Search Results (514)

Livestock farms are a distinctive type of agricultural ecosystem wherein farmed animals interact continuously with other living organisms and with the physical environment of the farm under the influence of human management. The objectives of this paper are the proposal of a framework in which small ruminant farms are considered as managed ecosystems, the identification, definition and characterization of the principal biotic components and abiotic environmental compartments, the examination of interactions occurring within and between these components and the description of the role of health management in modifying interactions within these systems. Within the proposed approach, the ecosystem of small ruminant farms can be considered to be characterized by five principal elements: components and compartments, interactions and flows and their directionality, inputs and outputs crossing the physical or functional boundaries of the system, and human management and feedback. Small ruminant farms can function as networks of ecosystem interactions, in which complex interactions occur among and between their biotic components and abiotic environmental compartments. In brief, the biotic components of the farm ecosystem include the livestock (sheep, goats), other domestic or synanthropic animals on farms, wildlife near farms, people working on farms or visiting, vegetation and other primary producers, pathogens, arthropods and other biotic communities. The abiotic environmental compartments include animal housing and associated areas and materials, farm systems, machinery and light equipment, feed and water, climate variables and farm waste. Various interactions connect those components. Health management acts upon ecosystem components and their interactions and is a principal means through which humans deliberately modify the farm ecosystem; it is based on human decisions, which influence multiple components of the ecosystem and direct the interactions within the system. Health management can modify interactions throughout the farm ecosystem, with effects that may extend beyond their immediately intended targets. The consideration of these wider relationships can support better-informed and integrated health management of sheep and goat farms and their animal populations. Full article

Campylobacter spp. are major foodborne pathogens, and their increasing antimicrobial resistance poses a growing public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, where surveillance remains limited. This study investigated the occurrence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles of Campylobacter spp. in food-producing animals, with a particular focus on pigs in Burkina Faso. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2024 to July 2025 in Ouagadougou and surrounding areas. A total of 251 fecal samples were collected from pigs (n = 101), sheep (n = 54), goats (n = 51), and cattle (n = 45) and analyzed using standard microbiological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on freshly recovered colonies immediately after identification, according to the CA-SFM/EUCAST 2024 disk diffusion method. A multiplex PCR targeting the 23S rRNA gene for Campylobacter genus identification and species-specific targets (mapA for C. jejuni, ceuE for C. coli, lpxA-C. lari for C. lari, and lpxA-C. upsaliensis for C. upsaliensis) was used for molecular confirmation. Campylobacter spp. were detected in 18.7% (47/251) of samples, with the highest prevalence observed in pigs (35.6%; 36/101), followed by sheep (11.1%; 6/54), goats (7.8%; 4/51), and cattle (2.2%; 1/45). PCR confirmed C. coli in 80.9% (38/47) and C. jejuni in 17.0% (8/47) of positive samples, while one goat sample showed simultaneous detection of both species (2.1%; 1/47). AMR analysis was performed on the 46 samples yielding a single Campylobacter species; the mixed-species sample was excluded. Resistance was highest to ampicillin (69.6%; 32/46), followed by tetracycline (63.0%; 29/46) and ciprofloxacin (54.3%; 25/46). bla_OXA-61 and tet(O) were the most frequently detected AMR genes. These findings suggest that pigs may represent an important reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter in the study setting and highlight the need for a One Health approach to strengthen surveillance and mitigate transmission risks along the food chain. Full article

Limited information is available regarding the role of melatonin in regulating seasonal reproductive activity and oxidative stress in sheep under subtropical climatic conditions. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effect of melatonin administration on reproductive performance, hormonal profile, and antioxidant status in ewes during breeding and non-breeding seasons. A total of 48 clinically healthy multiparous ewes (2–5 years old) were equally divided into breeding and non-breeding season groups (n = 24 each). During each season, animals were allocated into four treatment groups: Group I (control; corn oil @ 1 mL/animal, s/c, n = 6), Group II (melatonin @ 10 mg/animal, s/c, n = 6), Group III (melatonin @ 20 mg/animal, s/c, n = 6), and Group IV (melatonin @ 40 mg/animal, s/c, n = 6). Melatonin administration significantly improved estrus response and conception rate during both seasons. During the breeding season, estrus response was observed in 33.33%, 100%, 100%, and 66.67% of animals in Groups I, II, III, and IV, respectively, whereas during the non-breeding season, estrus response was 0%, 83.33%, 100%, and 33.33%, respectively. Similarly, conception rates during the breeding season were 50%, 100%, 100%, and 66.67%, respectively, while corresponding values during the non-breeding season were 0%, 80%, 100%, and 50%. Serum estrogen concentration increased significantly (p < 0.05) in Groups II and III, particularly on day 7 during the breeding season and on day 14 during the non-breeding season. Progesterone concentration increased significantly (p < 0.05) on day 30 following 10 and 20 mg melatonin treatment during both seasons. Antioxidant enzyme activities, including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, were significantly enhanced following melatonin treatment. In conclusion, subcutaneous administration of melatonin improved reproductive performance, hormonal profile, and antioxidant status in sheep under subtropical conditions, with 20 mg melatonin/animal producing the most favorable responses, particularly during the non-breeding season. Full article

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health challenge, and food-producing animals and foods of animal origin may contribute to the dissemination of resistant bacteria through the food chain. This review aimed to summarize recent evidence on extended-spectrum β-lactamase- and carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli in food animals and animal-derived foods across Middle East and North Africa countries. A structured literature search was conducted to identify peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2025. Data regarding country, sample type, prevalence, and resistance genes were extracted and analyzed descriptively. Twenty-eight studies from nine MENA countries revealed the presence of resistant E. coli in poultry, cattle, sheep, swine, camels, seafood, and other animal-derived products. Poultry showed a higher reported prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli, while carbapenem-resistant isolates were less frequently reported but were detected in several countries. The bla_CTX-M family was the predominant extended-spectrum β-lactamase determinant, whereas bla_NDM, bla_OXA-48-like, and bla_KPC were among the commonly identified carbapenemase genes. These findings demonstrate that food animals and animal-derived foods may represent important reservoirs of clinically relevant resistance genes in the Middle East and North Africa region. Strengthening One Health surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and regional collaboration is essential to limit the spread of resistant bacteria. Full article

Xylan sulfates are established anticoagulant polysaccharides, but their preparation requires balancing sulfate substitution and product recovery. Sugarcane-bagasse xylan was sulfated using sulfur trioxide–pyridine complex (SO₃·Py), 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP), and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDCI). An entropy-weighted five-factor Box–Behnken design jointly optimized degree of substitution (DS) and isolated, DS-adjusted yield, assigning respective weights of 0.570 and 0.430. Pareto analysis identified a trade-off between increasing DS and decreasing yield, while accounting for model uncertainty produced little change in the selected optimum. Validation used adjusted reagent-to-xylan mass ratios of 0.2, 3.2, and 2.2 g/g for DMAP, SO₃·Py, and EDCI, respectively, at 50.7 °C for 3.8 h. Three independent batches yielded DS = 1.53 ± 0.01, yield = 78.0 ± 0.1%, and a composite score of 0.792 ± 0.008, within the model’s 95% prediction interval. Operational water solubility increased from 21.2 to 96.8–130.4 mg/mL after sulfation, alongside changes in aqueous aggregation and rheology. In citrated sheep plasma, the derivatives prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time with increasing concentration. Responses increased across the derivative series, in which DS and the reported apparent molar mass covaried. These results provide a basis for balancing substitution and product recovery and comparing the water solubility and in vitro anticoagulant responses of the resulting derivatives. Full article

Rumen viruses may influence methane-related fermentation indirectly by altering microbial populations that produce or consume hydrogen, formate, and methylated substrates, but evidence in sheep remains limited. The objective of this exploratory study was to determine whether the viral component recovered from bulk rumen metagenomes was associated with diet-induced differences in in vitro methane production through variation in viral community structure, predicted host associations, or metabolic functions. Forty-eight Hu rams were assigned to two dietary treatments with four pen replicates per treatment; one animal per pen was sampled, yielding eight rumen-fluid samples for 12 h in vitro methane determination and metagenomic sequencing. We characterized the viral component recovered bioinformatically from bulk rumen metagenomes. Phage-derived sequences predominated in both the low-methane (LMEG; 80.72%) and high-methane (HMEG; 79.95%) groups, with Uroviricota and Caudoviricetes as the dominant lineages. Global diversity, predicted-host composition, and KEGG and UniProtKB/ViralZone profiles did not show statistically supported group separation; however, two putative genus-level labels, Pakpunavirus and Fromanvirus, were enriched in LMEG after the reported false-discovery-rate correction. More than 99% of CHERRY host assignments were bacterial, and the conservative PHP–CHERRY consensus set was dominated by Bacillota and Bacteroidota. No methanogen-associated viral contig received concordant genus-level support. HMEG showed numerical increases in mtd, cofF, and fdhA, but none remained significant after correction, and canonical methyl-coenzyme M reductase genes were not detected. These findings identify candidate diet-associated viral signals consistent with a possible indirect virus–bacteria–fermentation relationship, but they do not establish a causal role of rumen viruses in methane production or identify phages for direct methane mitigation. Further studies with larger sample sizes, direct virus–host validation, and measurements of rumen fermentation and animal performance are required before potential methane-mitigation applications can be considered. Full article

In hilly regions of Pakistan, particularly South Waziristan, oak (Quercus baloot) leaves are a potential locally available feed source, but their tannins may reduce intake and nutrient digestion. Because polyethylene glycol (PEG) binds dietary tannins and can reduce tannin–protein and tannin–enzyme interactions, potentially improving nutrient availability, we evaluated PEG as a practical dietary additive in tannin-rich oak diets. Using practical, non-purified diets, we conducted a 60-day study with thirty-two male Balkhi sheep (3 months old; initial body weight 21.20 ± 0.29 kg). Sheep were stratified by weight and allocated to four diets in a 2 × 2 factorial design: 0% oak + 0% PEG, 45% oak + 0% PEG, 0% oak + 2% PEG, and 45% oak + 2% PEG. We evaluated dry matter and nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, body weight gain, hematology, and blood biochemistry. The 45% oak + 2% PEG diet produced the highest nutrient intake, digestibility, final body weight, and average daily gain, and the lowest Feed conversion ratio. Compared with the 45% oak + 0% PEG diet, average daily gain increased from 77.3 to 181.8 g/day, and dry matter digestibility increased from 41.9% to 57.2%. Endpoint hematology showed no treatment-related abnormalities, while blood urea nitrogen and alanine aminotransferase were significantly lower in sheep receiving 45% oak + 2% PEG than in those receiving the other three diets. Because the diets were practical formulations rather than nutrient-matched mechanistic diets, these findings support the tested oak + PEG diet under local study conditions but do not isolate tannin binding as the sole mechanism. Full article

Background/Objectives: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important zoonotic pathogens associated with gastrointestinal infections and hemolytic–uremic syndrome (HUS). Increasing serotype diversity, emergence of hybrid strains, and growing antimicrobial resistance complicate surveillance and treatment. This review summarizes recent data on STEC isolated from major animal reservoirs between 2020 and 2026. Methods: We comparatively analyzed peer-reviewed, open-access studies investigating STEC from cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, wildlife, and related animal products. We extracted and evaluated data on serotypes, virulence genes, hybrid pathotypes, and antimicrobial resistance determinants. Results: High serotype diversity was observed across all reservoirs, with non-O157 STEC frequently predominating over O157:H7. Ruminant isolates commonly carried stx2 and additional virulence determinants associated with severe human disease, confirming cattle and small ruminants as major reservoirs of highly pathogenic STEC. Poultry-associated isolates showed greater variability in virulence profiles but frequently exhibited high rates of multidrug resistance. Hybrid strains combining virulence traits characteristic of multiple E. coli pathotypes were increasingly reported. Livestock-associated STEC commonly carried resistance determinants against β-lactams, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, quinolones, and polymyxins, whereas wildlife isolates generally showed lower rates of resistance. Conclusions: Animal-associated STEC populations demonstrate increasing genomic diversity, pathogenic potential, and antimicrobial resistance. The growing prevalence of non-O157 and hybrid strains highlights the limitations of traditional serotype-focused surveillance and emphasizes the need for integrated One Health monitoring strategies. Full article

Horsehair generated during seasonal coat shedding represents an underutilized biogenic by-product with potential for textile valorization. In this Communication, we present a first proof-of-concept investigation of the suitability of equine body hair as a raw material for nonwoven production. Hair samples collected during the spring shedding period (March–May) were analyzed for their morphology, fiber dimensions, elemental composition, lipid content, and processing behavior. Pretreatment methods included cleaning and washing, solvent-based degreasing using methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and lipid extraction using supercritical CO₂. Fiber processing trials were conducted using manual and industrial nonwoven formation techniques, followed by mechanical consolidation through needle punching and hydroentanglement. While the results demonstrate that horsehair can be processed into nonwoven structures, pure horsehair webs showed limited fiber cohesion and surface fiber shedding. Blended nonwovens containing Lyocell and sheep wool as well as multilayer structures were therefore produced and showed improved handling and reduced fiber release. In addition, preliminary supercritical CO₂ extraction trials demonstrated the recovery of a substantial lipid-rich fraction, indicating the potential to combine extraction and subsequent fiber utilization within a preliminary cascade valorization strategy. Our study establishes the technical feasibility of this approach while identifying limitations requiring further investigation, particularly quantitative mechanical and functional characterization, optimization of fiber cohesion, chemical characterization of the recovered extract, and environmental and economic assessment. Full article

Background: Phytogenic feed additives are being explored as alternatives to conventional rumen modulators, yet their effects on the ruminal ecosystem remain insufficiently characterized when assessed only through conventional fermentation parameters. This study evaluated the effects of ethanolic and hydroethanolic extracts of Urochloa brizantha on ruminal fermentation, methanogenic archaeal diversity, and the ruminal metabolome of sheep. Methods: Eight rumen-cannulated wethers were assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with four 28-day periods. Treatments consisted of no additive (CTL), ethanolic extract of U. brizantha (EE; 50 mL/day), hydroethanolic extract (HE; 80 mL/day), and monensin (MON; 25 mg/kg of DMI). Ruminal fluid was evaluated for fermentation traits, archaeal 16S rRNA gene diversity, and untargeted metabolomic profiles. Results: Dry matter intake and fermentation parameters were unaffected by treatment. Archaeal alpha diversity showed a contrast-dependent response, with lower Shannon diversity in sheep receiving plant extracts than in those receiving monensin (p = 0.034), and Methanimicrococcus was selectively enriched in the EE group (p = 0.012). Untargeted metabolomics revealed the clearest response: despite substantial overlap in global PCA profiles, PLS-DA indicated treatment-specific temporal separation between day 0 and day 21 only in EE-treated sheep, supported by permutation testing based on classification error rate (p = 0.027), although predictive performance should be interpreted cautiously. This EE-specific response was characterized by a significant shift in the carboxylic acid subclass (FDR = 0.022). Top VIP-ranked discriminants (aspartate, succinate, glutamate, phenylalanine, leucine, and choline) decreased nominally but failed multiple-testing correction (FDR = 0.0602–0.2580). CTL, HE, or MON showed no temporal separation. Conclusions: Urochloa brizantha extracts produced limited effects on conventional ruminal fermentation parameters but were associated with selective archaeal responses. In particular, the ethanolic extract was associated with a treatment-specific temporal metabolomic pattern, including a significant shift in the carboxylic acid subclass, while individual metabolite changes remained exploratory and warrant further investigation. Full article

Donkey milk represents a valuable alternative for diversifying dairy resources. The mixture of donkey milk with milk from other species may help overcome its technological limitations while creating opportunities for the development of innovative cheeses based on non-conventional milk sources and indigenous lactic acid cultures. The effects of adjunct Lacticaseibacillus and ripening time on the physicochemical, microbiological, proteolytic, volatile, and sensory characteristics of cheese were evaluated. Cheeses made from a mixture of sheep milk (70%) and donkey milk (30%) were manufactured using a commercial starter culture and served as the control. Experimental cheeses were produced from the same milk blend inoculated with the commercial starter culture and supplemented with autochthonous Lacticaseibacillus strains. Their addition accelerated acidification and modulated the volatile profile, increasing alcohol and ester concentrations while reducing aldehydes and branched-chain fatty acids. These changes may have contributed to enhanced aroma intensity and complexity, together with increased hardness and friability of the cheeses during sensory evaluation. The use of indigenous Lacticaseibacillus cultures may contribute to the production of innovative mixed-milk cheeses, supporting the sustainable valorisation of donkey milk in dairy systems. Full article

Extensive small-ruminant grazing sustains food production on the Mediterranean land with few alternative uses, yet supervision is intermittent and welfare oversight weak. Digital monitoring is expected to close that gap, but detection alone does not produce intervention. In remote rangelands the link is unreliable, so an inference may reach the farmer late, degraded or not at all, and an alert arriving after the animal has moved is not a weaker alert but a different decision. This study develops a human-in-the-loop decision framework in which the delivery state of the link becomes a decision variable rather than a transport detail, coupling technology, farmer behaviour and governance. Constructed through design science research and structured analysis of an EU-funded project’s specifications and evaluation plans, it comprises a seven-layer architecture, a decision-episode schema, a connectivity-aware alert lifecycle, a decision-provenance matrix, and an evidence-maturity classification constraining what may be claimed. Five decision classes from a Cretan sheep and goat pilot instantiate it. After applying it, specification inconsistencies invisible to component-level review surfaced, among which is an alert payload lacking the coordinates, confidence and severity that its own indicators require. The framework is an instantiated specification, not a validated intervention: no detection, delivery, acknowledgement, usability or sustainability outcome is measured. Full article

Wool is often regarded as a low-value by-product of Alpine sheep farming, despite its potential to convey the ecosystem services (ESs) generated by these systems. This study examines how awareness and perception of these services are associated with consumer attitudes towards locally produced wool in the Lanzo Valleys in Northwestern Italy. A convenience sample of 400 adults familiar with the study area completed an online questionnaire. Principal Component Analysis identified two orientations towards wool products—Sustainability Orientation and Product-Value Orientation—which together explained 69.33% of the variance. A TwoStep Cluster Analysis based on the component scores identified four profiles within the study sample: Sustainability-sensitive (22%), Disinterested (14.25%), Eco-aesthetic (36%), and Aesthetically aware (27.75%). Sustainability-oriented respondents attributed greater importance to ES related to biodiversity, native-breed conservation and animal welfare, whereas aesthetic and experiential attributes represented an additional, distinct dimension of product evaluation. Residence status was not significantly associated with cluster membership. Given the non-probabilistic sampling design, these profiles should be interpreted as exploratory attitudinal patterns. The findings may inform differentiated communication and wool-valorisation strategies linking environmental, cultural, aesthetic and functional values. Full article

Accurate body weight monitoring is essential for efficient sheep production, yet conventional weighing methods are labor-intensive and require frequent animal handling. Computer vision provides a promising non-invasive alternative; however, many published studies rely on validation strategies that may overestimate predictive performance because repeated observations from the same animals are simultaneously included in training and testing datasets. This study developed and evaluated an integrated analytical framework for image-based body weight estimation in ewes that combines standardized image processing, robust frame-level quality control, longitudinal statistical modeling, and strict leakage-controlled validation. A longitudinal dataset comprising 20 Dorper ewes monitored over six sampling periods was acquired using top-view depth imaging synchronized with body weight measurements under semi-arid conditions. The analytical framework integrated three complementary modules: longitudinal mixed-effects modeling, early prediction of final body weight, and contemporaneous body weight estimation. Predictive analyses were evaluated using nested leave-one-animal-out cross-validation, in which all preprocessing, correlation filtering, feature selection, model optimization, and model selection were performed exclusively within the training animals of each outer fold. The longitudinal mixed-effects model accurately characterized individual growth trajectories (conditional R² = 0.98). Initial body weight remained the strongest predictor of final body weight (R² = 0.770), whereas image-derived morphometric descriptors alone showed limited predictive performance under strict animal-level validation (R² = −0.899 to −0.031). Combining baseline body weight with selected morphometric descriptors produced modest but biologically informative improvements, achieving a maximum R² of 0.839. Contemporaneous body weight estimation achieved moderate predictive performance (maximum R² = 0.332) and revealed temporal changes in the importance of morphometric descriptors throughout growth. Overall, the proposed framework provides a reproducible methodology for evaluating image-derived phenotypes under rigorous animal-level validation, contributing to the development of more robust, interpretable, and biologically grounded computer vision systems for Precision Livestock Farming. Full article

Meat tenderness is a critical quality trait that varies even among carcasses of similar USDA quality grades. In this comparative study of beef cattle and sheep, we investigated how gene expression profiles in muscle and adipose tissues are associated with carcass quality grades and Fat Classes. Fifteen steers and fifteen wethers were raised to produce carcasses spanning Standard, Select, and Choice USDA quality grades (beef) or varying Fat Classes (sheep). In beef, higher quality grade was associated with significantly improved tenderness (lower shear force), while sheep tenderness did not differ consistently across Fat Classes. Exploratory RNA sequencing identified hundreds to thousands of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high- and low-quality or fatness groups, particularly in sheep muscle. DEGs were enriched in pathways related to muscle growth, lipid metabolism, and immune signaling. While these transcriptomic differences suggest biological processes associated with carcass traits, the findings are correlational, should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating, and require further validation in larger independent populations. These exploratory findings suggest species-specific differences in the relationship between fatness and tenderness and identify candidate molecular pathways for future investigation. Full article