daryoush alipour

The physical characteristics and nutrient balance of feed are among the most critical factors influencing animal health, performance, and feeding behavior of livestock. These factors not only have a direct impact on meeting the nutritional requirements of livestock but also play a key role in enhancing production efficiency, improving product quality, and mitigating nutrition-related diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of feed physical form during late gestation and early lactation in ewes on blood metabolites, antioxidant status, and lamb performance after birth.

This study was conducted using 36 Mehraban breed ewes with an average body weight of 50.17±2.09 kg and an average age of three to four years in a completely randomized experimental design. The experimental treatments included: 1- mash concentrate, 2- pelleted concentrate, and 3- pelleted total mixed ration (TMR). Experimental treatments were provided to ewes during the last two months of pregnancy and the first month of lactation. To evaluate blood biochemical parameters and antioxidant status, blood samples were collected from the ewes at three times (30 days before lambing, day of lambing, and 30 days after lambing) before the morning feeding. Milk yield and milk fat content were also assessed on day 21 postpartum. Also, the performance of the lambs was evaluated by weighing them on the day of birth and weekly until the end of the trial.

The results indicated that feed intake during in the pre- and post-partum periods, as well as milk production, was higher in ewes fed with pelleted TMR and pelleted concentrate compared to those fed with mash concentrate (P<0.05), while the milk fat percentage was not affected by the experimental treatments. Feeding pelleted TMR and pelleted concentrate significantly increased serum glucose and urea concentrations (P<0.05), while other blood parameters, such as cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein, and liver enzymes, were not influenced by the experimental treatments. Also, feeding ewes with pelleted feed led to a significant reduction in malondialdehyde concentration and an increase in total antioxidant capacity at certain time points (P < 0.05), indicating a reduction in oxidative stress in animals fed this type of feed. In addition, body weight and daily weight gain of lambs were affected by the physical form of the feed consumed by the ewes at certain time points. Lambs born to ewes fed with pelleted TMR and pelleted concentrate had higher weight and daily weight gain between days seven and 30 of age than those born to ewes fed with mash concentrate (P<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in lamb birth weight between different treatments.

Overall, the results of this study indicated that feeding ewes with pelleted TMR and pelleted concentrate during late pregnancy and early lactation can improve ewe performance, improve lamb performance, increase certain biochemical parameters, and enhance the antioxidant status of the ewes' blood. These findings emphasize the effective role of the physical form of feed as an effective tool in optimizing animal health, production performance, and welfare.

Corn fodder with 28% DM were harvested, chopped and after applying treatments (106 cfu g-1 FM) were ensiled in 30 kg bags. The experimental treatments were: 1) Silage without microbial inoculation (control), 2) silage inoculated with Lactobacillus fermentum produced in the laboratory (Lab), 3) silage inoculated with mixture of Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus salivarius, Pediococcus acidilactici and Enterococcus faecium (Lab), and 4) silage inoculated with commercial bacteria containing Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum. Sixteen Holstein cows in the middle of lactation (160 ± 10 days of lactation) were used based on a 4 x 4 integrated Latin square design with periods of 21 days. The milk production of treatments was not significantly different from the control, but 3.5% fat corrected milk of cows receiving inoculated silage was more than the control. The percentages of milk fat, protein and solids- non-fat were higher in the first treatment than other groups (P<0.05). Cows fed with laboratory inoculated silages had a higher (P<0.05) DMI than control and third treatment. The digestibility of DM, CP and ADF was higher (P<0.05) in the inoculated treatments than control and the highest was related to the second treatment. The rumen ammonia nitrogen in the first and second treatments was lower (P<0.05) than control. The rumen percentage of acetate was higher (P<0.05) in control and the second treatment, and propionate was higher (P<0.05) in the inoculated treatments than control. The overall conclusion showed that the bacterial inoculation of corn silage had no significant effect on milk production, although it increased 3.5% fat corrected milk, percentages of milk fat and protein as well as digestibility of nutrients.

Given the escalating global population and its growing demand for animal protein resources, the significance of maximizing livestock production efficiency has doubled. Owing the low efficiency of rumen fermentation, the rumen manipulation has emerged as an effective strategy to improve feed efficiency and reduce nutrient wastage, thereby reducing environmental impact. In this context, the use of feed additives, particularly plant-derived secondary metabolites has attracted the attention of animal nutritionists as an effective strategy and sustainable solution in recent decades. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate in vitro the comparative effects of different levels of essential oil and extract of spearmint on gas volume production, rumen digestion parameters, and methane production. The essential oil of spearmint (MSEO) was extracted by steam distillation method using a Clevenger apparatus, and its extract (MSEX) was obtained using 85% methanol followed by ultrasonic bath and centrifugation. In this study, the effects of spearmint essential oil and extract on rumen digestion and fermentation parameters of a high-concentrate diet for dairy cows were evaluated at six concentration levels: zero (as control), 150 (low dose), 300 and 450 (moderate doses), and 600 mg/L (high dose) and the treatment effects were analysed statistically using a complete randomised design with combined analysis. The volume of gas produced after 24 h of incubation changed quadratically (P< 0.01), and the percentage of methane production decreased linearly and non-linearly (linear and quadratic) with increasing dose of MSEO and MSEX, respectively (P< 0.01), as the high dose of MSEO and MSEX resulted in an 8.2% and 12.7% reduction in the percentage of methane production, respectively, compared to the control (P<0.01). The true in vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility of the substrate decreased linearly with increasing dose of both MSEO and MSEX (P< 0.01). The microbial mass (MB) and efficiency of microbial biomass synthesis (EMBS) were affected only by MSEX, and increased non-linearly and linearly, respectively, with increasing dose of MSEX (P< 0.01),with the highest MB and EMBS (16.7% and 25.3% increase, respectively, compared to the control) observed at 450 and 600 mg/L of MSEX, respectively (P<0.01). Ammonia concentration increased and decreased linearly with increasing dose of the essential oil and extract of spearmint, respectively (P< 0.05), As at the high dose, MSEO increased ammonia by 46.5% while MSEX decreased ammonia by 13.6% compared to the control (P< 0.05). Total volatile fatty acid concentration decreased linearly with both MSEO and MSEX dosages (P< 0.01). The molar proportion of propionate increased non-linearly with both MSEO and MSEX dosages (P< 0.01), as the 150 mg/L level of MSEO and that of 600 mg/L of MSEX increased the proportion of propionate by 6.4% and 7.6% respectively compared to the control (P<0.01). In conclusion, the results of this study showed that despite the negative effects of both MSEO and MSEX at high doses on rumen fermentation, the use of spearmint dry extract at low and moderate doses (equivalent to fairly 150 to 450 g/d for dairy cattles) could have have promising effects in improving rumen fermentation. The reduction in methane and ammonia production, and the improvement in microbial biomass and microbial biomass synthesis efficiency are indications of the beneficial effects of spearmint extract on rumen fermentation, which, in addition to improving production efficiency, may contribute to mitigating the environmental impact of ruminants, which requires further in vivo research under field conditions.

Zinc (Zn) is one of the essential minerals for the health and productivity of growing calves because this mineral is important for metabolism, growth, immune and defense systems, and antioxidant status. This element is also known as an anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrheal agent. In addition, Zn in enzymes acts as a structural component away from the active site, a proton donor in the active site, and an atomic bridge between the substrate and the enzyme. Zn has an essential role in the regulation of many metabolic processes, and its deficiency results in low appetite and, consequently, decreased feed intake. Therefore, it is of strong interest for producers, feed manufacturers, veterinarians, and scientists. The National Research Council (2021) recommends 70 mg/kg of Zn for calves at 30 days of age while the amount of this element is commonly low in the soil of many regions of Iran. Therefore, plants that grow in these soils have a low level of Zn concentration, and when they are consumed as animal feed, can cause a wide range of complications due to Zn deficiency, among which growth abnormality is one of the most obvious signs. Zn supplementation may improve the health and performance of suckling calves. However, the use of high Zn concentrations in the diet may affect the digestion, absorption, and use of other nutrients in the diet and potentially lead to environmental pollution due to the excess excretion of Zn in feces. Thus, the use of Zn sources above bioavailability has a special place. Recently, organic and hydroxy forms of minerals in animal feed supplements have attracted substantial interest from feed manufacturers and animal producers because they have higher Zn bioavailability than inorganic salts. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Zn sulfate, organic Zn, and Zn hydroxychloride on performance, growth, and blood parameters in Holstein suckling calves.

This study was conducted on 40 Holstein suckling calves from 7 to 77 days of age in a completely randomized design. Each treatment had the same number of male and female calves. Treatments were 1) a basal diet without Zn supplement (containing 53.29 mg/kg of Zn DM), 2) a basal diet + 20 mg/kg of Zn DM as organic Zn, 3) a basal diet + 20 mg/kg of Zn DM as Zn hydroxychloride, and 4) a basal diet + 20 mg/kg of Zn DM as Zn sulfate. Calves were kept in individual stalls and had ad libitum access to water and a starter. During the experiment, the calves were fed with two meals of milk at 8:00 and 16:00 at the rate of 2 kg per meal. The dry matter intake, daily gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined in calves. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein on 7, 43, and 77 days of age almost 4-5 hours after morning feeding. The collected blood was poured into two separate tubes, one containing heparin to obtain plasma and the other without heparin to obtain serum. Plasma and serum samples were kept at −80°C until the measurement of the studied parameters. Blood concentrations of calcium and phosphorus, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, superoxide dismutase, creatine phosphokinase, and lipid parameters (triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and very low-density lipoprotein) were measured using commercial kits. A Mindray BS-800 Chemistry Analyzer - BS-800 was used to measure the amounts of Zn, Fe, and Cu in blood. Data were analyzed in a completely randomized design using SAS.

There were no significant differences between treatments for daily weight gain and dry matter intake at 21, 35, 45, and 63 days of age (P > 0.05). At 77 days of age, daily weight gain and feed intake in calves received Zn supplements as Zn sulfate, Zn hydroxychloride, and organic Zn were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05). However, there were no  significant differences between different sources of Zn supplemented to the groups (P > 0.05). Body weight and FCR of the calves during the suckling period were not affected by Zn supplementation (P > 0.05). There were significant increases in the serum Zn and alkaline phosphatase concentrations of the calves supplemented with Zn sulfate, Zn methionine, and Zn organic compared to the control group (𝑃 < 0.05). Serum concentrations of Fe, Cu, Ca, P, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine phosphokinase, and lipid parameters (triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and very low-density lipoprotein) were not affected by the treatments (P > 0.05). However, the superoxide dismutase activity of the Zn-supplemented groups showed a numerical increase compared to the control group (P = 0.08).

The results showed that adding 20 mg/kg of Zn DM as Zn sulfate, Zn hydroxychloride, and organic Zn increased serum Zn and alkaline phosphatase concentrations and, finally, improved dry matter intake and daily weight gain. However, there were no significant differences between the Zn-supplemented groups for serum Zn and alkaline phosphatase concentrations, dry matter intake, and daily weight gain.

Farm animals face different types of abiotic stresses due to many management activities. Stress has adverse consequences on the animal's health and welfare. Laparoscopic artificial insemination (LAI) in sheep is also one of the mini surgery activities that associated with the use of sedatives, catching and fettering the animal, the insertion of instruments into the abdomen, and manipulation of the reproductive tract. All these actions are stressful and may impact stress axis, hematological and biochemical alterations, antioxidant status and fertility outcome. The administration of acepromazine combined with a multivitamin and amino acids complex may be a useful strategy for reducing stress in sheep undergoing laparoscopic AI. In this experiment, 50 non-pregnant Afshar breed ewes, aged 3-4 years, with almost the same body weight and score, were used. The estrous cycle of the ewes was synchronized by flurogestone acetate loaded sponges and eCG hormone. At the time of sponge removal, the ewes were divided into two groups (n = 25). All of the ewes, 54 h after sponge removal, were exposed to stress caused by LAI. In the first group (treatment), with sponge removal, each ewe was received 10 ml of the Multiaminoject intramuscularly. Also, 20 min before LAI, in addition to Multiaminoject, each animal also received 0.0834 mg aspromazine (i.v) per kg of body weight. At the same time, the ewes of the second group were injected with physiological saline and were considered as control. Changes in plasma cortisol concentration and its kinetics were measured from zero (20 min before LAI) to 180 min after through serial blood sampling. Changes of hematological and biochemical parameters of jugular vein blood were evaluated 20 min before and 40 min after LAI. The plasma antioxidant status was measured at the times of sponge removal, LAI and 3 days after LAI. The pregnancy rate was recorded by ultrasound at 45 days. Laparoscopic AI induced stress response in the ewes, by that, 20 minutes after LAI, the concentration of cortisol increased significantly compared to the baseline concentration (P< 0.05). In this research, the injection of the aspromazine along with a multivitamins and amino acids complex could not inhibit the secretion of cortisol during laparoscopic surgery, and it caused the rejection of the hypothesis of this research. The reason for this discrepancy is related to the type of sedative used to reduce or eliminate pain during surgery. It has been reported that plasma cortisol response is reduced by ketoprofen and completely removed by detomidine. As a result, after LAI, the number of white blood cells and the plasma concentration of malodaldehyde increased and the hematocrit, hemoglobin and total antioxidant capacity decreased (P< 0.05), but the concentration of plasma proteins did not change (P> 0.05). Acute stressors cause a transient increase in the number of blood cells in the blood circulation. The cause of this phenomenon is the contraction of the spleen due to the stimulation of catecholamines. In addition, with the increase in cortisol secretion, blood cells are released from the bone marrow into the bloodstream. In a study, the use of supplements containing various vitamins and minerals, one week before and one week after laparoscopic surgery, improved the antioxidant status of patients after surgery and the level of plasma malodaldehyde decreased significantly. The reason for not seeing a significant effect on antioxidant parameters in this research may be the type of supplement containing antioxidants and the time of its use before and after surgery. Injection of aspromazine combined with Multiaminoject increased plasma proteins and decreased the level of aspartate aminotransferase enzyme (P< 0.05). Depending on its intensity and type, stress causes damage and release of tissue and liver enzymes into the blood. In a research, it was shown that the plasma concentration of aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase increases due to transportation stress in pigs. The protective effects of vitamin and amino acid supplements in preventing liver damage have been reported in previous studies. The decrease in enzyme concentration after laparoscopy in the treatment receiving aspromazine and multi amino acids may be related to its protective effects. The results of the study showed that there was no significant difference in fertility outcomes between the two groups (P< 0.05). The pregnancy rate for the acepromazine and Multiaminoject-treated group was 50%, while the pregnancy rate for the control group was 45%. This result is probably caused by the lack of interference or partial interference of aspromazine with uterine contractions around ovulation and conception. The authors concluded that acepromazine combined with a multivitamin and amino acids complex, did not have a significant effect on fertility outcome, blood hematological and biochemical alterations and the oxidative stress generated by laparoscopic AI in ewes, but the severity of tissue damage reduce and plasma globulin concentration increase in response to acepromazine combined with a multivitamin and amino acids complex injection. It is important to note that this is just one study and that more research would be needed to confirm these findings.

This study aimed to isolate lactic acid bacteria from gastrointestinal tract of honey bees (Apis mellifera) and assess the probiotic potential of isolates, and their effect on some performance parameters of colonies. Thus, 10 colonies out of an apiary with one hundred bee colonies were randomly selected and used for sampling. Twenty worker bees were sampled from each hive and after being transferred to the laboratory under complete comfort and ventilation conditions, their gastrointestinal tract was completely isolated under carbon dioxide flushing, and after culture in MRS medium different microbial colonies were selected. Liquid-solid periodic cultures were repeated up to 8 steps to achieve pure cultures. Finally, gram-positive, catalase and hemolysis negative samples were isolated and identified based on phylogenetic analysis. The results of identification of the isolated bacteria using 16s rRNA sequences showed that G1 isolate (MA4 strain) was 99% similar to Pediococcus acidilactica, the G2 isolate could not be sequenced due to technical problems in sending samples abroad and isolate G3 (strain MA5) was 99% similar to lactic acid pediococcus strain 8185. Finally, the strain MA14 isolated from the bee's gastrointestinal tract during the summer under anaerobic conditions was 97% similar to the HM75-1 strain Pediacocus pentosus, which was named G4. These bacteria were registered in the Gene bank (NCBI) with accession number of MW376601, MW376904, MW376896 and MW405566, respectively. In vivo studies showed the positive effects of treatment with isolates by spraying on frames and bacterial culture mixed in syrup (sugar-water) on spawning, production and hygienic behavior of bees. Comparison of treatments with Duncan's multiple range test (p≤ 5%) showed that all experimental treatments in quantitative population factors and spawning and quality were significantly different from the control treatment. However, the control treatment had a significant difference in honey reserves due to low spawning compared to experimental treatments and less nectar consumption.

The effects of lactic acid bacteria as a microbial additive on the fermentation properties of silage are mainly due to the production of beneficial metabolites that can inhibit the growth of pathogenic and destructive microorganisms. Therefore, the ability of a strain to use numerous substrates in forage plants and produced different metabolites can be useful in competition with other microorganisms. This ability can be used as a principle for selecting inoculants. Nevertheless, research has shown that published articles on inoculant selection to limit the growth of these destructive and pathogenic microorganisms are still scarce. Some researchers have reported the effects of microbial inoculants on silage fermentation. However, despite numerous articles on the effects of inoculants on silage fermentation, there is little descriptions for the systematic selection of strains. The aim of this study was to isolate, identify and select strains of lactic acid bacteria with the ability to improve fermentation properties and prevent the growth of pathogenic and destructive microorganisms and evaluate the effect of inoculation of these strains on nutritional value and aerobic stability of maize silages.

This study was performed to select the lactic acid bacterial (LAB) strains isolated from different sources and evaluate their effect on the quality of maize silage. Lactic acid bacteria strains were inoculated to evaluate metabolite production and pH reduction in aqueous extract obtained from maize forage. One hundred and twenty-one strains were isolated from various sources in the laboratory. All isolated strains were gram-positive, catalase-negative and mainly lactic acid-producing, which were considered lactic acid bacteria. 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis of 22 representative strains was used to confirm the presence of dominant groups. The sequences of different isolates of lactic acid bacteria had a high degree of similarity to the GeneBank type strains, which showed between 99 and 100% similarity. Four strains of lactic acid bacteria that showed the best results were evaluated in experimental silos. This experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with five treatments (four strains of lactic acid bacteria and one control without inoculum) and nine replications. Inoculants were used in 106 colony forming unit/g of fresh forage to chopped maize forage, which were then ensiled for 105 days. After opening the silos, silages were sampled for analysis of chemical compositions and fermentation products.

Inoculation of lactic acid bacterial strains affected the chemical composition, fermentation properties and microbial population. Inoculation of lactic acid bacterial strains significantly affected the chemical composition and concentration of lactic and acetic acids, ethanol and 1,2-propandiol of silage. Among all treatments, silages inoculated with Lactobacillus fermentum had higher acetate concentration (p < 0.0001), but lactate concentration (p < 0.008) and yeast counts (p < 0.0001) were lower than other silages. Also, inoculation of silage with L. fermentum (strain 16) resulted in silage with higher lactic acid bacterial population and improved aerobic stability after air exposure (p < 0.0001). Silages inoculated with L. fermentum and fallowed by with L. salivarius contained the lowest number of yeasts (p < 0.0001) and filamentous fungi during fermentation. Between silages, silage inoculated with L. fermentum showed higher aerobic stability (p < 0.0001).

The pre-selection method based on the production of metabolites was efficient in selecting new inoculation strains along good correlation with experiments in laboratory silos. Inoculation of lactic acid bacterial strains in maize silage resulted in differences in nutritional value or population of pathogenic and destructive microorganisms. Strains 16 and 7, identified as Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus salivarius, were considered promising sources for use as inoculants in maize silages because they provide silages with better fermentation properties and improve aerobic stability after exposure to air.

The present experiment was designed to evaluate the efficiency of the slow-release bolus containing different selenium levels on performance and some blood and milk parameters of Lori Bakhtiari ewes. For this purpose, 45 ewes were divided into three groups (15 in each). Treatments were: 1) control ewes; 2) ewes receiving 0.2 milligrams of selenium per day; and 3) ewes receiving 0.4 mg selenium per day. On the first day of the experiment, all ewes received CIDR and the boluses were fed to the different groups on the same day. During the feeding period the ewes were grazed on the pasture. Blood samples collected from all ewes at 76 days post-mating (mid-gestation) and 30 days postpartum before going to rangeland. The results showed that birth weight, weight at two months of age, average daily gain, milk production, fat content, protein content, non-fat solids content in milk and milk selenium concentration were higher in the groups receiving selenium than the control (P<0.05). Milk production of ewes receiving 0.4 mg selenium per day was higher than those of receiving 0.2 mg selenium per day (P <0.05). Serum selenium and triiodothyronine concentration and blood glutathione peroxidase activity in ewes receiving different levels of selenium were higher than those of control (P<0.05). Overall, both levels of selenium improved the performance of the lambs and some of the blood and milk parameters of the ewes, but the use of 0.40 mg Se/day due to higher milk production is recommended.

Mesquite is the dominant flora of southern Iran. Whole pod contains capsule and some seeds which its color, after ripen, is yellow and contains considerable protein and carbohydrate. One of the most important usage of this pod is as animal feed, because the ripen pod is palatable and has high nutritional value. This study was conducted to evaluate chemical composition, ruminal fermentation and digestibility of different parts of mesquite plant as a completely randomized design.
Mesquite pod was collected from different areas of Hormozgan province. Whole pod, husk and seed were grounded separately. Chemical composition of different parts of mesquite pod (dry matter, organic matter, ash, ether extract, crude protein, non fiber carbohydrate, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and lignin) was separately determined. In vitro gas production test (IVGPT) was conducted at two parts. For this purpose, rumen fluid was obtained from three fistulated rams before the morning feeding. The rams were fed twice daily with a diet containing alfalfa hay and commercial concentrate to meet their requirements. The collected ruminal fluid was pooled in a flask and was transported under anaerobic conditions to the laboratory. Rumen fluid was filtered through four layers cheesecloth and then mixed continuously with CO2 and maintained at 39 o C before the usage. After pre-incubation, the rumen fluid was mixed with buffered mineral solution at the ratio of 1:2 rumen fluid to mineral buffer (V/V). At first part of IVGPT to evaluate kinetics of ruminal fermentation at different incubation time (120 hours), 200 mg of dried and grounded sample was transfer to glass syringe. Syringes were filled with 30 ml of medium (consisting of 10 ml of rumen fluid and 20 ml of buffer solution). The values of produced gas at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours after incubation time were determined. At second part of IVGPT, 500 mg sample with 40 ml medium incubated for 24 hour and amount of produced gas, apparent dry matter digestibility, true organic matter digestibility and partitioning factor of samples were measured. Total gas production of each syringe (at first and second parts of IVGPT) was corrected for blank which contained only rumen fluid. Two stages in vitro digestibility was done. Different parts of protein in whole pod and husk were estimated based on CNCPS method.
Results showed that there were significant differences for chemical compositions of different parts of mesquite pod except for dry matter (DM) and acid detergent fiber (P

Introduction Using agricultural-industrial waste is one way to overcome the shortage of animal feed. Potato is one of the most important products in the world after rice, wheat and maize. Potato pulp is a by-product which remains after extraction of starch, and can be used as animal feed. Because of the high moisture content of the potato pulp, silage is the best way to maintain it. However, its high moisture content leads to inappropriate ensilage. Adding of moisture absorbents (MA) not only reduce the effluents, but also improve the silage quality. Materials with high content of cell wall are suitable candidates to be used as MA. Agro-industrial co-products including raisin wastes and pomegranate seed pulp have high cell wall and no report was found for their usage as MA. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of different absorbents on potato pulp silage fermentation quality.
Materials and Methods Fresh potato pulp was obtained from Alvand potato processing company (Hamedan, Iran). After transfer, the potato pulps were immediately ensiled with MAs including wheat bran, raisin pedicles, rejected raisins, pomegranate peel, wheat straw and raisin rachis. The treatments were: 100% potato pulp (control), 80% potato pulp and 20% wheat bran, 80% potato pulp and 20% raisin pedicles, 71% potato pulp and 29% rejected raisin, 80% potato pulp and 20% pomegranate peel, 80% potato pulp and 20% wheat straw and 80% potato pulp and 20% rachis. After 74 days, the silos were opened for investigation. Chemical composition (i.e., dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, Fleig point, pH and lactic acid concentration) were determined. In vitro gas production was used to assess fermentation parameters of treatments. Therefore, volume of gas production after 24 hours of incubation, rate of gas production, asymptotic gas production, lag phase, organic matter digestibility, metabolizable energy, partitioning factor, microbial biomass and short chain fatty acid concentration were determined. All measurements were carried out with four replications. Statistical analysis was carried out in completely randomized design using SAS (version 9.2).
Results and Discussion Results showed that the addition of absorbent to potato pulp silage significantly (P˂0.05) increased dry matter, content of the cell wall, organic matter and Fleig point in some treatments. Fleig point is an indicator of silage quality. The treatment including rejected raisin showed the highest value of Fleig point (139.8 vs. 55.53 for control). The lowest ammonia concentrations were detected in treatments containing rachis, pedicles and pomegranate peels which can be attributed to the presence of tannin in these absorbents. Tannins reduce the proteolysis that lowers the ammonia concentration. The concentrations of lactic acid were higher in rejected raisin (3.734 g lactic acid/ kg DM) and pomegranate seed pulp (3.612 g lactic acid/kg DM) and the minimum value was observed in control (0.471 g lactic acid/ kg DM). The higher concentration of lactic acid shows the better quality of silage and among other fatty acids has the greater effect on pH of silage. Addition of different absorbents reduced true organic matter digestibility. Apparent organic matter digestibly was not consistent with reported value for true organic matter digestibility. This could be due to the method of measuring of former. In this method the residue is contaminated with microbial debris which overestimates the organic matter digestibility. After 144 hours of incubation gas production was reduced in treatments with absorbents. Rate of gas production in silage with rejected raisin was significantly (P˂0.05) higher than other treatments. Lag time observed only in control and wheat bran treatments, whereas the lag time in other treatment was zero. Partitioning factor in raisin pedicles, pomegranate peel and raisin rachis was higher than other treatments (3.05, 3.35 and 3.01). The higher value of partitioning factor shows the better quality of feedstuff and reveals that more fermented organic matter directed towards microbial biomass rather than production of volatile fatty acids.
Conclusion Because of high moisture content of potato pulp, it is suggested to ensiling this by-product for using as ruminant feedstuff. In this study, rejected raisin was the best moisture absorbent. The results showed that treatments containing rejected raisin, pomegranate peel, pedicles and rachis were suitable absorbent in ensilage process because of lower pH, higher lactic acid production and better quality of silage, respectively.

This research was conducted to investigate the effects of fennel by product (FBP) on productive performance of growing lamb and in vitro gas production parameters, using 20 Afshari×Chal male lambs (BW = 49 ± 0.24 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design. Experimental treatments consisted of diets including of 0, 3, 6 and 9% of FBP (dry matter basis). Dietary treatments had no effect on dry matter intake (DMI) (P>0.05). Daily weight gain was higher in lambs fed control and 6% FBP diets (P<0.05). Feed conversion ratio was higher in lambs with diet of 9% FBP compared to the others (P<0.05). Potential of gas production, fermentation rate, nutrient digestibility and partitioning factor were not affected by the experimental diets (P>0.05). The highest gas volume and microbial biomass were observed in the diet containing 6% of FBP and control diet after 24 h of incubation, respectively (P<0.05). According to the results of this experiment, addition of 6% of FBP to the diet improved feed conversion ratio and daily body weight gain of growing lambs although had no difference with control treatment.

Thymol, an important and advantageous component of many essential oils, has been applied as an antimicrobial agent in animals. To increase the duration of action of this compound in ruminants, it was decided here to prepare a controlled release carrier for thymol. Hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and ethyl cellulose (EC) were used as the matrix polymer here. Mixtures of thymol with eight different ratios of these polymers were then prepared using emulsion solvent evaporation method (F1 to F8). The prepared microparticles were evaluated for production yield, entrapment efficiency, drug content, particle size, drug release behavior, release kinetics (zero order, first order and Fickian matrix diffusion for spheres) and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mean particle size of microparticles was 1.03 ± 0.02 mm. SEM study revealed that the microparticles were slightly irregular, rough and porous. The formulation with HPMC: EC ratio of 5:1 (F6) showed the highest drug loading (38.8%) and entrapment efficiency 61.2%). This formulation also showed optimum in-vitro drug release. The best fit of release kinetics was achieved with Fickian matrix diffusion for spheres (linear amount released vs t0.43). The FTIR spectroscopic and DSC studies show possible interaction between drug and polymers. In this study, thymol was successfully loaded in microparticles prepared from HPMC and EC. These microparticles can be used in further trials to evaluate the effect of slow release thymol on rumen fermentation parameters in ruminants.

The current experiment was carried out to investigate the possible effects of replacing alfalfa by dried de-oiled Savory (Satureja khuzistanica; DDS) at the levels of 0، 25، 50، 75 and 100 percent in finishing diets of Mehraban lambs on kinetics of gas production in vitro. The experimental diets contained 20% alfalfa and 80% of concentrate on dry matter basis. Replacing alfalfa by DDS had no significant effect on gas production at different incubation times as well as on kinetics of gas production including asymptotic of gas production (A)، fraction rate of gas production (C) and half time of gas production (t1/2) (P>0. 05). Concentration of ammonia was significantly decreased when alfalfa was replaced by DDS in the diets (P<0. 05). Experimental diets did not have significant effect on total volatile fatty acids. Although apparent in vitro dry matter digestibility was significantly decreased (P<0. 05) when alfalfa was replaced by dried DDS at the levels of 75 and 100%، true dry matter digestibility remained unaffected. Replacing alfalfa by DDS up to 75% tended to increase microbial biomass production (MBP) and efficiency of MBP. The results of current study showed that inclusion of DDS in finishing diet of lambs could reduce ammonia production; thereby improve nitrogen utilization without having any adverse effect on digestibility of dry matter.

In an experiment، chemical composition، phenolics and fermentation parameters of different parts of Raisin Co-products (RC) were determined using in vitro gas production with or without PolyEthylene Glycol (PEG). Different parts of RC included rejected raisins، pedicle، rachis، mixture of raisins، pedicle and rachis، and Shekarak (a powder product obtained following sorting of raisins for packing). Also، the effect of bound tannin on gas production was evaluated. The chemical composition and phenolic content of different parts of RC were varied. The highest crude protein content، neutral detergent fiber and ash were recorded for rachis، while rejected raisins contained the lowest levels of these parameters. Pedicle bore the greatest total phenolics (12. 68% of DM) and condensed tannins (3. 96% of DM). Addition of PEG enhanced gas production، in vitro apparent dry matter digestibility، organic matter digestibility as well as metabolizable energy in RC. Bound tannins indicated biological activity and somehow decreased gas production in all the treatments، except for Shekarak. Overall، the results revealed that different parts of RC contain varying levels of phenolics which influence the nutritional value thereof. Further research is needed to more accurately assess the influence of RC and their phenolics upon performance of faltening as well as dairy cattle.

Essential oils may improve the utilization of nutrients by ruminal microorganisms. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different doses of ajowan essential oils (AEO) on growth and fibrolytic activity of anaerobic fungi, and generic distribution of ciliated protozoa (in vitro). Different doses of AEO (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 ppm) were added to experimental tubes. The effect of AEO was evaluated on growth and fibrolytic enzyme activity of an anaerobic fungus (Neocalimastix spp.). Generic distribution of ciliated protozoa were evaluated in response to different doses of AEO.Results and The growth of fungus (Neocalimastix spp.) were inhibited and activity of fibrolytic enzymes of fungus were reduced by adding AEO. Also, an inhibitory effect was seen in concentration of ciliated protozoa and some genus were completely disappeared at the doses of 300 ppm and higher. The doses used in this study reduced the fibrolytic activity of the studied rumen microorganisms which is undesirable in practical animal nutrition. Further research is needed to assess the effects of AEO at lower doses on these parameters and also proteolysis and methanogenesis.