This study aimed to evaluate the effects of calcium salts of fatty acids (CSFA) from soybean oil in diets with different levels of rumen degradable protein (RDP) on bio-hydrogenation extent, and fatty acid (FA) profile intake, omasal digesta, rumen bacteria, and milk fat. Eight Holstein lactating cows were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with two CSFA levels (0 or 33.2g/kg DM of CSFA) and two RDP levels (98.0 or 110 g/kg DM). There was RDP and CSFA interaction effect on the omasal flow of total FA and some specific FA. Only in -CSFA diets, the higher RDP level increased omasal flow of total FA. Dietary RDP levels did not affect the FA profile of bacteria and milk fat. Feeding CSFA reduced or tended to reduce the bacterial proportion of C15:0, C16:0, C16:1, C17:0, and C18:0 FA and decreased the concentrations of short- and medium-chain FA (<18C) and increased the concentrations of unsaturated and long-chain FA (≥18C) in milk fat. Feeding CSFA of soybean oil increases the intake and omasal flow of FA and augments unsaturated FA content in bacteria pellets and milk fat.

We retrospectively analyzed the effects of dry period length (DPL) on milk yield and postpartum health using 152 commercial dairy farm data, including 46,228 dairy cows in Hokkaido, Japan, and examined the optimal DPL. The DPL was divided into eight categories: ≤25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65 (reference), 66-75, 76-85, and ≥86 d. The total milk yields (the sum of milk yield during the 55 d before and the 305 d milk yield after calving) of cows with DPL of ≤55 d did not differ from the reference group. Cows with DPL of ≤55 d had lower odds ratios (OR) of a displaced abomasum (DA), ketosis, milk fever (MF), and abnormal milk fat-to-protein ratio but had higher puerperal fever (PF) and stillbirth ORs than the reference group. Cows with a DPL of 46-55 d had the lowest PF and stillbirth ORs among the short DPL categories. The extremely short (≤25 d) and long (≥86 d) DPL increased the ORs of mastitis and abnormal liner score of somatic cell counts (SCCs) compared with the reference group. We conclude that shortening DPL can reduce postpartum health problems without reducing milk yield and that the optimal DPL is 46-55 d.

Lactation is a characteristic physiological function of mammals and is important for nourishing infants and the dairy industry; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the function remain to be elucidated. A technique to directly evaluate the quantity and quality of milk in mice is necessary for the study of the lactation mechanism in vivo. By measuring the changes in milk amount after different durations of milk accumulation (0-24 h) using a ductal cannulation technique and oxytocin supplementation, we estimated the milk production rate at a single mammary gland level. In addition, collected milk was available to assess milk quality, including creamatocrit, osmolarity, and concentrations of ions, lactose, and total protein. Moreover, as a proof of principle, the effects of intraductal administration of a hypertonic solution to the abdominal mammary gland were examined. This stimulation increased milk amount, possibly by osmosis, compared with the contralateral control gland. These results demonstrated that this method is useful for examining the lactation ability and mechanisms in vivo. Studies using this method will contribute to the further understanding of lactation mechanisms in mammals.

Abstract This study presents the first mitochondrial DNA analysis of native cattle in Kyrgyzstan, examining sequences from the D‐loop region of 20 Kyrgyz native cattle. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to estimate the genetic diversity and lineages, revealing two major haplogroups (T and I). Regional analysis showed a significant frequency difference (p &lt; 0.05) between these haplogroups: Haplogroup I was found to be more prevalent (0.556) in the lower elevation areas (elevation ~1000 m) and less prevalent (0.100) in the higher elevations (elevation ~2500 to 3000 m), suggesting that environmental factors influence genetic distribution among Kyrgyz cattle. Three sub‐haplogroups T2, T3, and T4 were observed within major haplogroup T, whereas only one sub‐haplogroup (I1) was observed in this study. We also compared the distribution patterns of haplogroups T and I in Kyrgyz with those of some areas in Asia previously reported and found that in Central and Northeast Asia, haplogroup T was dominant, but the gene flow of haplogroup I was also present. The results of this study underscore the importance of regional environmental factors, including altitude, in shaping the genetic structure of livestock populations and would be useful to understand the historical movements and adaptations of Kyrgyz native cattle.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of two different organic selenium (Se) supplements, selenomethionine (Se-Met) and selenohomolanthionine (Se-Hlan), on the serum biochemical parameters and Se status of dairy cows. Different dietary Se supplementation treatments were set as follows: a control group (CON, adding sodium selenite at 0.3mg Se/kg dry matter [DM]), 0.3 and 0.5 Se-Met (adding Se-Met at 0.3 and 0.5mg Se/kg DM, respectively), as well as 0.3 and 0.5 Se-Hlan (adding Se-Hlan at 0.3 and 0.5mg Se/kg DM, respectively). The experiment lasted 8weeks. The serum measurements showed that both organic Se treatments resulted in higher uric acid than CON. Se-Met produced higher aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, urea, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lactate dehydrogenase than Se-Hlan. Regarding the Se status, the highest milk Se values appeared in 0.5 Se-Met, with intermediate values in 0.3 Se-Met and 0.5 Se-Hlan, whereas the highest and lowest serum Se levels were presented in 0.5 Se-Met and 0.3 Se-Hlan, respectively. Our results suggest that Se-Hlan was not as efficient in boosting serum or milk Se as Se-Met and differences in serum biomarkers between Se-Met and Se-Hlan may be associated with distinct metabolic pathways for different forms of organic Se.

Solid-state fermentation is a useful method for the utilization of the agri-industrial residues. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of tomato pomace (TP) and Aspergillus niger-fermented tomato pomace (FTP) on the growth performance, some carcass traits, antioxidant status, and intestinal microflora in broiler chickens. A total of 140 Ross 308 one-day-old male chicks were allocated to one of four treatment groups consisting of five replicates of seven chicks each. Chicks were fed ad libitum with the corn-soybean based basal diet (control), the basal diet supplemented with 0.25 g/kg synthetic antioxidant, 10g/kg TP or 10g/kg FTP for 42 days. Dietary TP increased serum glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) but did not affect the growth performance. Dietary inclusion of FTP improved the feed conversion ratio and raised serum GPx and SOD. Carcass traits, malondialdehyde level, pH, and color of breast meat and cecal microflora were not affected by dietary treatments. The results of the study showed that TP can be used as a natural antioxidant in broiler diets without a detrimental effect on growth performance. Dietary FTP can be suggested as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants with beneficial effects on growth performance and antioxidant capacity.

Abstract The study determined the effects of replacing different levels of soybean meal (SBM) with rocket seed cake (RSC) in the diets of growing lambs on feed utilization and growth performance. Twenty‐eight male lambs (180 ± 5 d old) were divided into four groups in a complete randomized design with repeated measures for 105 d. Soybean meal was replaced with RSC at 0% (RSC0), 25% (RSC25), 50% (RSC50), and 75% (RSC75). The RSC75 group had the lowest final weight, total weight gain, and daily weight gain. The RSC25 increased (P &lt; 0.001) the intakes of DM, starch value (SV), total digestible nutrients (TDN), digestible energy (DE), and digestible crude protein (DCP) compared to the other diets, while the RSC75 decreased these values. Moreover, the RSC25 decreased (P &lt; 0.05) feed conversion of DM compared to other diets. Treatments did not affect nutrient digestibility or diet's nutritive values expressed as true SV, TDN, DCP, and DE. The RSC linearly increased albumin and urea and lowered the high‐density lipoprotein concentrations in lamb's blood. The inclusion of RSC in the diet increased economic efficiency, with the highest relative percentages of net revenue with the RSC25. Overall, RSC can replace SBM at 25% in the diet of growing lambs.

Allicin is a sulfur-containing compound extracted from raw garlic (Allium sativum L.). We compared the effect of allicin addition on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and rumen microbiota of goats compared to monensin. Twenty-four Anhui white goats were assigned randomly to one of three dietary treatments: 1) a basal diet (CON); 2) the basal diet with allicin addition at 750 mg per head per day (AC); 3) the basal diet with monensin addition at 30 mg per kg of diet (MS). Animals were fed for 8weeks. Results showed the average daily gain, and feed efficiency was increased with allicin and monensin addition. Serum levels of IgG, total superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase were higher in the AC group than those in the CON and MS groups. The microbiota analysis revealed that monensin addition mainly affected genera related to carbohydrate and protein metabolism, and allicin mainly affected genera related to energy metabolism and intestinal health. In conclusion, allicin could improve growth performance and have advantages over monensin in improving the antioxidant capacity and immune function of goats. Allicin may be a potential alternative to monensin.

2,5-Dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone (DMHF), a compound having a sweet caramel-like odor, is one of the major compounds generated by the Maillard reaction. DMHF could affect the palatability of cooked and processed foods such as meat, while its inhalation induces several physiological functions. However, basic findings of DMHF generation in meat remain unclear. In this study, we compared the amount of DMHF in cooked meat of various animal meat (Japanese black cattle beef, Australian beef, pork, and chicken) and parts (round, loin, thigh, and breast). Meat samples were heated at 230°C, and then the amount of DMHF was measured using the solvent extraction methods. Moreover, the substrates (total free amino acid and glucose) used for the Maillard reaction were also measured to elucidate the relation between DMHF generation and nutrients in meat. DMHF was detected in all cooked meat samples, suggesting that DMHF is generated in meat regardless of animal species and parts. A significant positive correlation was observed between the DMHF generation and glucose content in the round and thigh parts. Our results suggest that DMHF generation during meat cooking would be regulated by the glucose content.

With global warming becoming of increasing concern, poultry farms are experiencing a concomitant increase in heat stress. Chickens are very sensitive to high ambient temperature (HT), so the development of novel nutrients that will help deal with the challenge posed by heat stress is vital. We revealed that L-citrulline (L-Cit) can reduce body temperature in chickens. Orally administered L-Cit solution has been found to provide heat tolerance in chickens and to result in reduced food intake. Heat exposure and oral administration of L-Cit led to increased levels of plasma insulin, whereas heat stress led to a decline in plasma thyroxine. Dietary administration of L-Cit was also shown to be effective to reduce heat stress in broiler chickens. Moreover, L-Cit was found to be metabolized in the liver within 1h of its administration, and in L-Cit-treated broiler chicks, the Cit-Arginine cycle and the Krebs cycle were found to be active. L-Cit has not yet been approved for inclusion in the poultry diet, so it is important to find alternative sources of L-Cit. Taken together, these findings suggest that L-Cit may serve as an important novel nutrient with the ability to produce heat tolerance in chickens under HT.