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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 3968

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Dr. Karolina Kwasek

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Guest Editor

Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NC, USA
Interests: finfish nutrition; alternative proteins; soybean meal; nutritional programming; epigenetics; gut inflammation; early development stages

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Around 733 million people faced undernourishment in 2023, an equivalent of one in eleven people worldwide and one in five in Africa. The world is facing an unprecedented hunger crisis, and it is falling significantly short of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 2 that focuses on ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition. Poverty, inequality, conflicts, and in recent years climate change have been the leading causes of severe food disasters. Climate change dramatically alters biodiversity, agricultural production, and global food security and its alleviation is essential to fulfill the future food demands of continuously expanding human population.

For food production to increase in a sustainable manner to meet the increasing global demand for protein, adjustments to the current farming practices must be made to accommodate the changing climate. We therefore welcome leading scientists working in the field of sustainable agriculture to submit their original research or review papers to this Special Issue. In particular, topics such as the use of alternative protein sources, impacts on animal digestibility, growth performance, health, product quality, consumer perception and acceptance, alternative feeding approaches, sustainable production

Dr. Karolina Kwasek
Guest Editor

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

aquaculture
livestock nutrition
alternative proteins
nutritional programming
epigenetics
animal health
environmental sustainability
climate change

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 702 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Using Quinoa Grain (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) with High and Low Saponin Content in Broiler Chicken Feeding

by Artem Yu. Zagarin, Aleksandra V. Shitikova, Marina I. Selionova, Sergey V. Akchurin and Marianna Yu. Gladkikh

Animals 2025, 15(17), 2574; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15172574 - 2 Sep 2025

Viewed by 163

Abstract

The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the effects of native quinoa grain with a high saponin content and quinoa grain subjected to preliminary saponin removal with low saponin content on growth, meat quality, biochemical blood composition, and the expression of genes related to muscle growth, gut health, and nutrient transport in broiler chickens. The control group of chickens received a standard diet. The SAP group feed contained quinoa grain without saponin removal (saponin level—5.20%) at 3% of the “Starter” feed mass and 5% of the “Grower” and “Finisher” feeds, maintaining the same nutritional values as the control group. The SAP-FREE group feed contained quinoa grain that was pre-treated to remove saponins by washing with water for 60 min at a temperature of 50 °C (saponin level—0.24%) in the same amount as the SAP group. The research results indicated certain advantages of unprocessed quinoa grain in relation to saponin content. Specifically, in the SAP group, the broiler performance index was at the same level as the control, while the SAP-FREE group had a high mortality rate (10%), resulting in a performance index that was 23.82 units lower than the control. The use of quinoa grain with high saponin content promoted better development of thigh muscles by 9.6% compared to the control (p = 0.008) and increased yields of wing, neck, and back muscles by 2.9 abs.% (p = 0.007) compared to the use of purified quinoa grain. The fat yield decreased by 1.7 abs.% (p = 0.015) with saponin-free quinoa compared to the control and by 2% (p = 0.008) compared to the high saponin group, making this feeding system viable for producing dietary meat. Upon stopping the feeding of purified quinoa, chickens showed a 34.0% increase in AST activity (p = 0.019) and a 15.7% increase in creatinine levels (p = 0.008), likely indicating intensified protein metabolism upon cessation of the inhibiting factor of purified quinoa. Molecular genetic studies revealed a 1.6-fold increase in IGF1 gene expression (p = 0.014) in breast muscle and a 69.12-fold increase (p = 0.010) in AvBD9 in the cecum due to high-saponin quinoa grain, while purified quinoa increased GHR gene expression by 3.29 times (p = 0.039) in breast muscle and decreased IRF7 activity to 2^−ΔΔCT = 0.54 (p = 0.017). The expression of transporter protein genes decreased to low or undetectable levels, indicating the presence of anti-nutritional factors and the need for further research on feeding quinoa with the addition of proteases. Thus, high-saponin quinoa grain, unlike purified quinoa, positively influences gut health and bird survival, maintaining performance levels similar to the control, suggesting the feasibility of using unprocessed quinoa in poultry nutrition, thus avoiding additional costs in feed preparation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Protein Sources for Animal Feeds)

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11 pages, 217 KB

Open AccessArticle

Dietary Fermented Rapeseed Meal During the Grower Period Affects Growth Performance, Intestinal Health, and Antioxidant Status in Sansui Ducks

by Yulong Feng, Meijuan Li, Yuxi Lu, Chengcheng Tian, Yu Zhao, Jianwei Li, Zhiguo Wen and Yongwen Zhu

Animals 2025, 15(14), 2078; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15142078 - 14 Jul 2025

Viewed by 283

Abstract

The aim was to investigate effects of various proportions (0 to 20%) of fermented rapeseed meal (FRSM) on performance, intestinal health, and antioxidant status in Sansui ducks (Sansui Sheldrake ducks). A total of 350 male ducklings, 15 d old, were allocated into five dietary treatments with seven replicate pens of 10 birds per pen. The starter diets had 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20% FRSM that contained 0, 1.08, 2.17, 3.25, or 4.34 µmol glucosinolates (GLS/g of complete feed, respectively, fed from d 15 to d 35. The average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) from d 15 to 35 increased linearly with the dietary FRSM inclusion, with the ducks fed 15 or 20% FRSM diets having higher (p < 0.05) ADFIs and FCRs than the ducks fed 0% FRSM. The dietary FRSM inclusion levels of up to 15% were accompanied by decreased catalase (CAT) and antioxidant capacity (AOC) activities in the livers and jejunum of the ducks at d 35. In addition, the 20% FRSM (4.34 µmol GLS/g diet) decreased the villus height, crypt depth, muscular thickness, and goblet cell counts in the jejunum and ileum. In conclusion, 15 or 20% dietary FRSM (3.25 or 4.34 µmol GLS/g diet) during the grower period in Sansui ducks decreased feed efficiency, disrupted hepatic antioxidant balance, and impaired intestinal morphology and structure. The FRSM inclusion of ≥15% (3.25 µmol glucosinolates/g) impaired feed efficiency and antioxidant activity, while the 20% FRSM (4.34 µmol glucosinolates/g) induced intestinal damage in the growing Sansui ducks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Protein Sources for Animal Feeds)

14 pages, 262 KB

Open AccessArticle

From Nutritional Profiles to Digestibility Insights: Exploring Palm Kernel Cake and Decanter Cake in Broiler Diets

by Mohammad Naeem Azizi, Teck Chwen Loh, Eric Lim Teik Chung, Muhamad Faris Ab Aziz, Hooi Ling Foo, Jiaxiang Liu, Zakaria Aiman Farzana and Letchumanan Samuel Raj

Animals 2025, 15(13), 1966; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15131966 - 4 Jul 2025

Viewed by 698

Abstract

Feed costs constitute the largest expense in poultry production, prompting the exploration of locally available, low-cost alternatives, such as palm oil by-products, to reduce production costs [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Protein Sources for Animal Feeds)

25 pages, 2226 KB

Open AccessArticle

Replacing Soybean Meal with Hemp Leaves with Very Low THC Content in the Diet for Dairy Cows: Impact on Digestibility, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Energy Metabolism

by Jessica Schwerdtfeger, Solvig Görs and Björn Kuhla

Animals 2025, 15(11), 1662; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111662 - 4 Jun 2025

Viewed by 602

Abstract

The aim was to investigate the suitability of Santhica 27 industrial hemp leaves as a protein source in dairy cow nutrition. Twelve Holstein dairy cows received a total mixed ration (TMR) containing 7.4% industrial hemp leaves (HEMP) and a TMR containing 3.5% soya extraction meal (CON) in a crossover design. Cows were kept in a free-stall barn for 2 weeks to measure feed intake, milk yield and sample plasma, ruminal fluid, and urine. In week 3, cows were housed in a respiration chamber to measure gas exchange, urine, and feces excretions. In the first two weeks, cows of the HEMP group rested longer but spent less time ruminating. Feeding the HEMP diet reduced dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, and urinary N-metabolite concentrations and tended to lower total N-excretion, milk fat, and lactose concentrations. During the stay in the respiration chamber, DMI, milk yield, apparent digestibility, and crude protein degradability were similar between groups, but feeding the HEMP diet tended to reduce methane yield. In conclusion, Santhica 27 hemp leaves are a suitable protein source for dairy cows as they have no negative effects on animal health, apparent digestibility, and crude protein degradability. Nevertheless, inadequate adaptation to the diet reduces feed intake and milk yield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Protein Sources for Animal Feeds)

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16 pages, 276 KB

Open AccessArticle

Fish Meal Replacement with a Combination of Meat Meal and Chicken Byproduct Meal on Growth Performance, Feed Utilization, Biochemical Parameters and Muscle Composition of Juvenile Red Seabream (Pagrus major)

by Buddhi E. Gunathilaka, Seong-Mok Jeong, Byung-Hwa Min, Jinho Bae, Sang-Woo Hur, Sang-Guan You and Sang-Min Lee

Animals 2025, 15(11), 1581; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111581 - 28 May 2025

Viewed by 521

Abstract

A combination of meat meal (MM) and chicken byproduct meal (CBM) were evaluated as fish meal (FM) replacers in the diets of juvenile red seabream (Pagrus major). The control diet was formulated with 60% FM (CON). Four other diets were designed by reducing the FM levels to 45, 30, 15, and 0% by adding 14, 28, 42, and 56% MM and CBM in a 1:1 ratio to compensate for the reduced protein level (designated as MC14, MC28, MC42, and MC56, respectively). Red seabream (averaging 4.57 g) were distributed among 15 fiberglass tanks (40 fish/tank) and assigned to one of three replicates of the diet. After an eight-week long feeding trial, the growth performance of the fish fed the CON, MC14, and MC28 diets were comparable with the control group, and were significantly higher than the MC42 and MC56 groups. Feed utilization was significantly higher in the MC28 group compared to the other groups. The lowest growth and feed utilization were observed in the MC56 group. Serum lysozyme and SOD activities were significantly reduced when the dietary FM level decreased. Plasma total cholesterol levels were significantly reduced when the FM level was decreased in the diets, exhibiting a significant linear trend. The CON group exhibited a significantly higher cholesterol level compared to the MC42 and MC56 groups. The muscle amino acid profile was not significantly affected. The muscle myristic acid (14:0) was significantly decreased, while the palmitic acid (16:0) level increased with the increase of MM and CBM in the diets. Therefore, the results indicate that the combination of MM and CBM can be used to replace 50% of the FM from the red seabream diets without negative influences compared to a diet containing 60% FM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Protein Sources for Animal Feeds)

11 pages, 238 KB

Open AccessArticle

Egg Quality and Laying Performance of Rhode Island Red Hens Fed with Black Soldier Fly Larvae and Microalgae Meal as an Alternative Diet

by Marta Montserrat Tovar-Ramírez, Mónica Vanessa Oviedo-Olvera, Maria Isabel Nieto-Ramirez, Benito Parra-Pacheco, Ana Angelica Feregrino-Pérez and Juan Fernando Garcia-Trejo

Animals 2025, 15(11), 1540; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111540 - 24 May 2025

Viewed by 575

Abstract

The potential of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and microalgae (MA) in poultry diets has garnered increasing interest due to their high nutritional value and reduced environmental footprint. BSFL represent a sustainable alternative to conventional protein sources such as soybean meal, whereas MA contributes to improved egg quality, particularly through its enrichment with polyunsaturated fatty acids. This study assessed the effects of BSFL and MA inclusion on the growth performance and egg quality of Rhode Island Red (RIR) laying hens. Three diets were formulated: Diet A (10% BSFL), Diet B (10% BSFL + 2% MA), and Diet C (commercial control). The diets were formulated to meet the age-specific nutrient requirements of RIR hens, according to the National Research Council (NRC, 1994) guidelines. A total of 96 four-week-old chicks were randomly allocated to six pens (n = 16 per pen) and provided ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the trial. The results demonstrated that the inclusion of BSFL and MA significantly influenced the growth rate, onset of lay, and egg characteristics. Hens fed Diet B exhibited the highest average weekly body weight gain (0.034 ± 0.001 kg/week); initiated laying at 20 weeks of age, three weeks earlier than hens on Diets B and C; and produced significantly heavier eggs (51.208 ± 0.511 g). Enhanced eggshell quality and yolk pigmentation were also observed. In addition, Diet B enhanced the nutritional profile of the eggs, yielding a higher albumen protein content (76.546 ± 1.382%DM) and lower lipid concentrations (0.451 ± 0.128%DM). These findings underscore the potential of BSFL and MA as functional feed ingredients for improving poultry performance and egg quality in a sustainable production system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Protein Sources for Animal Feeds)

10 pages, 740 KB

Open AccessArticle

In Vitro Evaluation of Three Pisum sativum L. Varieties to Partially Replace Soybean and Corn Meal in Dairy Cow Diet

by Maria Ferrara, Emanuele D’Anza, Teresa Montefusco, Piera Iommelli, Barbara Piccirillo, Alessio Ruggiero and Alessandro Vastolo

Animals 2025, 15(6), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060855 - 17 Mar 2025

Viewed by 517

Abstract

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) seeds are valuable feed ingredients due to their high-quality protein and starch digestibility, making them a viable alternative to soybean meal and corn grain. This study evaluated the nutritional value of three commercial pea varieties (Ganster, Peps, and Poseidon) through in vitro trials. Each variety was incorporated into an experimental diet (GNS, PES, and PNS) for dairy cows, partially replacing soybean and corn meals. These diets were compared to a control diet containing only soybean and corn meals. All diets were incubated anaerobically for 120 h with dairy cow rumen liquor. Results showed that GNS and PES diets enhanced protein degradability (p < 0.05) and fermentation kinetics (p < 0.001). Additionally, all experimental diets reduced ammonia production (p < 0.001), while the PES diet increased (p < 0.001) volatile fatty acid production. Among the tested varieties, Peps demonstrated the greatest potential by improving protein metabolism and volatile fatty acid production. These findings suggest that pea grains can be a suitable alternative in dairy cow diets, supporting efficient ruminal fermentation and nutrient utilization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Protein Sources for Animal Feeds)

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