Dietary supplementation of unsaturated fats in ruminants, if not stabilized, can instigate oxidative stress which can have negative impact on production performance and enhance the susceptibility to various diseases. The current study examined the effect of dietary 80 % canola oil and 20 % palm oil blend (CPOB) on serum fatty acids, antioxidant profile and biochemical indices in goats. Thirty Boer bucks (4–5 months old; initial BW, 20.34 ± 0.77 kg) were randomly assigned to diets containing 0, 4 or 8 % CPOB and fed daily for a period of 90 days. Blood was sampled from the goats on 0, 30, 60 and 90 days of the trial and the serum was analyzed for fatty acids, cholesterol, glucose, total protein, antioxidants and lipid oxidation. Neither diet nor sampling time influenced serum TBARS value, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and total protein. Goats fed 4 and 8 % CPOB had higher (P < 0.05) total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol than the control goats on day 30, 60 and 90. The proportion of C15:0 decreased with increasing level of CPOB on day 30 and 60. Serum C18:1n-9 increased with increasing level of CPOB in diet on day 60. The proportion of C18:3n-3 and C22:5n-3 increased (P < 0.05), while the proportion of C18:2n-6 decreased (P < 0.05) with increase in the level of CPOB on day 60 and 90. Dietary CPOB did not affect serum total carotenoid and δ-tocopherol but did increase (P < 0.05) α and γ-tocopherol. Dietary canola oil and palm oil blend could be supplemented in diets without instigating oxidative stress in goats.

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of sea and road transport on the acute phase proteins (APP), cortisol, metabolic, haematological and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses of Brahman crossbred heifers. Sixty Brahman crossbred heifers were subjected to 14 d of transportation by sea from Darwin Port, Australia, to Pasir Gudang Port, Johor, Malaysia, and 330 km of road transportation. Results revealed that the intensity of response for most blood biochemical parameters increased significantly and were different from the baseline values taken while the animals were in Darwin Port, Australia. Haematological results obtained also revealed a significant increase and were different from the baseline values. Cortisol and APP (bovine alpha 1-acid glycoprotein and serum amyloid-A) values increased significantly and were different from the baseline values. Haematological parameters, APP, cortisol and EEG data (alpha, beta, delta and theta waves, total power and median frequency) decreased significantly following 4 and 7 days post-transport, suggesting a recovery of the animals from the stressfulness of transport. In conclusion, the current results revealed that the concentrations of biochemical and haematological parameters, cortisol, APP and EEG data were affected by both sea and road transport as evidenced by the significant changes recorded from the parameters above.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of stocking density and distances on electroencephalographic changes and cortisol as welfare indicators in Brahman crossbred cattle. Sixty Brahman crossbred heifers were subjected to road transport from a cattle feedlot farm located in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang to a commercial ruminant abattoir in Shah Alam, Selangor. Animals were assigned to long (850 km) and short (450 km) distances and high (600 sqm), medium (400 sqm), and low (200 sqm) stocking densities. Results revealed that the intensity of cortisol responses and EEG parameters (such as alpha <0.001, beta < 0.001, delta < 0.001, theta < 0.001, MF < 0.001 and Ptot < 0.001) increased significantly. Long-distance transport also resulted in significantly more intense (<0.001) responses to nociception during slaughter than animals that had been transported over a shorter distance, as indicated by EEG and cortisol.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with Lactuca serriola leaves on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and its antioxidant stability of Japanese quails. A total of eighty growing quails (1-week old) were distributed into 2 equal groups consisting of 40 birds (5 replicates of 8 birds each). The first group was fed a basal diet without Lactuca serriola leaves (0 g.kg-1 diet) and the second group received diets containing 20 g.kg-1 Lactuca serriola leaves. At age of 6 weeks, quails were slaughtered for meat and carcass examinations. The growth performance for the quails fed with Lactuca serriola leaves diet was similar to that of a control group. Carcass measurements, physical properties, and chemical composition of quail breast meat did not differ between the control and experimental group. However, the inclusion of Lactuca serriola leaves significantly increased the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content and improved breast meat lipid stability during postmortem refrigerated storage compared to the control diet. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Lactuca serriola leaves can improve the performance of Japanese quail enrich its meat with an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, and reduce lipid oxidation during storage.

This investigation aims to determine the effect of grape pomace supplementation on quail meat’s quality and shelf life. Growing 121-day-old quail males were separated into groups of 30 birds each (3 replicates of 10 birds each). For 42 days, the quails were fed a diet enriched with 0, 2.5, 5, or 10 g/kg of grape pomace (control group and experimental groups). After the feeding session, ten quails were chosen randomly and slaughtered humanely to test the meat quality. Except for redness, which showed a lower value for experimental groups compared to the control group, neither the physicochemical characteristics nor the eating quality of breast meat varied significantly across treatments. The experimental groups also produced alterations in the fatty acid profile, with an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids mainly due to an increase in linoleic acid concentration. The addition of grape pomace reduced lipid oxidation in meat at 1 and 5 days post-mortem. On post-mortem day 5, the control group meat had more bacteria than the experimental group meat. Overall, supplementation with grape pomace significantly improved the fatty acid profile and showed the capacity to extend shelf life.