A polyherbal feed mixture containing (Achyrantes aspera, Trachyspermum ammi, Citrullus colocynthis, Andrographis paniculata, and Azadirachta indica) was evaluated in growing calves through blood chemistry, blood biometry, and gene expression during the pre-ruminant to weaning period. Forty Holstein calves (initial BW 45.6 ± 3.2 kg; 22.8 ± 0.9 days post birth) from a dairy farm were randomly assigned to the following treatments: 0, 3, 4, and 5 g/d of a polyherbal mixture, dosed in colloid gels with gelatin. Calves were housed in individual outdoor boxes with ad libitum access to a 21.5% CP calf starter and water and fed individually with a mixture of milk and a non-medicated milk replacer (22% CP). Blood samples were collected on day 59 for blood chemistry, blood biometry, and gene expression analysis in leukocyte through microarray assays. Immunoglobulins were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The animals treated with the polyherbal mixture showed a quadratic effect on final body weight, daily weight gain, final hip height, and final thoracic girth. The best performance results were obtained with a treatment dose of 4 g/d. The serum IgG increased linearly with the treatment doses. Gene set enrichment analysis of upregulated genes revealed that the three biological processes with higher fold change were tight junction, mucin type O-Glycan biosynthesis, and intestinal immune network for IgA production. Also, these upregulated genes influenced arachidonic acid metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis. Gene ontology enrichment analysis indicated that the pathways enriched were PELP1 estrogen receptor interacting protein pathways, nuclear receptors in lipid metabolism and toxicity, tight junction, ECM-receptor interaction, thyroid hormone signaling pathways, vascular smooth muscle contraction, ribosome function, glutamatergic synapse pathway, focal adhesion, Hippo, calcium, and MAPK signaling pathways.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary curcumin supplementation on growth performance, serum antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, and meat quality of broiler chickens. The database was constructed with 28 peer-reviewed scientific papers published between January 2013 and January 2025, identified and selected from the Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and PubMed databases following the PRISMA methodology. All response variables in the database were analyzed with random effects models using the R statistical software, and the results were reported as weighted mean differences (WMD). Dietary curcumin supplementation did not affect (p > 0.05) average daily feed intake. However, dietary curcumin supplementation increased (p < 0.001) daily weight gain and decreased (p < 0.001) feed conversion ratio. Dietary curcumin supplementation increased (p < 0.01) serum superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity but decreased (p < 0.001) serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. Dietary curcumin supplementation decreased (p < 0.001) crypt depth (CD) and increased (p < 0.001) villus height (VH) and VH/CD ratio in the duodenum. Dietary curcumin supplementation increased (p < 0.05) carcass yield and color (L*, a*, and b*) in meat and, at the same time, decreased (p < 0.01) cooking loss and fat and MDA content in meat. Curcumin can be used as a dietary additive to improve productive performance, antioxidant status in blood serum, intestinal morphology, and meat quality in broiler chickens.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with calcium propionate (CaPr) or sodium propionate (NaPr) on growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and meat quality of finishing lambs. Twenty-seven non-castrated Creole male lambs (24.95 ± 2.15 kg body weight (BW); 4.5 ± 0.5 months old) were randomly assigned to three treatments: (a) CON: basal diet without the addition of CaPr or Na Pr; (b) basal diet + CaPr (10 g/kg DM); and (c) basal diet + NaPr (10 g/kg DM). The data were analyzed using a completely randomized experimental design, with each lamb considered an experimental unit (nine replicates/treatment). Dietary supplementation with CaPr or NaPr did not affect (p > 0.05) growth performance or dietary energetics. However, greater (p = 0.05) apparent dry matter digestibility was observed in the lambs that consumed the diet with NaPr10. Dietary supplementation with CaPr or NaPr did not affect (p > 0.05) ruminal pH or ruminal concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total volatile fatty acids. However, ruminal lactate concentration increased (p = 0.01) in lambs consuming the NaPr diet. Hot carcass weight and yield, backfat thickness, meat pH, meat color (L*, a*, and b*), cooking loss, and water holding capacity were not affected by dietary supplementation with CaPr or NaPr. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 10 g/kg DM of calcium propionate or sodium propionate does not affect growth performance, dietary energetics, ruminal fermentation, and the meat quality of finishing lambs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increasing levels of the M-E complex (xylanase, glucanase, cellulase, and invertase) Optimax E^® on the performance of growing lambs, their digestibility, and their rumen microbiota, and to estimate NEm, NEg, and ruminal methane levels. Forty lambs (Katahdin x Dorset; 22.91 ± 4.16 kg) were randomly assigned to dietary concentrations of ME (0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8% DM) and fed individually for 77 days. Increasing M-E improved feed conversion (p < 0.05) as well as NEm and NEg (p < 0.05), which were associated with increased in vivo DM and NDF digestion (linear and quadratic p < 0.01). Few microbial families showed abundancy changes (Erysipelotrichaceae, Christensenellaceae, Lentisphaerae, and Clostridial Family XIII); however, the dominant phylum Bacteroidetes was linearly reduced, while Firmicutes increased (p < 0.01), resulting in a greater Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio. Total Entodinium showed a quadratic response (p < 0.10), increasing its abundancy as the enzyme dose was augmented. The daily emission intensity of methane (per kg of DMI or AGD) was reduced linearly (p < 0.01). In conclusion, adding the M-E complex Optimax E^® to growing lambs’ diets improves their productive performance by acting synergistically with the rumen microbiota, modifying the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio toward more efficient fermentation, and shows the potential to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions from lambs.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with increasing levels of a polyherbal phytogenic additive (PPA) on growth performance, health parameters, and blood metabolites of dairy calves. Forty female Holstein calves (43.35 ± 2.41 kg body weight and 25.1 ± 2.2 d of age) were housed in individual pens and randomly assigned to four treatments (n = 10) with increasing levels of PPA: 0 (CON), 2 (PPA2), 3 (PPA3), and 4 (PPA4) g PPA/d for 67 d. Compared to the CON treatment, supplementation with the PPA2 treatment increased (quadratic effect p = 0.02) the average daily gain and final body weight of the dairy calves. Also, a higher starter intake (SI), and intake of milk + milk replacer was observed (linear and quadratic effect p = 0.0001) in response to supplementation with the PPA2, PPA3, and PPA4 treatments. The evaluated treatments did not affect (p > 0.05) the feed conversion ratio, or the number of cases of diarrhea, pneumonia, and otitis. The evaluated treatments did not affect (p > 0.05) most of the hematological and biochemical blood parameters. However, compared to the CON treatment, supplementation with the PPA2 treatment increased (quadratic effect p < 0.05) the blood concentration of the segmented neutrophils and plasma protein. Likewise, the serum glucose concentration decreased (linear effect p < 0.05) with supplementation of the PPA2, PPA3, and PPA4 treatments. Compared with the CON treatment, the PPA4 supplementation decreased the serum urea concentration (linear effect p = 0.04). In conclusion, supplementation with 2 g/d of PPA can be used as a natural alternative to improve the growth rate and stimulate starter and milk + milk replacer intake in dairy calves without adverse effects on health parameters or blood metabolites.