Sustainable livestock production is a critical component of global food security and environmental stewardship. Agricultural crop residues, such as cereal straws, stovers, and hulls, as well as agro-industrial by-products, including oilseed meals, distillery wastes, and fruit/vegetable processing residues, are generated in large quantities worldwide, and these residues can be used in the diet of the animals to reduce the feed production cost and sustainability. In this review, we found that the use of treated crop residues in the diet of animals increased the production performance without causing any side effects on their health. Additionally, we also noticed that using these crop residues also mitigates the methane production in ruminants and feed costs, particularly for harvesting the feed crops. Traditionally, these materials have often been underutilized or even disposed of improperly, leading to wastage of valuable nutrients and potential environmental pollution. By incorporating these materials into animal feed formulations, livestock producers can benefit from several key advantages. The review further discusses the challenges and considerations involved in the effective utilization of these alternative feed resources, such as variability in nutrient composition, anti-nutritional factors, and the need for appropriate preprocessing and formulation strategies. Emerging technologies and innovative approaches to optimize the integration of crop residues and by-products into sustainable livestock production systems and also reduce global warming, particularly methane, CO₂ and other particles that affect the environment after burning these crop residues, are also highlighted. By synthesizing the current knowledge and exploring the multifaceted benefits, this review underscores the vital roles that agricultural crop residues and agro-industrial by-products can play in fostering the sustainability and resilience of livestock production, ultimately contributing to global food security and environmental stewardship.

The study investigates the relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from calves. Using biochemical and molecular methods, we identified the isolates and assessed their biofilm-forming ability through an improved crystal violet staining method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 18 antibiotics against the isolates were determined using the broth microdilution method. The impact of cefoxitin on biofilm formation was analyzed using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). Additionally, qRT-PCR was employed to evaluate the expression levels of biofilm-related genes (luxS, motA, fliA, pfs, and csgD) in response to varying cefoxitin concentrations. Results indicated a significant correlation between antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and biofilm formation ability. Cefoxitin effectively reduced biofilm formation of multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates at 1/2 and 1 MIC, with enhanced inhibition at higher concentrations. The QS-related genes luxS, pfs, motA, and fliA were downregulated, leading to decreased csgD expression. At 1/2 MIC, csgD expression was significantly reduced. In conclusion, cefoxitin inhibits biofilm formation in multidrug-resistant E. coli by down-regulating key genes, offering a potential strategy to mitigate resistance and control infections in calves caused by biofilm-positive E. coli isolates.

Palm fruits are produced extensively in tropical and subtropical regions and consumed worldwide. However, over 20% of the total yield is discarded due to inferior quality, resulting in significant agricultural waste and economic loss. To mitigate this challenge and enable the safe valorization of discarded dates (DD) in animal feeding systems, this study employed solid-state fermentation (SSF) to upgrade the nutritional quality of DD and evaluated its potential as a functional feed ingredient for goats. Twenty-four male goats (6 months old; initial body weight 25.86 ± 0.25 kg) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: a basal diet (control), a diet containing 10% raw DD (D1), and a diet containing 10% solid-state fermented DD (D2). Inclusion of DD in the diet significantly increased average daily gain (ADG), final body weight (BW), and feed efficiency, with the highest values recorded for D2 (p < 0.05). Feeding of DD altered (p < 0.001) all measured rumen fermentation parameters, except pH, with higher levels (p < 0.05) of total volatile fatty acids, propionate, microbial crude protein, and ammonia nitrogen recorded for D1 and D2, as compared to control. Similarly, blood biochemistry revealed elevated total protein, albumin, and globulin in both supplemented groups (p < 0.05), whereas higher glucose and cholesterol levels were recorded for the D1 group (p < 0.05). Notably, systemic antioxidant status improved with the inclusion of SSF fermented DD, as evidenced by increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activities, alongside reduced malondialdehyde levels (p < 0.05). The inclusion of DD in the diet decreased cooking and drip losses, and decreased shear force (indicating enhanced tenderness) and water-holding capacity (p < 0.05), with better values recorded for D2. Carcass protein and fat contents increased with the inclusion of DD in the diet, with higher values recorded for D2 (p < 0.05). Fatty acid analysis revealed higher (p < 0.05) contents of rumenic acid and octadecenoic acid in D2, as compared to D1 and control. The concentrations of lysine, methionine, threonine, leucine, and valine in meat were also higher in D2-fed goats (p < 0.05). In conclusion, incorporating solid-state-fermented discarded dates into goat diets represents a promising and sustainable strategy to valorize agricultural waste while concurrently improving growth performance, antioxidant status, meat quality, and selected nutrient profiles of goat meat. These preliminary findings warrant validation in larger-scale production.

This study aims to clarify the drug resistance status, carriage of drug‐resistant genes, and the effect of baicalin on drug resistance in bovine respiratory Pasteurella multocida (Pm). Strains were isolated and cultured from bovine respiratory disease samples, and then PCR identification, drug sensitivity testing, and detection of drug‐resistant genes were carried out. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of baicalin to Pm was determined by the microdilution method. The effects of baicalin at different concentrations on the drug‐resistant phenotype of Pm were evaluated, and qRT‐PCR was used to measure the impact of baicalin on the expression level of the aac(6′)‐Ib‐cr gene. The fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) of baicalin combined with enrofloxacin was determined by the microcheckerboard dilution method, and the quinolone resistance–determining region (QRDR) was compared. A total of 10 Pm strains were isolated, including 8 capsular Serotype A and 2 Serotype D; among them, 5 were multidrug‐resistant. All 10 strains carried the strA, strB, and blaROB‐1 drug‐resistant genes. Baicalin at 1/2 MIC and 1/4 MIC concentrations reduced the drug resistance of Pm to amikacin, kanamycin, ciprofloxacin, and enrofloxacin with prolonged intervention time and significantly or extremely significantly decreased the expression level of the aac(6′)‐Ib‐cr drug‐resistant gene. The combination of baicalin and enrofloxacin showed a synergistic effect, and after combined culture, isoleucine (Ile) at Position 83 of the gyrA gene in Pm was replaced by arginine (Arg). The isolated Pm strains were predominantly Serotype A and mostly drug‐resistant. Baicalin can effectively enhance the sensitivity of multidrug‐resistant isolates to amikacin, kanamycin, ciprofloxacin, and enrofloxacin by inhibiting the expression of aac(6′)‐Ib‐cr. The combination of baicalin and enrofloxacin exhibits a synergistic effect, mutually enhancing bacterial sensitivity to the drugs. Kaiwen Yin, Huiling Zhang, and Puguo Hao contributed equally to this work.

This study investigated the therapeutic effects of camel milk (CM) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and its underlying mechanisms through integrative multi-omics analysis. C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet (NC), an HFD, or an HFD supplemented with CM via intragastric administration for 7 weeks, with orlistat as a positive control. CM treatment significantly reduced body weight, inguinal and epididymal white adipose tissue weights, serum triglyceride and LDL-C levels, and adipocyte hypertrophy compared to the HFD group. Additionally, CM ameliorated HFD-induced hepatic injury, as evidenced by reduced serum ALT levels and attenuated hepatic steatosis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that CM partially reversed HFD-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, characterized by increased Bacteroidota abundance, suppression of pro-inflammatory genera ( Mucispirillum, Escherichia-Shigella, Faecalitalea ), and enrichment of the putative beneficial taxon unclassified [Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group . Targeted metabolomics revealed that CM restored HFD-suppressed levels of colonic short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetic, butyric, and propionic acids. Untargeted liver metabolomics revealed that CM remodeled the hepatic metabolome, reversing HFD-induced elevations in sphingolipids [sphingosine, SM(d18:0/16:1(9Z))], and modulating lipid, glutathione metabolisms, and oxidative stress pathway. Liver transcriptomic analysis indicated that CM partially reversed HFD-induced gene expression changes, particularly downregulating genes involved in arachidonic acid metabolism (Cyp4a family), fatty acid elongation (Acot family), and glycerolipid metabolism ( Aldh3a2, Mgll, Mogat1 ), while modulating bile secretion genes. Spearman correlation analyses further revealed significant associations between CM-modulated gut microbial genera (notably unclassified [Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group, Faecalitalea , and Escherichia-Shigella ) and obesity-related parameters, SCFA levels, hepatic metabolites, and lipid metabolism-related gene expression. These findings suggest that CM attenuates HFD-induced obesity and associated metabolic disturbances in association with gut microbiota modulation, enhanced SCFA production, and remodeling of hepatic lipid metabolism involving the gut-liver axis, pointing to CM as a potential dietary intervention for obesity management.