A scientific justification, focused on the development of the sustainability of feed ingredients and farm animals’ ecosystems, is required. Thus, it is crucial to search for alternative feed materials from natural sources for potential applications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prospective utilization of freshwater Cladophora glomerata (C. glomerata) as an alternative source of protein and other essential nutrients in animals’ feed. For this purpose, chemical analysis was performed on collected biomass samples from the Lithuanian rivers, Dubysa (B1), Šventoji (B2), Nevėžis (B3), and Jūra (B4). Microelements (Ca > K > N > P > Mg), trace elements (Zn > Cu), and heavy metals (Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd) have not exceeded permissible levels. The crude protein content of C. glomerata biomass ranged from 16% to 21.5% DM. The essential amino acid profile excelled, with the highest total amino acid amount of 140.99 g/kg in B4. The highest total presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (11.71%) as well as the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids (0.22) was observed in B1. The lowest ratio of omega-6/omega-3 was in B1 (1.30). As a result of bioaccumulation, C. glomerata could serve as a source of proteins, as well as amino and fatty acids, implying that biomass could be an alternative and a beneficial component of animal feed.

Freshwater macroalgae produces a wide range of bioactive compounds, and interest in utilizing its biomass is growing rapidly. Meanwhile, exploiting renewable sources for biomass collection could lead to more sustainable biotechnological chains. The aim of this study was to investigate Cladophora glomerata biomass from Lithuanian rivers as a potential raw material for biotechnology. For this reason, phenolic compound profiles, antioxidant activity and pigment concentrations were determined in macroalgal biomass samples collected from the following four Lithuanian rivers: Dubysa (B1), Šventoji (B2), Nevėžis (B3) and Jūra (B4). The highest total phenolic compound content was determined in B3 (1.32 mg GAE/g). Three phenolic acids were identified, namely gallic (12.94–35.13 µg/g), p-hydroxybenzoic (23.97–29.05 µg/g) and p-coumaric (1.79–6.46 µg/g). The results indicate significant C. glomerata antioxidant activity; the highest reducing power reached 0.737 AU (B3), the total antioxidant content was 1.47 mg Trolox/g (B3), DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging was 11.09% (B3) and 97.86% (B1) and FRAP activity 20.86 µmol/L (B3). The content of pigments ranged from 0.56-0.74, 0.39–0.57, 0.17–0.23 to 0.11–0.17 mg/g in chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, and lutein, respectively. To conclude, C. glomerata macroalgal biomass may have the potential to act as a functional raw material, as several groups of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities were observed.

Today’s challenges in the animal husbandry sector, with customers’ demand for more beneficial products, encourage the development of strategies that not only provide more sustainable production from the field to the table but also ensure final product functionality. Thus, the current research was aimed at replacing some traditional feed raw materials in rabbit diets with C. glomerata biomass to improve the functionality of meat. For this purpose, thirty weaned (52-d-old) Californian rabbits were assigned to 3 dietary treatments: standard compound diet (SCD), SCD + 4% C. glomerata (CG4), and SCD + 8% C. glomerata (CG8). At the end of the feeding trial, 122-d-old rabbits were slaughtered, longissimus dorsi (LD) and hind leg (HL) muscles were dissected post-mortem, and moisture, protein, and lipid profiles were determined. Results revealed that CG4 treatment can increase protein (22.17 g/kg), total (192.16 g/kg) and essential (threonine, valine, methionine, lysine, and isoleucine) amino acid levels in rabbit muscles. Both inclusions gradually reduced fat accumulation in muscles (CG8 < CG4 < SCD) but improved the lipid profile’s nutritional value by decreasing saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and increasing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). As the dose of C. glomerata increased, the level of lipid oxidation decreased. Biomass supplementation enhanced PUFA/SFA and h/H levels while decreasing thrombogenicity index (TI) and atherogenic index (AI) levels in rabbit muscles, potentially contributing to the prevention of heart disease. Overall, dietary supplementation with C. glomerata biomass may be a more beneficial and sustainable nutritional approach to functionally enhancing rabbit meat.

Maintaining meat quality is essential to sustainable livestock management. Therefore, identifying alternative feed materials while considering consumer acceptance is crucial. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of C. glomerata-biomass-supplemented feeds on rabbit muscles’ physical properties, sensory profiles, and evaluators’ emotional responses to them. A total of thirty 52-day-old weaned Californian breed rabbits were randomly allocated to one of three dietary treatments: standard compound diet (SCD), SCD supplemented with 4% C. glomerata (CG4), or SCD supplemented with 8% C. glomerata (CG8). After the 122-day-old rabbits were slaughtered, post-mortem dissection of the rabbit Longissimus dorsi (LD) and hind leg (HL) muscles was conducted. The physical and histomorphometric features, sensory analyses, and emotional responses to the rabbit’s muscles were determined. Study results revealed CG4 and CG8 treatments significantly increased rabbit muscle moisture, while CG8 increased cooking losses in HL muscles (p < 0.05). Moreover, both CG treatments reduced the darkness and redness of fresh and cooked rabbit muscles compared to SCD (p < 0.05). CG8 treatment compared to SCD resulted in longer LD muscle fibers (p < 0.05). Evaluators discovered that the average scores for each sensory description of rabbit meat are acceptable and that consuming CG8-HL muscles can increase happiness based on emotional responses. Consequently, replacing traditional feed materials in rabbit feed with C. glomerata can lead to not only more sustainable production but also more consumer-acceptable rabbit meat.

Egg consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about animal welfare, so it is crucial to develop a better understanding of whether alternative housing systems lead to higher quality eggs. So, the current study was designed to assess the egg quality characteristics, sensory features, fatty acid profile, and cholesterol levels of eggs produced in enriched caging and barn housing systems. An experiment was conducted on Lohmann Brown Classic line laying hens (aged 28–48 weeks) fed analogous feed and housed in enriched cages and barn housing systems. Eggs’ quality traits, nutritional value, and sensory acceptance were evaluated. Hens kept in enriched cages had higher liveability and lay rates but lower feed consumption and feed conversion ratio (FCR) at almost all trial periods. Barn-laid eggs were heavier and had larger yolks; enriched cage eggs showed higher albumen, Haugh unit (28, 32, 36 weeks of age), stronger and thicker eggshells (32 weeks of age); barn-laid eggs stronger and thicker eggshell (48 weeks of age), higher SFA (start of the trial) and PUFA (at the end) contents. The differences between enriched cage and alternative barn housing systems are negligible, as no clear trend was discovered between them during different trial periods while hens were fed an identical diet.

Avian diseases, especially coccidiosis, represent a significant threat to poultry production, demanding research into the use of herbal supplements in birds’ diets. So, the aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of selected herbal components in mitigating coccidiosis in broilers and to examine their overall impact on the productivity traits of broilers. A 35-day feeding trial was conducted with 1200 male ROSS 308 broiler chickens in two poultry facilities, one non-infected, using either usual coccidiostats (UC⁻) or 500 g/t herbal additive (consisting of Holarrhena antidysenterica, Ficus religiosa, Berberis aristata, Allium sativum, Embelia ribes, and Azadirachta indica; HA⁻) and the other intentionally exposed to Eimeria via drinking water at 7 days old, with corresponding control and experimental groups (UC⁺ and HA⁺). Dietary interventions significantly influenced broiler chicken body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) throughout the trial, notably on day 21, with UC⁺ treatment yielding the highest values. Herbal supplements did not affect the feed conversion ratio (FCR) or liveability. Under infection, litter dry matter (DM) content differences were notable on days 14 and 21, favouring herbal additive treatments (HA⁻ and HA⁺). Herbal supplements also impacted Eimeria presence in the duodenum and jejunum on day 21, with notable differences between treatments. Despite several limitations, the study reveals that herbal additions may effectively manage Eimeria infection and enhance litter quality in broiler production, since control treatments demonstrated improved development and anatomy.