Search Results (93)

Poly(3-hydroxypropionate) (P3HP) is a biodegradable member of the polyhydroxyalkanoate family that can be degraded into 3-hydroxypropionic acid, a three-carbon organic acid with potential biological activity. Although P3HP has attracted considerable interest for its microbial production and industrial applications, its potential as a feed ingredient in monogastric animals remains largely unexplored. Therefore, we aim to assess the effects of dietary P3HP supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal N retention and apparent N absorption, selected culturable fecal bacterial counts, and in vitro fecal fermentation in growing pigs. A total of 100 [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) pigs; initial body weight 25.03 ± 1.70 kg] were assigned to four dietary treatments containing 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% P3HP for 6 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, dietary P3HP supplementation did not significantly (p > 0.05) affect final body weight, average daily gain, dry matter digestibility, nitrogen digestibility, apparent nitrogen absorption variables, or in vitro fecal fermentation in growing pigs but exhibited linear or quadratic trends (p < 0.1), with the most favorable numerical responses observed at the 0.2% inclusion level. In summary, although dietary P3HP supplementation did not significantly affect the principal measured outcomes, the favorable trends observed support further investigation of its potential as a novel feed additive for growing pigs. Full article

Oral delivery of bioactive compounds in veterinary medicine offers important opportunities to improve animal health, productivity, and welfare, but its effectiveness is often limited by species-specific gastrointestinal physiology. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of microencapsulation strategies for oral veterinary delivery, focusing on species-specific gastrointestinal barriers and the formulation approaches developed to overcome them. Monogastric and ruminant animals present distinct gastrointestinal environments that compromise the stability, bioavailability, and therapeutic performance of orally administered compounds. In monogastrics, gastric acidity, digestive enzymes, gastrointestinal transit, and microbiota-mediated interactions represent major barriers, whereas in ruminants, ruminal fermentation, prolonged retention, and physicochemical conditions may cause premature degradation of bioactive compounds. These barriers significantly hinder the successful use of probiotics, enzymes, essential oils, nutrients, vaccines, and veterinary drugs. However, microencapsulation has emerged as a promising solution, providing a protective barrier that improves compound stability, enhances gastrointestinal survival, and enables controlled or site-specific release. By preserving bioactivity and modulating release kinetics, microencapsulation contributes to improved delivery efficiency and functional performance. A distinctive feature of this review is the integration of species-specific gastrointestinal physiology with microencapsulation technologies to provide a rational framework for designing oral delivery systems in veterinary medicine, rather than focusing solely on individual encapsulation technologies. Current challenges related to material selection, formulation optimisation, and industrial scalability are discussed. Overall, this review highlights that integrating gastrointestinal physiology with advanced microencapsulation technologies is essential for developing effective, targeted, and sustainable oral delivery systems, ultimately supporting improved animal health, productivity, and welfare. Full article

As an eco-friendly strategy for improving intestinal health, production performance, and meat quality in livestock and poultry, live probiotic strains (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Bacillus), paraprobiotics and postbiotics have exhibited considerable application potential in monogastric livestock in animal husbandry. However, probiotic efficacy is commonly characterized by striking individual heterogeneity, and its intrinsic regulatory basis remains poorly understood. This review systematically summarizes the core mechanisms by which probiotics modulate meat quality, feed efficiency and small intestinal and cecal health in pigs and broilers via the gut–muscle axis, nutrient metabolic axis, and immune regulatory axis. We elucidate the heritable effects of host genetics on shaping the gut microbiome and the fundamental principles underlying genotype–probiotic (G×P) interactions, highlighting that host genetic background represents an important of differential responses to probiotics. Accordingly, we propose integrating microbial genome-wide association studies (mGWAS) and genomic selection to develop novel breeding programs targeting probiotic responsiveness, with the aim of establishing a precision breeding system for probiotic-friendly livestock and poultry. This review may facilitate the paradigm shift of probiotic applications from universal administration to precision intervention, and from single nutritional regulation to host–microbiome synergistic breeding, providing a conceptual framework and innovative strategies for the green, efficient, and sustainable development of animal husbandry. Full article

The transition to a post-antibiotic era necessitates novel interventions to mitigate gastrointestinal inflammation and optimize metabolic efficiency in monogastric animals. This review evaluates the Hermetia illucens (BSF) lipid matrix as an evolutionary signal sensor rather than merely a caloric substrate. The BSF lipid fingerprint—rich in lauric acid and bioactive co-factors—exerts a synergistic “entourage effect,” which is proposed to thermodynamically disrupt pathogenic membranes and engage GPR84/PPARγ crosstalk to silence sterile inflammation. Metabolically, medium-chain fatty acids bypass the CPT-1 bottleneck, enabling rapid mitochondrial ATP rescue that supports intestinal tight junction restoration. This targeted immunomodulation is hypothesized to underpin an “immune-energy sparing” effect—redirecting bioenergetic fluxes from inflammatory antagonism toward muscle protein deposition—a phenomenon that correlates with improved feed conversion ratios in vivo. Full article

Despite the productivity and economic limitations imposed by environmental and climatic conditions, livestock systems play a fundamental role in preserving habitats and high-conservation-value species, while delivering a broad spectrum of ecosystem services to rural populations. Breeders need timely information to produce safe, inexpensive, environmentally, and welfare-friendly food products. Information on feeding and nutrition is of particular importance since it represents a significant percentage of animal breeding costs. Automating the collection, analysis, and use of production-related information on livestock feeding systems represents one of the central challenges facing the sector. Precision feeding systems (PFSs) have deeply changed farm management by providing new information on the health status of animals, their welfare, and nutritional requirements. PFSs encompass modern electronic and ICT-related (information and communication technologies) technologies that facilitate the electronic measurement of critical components, ensuring optimum efficiency of both resource use and animal productivity. This review analyzes the current state and potential applications of precision feeding systems for sustainable livestock production. The implementation and feasibility of PFSs have been investigated across the major animal production species and contexts. Based on the available literature, real-time monitoring and control systems can improve the production efficiency of livestock farms. However, further research is needed, as several components of PFSs are still at different stages of development and commercial readiness. Full article

The widespread occurrence of emerging mycotoxins (EMs) produced by Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium species has raised increasing concerns regarding food and feed safety. Mitigation strategies currently applied to control regulated mycotoxins in feed may also be effective in reducing contamination by EMs. This study comparatively evaluated the in vitro adsorption efficacy of two leonardites, eight natural smectites, and two modified clays (organoclays) against EMs produced by Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium spp. All materials were tested at two inclusion levels (0.1 and 0.5% w/v) under two pH conditions (pH 3 and 7), simulating the gastrointestinal environment of monogastric animals. Adsorption performance was strongly influenced by mycotoxin chemistry, adsorbent type, inclusion rate, and medium pH. Organoclays exhibited the highest and most consistent efficacy, achieving near-complete adsorption of beauvericin (BEA) and enniatins (ENNs) (>98–100%) at 0.1% (w/v), as well as high removal of mycophenolic acid (MYC. A.) and citrinin (CIT) (>90%) across both pH conditions. Natural smectites showed high but more selective adsorption, removing >90% of BEA and ENNs at low inclusion rates, while displaying limited efficacy toward fusaric acid (FA) and patulin (PAT). Leonardites demonstrated intermediate and material-dependent performance; leonardite L1 adsorbed approximately 90% of BEA at 0.1% (w/v), whereas ENN adsorption ranged from ~36% to 80% at the same inclusion rate and exceeded 90% only at higher dosages. None of the tested materials effectively adsorbed patulin (PAT) at pH 7; however, at pH 3, four smectites exhibited partial adsorption, and one trioctahedral smectite achieved more than 90% PAT adsorption under acidic conditions. Overall, organoclays displayed the broadest adsorption spectrum across structurally diverse mycotoxins, while smectites exhibited high selectivity driven by surface charge density and interlayer interactions. Leonardite-based materials showed moderate but highly variable adsorption performance, likely influenced by heterogeneity in humic functional groups and physicochemical properties. These findings highlight the need for tailored adsorbent selection or combined mitigation strategies to achieve effective mycotoxin control in the animal feed industry. Full article

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most toxic mycotoxins contaminating animal feed, and bentonite clays are widely used as adsorbents to reduce its bioavailability. This study introduces and characterizes a new, previously unexplored bentonite deposit from Bijelo Polje (Bar, Montenegro), with ~55% montmorillonite in the raw material. Size fractions (<0.200 mm, <0.037 mm, <0.005 mm) were obtained by sieving and centrifugation and characterized by laser diffraction, chemical composition, BET, CEC, and quantitative XRD (Rietveld). In vitro AFB1 adsorption (2–50 ppm, pH 3.0, 0.02% w/v adsorbent) simulated monogastric gastrointestinal conditions. Progressive size reduction increased smectite content (from ~55% to 91%), CEC (44–70 meq/100 g), purity, and BET specific surface area (26.5–50.8 m²/g), while reducing impurities and heavy metals to undetectable levels. The finest fraction (<0.005 mm) achieved the highest maximum adsorption capacity (q_max ≈ 240 mg/g), attributed to enhanced surface homogeneity and site accessibility, significantly outperforming coarser fractions and most unmodified natural bentonites. Only the <0.005 mm fraction fully complies with EU regulatory requirements (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1060/2013) for AFB1-binding feed additives (≥70% dioctahedral smectite, >90% binding, low quartz/calcite). These results demonstrate that simple mechanical fractionation can yield exceptional performance in a novel natural raw material, offering a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to chemical modification for mycotoxin mitigation. Full article

Growing limitations on the use of in-feed antibiotics have accelerated the search for functional feed additives capable of supporting animal health and productivity under antibiotic-free production systems. Postbiotics, defined as non-viable microbial products or metabolic byproducts, and phytogenics, which are plant-derived bioactive compounds, have emerged as promising alternatives due to their stability and biological activity. Recent advances in the application of postbiotics and phytogenics in monogastric and ruminant nutrition are summarized, with emphasis on their mechanisms of action, synergistic effects, and impacts on gut health, immune function, and growth performance. Postbiotics modulate the gut microbiota, enhance epithelial barrier integrity, and regulate immune signaling, whereas phytogenic compounds provide antimicrobial, antioxidant, and digestive-stimulant effects. Available evidence suggests that combined strategies can enhance efficacy, particularly under production-related stress. Key challenges related to formulation, dose–response relationships, stability, and regulatory classification are discussed together with emerging omics-based approaches that support precision formulation. Overall, integration of multi-omics evidence with formulation and regulatory considerations supports the practical use of postbiotics and phytogenics in commercial livestock systems. Full article

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a mycotoxin commonly found in animal feed and is associated with pronounced reproductive toxicity. However, most studies on ZEA’s reproductive effects have focused on female monogastric animals, while research on male ruminants remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic and metabolic mechanisms underlying ZEA-induced damage in goat Leydig cells (LCs). The CCK8 assay was first used to determine the effective ZEA concentration (IC₅₀ ≈ 20 μM), and a cytotoxicity model was subsequently established. The model’s validity was confirmed using qRT-PCR, transmission electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and JC-1 staining. Results showed that ZEA significantly reduced LCs viability in a dose-dependent manner, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, induced cell cycle arrest, and triggered apoptosis. Targeted and untargeted metabolomics analyses revealed that ZEA disrupts steroidogenic pathways and alters steroid hormone secretion, resulting in elevated levels of progesterone, corticosterone, and androstenedione, and reduced dihydrotestosterone levels. Furthermore, 52 significantly altered metabolites were identified, predominantly enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism, choline metabolism, and neurotransmitter vesicle pathways, with corresponding changes in gene expression. Collectively, this study has confirmed that ZEA causes harm to the reproductive cells of male goats in multiple aspects, underscoring the link between metabolic dysregulation and reproductive impairment, and offering a foundation for evaluating ZEA’s impact on goat reproductive performance. Full article

Chinese Baijiu distiller’s grains are by-products of the Chinese Baijiu brewing process, characterized by high water content, high acidity, and high fiber content, which make them unsuitable for animal feed, especially for monogastric animals. This study investigated the possibility of increasing the feed value of Nong-flavor Baijiu distiller’s grains (NFBDGs) for monogastric animals via solid-state fermentation by microbial-enzyme synergy. Experiments evaluated microbial growth, pH variation, improvement of crude protein (CP), true protein (TP), and acid-soluble protein (ASP), degradation of crude fiber (CF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). The results indicated that Ligilactobacillus salivarius CRS23, Bacillus subtilis YLZ7, Saccharomyces cerevisiae CJM26, and xylanase were identified for the fermentation of NFBDGs. When the initial moisture content of NFBDGs was 60% and the initial pH was 3.4, under the conditions of aerobic fermentation at 37 °C for 4 days, the pH of NFBDGs increased from 3.49 to 6.04, the contents of CP and TP increased by 33.59% and 31.21%,,, respectively, while the contents of CF, ADF, and NDF decrease by 35.44%, 20.53%, and 25.02% respectively. The nutritional value of NFBDGs was significantly improved after microbial-enzyme synergistic fermentation, providing a new approach for their application as feed. Full article

Probiotics have emerged as gut modulators, capable of restructuring microbial communities to enhance animal health and performance. This review synthesizes peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025, retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. It encompasses both ruminant and monogastric species to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplementation under diverse production environments. Evidence indicates that diet, age, host genetics, and management practices strongly influence gut microbiome composition and function, explaining the context-dependent nature of probiotic efficacy. These interventions improve growth performance, feed efficiency, gut morphology, pathogen resistance, and systemic immune parameters, supporting their potential as sustainable alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters. However, responses vary and are context-dependent, based on differences in strain specificity, dosage, host physiology, and environmental stress. By explaining how probiotic-mediated modulation translates into improved productivity, reduced antimicrobial dependence, and greater resilience in real-world farming systems, this review highlights their practical value for modern livestock production. Future research should focus on field-based validation, multi-omics approaches to resolve host–microbiota–probiotic interactions, and long-term assessments of animal health, productivity, and environmental impacts. Strategic deployment of probiotics, combined with scalable delivery technologies and regulatory alignment, can enhance resilience, sustainability, and efficiency in livestock production systems. Full article

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and kill specific bacteria, offering a promising alternative to antibiotics in livestock production. With growing concerns over antibiotic resistance, phages have gained renewed interest due to their ability to target harmful pathogens without disturbing beneficial gut microbiota. This review explores the application of dietary phage supplementation in monogastric animals, particularly pigs and poultry. In pigs, phage use has demonstrated beneficial effects such as improved growth performance, enhanced gut health, and reduced infections from Salmonella and E. coli. Various delivery methods, including feed and water supplementation, have been studied, with microencapsulation showing promising results for stability and effectiveness. Similarly, in poultry, phages have been successfully used to control pathogens like Salmonella, Campylobacter, and avian pathogenic E. coli, improving gut health, immunity, and overall performance. Several commercial phage products are already in use, demonstrating both safety and efficacy. Despite these advantages, challenges such as a narrow host range, bacterial resistance, and regulatory limitations remain. Therefore, further research is necessary to understand phage–host interactions, optimize delivery strategies, and evaluate long-term effects under normal and disease-free conditions. This review highlights the potential of bacteriophages as safe, targeted, and sustainable alternatives to antibiotics in monogastric animal production, contributing to improved animal health and reduced antibiotic use. Full article

The cardinal Physiology of Gut Health in monogastric animals such as swine and poultry is vital. It is critical for digestive efficiency, immune status, and production levels. This system is related not only to the digestion and absorption of nutrients from feed ingredients contributing to growth and feed utilization efficiency but also to having a strategic microbiota that supports immunity and pathogen resistance, as well as metabolic support. Gut disease, for example, bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection, diet, or stress, can reduce nutrient digestion and absorption. They can also suppress the immune system and render patients more prone to disease. These are efficiency degradations and increase veterinary and husbandry costs. In addition, nutrient absorption because of deteriorated gut health can affect the environment in different ways: removal of nutrients through leaching and the release of gases (including CH₄ and NH₄). These pressures have led to a focus on the gut in animal research to improve the welfare of animals and ensure sustainable practices in animal production. Recent studies have included the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and other feed additives to enhance the positive effects of the gut microbiota. These are also intervention points to increase nutrient absorption and animal well-being, in turn sustainability. Such approaches are expected to promote a stable microbial community with less dependence on the use of antibiotics, less waste generation, and less environmental impact from animal farming. This review provides a critical evaluation of the current literature on gut health in monogastric livestock, with pigs and poultry as the principal focus. We also considered the impact of gut health on production efficiency and Environmental sustainability. Current progress in nutritional modulation of gut health for increased productivity, enhanced animal welfare, and better profitability are presented. Gut-related biological mechanisms are linked to practical nutritional strategies, and subsequently to animal welfare, production efficiency, and environmental effects, offering a coherent concept for moving from mechanism to system-level sustainability. Full article

As demand for sustainable protein sources grows, edible insects like Tenebrio molitor (yellow mealworm) are gaining attention as functional feed ingredients. This study investigated how dietary inclusion of T. molitor meal affects gut microbiota composition and diversity in laboratory rats. Wistar rats were divided into three diet groups: standard feed, 35% chicken meal, and 35% T. molitor meal. Fecal samples were collected at weeks 4, 6, and 8. Microbial populations were assessed using culture-based methods, and community structure was analyzed at week 9 via Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA sequencing. Bioinformatic analyses evaluated microbial diversity and predicted functions. Rats fed T. molitor meal showed significantly reduced counts of total aerobic/anaerobic bacteria, fungi, and coagulase-positive staphylococci. Metagenomics revealed a Firmicutes-dominated microbiota, with enrichment of protein- and cholesterol-metabolizing taxa (e.g., Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, Oscillospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae), and a decline in fiber- and mucin-degrading bacteria like Akkermansia and Muribaculaceae. Functional predictions indicated upregulated amino acid metabolism and chitin degradation. Despite compositional shifts, microbial diversity remained stable, with no signs of dysbiosis. These findings suggest that T. molitor meal supports a safe, functional adaptation of gut microbiota to high-protein, chitin-rich diets, supporting its potential use in monogastric animal nutrition. Full article

Livestock-intensive regions in Europe face dual challenges: nutrient surpluses and a high dependency on import of high-protein feedstocks. This study proposes duckweed (Lemnaceae) as a potential solution by recovering nutrients from manure-derived waste streams while producing protein-rich biomass. This study evaluated the performance of duckweed treatment systems at a pig manure processing facility in Belgium. Three outdoor systems were monitored over a full growing season under temperate climate conditions. Duckweed cultivated on constructed wetland effluent showed die-off and low protein content, while systems supplied with diluted liquid fraction and nitrification–denitrification effluent achieved consistent growth, yielding 8 tonnes of dry biomass/ha/year and 2.8 tonnes of protein/ha/year. Average removal rates were 1.2 g N/m²/day and 0.13 g P/m²/day. Growth ceased after approximately 100–120 days, likely due to rising pH and electrical conductivity, suggesting ammonia toxicity and salt stress. Harvested duckweed had a high protein content and a total amino acid profile suitable for broilers, though potentially limiting in histidine and methionine for pigs or cattle. Additionally, promising energy and protein values for ruminants were measured. Although high ash and fibre contents may limit use in monogastric animals, duckweed remains suitable as part of a balanced feed. Its broad mineral profile further supports its use as a circular, locally sourced feed supplement. Full article