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Advances and Challenges in Animal Feed Safety and Quality Control

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2023) | Viewed by 10306

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Dr. Francisco G. Véliz-Deras

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Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias en Producción Agropecuaria, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna, Torreón 27054, Mexico
Interests: small ruminants; reproduction; sexual behavior; reproduction-nutrition interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Evaristo Carrillo Castellanos

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Instituto Tecnológico de Torreón, Torreón 27170, Coahuila, Mexico
Interests: small ruminants; nutrition; reproduction

Dr. Javier Morán Martínez

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Guest Editor

Departamento de Biologia Celular y Ultraestructura del Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Torreon 27000, Mexico
Interests: reproduction; toxicology; epigenetics; DNA; molecular biology; genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A crucial part of agronomic research is to ensure the quality of the products obtained from animals for human consumption while also ensuring the correct management and good health of the animals used, and because feed supply and feed safety are linked, the origin and management of feedstuff is also crucial. When we take care of the quality of products fed to animals, we are also taking care of the quality of products fed to the population, in the “farm-to-fork” model.

For this reason, a special issue entitled “Advances and challenges in animal feed safety and quality control”, from the “Animals” journal is being issues. This issue is a compilation of new research and review articles on topics related to feed safety and the strategies found to ensure quality, such as feedstuff, feedstuff processing and handling, feed supply, anti-nutritional factors, contamination, antibiotics in animal feed, and water quality.

Dr. Francisco G. Veliz-Deras
Dr. Evaristo Carrillo Castellanos
Dr. Javier Morán Martínez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

feed safety
toxicology
water quality
meet production
dairy systems

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 46189 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Oregano Essential Oil on IgA⁺, IgG⁺, and IgM⁺ Cells in the Jejunum of Castrated Holstein Bulls

by Qiyan Liu, Wangdong Zhang, Baoshan Wang, Jinping Shi, Pengjia He, Li Jia, Yongliang Huang, Meiling Xu, Yue Ma, Qiang Cheng and Zhaomin Lei

Animals 2023, 13(24), 3766; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani13243766 - 6 Dec 2023

Viewed by 966

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oregano essential oil on IgA⁺, IgG⁺, and IgM⁺ cells in the jejunum of castrated Holstein bulls. Twelve castrated Holstein bulls were randomly divided into control (YCK) and oregano essential oil (YEO) groups. Pathological changes in the jejunum were observed by HE staining, and the expression levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM in the jejunum were detected by ELISA. The distributions of IgA⁺, IgG⁺, and IgM⁺ cells in the jejunum were analysed by multiplex immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the jejunal villi were detached in the YCK group, which may have been related to inflammation, while the intestinal epithelium was clear and intact in the YEO group. The expressions of IgA, IgG, and IgM were significantly reduced by 40.75%, 30.76%, and 50.87%. The IgA⁺, IgG⁺, and IgM⁺ cells were diffusely distributed in the lamina propria of the jejunum, and were reduced by 17.07%, 6.44%, and 6.15%, respectively. Oregano essential oil did not alter the distribution characteristics of IgA⁺, IgG⁺, or IgM⁺ cells in the jejunum, but it suppressed inflammatory response, decreased immunoglobulin content, and significantly enhanced the formation of an immune barrier in the gastrointestinal mucosa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Animal Feed Safety and Quality Control)

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13 pages, 994 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Phytase Source and Dose on Its Stability during Pelleting Process under Different Conditioning Temperatures

by Yuming Wang, Feng Zhao, Hu Zhang, Qianyun Zhang, Wei Zhao, Renna Sa and Jingjing Xie

Animals 2023, 13(23), 3741; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani13233741 - 3 Dec 2023

Viewed by 968

Abstract

Phytase activity can be impaired during pelleting because of extreme thermal conditions. This study investigated the effects of dose and source of phytase on phytase activity during the conditioning, pelleting, and cooling process. A split-plot design was used in two experiments, with five phytase doses (Exp. 1; 7560, 14310, 33830, 43590 and 61500 FTU/kg) or eight phytase sources (Exp. 2) as the main plot and steam conditioning temperatures (Exp. 1 and 2; 75 and 85 °C) as the subplot. Each treatment processed four batches, one batch per replicate. The results of Exp. 1 showed phytase dose in diets had no effect (p > 0.05) on the recovery rate of phytase activity after the conditioning, pelleting, or cooling process. The recovery rate of phytase activity in each process was higher (p < 0.05) at 75 °C than that at 85 °C for both Exp. 1 and 2. The phytase source significantly affected (p < 0.05) the recovery rate of phytase activity and had varied appearances of structure. In conclusion, the structure, phytase activity, and phytase recovery after steam conditioning–pelleting significantly varied across sources, but the stability of phytase was not affected by dose. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Animal Feed Safety and Quality Control)

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15 pages, 537 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Carbamazepine on Performance, Carcass Value, Hematological and Biochemical Blood Parameters, and Detection of Carbamazepine and Its Metabolites in Tissues, Internal Organs, and Body Fluids in Growing Rabbits

by Lukáš Zita, Sebnem Kurhan, Ondřej Krunt, Eva Chmelíková, Adam Kraus, Jaroslav Čítek, Pavel Klouček and Roman Stupka

Animals 2023, 13(12), 2041; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani13122041 - 20 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1403

Abstract

Antiepileptic drugs (e.g., carbamazepine; CBZ) are widely prescribed for various conditions beyond epilepsy, including neurologic and psychiatric disorders. These medications can have both favorable and unfavorable impacts on mood, anxiety, depression, and psychosis. CBZ has been found at low concentrations (in the unit of nanograms per liter) in rivers, surface water, and even drinking water. As a result, when reclaimed wastewater is used for irrigation in agricultural ecosystems, CBZ can be reintroduced into the environment. That is why we tested different doses of CBZ in rabbits’ feed as the meat is consumed in every community, has no religious barriers, and the potential risk of consuming meat which has been exposed to CBZ treatment is not known. Also, the evidence of the effect of CBZ on rabbits is missing. Mainly, the CBZ doses affected the count of leukocytes and other blood traits, meaning the higher the dose, the higher the reduction. Moreover, there were only low amounts of CBZ in rabbits’ meat or tissues when they were exposed to the treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Animal Feed Safety and Quality Control)

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15 pages, 3640 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Bacillus coagulans and Lactobacillus plantarum on the Fermentation Characteristics, Microbial Community, and Functional Shifts during Alfalfa Silage Fermentation

by Yan Wang, Wencan Ke, Qiang Lu and Guijie Zhang

Animals 2023, 13(5), 932; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani13050932 - 4 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1742

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the potential of Bacillus coagulans (BC) as an inoculant in alfalfa silage fermentation. Fresh alfalfa was harvested at a dry matter (DM) content of 329.60 g/kg fresh weight (FW), and inoculated without (CON) or with BC (1 × 10⁶ CFU/g FW), Lactobacillus plantarum (LP, 1 × 10⁶ CFU/g FW), and their combinations (LP+BC, 1 × 10⁶ CFU/g FW, respectively). Samples were taken at 3, 7, 14, 30, and 60 d, with three replicates for each. The prolonged ensiling period resulted in a decrease in pH values and an increase in lactic acid (LA) concentrations in alfalfa silages. After 60 d of fermentation, the application of BC and LP decreased the pH values and increased LA concentrations in treated silages, especially when their combination was applied. Application of BC preserved more water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and further application of BC increased WSC in LP+BC-treated silage compared to LP-treated silage. There was no significant difference in the crude protein (CP) content between the CON and treated silages, however, the BC and LP treatments reduced the ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) concentration, especially when their combination was applied. Additionally, the BC and LP-treated silages had lower neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) when compared to the CON silage (p < 0.001). Inoculants also increased Lactobacillus abundance and decreased Enterococcus abundance after 60 d of fermentation. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between LA concentration and Lactobacillus abundance. It was noteworthy that LP, BC, and their combination increased the relative abundances of carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, cofactors, and vitamin metabolism, decreasing the relative abundances of amino acid metabolism and drug resistance: antimicrobial. Therefore, the inclusion of BC increased the fermentation quality of alfalfa silage, with the optimal combination being LP+BC. According to the findings, BC could be considered a viable bioresource for improving fermentation quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Animal Feed Safety and Quality Control)

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11 pages, 2108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Storage Time and Thawing Method on Selected Nutrients in Whole Fish for Zoo Animal Nutrition

by Angela Gimmel, Katrin Baumgartner, Sandra Bäckert, Anja Tschudin, Barbara Lang, Anna Hein, Sandra Marcordes, Fabia Wyss, Christian Wenker and Annette Liesegang

Animals 2022, 12(20), 2847; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani12202847 - 19 Oct 2022

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Abstract

Piscivores in human care receive whole fish that were frozen, stored and thawed before feeding. Nutrient losses have been documented, but exact changes during storage and with different thawing methods are unknown. Primarily, it was hypothesized that frozen fish lose different vitamins and trace minerals during a storage period of six months. Secondly, that different thawing methods have a significant influence on the degree of vitamin loss. Three fish species, herring (Clupeus harengus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and capelin (Mallotus villosus) were analyzed at four time points within a storage period of 6 months at −20 °C. At each time point, three thawing methods were applied: thawing in a refrigerator (R), thawing at room temperature (RT), and thawing under running water (RW). The following nutrients were analyzed: vitamin A, B1, D3 and E, iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se). The statistical method used was a linear mixed effect model. Cu was below detection limits in all analyzed samples, vitamin B1 in most analyzed herring (44/48 samples) and capelin (in 25/36 samples), respectively. In addition, the vitamin D3 concentration was also below detection limits in half of the capelin samples (18/36). No concentration changes of Fe (p = 0.616), Zn (p = 0.686) or Se (p = 0.148) were observed during a storage period of six months, in contrast to a significant decrease in vitamin A (p = 0.019), D3 (p = 0.034) and E (p = 0.003) concentrations. Thawing fish with different thawing methods did not result in concentration changes of Fe (p = 0.821), Zn (p = 0.549) or Se (p = 0.633), but in a significant concentration change of vitamin A (p = 0.002). It is essential to supplement vitamins B1 and E in diets containing whole fish to avoid deficiencies in piscivorous species, and care should be taken not to store fish longer than six months, due to the depletion of vitamins A, D3 and E. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Animal Feed Safety and Quality Control)

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18 pages, 1316 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Autoclaved Diet with Inactivated Spores of Bacillus spp. Decreased Reproductive Performance of Muc2^−/− and Muc2^+/− Mice

by Maryana V. Morozova, Galina V. Kalmykova, Nadezhda I. Akulova, Yuriy V. Ites, Valentina I. Korkina and Ekaterina A. Litvinova

Animals 2022, 12(18), 2399; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani12182399 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1891

Abstract

Within barrier facilities, autoclaved diet and bedding are used for husbandry of laboratory rodents. Bacillus spp. are ubiquitous in nature and some of them are known as probiotics. Inactivation of the Bacillus spores and reduction of the diet nutritional value due to autoclavation could be especially critical for immunodeficient mice. We studied the effect of the autoclaved and non-autoclaved diets on the reproductive performance and the age of prolapse manifestation in Muc2^−/− mice with impaired gut barrier function and, therefore, sensitive to change of microbiota. We found that the non-autoclaved diet led to enhancement of the fertility index of Muc2^−/− and Muc2^+/− female mice. The non-autoclaved diet affected the prolapse of Muc2^−/− mice that occurred later in comparison with females eating the autoclaved diet. We showed that Bacillus spp. was present in the non-autoclaved diet and feces of mice on the non-autoclaved diet. Bacterial strains of the non-autoclaved diet and feces belonged to B. amyloliquefaciens, B. thuringiensis, B. subtilis, Lysinibacillus macrolides, B. cereus, and other representatives of Bacillus spp. Moreover, autoclavation of the diet affected on the percent of the blood and spleen immune cells, the bacterial composition of the intestine, and increased the level of methionine in the thigh muscle of mice. Enhanced reproductive performance and delayed prolapse manifestation in Muc2^−/− mice could be due to improved digestion, as Bacillus spp. from diet and feces had enzymatic activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Animal Feed Safety and Quality Control)

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