Special Issue "Novel Feed Ingredients: Improving Health Status, Milk and Meat Quality in Small Ruminants"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Simitzis
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interests: milk quality; dietary antioxidants; animal welfare
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Athanasios I. Gelasakis
E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: veterinary epidemiology; animal infectious and parasitic diseases; herd health management; zoonoses; food-borne pathogens; One Health; farm animal husbandry; mastitis; lameness; small ruminant lentiviruses
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Alternative feeding approaches are continuously evaluated in small ruminant production systems in an effort to fortify animal health and welfare, improve milk and meat quality, prolong their shelf life and increase their marketable value. Incorporation of novel feed ingredients into small ruminants’ diets has therefore emerged as an effective strategy for the enhancement of milk and meat intrinsic quality since bioactive compounds are preferably deposited where they are mostly required. Dietary supplementation with these novel additives could manipulate bacteria involved in ruminal biohydrogenation, decrease methane emissions, enhance animals’ health and well-being status, reinforce antioxidant and anti-spoilage properties and positively modify milk and meat quality characteristics.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present original research and reviews on the effects of novel feed ingredients and their bioactive compounds on health and welfare status, as well as milk and meat intrinsic quality of small ruminants.

Prof. Panagiotis Simitzis
Dr. Athanasios I. Gelasakis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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 papers will be 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.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Novel feed ingredients
  • Bioactive compounds
  • Antioxidants
  • Dietary additives
  • Health status
  • Welfare
  • Milk quality
  • Meat quality
  • Microbial spoilage
  • Qxidation

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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Article
Effects of Cornus and Its Mixture with Oregano and Thyme Essential Oils on Dairy Sheep Performance and Milk, Yoghurt and Cheese Quality under Heat Stress
Animals 2021, 11(4), 1063; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11041063 - 08 Apr 2021
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Abstract
The effect of a diet supplemented with a novel cornus extract, enriched with essential oils of oregano and thyme, on the performance of Chios cross-bred dairy sheep was investigated during the summer period. The plant extracts were prepared using a “green” method based [...] Read more.
The effect of a diet supplemented with a novel cornus extract, enriched with essential oils of oregano and thyme, on the performance of Chios cross-bred dairy sheep was investigated during the summer period. The plant extracts were prepared using a “green” method based on aqueous extraction. A total of 45 lactating ewes were allocated into three equal groups in a randomized block design. The three groups were fed the same feed allowance, roughage based on Lucerne hay and wheat straw and a concentrate based on cereals and oil cakes (the control diet). The diet of two groups was fortified with cornus extract, with or without oregano and thyme essential oils, at a level 0.515 g of plant extract/essential oils per kg of concentrate. Individual milk yield was recorded weekly and feed refusals were recorded on a pen basis daily, during a six-week period of lactation. Milk samples were analyzed for the chemical composition of protein, fat, lactose and solids-not-fat constituents, somatic cell counts and total viable bacteria counts. Moreover, the milk of each group was used for yoghurt and Feta cheese production. The lipid oxidative stability, protein carbonyl content and fatty acid composition of milk, yoghurt and cheese samples were also evaluated. The results showed that the incorporation of novel plant extracts and essential oils increased the milk production per ewe. Dietary supplementation with cornus extracts and essential oils lowered lipid and protein oxidation in milk, yoghurt and cheese samples, compared to the control. However, diet supplementation with herbal extracts did not affect the fatty acid profile in milk, cheese and yoghurt or the serum biochemical parameters. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with cornus in combination with oregano and thyme has the potential to improve feed utilization and the performance of high-yield dairy Chios cross-bred ewes reared under heat stress. Full article
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Article
The Impact of Whole Sesame Seeds on the Expression of Key-Genes Involved in the Innate Immunity of Dairy Goats
Animals 2021, 11(2), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020468 - 10 Feb 2021
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Abstract
Whole sesame seeds (WSS) are rich in both linoleic acid (LA) and lignans. However, their impact on the innate immunity of goats is not well studied. Twenty-four goats were divided into three homogeneous sub-groups; comprise one control (CON) and two treated (WWS5 and [...] Read more.
Whole sesame seeds (WSS) are rich in both linoleic acid (LA) and lignans. However, their impact on the innate immunity of goats is not well studied. Twenty-four goats were divided into three homogeneous sub-groups; comprise one control (CON) and two treated (WWS5 and WWS10). In the treated groups, WSS were incorporated in the concentrates of the CON at 5 (WSS5) and 10% (WSS10) respectively, by partial substitution of both soybean meal and corn grain. The expression levels of MAPK1, IL6, TRIF, IFNG, TRAF3, and JUND genes in the neutrophils of WSS10 fed goats were reduced significantly compared with the CON. The same was found for the expression levels of IFNG and TRAF3 genes in the neutrophils of WSS5 fed goats. Both treated groups primarily affected the MYD88-independent pathway. The dietary supplementation of goats with WSS might be a good nutritional strategy to improve their innate immunity. Full article
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Review

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Review
Application of Olive By-Products in Livestock with Emphasis on Small Ruminants: Implications on Rumen Function, Growth Performance, Milk and Meat Quality
Animals 2021, 11(2), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020531 - 18 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1031
Abstract
The olive oil industry has a leading position in the Mediterranean countries, resulting in the production of considerable quantities of the respective by-products (OB) that constitute an important environmental issue. OB contain valuable nutrients and bioactive components that can be re-used under the [...] Read more.
The olive oil industry has a leading position in the Mediterranean countries, resulting in the production of considerable quantities of the respective by-products (OB) that constitute an important environmental issue. OB contain valuable nutrients and bioactive components that can be re-used under the bioeconomy strategy, and several chemical, physical, and biological processes have been evaluated with the intention to improve their nutritional value. One feasible application of OB is their incorporation in the diets of livestock and especially ruminants due to their high fiber content. As indicated by numerous studies, OB dietary supplementation increases the levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and decreases that of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in the milk and meat of ruminants with beneficial effects for consumers’ health. At the same time, environmental impact and feeding costs are reduced without detrimental effects on ruminal fermentation, nutrients utilization, growth performance, carcass traits, milk yield and composition. Full article

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Application of Olive By-products in Livestock with emphasis on Small Ruminants: Implications on rumen function, growth performance, milk and meat quality
Authors: Panagiotis Simitzis
Affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), 75 Iera Odos, 118 55 Athens, Greece

Title: Effects of diet soybean meal substitution by flaxseed and lupins on milk production, milk composition, and mammary gland health in dairy ewes
Authors: Giannenas, Ilias A.
Affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessalonikidisabled, Thessaloniki, Greece

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