digestibility in cows fed the HF diets, whereas it increased ADG and decreased MUN in cows fed the LF diet. Additionally, ISO increased milk odd-chain FA (C15:0 and C17:0) regardless of FL.