Search Results (213)

Ammonia emissions in poultry houses are common and pose health concerns for animals and workers. However, effective control of these emissions with sustainable products is lacking. Therefore, we investigated if an agricultural byproduct, cottonseed hulls, could be recycled through pyrolysis and used to remove ammonia from air. In this study, the efficacy of ammonia removal was observed using cottonseed hull biomaterials pyrolyzed at seven different temperatures: 250, 300, 350, 400, 500, 600, and 700 °C. In this study, ammonia was passed through a column filled with pyrolyzed material, and ammonia in the filtered air was monitored. The results showed that materials pyrolyzed at intermediate temperatures of 350 and 400 °C were the most efficient at ammonia removal and were able to adsorb approximately 3.7 mg NH₃/g of material. Despite extensive characterization, ammonia adsorption could not be linked to intrinsic material properties. Evaluation of the materials showed that the carbon in the pyrolyzed materials would be stable over time should the spent material be used as a soil amendment. Full article

Hericium coralloides is a highly valued gourmet and medicinal species with growing market demand across East Asia, though industrial production remains limited by cultivation challenges. This study investigated the molecular characteristics, biological traits, domestication potential, and cultivation protocols of Hericium coralloides strains collected from the Changbaishan Nature Reserve (Jiling, China). Optimal conditions for mycelial growth included mannose as the preferred carbon source, peptone as the nitrogen source, 30 °C incubation temperature, pH 5.5, and magnesium sulfate as the essential inorganic salt. The fruiting bodies had a protein content of 2.43% g/100 g (fresh sample meter). Total amino acids comprised 53.3% of the total amino acid profile, while essential amino acids accounted for 114.11% relative to non-essential amino acids, indicating high nutritional value. Under optimized domestication conditions—70% hardwood chips, 20% cottonseed hulls, 8% bran, 1% malic acid, and 1% gypsum—bags reached full colonization in 28 days, with a 15-day maturation phase and initial fruiting occurring after 12–14 days. The interval between flushes was 10–12 days. The average yield reached 318.65 ± 31.74 g per bag, with a biological conversion rate of 63.73%. These findings demonstrate that Hericium coralloides possesses significant potential for edible and commercial applications. This study provides a robust theoretical foundation and resource reference for its artificial cultivation, supporting its broader industrial and economic utilization. Full article

In the Sahelian context characterized by the increasing scarcity of forage resources, this study investigated how climate change perceptions influence the adoption of cottonseed cake in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems in the Hauts-Bassins region of Burkina Faso. Drawing on the Subjective Expected Utility (SEU) theory and using a logit model estimated from survey data collected from 366 livestock farms, the analysis reveals that the perceived degradation of rangelands due to climate change is a key determinant of adoption. Over 40% of surveyed herders believed that climate change is negatively affecting the availability of natural forage. This heightened awareness is significantly associated with a greater likelihood of adopting cottonseed cake as a feed supplementation strategy. This study highlights the crucial role of cognitive factors in shaping adaptation decisions, beyond traditional economic and structural determinants. It underscores the importance of incorporating environmental perceptions into public policies supporting livestock systems and technological innovations in pastoral. Full article

Background: The regulation of oil and protein contents in cottonseed is governed by a complex genetic network. Gaining insight into the mechanisms controlling these traits is necessary for dissecting the formation patterns of cottonseed quality. Method: In this study, Xinluzhong 37 (P₁) and Xinluzhong 51 (P₂) were selected as parental lines for two reciprocal crosses: P₁ × P₂ (F₁) and its reciprocal P₂ × P₁ (F₁′). Each F1 was selfed and backcrossed to both parents to generate the F₂ (F₂′), B₁ (B₁′), and B₂ (B₂′) generations. To assess nutritional traits in hairy (non-delinted) and lint-free (delinted) seeds, two indicators, oil content and protein content, were measured in both seed types. Joint segregation analysis was employed to analyze the inheritance of these traits, based on a major gene plus polygene model. Results: In the orthogonal crosses, the CVs for the four nutritional traits ranged at 2.710–7.879%, 4.086–11.070%, 2.724–6.727%, and 3.717–9.602%. In the reciprocal crosses, CVs ranged at 2.710–8.053%, 4.086–9.572%, 2.724–6.376%, and 3.717–8.845%. All traits exhibited normal or skewed-normal distributions. For oil content in undelinted/delinted seeds, polygenic heritabilities in the orthogonal cross were 0.64/0.52, and 0.40/0.36 in the reciprocal cross. For protein content, major-gene heritabilities in the orthogonal cross were 0.79 (undelinted) and 0.78 (delinted), while those in the reciprocal cross were both 0.62. Conclusions: Oil and protein contents in cottonseeds are quantitative traits. In both orthogonal and reciprocal crosses, oil content is controlled by multiple genes and is shaped by additive, dominance, and epistatic effects. Protein content, in contrast, is largely controlled by two major genes along with minor genes. In the P₁ × P₂ combination, major genes act through additive, dominance, and epistatic effects, while in the P₂ × P₁ combination, their effects are additive only. In both combinations, minor genes contribute through additive and dominance effects. In summary, the oil content in cottonseed is mainly regulated by polygenes, whereas the protein content is primarily determined by major genes. These genetic features in both linted, and lint-free seeds may offer a theoretical foundation for molecular breeding aimed at improving cottonseed oil and protein quality. Full article

This experiment aimed to investigate the appropriate level of degossypolized cottonseed protein (DGCP) in the diet of laying hens. A total of 600 49-week-old Lohmann pink laying hens were allocated to five treatments, with six replicates per treatment and 20 birds per replicate. The control group was fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet. Four experimental diets were formulated by replacing 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the soybean meal protein-equivalent capacity with DGCP, where 100% replacement corresponded to the maximum safe inclusion of DGCP. The study period lasted for 8 weeks. The results showed that the feed intake, average egg weight, egg mass, laying rate, and the albumen percentage were significantly reduced in the 100% DGCP group (p < 0.05). Plasma uric acid (UA), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and potassium (K) levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05), and depth of crypt (CD) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the 100% DGCP group. The DGCP diet linearly increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidota and Bacteroide and significantly increased the relative abundance of Desulfobacterotas in the cecum contents compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The ACE and Chao1 indices in both the control group and the 100% DGCP group were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the dietary addition of DGCP can reach up to 114.6 g/kg. Full article

Fluridone is a pyrrolidone soil-sealing herbicide that has been widely used in cotton fields in Xinjiang in recent years. The purpose of this study was to establish a method for determining fluridone residues in cotton fields and to perform residue digestion tests, final residue analysis, and dietary risk assessment. Samples were extracted with acetonitrile, purified with primary secondary amine (PSA) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that in a certain concentration range, the concentration and peak area of fluridone showed a good linear relationship (R² > 0.99), with limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values of 0.00090–0.00108 mg·kg⁻¹ and 0.0030–0.0033 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values of fluridone were 0.46% to 4.57% at the spiked level of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively. The average daily recovery rate of fluridone was 85.08% to 95.07%. The residual levels of fluridone in cottonseed oil were below the safety threshold, indicating no significant dietary risk to consumers. Full article

Antioxidant feed additives, such as cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL), rich in phenolic compounds, have gained attention for improving animal production and meat quality. The study evaluated the dietary effects of blending CNSL (0.5%) with different vegetable oils (1.5%) varying in unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) profiles on the meat quality and fatty acid composition of muttons. Forty Santa Inês × Dorper crossbred rams (24.44 ± 1.5 kg) were allocated to five treatments for 70 days: CNSL combined with canola (MUFA-rich) compared to corn, soybean, sunflower, or cottonseed oils (PUFA-rich). The CNSL + canola blend improved meat quality, showing higher water-holding capacity and tenderness and lower cooking loss than CNSL + PUFA-rich oils (p < 0.05). Meat yellowness (b*) increased with CNSL + soybean or cottonseed blend. Meat proximate composition was unaffected (p > 0.05). Minor variations in specific fatty acids were observed, including higher C14:0 and C16:1 in canola and cottonseed + CNSL blend groups and greater EPA (C20:5 n–3) with soybean oil + CNSL blend (p < 0.05). The ∑n–6:∑n–3 ratio was highest with cottonseed and lowest with soybean oil (p < 0.05). Overall, combining CNSL with MUFA-rich oils, particularly canola, compared to PUFA oils, enhances meat quality while supporting the sustainable use of CNSL in ram diets. Full article

Solid-state microbial fermentation (SSMF) has been established as an effective bioprocessing strategy to augment the nutritional value of plant-derived feed substrates while reducing anti-nutritional factors (ANFs). However, there have been limited studies on the effects of microbial solid-state fermentation on the nutritional value and potential functional components in cottonseed hulls. This study investigated the nutritional enhancement of cottonseed hulls through anaerobic solid-state fermentation mediated by Candida utilis CU-3, while exploring the functional potential of the fermented feed by analyzing fungal community dynamics and metabolite profiling. The laboratory-preserved free gossypol-degrading strain Candida utilis CU-3 was inoculated into unsterilized, crushed, and screened cottonseed hulls for solid-state fermentation at room temperature for 10 days. The results demonstrated that, compared to the control group, the experimental group achieved a 61.90% increase in free gossypol degradation rate, a 27.78% improvement in crude protein content, and a 5.07% reduction in crude fiber, while crude fat showed no significant difference. During the fermentation process, microbial diversity decreased, and Candida utilis CU-3 became the dominant species. Untargeted metabolomics data revealed that cottonseed hulls inoculated with Candida utilis CU-3 produced functional bioactive compounds during fermentation, including chrysin, myricetin (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities), and ginsenoside Rh2 (anticancer, antibacterial, and neuroprotective properties). This study demonstrates that inoculating Candida utilis CU-3 into cottonseed hulls enhances their health-promoting potential through the biosynthesis of diverse functional metabolites, providing a theoretical foundation for improving the nutritional profile of cottonseed hull-fermented feed. Full article

The inclusion of suitable quantities of plant protein hydrolysates in feed enhances the growth performance of aquatic animals, a benefit closely linked to the bioactive peptides generated during plant protein hydrolysis. In our previous study, we developed a recombinant Bacillus subtilis expressing the P4’ peptide of cottonseed meal (P4’ peptide-bearing B. subtilis). We observed that the addition of this recombinant B. subtilis at a dose of 10⁹ CFU/kg to the diet of E. sinensis produced a significant growth-promoting effect. The mechanism underlying this growth-promoting effect remains unclear. This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of feed supplementation with P4’ peptide-bearing B. subtilis on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, serum protein content, antioxidant-related enzyme activities, and genes associated with the PI3K/AKT/TOR pathway in the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis). A total of 240 crabs (mean body weight: 0.85 ± 0.01) were randomly assigned to three groups and provided with three distinct diets: one without B. subtilis (CON), one containing 10⁹ CFU/kg of unmodified B. subtilis (BS9), and one with P4’ peptide-bearing B. subtilis (RBS9) at 10⁹ CFU/kg. After 8 weeks of feeding, the BS9 and RBS9 groups had significantly increased specific growth rate, average body weight, muscle crude protein content, hemolymph total protein/albumin/globulin levels, hepatopancreatic digestive enzyme (protease and amylase) activities, and tor expression in crabs compared to the CON group. Conversely, muscle water content, hepatopancreatic ROS levels, and 4ebp-1 expression were significantly reduced. Furthermore, mean body weight, protein retention, muscle crude fat content, total hemolymphatic protein, and globulin content, as well as the hepatopancreatic expression of pi3k, tor, and s6k1, were significantly higher in the RBS9 group compared to the BS9 group. In contrast, the hepatopancreatic ROS level exhibited a declining trend. The result demonstrated that compared to unmodified B. subtilis, incorporating 10⁹ CFU/kg P4’ peptide-bearing B. subtilis into the feed significantly enhanced the growth performance and protein deposition in E. sinensis. This enhanced effect coincided with the upregulation of key PI3K/AKT/TOR pathway genes (pi3k, tor, s6k1) and the downregulation of 4ebp-1 in the hepatopancreatic cells, indicating a potential role of this pathway in mediating the observed growth promotion. Full article

h-BN spherical nanoparticles, known as white graphene, have good anti-wear properties, long service life, chemical inertness, and stability, which provide superior lubricating performance as a solid additive item to nanofluids. However, the poor dispersion stability of h-BN nanoparticles in nanofluids is a bottleneck that restricts their application. Currently, to prepare h-BN nanofluids with good dispersion stability, a cold plasma (CP) modification of h-BN nanoparticles is proposed in this study. In this research, h-BN nanofluid with added surfactant (SNL), CP-modified h-BN nanofluid with N₂ as the working gas (CP(N₂)NL), and CP-modified h-BN nanofluid with O₂ as the working gas (CP(O₂)NL) were prepared, separately. The mechanism of the dispersion stability of CP-modified h-BN nanofluid was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the performance of CP-modified nanofluid was analyzed based on static observation of nanofluid, kinematic viscosity, and heat transfer properties. Finally, friction and wear experiments were conducted to further analyze the tribological performance of h-BN nanofluids based on the coefficient of friction, 3D surface morphology, surface roughness (Sa), scratches, and micro-morphology. The results show that CP-modified h-BN nanofluid has excellent dispersed suspension stability and can be statically placed for more than 336 h. The CP-modified h-BN nanofluid showed stable friction-reducing, anti-wear, and heat transfer performance, in which the coefficient of friction of h-BN nanofluid was about 0.66 before and after 24 h of settling. The Sa value of the sample was reduced by 31.6–49.2% in comparison with pure cottonseed oil (CO). Full article

Dietary nutrient digestion and utilization patterns influence pig performance and intestinal health. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of protein digestion and fiber fermentation speed among different feed ingredients on growth performance and fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations in weaned pigs. A total of 192 weaned pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire [6.87 ± 0.14 kg]) were selected and randomly divided into four dietary groups: fast-digesting protein with fast-fermenting fiber, fast-digesting protein with slow-fermenting fiber, slow-digesting protein with fast-fermenting fiber, and slow-digesting protein with slow-fermenting fiber. The results showed that cottonseed and wheat protein powders exhibited faster protein digestion than potato protein powder (p < 0.05). In vitro microbial fermentation of hawthorn powder and orange pomace resulted in greater and faster gas production and SCFA concentrations than sugarcane bagasse (p < 0.05). Orange pomace increased the abundance of Klebsiella and Escherichia–Shigella, whereas sugarcane bagasse increased the abundance of Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and norank_f__Muribaculaceae. In addition, the fast-fermentation fiber tended to increase the daily weight gain and feed intake of piglets (p < 0.10), and the slow-fermentation fiber significantly reduced diarrhea incidence in pigs (p < 0.05). Fast fermentation increased acetate and valerate concentrations, and slow-digestion protein increased branched-chain SCFA and valerate contents (p < 0.05). In conclusion, there were large variations in protein digestion and fiber fermentation speed among the different common feed ingredients. Dietary protein digestion and fiber fermentation speed would affect growth performance and diarrhea incidence in weaned pigs. Full article

This study investigated the effects of adding fermented mixed feed (FMF, composed of several unconventional protein feeds, such as brown rice, rice bran, rice bran meal, sunflower meal, cottonseed meal, and corn starch residue) into the diet of Longyan Shan-ma ducks on their egg quality and intestinal health. The ducks were randomly divided into two groups: one group served as the control and received a standard diet, while the other group received a diet in which 4% of the feed was substituted with FMF. Compared to unfermented feed, FMF had elevated lactic acid levels and reduced phytic acid and crude fiber, along with higher amounts of crude protein and a range of amino acids, including serine, histidine, arginine, alanine, valine, methionine, cysteine, isoleucine, and lysine. FMF significantly enhanced egg production and improved the overall egg quality, such as eggshell strength and thickness. It also enhanced total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase concentrations in serum while reducing serum urea nitrogen and interleukin-1β levels. Histological analysis showed that FMF supplementation improved the ileal villus height-to-crypt depth ratio. Microbiota analysis demonstrated that FMF had a significant impact on β-diversity by increasing Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Desulfobacterota and decreasing Proteobacteria and Myxococcota at the phylum level. The abundance of Corynebacterium, Lactobacillus, and Gallicola was found to be elevated due to FMF at the genus level, whereas Kocuria, Rothia, Helicobacter, and Escherichia-Shigella were decreased. Additionally, diets supplemented with FMF resulted in higher intestinal valeric acid levels among ducks. Our findings indicate that incorporating FMF into laying duck diets can enhance production performance, egg quality, and gut health. Full article

Using additives in sugarcane silage can reduce dry matter losses and enhance animal performance by preserving nutritional value. This study evaluated the performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood parameters of sheep fed sugarcane silage with or without cottonseed cake. Twenty-six uncastrated, mixed-breed male lambs (approximately 6 months of age; 26 ± 1.3 kg) were allocated to two dietary treatments based on sugarcane silage (SS) and cottonseed cake (CSC), which differed in the form of feed presentation: (1) the control, consisting of SS and fresh CSC provided simultaneously but offered separately, without physical mixing; and (2) the Partial Mixed Ration silage (S + CSC), in which SS and CSC were pre-mixed and ensiled together at a proportion of 80:20 (natural matter basis). Dry matter intake (1620 g/kg) was similar between diets, but dry matter digestibility (64.75%) and average daily gain (202.88 g/day) were higher in the cottonseed cake group, leading to greater total weight gain (8.11 kg). These animals also had a lower acetate/propionate ratio (4.2 vs. 2.0 mmol/L) and higher blood glucose (44 vs. 35 mg/dL). Higher N intake, urinary N, and retained N were observed in the cottonseed cake diet, which also improved the diet’s mineral balance. In conclusion, adding cottonseed cake to sugarcane silage enhances fermentation, preserves nutritional value, and improves sheep performance. Full article

Bio-based polyurethane (PU) is synthesized either via the prepolymerization or addition polymerization of bio-based polyols and isocyanates. PU synthesized from vegetable-oil-based polyols has excellent properties for various application needs. Bio-based PU coatings from renewable vegetable oil show good degradability in soil while controlling the nutrient release process. Castor oil, soybean oil, palm oil, olive oil, linseed oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, and recycled oil have been explored in the study of bio-based PU coatings for controlled nutrient release. Castor oil as a natural polyol has been widely studied. Generally, the epoxidation ring opening method is preferred to prepare bio-based polyols. Almost all of these studies used a drum coating machine to complete the coating process. To obtain better controlled release performance, a vegetable-oil-based PU (VPU) coating was modified by increasing the degrees of crosslinking and hydrophobicity and improving the coating uniformity. The nutrient release duration of the modified castor-oil-based PU-coated fertilizer reached 200 days. VPU-coated fertilizers, in contrast to traditional fertilizers, effectively reduce the detrimental impact on the environment. Although the preparation of VPU-coated fertilizers is still at the laboratory scale, application research has been carried out in field crops. Full article