In vitro digestibility of mountain-grown irrigated perennial legume, grass and forb forages is influenced by elevated non-fibrous carbohydrates and plant secondary compounds

Impacts of red clover and sainfoin silages on the performance, nutrient utilization and milk fatty acids profile of ruminants: A meta-analysis

Inclusion of plants rich in secondary metabolites into grass ensiling offers multiple benefits for ruminants, from improving productive performance to health-promoting effects as well as helping to reduce environment pollution. The present meta-analysis summarizes the dietary inclusion levels of red clover silage (RCS) and sainfoin silages (SS) as well as the types of silages fed to dairy cows and small ruminants. A total of 37 in vivo studies (26 articles in dairy cows and 11 articles in small ruminants) were aggregated after being strictly selected using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A mixed model methodology was used to examine our objectives. This method declares the subject 'study' as random effects and 'inclusion level' as fixed effects. Results indicated that RCS proportion was not associated with nutrient digestibility except for a quadratic effect (p < 0.05) on neutral detergent fibre digestibility. Higher RCS inclusion linearly increased (p < 0.05) nitrogen (N) intake but had no effect on dairy cows' production. Increasing RCS proportion altered milk fatty acid profile where the concentration of conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), C18:3 α-linolenic acid (ALA) and C18:0 linearly increased (p < 0.01). In small ruminants, SS proportion had no relationship with nutrient digestibility, N metabolism and growth performance (p > 0.05). However, a combination of dietary RCS + SS resulted in significantly higher (p < 0.05) CLA and ALA concentration in cow milk and average daily gain (ADG) in small ruminants compared to diets composed from either grass silage or alfalfa silage. Altogether, this meta-analysis highlights the synergistic effects of a combination of SS + RCS inclusion in improving milk fatty acids (FA) profile of dairy cows and ADG of small ruminants.

Sanguisorba minor Scop.: An Overview of Its Phytochemistry and Biological Effects

Since ancient times, many plants have been cultivated for their nutritional and medicinal properties. The genus Sanguisorba has been used for medicinal purposes for more than 2000 years. These species are distributed in temperate, arctic, or alpine areas in the Northern Hemisphere. Elongated, imparipinnate leaves and densely clustered flower heads are characteristics of the genus Sanguisorba. While Sanguisorba officinalis L. is mainly known for its significant medicinal applications, Sanguisorba minor Scop. is beginning to attract greater interest for its chemical composition and biological effects. Our research collected extensive information on Sanguisorba minor, including its history, taxonomy, habitat, and distribution, as well as its bioactive components and biological activities. In addition to electron microscopy of plant parts (root, stems, and leaves), which is described for the first time in the literature in the case of S. minor, the study also provides information on potential pests or beneficial insects that may be present. Our goal was to provide important information that will serve as a solid foundation for upcoming research on Sanguisorba minor Scop.

Beef Steer Performance on Irrigated Monoculture Legume Pastures Compared with Grass- and Concentrate-Fed Steers

Fall- or spring-born steers grazed monoculture irrigated birdsfoot trefoil (BFT; Lotus corniculatus L.) or cicer milkvetch (CMV; Astragalus cicer L.) pastures for approximately 12 weeks for 3 years and were compared with steers on concentrate diets. In the 3rd year, an irrigated meadow bromegrass (MBG; Bromus biebersteinii Roem. and Schult.) pasture treatment was added for further comparison. Steer average daily gain (ADG) was 1.31, 0.94, 0.83 and 0.69 kg d−1 on concentrate, ‘Norcen’ BFT, ‘Oberhaunstadter’ BFT, and ‘Monarch’ CMV diets, respectively; ADG on grass pastures was 0.43 kg d−1. The ADG on the concentrate diet was greater than ADG on legume or grass pastures, ADG was greater on BFT than CMV in every year (p < 0.03), and ADG on BFT was greater than ADG on grass (p < 0.03). The rate constant of gas production of an in vitro rumen fermentation demonstrated a slower rate of microbial digestion for CMV than for BFT. The elevated ADG on BFT pastures may be due to greater non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) concentration and reduced neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration combined with condensed tannins that protect proteins in the rumen but do not impede protein digestion in the abomasum and intestines.