This review aimed to analyze the effects of additives in producing silage from rehydrated corn grains for ruminants. The control treatment studies used in this analysis involved corn grain rehydrated with water only. To be included in the review, the studies needed to follow standardized criteria, including the absence of additives in the control treatment and the silage evaluation of the in animals such as cattle, goats, and sheep. A total of fifteen publications between 2014 and 2023 were included in the final dataset. The PROC ANOVA of SAS was used to compare the results, which included a random effect of comparison within the study, performing a paired comparison. It was observed that additives did not influence the chemical composition, pH, organic acid, ethanol content, microbial population, fermentative losses, aerobic stability, and dry matter in vitro digestibility of rehydrated corn grain silage (p > 0.05). Using additives in corn silage is a promising practice that can significantly benefit silage fermentation. Moisture silage additives mitigate high mycotoxin levels, enhance aerobic stability, improve cell wall digestibility, and increase the efficiency of utilization of silage nitrogen by ruminants. Using fermentation-stimulating additives (Lactobacillus buchneri) can improve the quality of rehydrated corn grain silage. There are still a few studies and more research to elucidate the best additives and the ideal amount to be added to ground corn grain silage.

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.

We investigated the effect of including palm kernel cake (PKC) at the levels of 0, 80, 160 and 240 g kg⁻¹ in the diet of lactating goats on the quality and sensory parameters of Minas Frescal cheese. Twelve goats were used in a triple 4 × 4 Latin square design. The dietary addition of PKC was associated with a reduction in moisture (p = 0.004), which compromised the cheese yield (p = 0.030). The ether extract content showed a quadratic response. There was a decrease in caproic (p = 0.014), caprylic (p = 0.011), capric (p = 0.003) and palmitic (p = 0.049) acids and an increase in lauric (p = 0.012) and myristic (p = 0.02) acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids increased (p = 0.008), whereas the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids (p = 0.022) and thrombogenicity index (p = 0.023) decreased. Principal component analysis indicated that control treatment and the treatment with 80 g kg⁻¹ PKC were the most acceptable to the cheese tasters. The use of palm kernel cake is a good alternative for lactating goats when added to the diet at levels up to 80 g kg⁻¹.