The aim of the study was to determine the mineral composition and fatty acid profile in the seeds of selected Fabaceae species and cultivars and to assess their correlations with phytochemicals and antioxidant activity. The Andean lupine was characterised by a particularly high level of Mg and K as well as Cu, Zn, and Fe (P < 0.05). There were various correlations (P < 0.05) between the total phenols and tannins and these elements. The highest contribution of α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3, n-3) in total fatty acids was noted in the lentil (13.8 in 100 g⁻¹ fat), common bean (11.9 in 100 g⁻¹ fat), and pea seeds (10.4 in 100 g⁻¹ fat) (P = 0.028). In turn, the white lupine contained the highest content of ALA—0.67 g 100 g⁻¹ seeds; its lowest level was determined in the broad bean—0.03 g 100 g⁻¹ seeds. The seeds exhibited a high proportion of hypocholesterolemic fatty acids (on average 86%). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl antiradical activity was positively correlated with UFA and PUFA (P < 0.05). This indicates great protective potential of legume seeds for prevention and treatment of diet-dependent diseases.

The importance of the use of exogenous butyrate in calves’ diets is due to its role as a factor stimulating the functional development of ruminal epithelium and improving calf performance during the transition from preruminant to ruminant status. Our review will first present results related to effects of the administration of butyrate in calves’ diets on the development of ruminal epithelium toward a more effective absorption and metabolism of fermentation products from the rumen. The introduction of sodium butyrate at a level of about 0.3% of diet dry matter is accompanied by an increase to 35% in butyrate concentration in the rumen of 33-day-old calves. Mutual reliance between an enhanced ruminal concentration of butyrate and the activities of transcription factors, genes and proteins involved in cell proliferation, ketogenesis and the maintenance of cell pH homeostasis in the ruminal epithelial cells has been clearly confirmed in many experiments. Second, the review presents results related to the effects of the introduction of butyrate salts in the diet on calf performance. Of 11 studies a positive effect was found in six; five of these were obtained from the calves that started receiving butyrate supplement at a level of about 0.3% diet dry matter from the age of 3 to 5 days. Results indicate that when a supplement is given to calves soon after birth the functional development of ruminal epithelium in cooperation with the endocrine and digestion systems is transferred into improving the efficiency of rearing. There have been no studies on the effects of greater amounts of butyrate salts in milk replacer; butyrate constitutes about 1.2% of the whole cow’s milk dry matter. In older calves, when butyrate administration is provided as a component of a starter concentrate at the increasing inclusion rate from 0.3% to 3.0%, the practical effect in calf performance relates to the risk of depression of rumen pH below 5.5 and accompanying disruption of the organization of the ruminal epithelial tissue. The higher risk is noted in calves received starter with substantial content of a rapidly degradable starch. At present, the insufficient number of positive results confirming the beneficial effect of butyrate supplements in terms of an improvement in performance does not allow their recommendation for use in the practical feeding of calves.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a three-year application of digestate from an agricultural biogas plant on the physicochemical properties of highly acidic pH_KCl 4.4 ± 0.23, silty loam soils with low macronutrient content and on the yield and nutritional value of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) biomass harvested for green fodder. The experiment included the following treatments: (1) O (control)—no fertilisation, (2) NPK—mineral fertilisation with (in kg ha⁻¹) 150 N, 53.0 P and 105 K, (3) biogas digestate at 30 m³ ha⁻¹ and (4) biogas digestate at 60 m³ ha⁻¹. The higher application rate of biogas digestate significantly reduced soil acidity to pH_KCl 4.9 ± 0.18 and improved its sorption properties. It also increased the soil organic matter content from 5.6 ± 0.21 to 6.4 ± 0.22 g C_org kg⁻¹ and of K and Zn. The higher level of biogas digestate significantly increased switchgrass yield to 5.15 ± 0.26 t ha⁻¹. The lower application rate of biogas digestate resulted in forage yield of 4.30 ± 0.20 t ha⁻¹ comparable to that obtained after mineral fertilisation (4.33 ± 0.22 t ha⁻¹). Following application of mineral fertilisers and the higher level of biogas digestate, the number of panicles per plant (150 ± 2.49–157 ± 0.6.17), panicle height (107 ± 1.98–114 ± 2.08), crude ash content (61.2 ± 0.43–65.5 ± 0.38) and protein content (106 ± 0.59–92 ± 1.11) in the switchgrass biomass from the first cut were higher than in the case of unfertilised soil (110 ± 3.81, 93 ± 1.32, 55.5 ± 0.40, 80.3 ± 0.37). The use of mineral fertilisers and biogas digestate increased the content of protein, P and Mg in biomass from the second cut. The results suggest that the use of digestate improved the physicochemical properties of highly acidic soil and increased the yield of switchgrass forage without diminishing its nutritional value.

The study determined the effect of the addition of 15% of camelina, flax, and sunflower seeds to iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets for broiler chickens during 21–42 days of age on the nutrient digestibility, production traits, slaughter analysis parameters, hematological indices, blood mineral elements, and dietary value of breast and drumstick meat. Two hundred one-day-old broiler chickens were assigned to four groups (treatments) with five replicates (10 birds per cage, 5 females and 5 males). The experiment lasted 6 weeks. Broiler chickens receiving diets supplemented with camelina and flax seeds exhibited an increase (p < 0.05) in average body weight and a decrease (p < 0.05) in the ether extract content and energy digestibility of the diets. Moreover, the best carcass quality with a high proportion of muscles and low abdominal fat content (p < 0.05) was noted in broilers fed flax- and sunflower-enriched diets. The treatments with the oil seeds reduced the ether extract content and the calorific value of breast and drumstick muscles. The flax seeds contributed to an increase in the Fe content in drumstick muscles. Additionally, some blood parameters were influenced by the flax seed supplementation, e.g., the level of hemoglobin declined (p < 0.05) and the iron level in plasma increased (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that the camelina, flax, and sunflower seeds can be regarded as good dietary components with positive effects on the dietary value of poultry meat.

This paper focuses on the role of n-3 fatty acids as a nutrient crucial to the proper functioning of reproductive and immune systems in cattle. Emphasis was placed on the connection between maternal and offspring immunity. The summarized results confirm the importance and beneficial effect of n-3 family fatty acids on ruminant organisms. Meanwhile, dietary n-3 fatty acids supplementation, especially during the critical first week for dairy cows experiencing their peripartum period, in general, is expected to enhance reproductive performance, and the impact of its supplementation appears to be dependent on body condition scores of cows during the drying period, the severity of the negative energy balance, and the amount of fat in the basic feed ration. An unbalanced, insufficient, or excessive fatty acid supplementation of cows’ diets in the early stages of pregnancy (during fetus development) may affect both the metabolic and nutritional programming of the offspring. The presence of the polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 family in the calves’ ration affects not only the performance of calves but also the immune response, antioxidant status, and overall metabolism of the future adult cow.