Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Small Ruminant Farms in Southern Spain.

The primary population of small ruminants in Spain is concentrated in the southern region, a critical area for the country's livestock production. Indirect economic losses can occur when this livestock is affected by gastrointestinal parasites. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of these parasites in small ruminant herds (159 sheep and 39 goats) through coprological analyses and conducted a survey on farmers' management practices related to gastrointestinal parasite control. The survey results revealed some important aspects: monitoring through coprological analyses is not a common practice; veterinarians are not typically involved in deworming plans; anthelmintic treatment in adults is often applied twice a year in sheep and once a year in goats; and finally, drug rotation was higher in sheep farms. Coprological analyses showed Eimeria spp. as the most common parasitic infection, followed by Strongyles infection. Other parasites like Moniezia spp., Trichuris spp., and D. dendriticum were less important, although their prevalence was higher in sheep than goats. This constitutes the first report on the epidemiological status of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants in southern Spain. Based on the survey findings, the introduction of certain management measures on farms could potentially mitigate parasite infections.

Liver Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Evaluation from Fasciola hepatica Experimentally Infected and Reinfected Sheep.

Fasciolosis is an important economic disease of livestock. There is a global interest in the development of protective vaccines since the current anthelmintic therapy is no longer sustainable. A better knowledge of the host-parasite interaction is needed to design effective vaccines. To date, few studies have evaluated host-parasite interaction by comparing infected and reinfected animals. The present study evaluates the microscopical hepatic lesions in sheep infected and reinfected with Fasciola hepatica during the acute and chronic stages of infection. The histopathological study revealed the presence of necrotizing foci (NF1) associated with larvae migration during the early stages of infection in the primoinfected (PI) and reinfected (RI) groups. In the late stages of infection of the PI group and at the early and late stages of infection in the RI groups, extensive necrotizing/hemorrhagic foci (NF2) were found in the vicinity of enlarged bile ducts, some containing adult flukes, suggesting parasites may have caused NF2 while feeding. The immunohistochemical study revealed an increase in Foxp3+ T cells in both PI and RI groups with respect to the UC group and in the infiltrates adjacent to NF1 in the RI groups with respect to the PI group, suggesting the F. hepatica induce Foxp3 T cell expansion to facilitate parasite survival. In addition, in both the PI and RI groups, and during acute and chronic stages of the infection, a poor expression of iNOS was found accompanied by a strong expression of CD163, suggesting a marked M2 activation of macrophages in the hepatic lesions, which may be related with healing processes, and it also may facilitate parasite survival. The main differences between PI and RI animals were the more severe infiltration of eosinophils and Foxp3+ T cells, whereas RI did not modify M2 activation of macrophages which occurs since the early stages of primoinfection.

Revealing the Prevalence of Toxoplasma in Sierra Morena's Wild Boar: An ELISA-Based Study Using Meat Juice.

This research work focused on the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in wild boar from the Sierra Morena region. We conducted an ELISA analysis using meat juice samples. A total of 892 samples from six hunting seasons (2013-2019) were collected from the provinces that constitute the Sierra Morena Mountain range. These samples were analyzed using the Pigtype® ELISA kit, specifically developed for detecting T. gondii in meat juice. The overall prevalence of T. gondii in Sierra Morena was 23.2%. The highest prevalences were observed in Córdoba (31.6%) and Jaén (25.9%). These provinces exhibit the highest density of wild boar as well as the greatest presence of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Further in-depth studies are necessary, but it appears that the presence of wild felids and scavenger behavior may be associated with this observation.

Fasciolosis: pathogenesis, host-parasite interactions, and implication in vaccine development.

Fasciola hepatica is distributed worldwide, causing substantial economic losses in the animal husbandry industry. Human fasciolosis is an emerging zoonosis in Andean America, Asia, and Africa. The control of the disease, both in humans and animals, is based on using anthelmintic drugs, which has resulted in increased resistance to the most effective anthelmintics, such as triclabendazole, in many countries. This, together with the concerns about drug residues in food and the environment, has increased the interest in preventive measures such as a vaccine to help control the disease in endemic areas. Despite important efforts over the past two decades and the work carried out with numerous vaccine candidates, none of them has demonstrated consistent and reproducible protection in target species. This is at least in part due to the high immunomodulation capacity of the parasite, making ineffective the host response in susceptible species such as ruminants. It is widely accepted that a deeper knowledge of the host-parasite interactions is needed for a more rational design of vaccine candidates. In recent years, the use of emerging technologies has notably increased the amount of data about these interactions. In the present study, current knowledge of host-parasite interactions and their implication in Fasciola hepatica vaccine development is reviewed.

Antiparasitic Tannin-Rich Plants from the South of Europe for Grazing Livestock: A Review.

Internal parasites are one of the main causes of health threats in livestock production, especially in extensive livestock farming. Despite the environmental toxic effects (loss of dung beetles, biodiversity, and other issues) and resistance phenomenon derived from their prolonged use, anti-parasitic chemical pharmaceuticals are frequently used, even in organic farming. Such a situation within the context of climate change requires urgent exploration of alternative compounds to solve these problems and apparent conflicts between organic farming objectives regarding the environment, public health, and animal health. This review is focused on some plants (Artemisia spp., Cichorium intybus L., Ericaceae family, Hedysarum coronarium L., Lotus spp., Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) that are well known for their antiparasitic effect, are voluntarily grazed and ingested, and can be spontaneously found or cultivated in southern Europe and other regions with a Mediterranean climate. The differences found between effectiveness, parasite species affected, in vitro/in vivo experiments, and active compounds are explored. A total of 87 papers where antiparasitic activity of those plants have been studied are included in this review; 75% studied the effect on ruminant parasites, where gastrointestinal nematodes were the parasite group most studied (70%), and these included natural (31%) and experimental (37%) infections.

Fatty acid profile, secondary compounds and antioxidant activities in the fresh forage, hay and silage of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and sulla (Hedysarum coronarium).

BACKGROUND: Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) are forage legumes usually preserved to optimize their utilization as feedstuffs. However, the method of preservation modifies the chemical composition differently in both legume species. Secondary compounds (such as proanthocyanidins, fatty acids, carotenoids and tocopherols) present in forages affect the quality of animal products. Therefore, the effect of preservation on the contents of secondary compounds should be investigated. Accoridngly, samples of sainfoin and sulla were directly freeze-dried (fresh), dried at ambient temperature (hay) and vacuum-packaged for 82 days (silage). RESULTS: In both legumes, the total fatty acid and C18:3 n-3 contents decreased and C16:0 increased with preservation (P < 0.001), with a greater effect for the hays than for the silages. For both legumes, the lutein, neoxanthin and violaxanthin contents decreased to a greater extent in the silages than in the hays (P < 0.001). Both hays exhibited the lowest ß-carotene concentrations (P < 0.001). The α-tocopherol contents decreased in hays, but not in silages, compared to the fresh forages of both legumes (P < 0.001). The antioxidant activities were lower in the silages than in the hays and fresh forages (P < 0.001) and were very strongly related to the contents of polyphenols and proanthocyanidins (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Haymaking affected the fatty acid, carotenoid and α-tocopherol contents to a greater extent but had a lesser effect on the antioxidant activities than silage-making, which were very strongly related to their contents of polyphenols and proanthocyanidins. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The effect of the inclusion of pea in lamb fattening concentrate on in vitro and in situ rumen fermentation.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the proportion of pea (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%), as a partial replacement for soybean meal (SBM) in the fattening concentrate, on ruminal fermentation in lambs. Gas and methane (CH4 ) production, in vitro dry matter degradability (IVDMD), ammonia (NH3 -N), and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production after 24 h of incubation were evaluated. The concentrates were also incubated in the rumen of the wethers for 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 h to evaluate the effects of pea inclusion on in situ dry matter degradability (DMD), organic matter degradability (OMD), nitrogen degradability (ND), NH3 -N, and VFA production. RESULTS: In the in vitro assay, the inclusion of pea only affected gas production (mL day-1 degraded dry matter), CH4 production (mL day-1 degraded dry matter), and IVDMD (P < 0.05), and tended to affect NH3 -N content (P < 0.10) without affecting VFA production. In the in situ assay, the inclusion of pea increased DMD, OMD, and ND linearly (P < 0.001), whereas pea inclusion decreased NH3 -N content linearly (P < 0.05). Neither total VFA production nor the proportion of acetic acid were affected by pea inclusion (P > 0.05), but the propionic proportion increased with the proportion of pea included. CONCLUSIONS: The best level of pea inclusion in the concentrate could not be established based on the results of this study. However, the results showed that the inclusion of pea provides a good alternative protein source. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Carotenoids and Liposoluble Vitamins in the Plasma and Tissues of Light Lambs Given Different Maternal Feedings and Fattening Concentrates.

The carotenoids and liposoluble vitamins in the plasma and tissues of the lambs under different maternal feedings and fattening concentrates was studied. During lactation, 21 lambs were housed with their dams, that received a total mixed ration (intensive); 21 ewe-lamb pairs grazed on alfalfa; and 21 pairs grazed on sainfoin. After weaning, half of the lambs in each maternal feeding group received a commercial concentrate (control) and the other half a concentrate with quebracho (Schinopsis balansae), as a source of condensed tannins, until they were slaughtered (23 kg). The analyte concentrations in the plasma of lambs at weaning reflected the content in the feedstuffs. Grazing during suckling more than doubled the contents of lutein in the liver and retinol in the tissues compared to the intensive feeding. The content of α-tocopherol in the tissues was greatest in sainfoin lambs, intermediate in alfalfa lambs, and lowest in the intensive lambs. The quebracho concentrate decreased α-tocopherol (by 41-81%) and γ-tocopherol (by 65-89%) contents in the lamb tissues. The use of the analytes in the plasma at weaning correctly classified 100% of the lambs into the maternal feeding (intensive vs. grazing (alfalfa + sainfoin)) but has to be improved in the carcass and tissues separately.

Effect of Feeding Hazelnut Skin on Animal Performance, Milk Quality, and Rumen Fatty Acids in Lactating Ewes.

The hazelnut skin is waste biomass rich in bioactive compounds that may affect lipid rumen metabolism, ruminant performance, and products' quality. Therefore, we investigated the effect of dietary hazelnut skin on milk production and composition and on rumen fatty acids in ewes. During 28 days, 20 Comisana lactating ewes received alfalfa hay ad libitum plus 800g/head/day of pelleted concentrate containing 36% dried beet pulp (CTRL group; n = 10) or 36% hazelnut skin (HS group; n = 10). The protein percentage was lower in HS milk. Milk fatty acids (FA) partially reflected those of rumen content. Total saturated FA (SFA), odd and branched-chain FA, and n-3 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) were greater in CTRL milk. Total monounsaturated FA (MUFA) and 18:1 trans were greater in HS milk; moreover, HS milk showed a double percentage of oleic acid than the CTRL group. Individual SFA were greater in CTRL milk except for 18:0. Differing from the rumen content, total PUFA, n-6 PUFA, and 18:2 n-6 were comparable between groups. Vaccenic and rumenic acid were greater in HS milk. To conclude, dietary HS slightly reduced milk protein percentage but improved atherogenic index and healthy FA in milk. The content of the somatic cells suggested a healthier udder in the HS group.

Field Pea can be Included in Fattening Concentrate without Deleterious Effects on the Digestibility and Performance of Lambs.

The inclusion of different proportions of field pea (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) for partially replacing soybean in the fattening concentrate of lambs was studied for its impact on apparent digestibility and performance during fattening. In the in vivo digestibility trial, 12 lambs (33 kg body weight) were placed in metabolic crates for two periods and received restricted amounts of concentrate and straw. The performance trial involved 54 lambs (13.4 kg body weight) that received concentrate plus straw ad libitum from weaning to slaughter. The intake of crude protein was higher in the 0% pea group than in the other groups (p < 0.05). The inclusion of field pea did not affect the digestibility, N retained or blood metabolites. In the performance trial, most traits were not affected, although a cubic effect of field pea inclusion on hot carcass weight and dressing percentage was observed (p < 0.05). The inclusion of field pea did not affect total protein, urea or ß-hydroxybutyrate concentrations but it affected creatinine and cholesterol concentrations (p < 0.05). In conclusion, field pea can constitute up to 30% of the fattening concentrate of lambs without deleterious effects on the digestibility and performance during fattening, and with minor effects on carcass characteristics.

The Inclusion of Concentrate with Quebracho Is Advisable in Two Forage-Based Diets of Ewes According to the In Vitro Fermentation Parameters.

Ewes receive hay or graze on fresh pastures supplemented with concentrates to fulfil their lactation requirements. Quebracho (Schinopsis balansae) can be added to change the ruminal fermentation. Fermentation parameters of forages alone and 70:30 forage:concentrate diets with control and quebracho concentrate were compared after 24 h of in vitro incubation. Fresh forage diets produced less gas (p < 0.05) and had greater IVOMD (p < 0.001), ammonia (NH3-N) content, valeric acid, branched-chain volatile fatty acid proportions, and lower propionic acid proportion than the hay diets (p < 0.01). In the hay diets, methane production increased with control concentrate (p < 0.01) and tended to decrease with quebacho concentrate (p < 0.10). The inclusion of both concentrates increased the acetic:propionic ratio (p < 0.01), and only the inclusion of quebracho concentrate increased the IVOMD (p < 0.01). In the fresh forage diets, gas and methane production increased with the inclusion of the control concentrate (p < 0.05), but methane production decreased with quebracho concentrate (p < 0.01). The inclusion of quebracho concentrate reduced the NH3-N content and valeric acid proportion (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the inclusion of quebracho concentrate would be advisable to reduce the CH4 production and NH3-N content in fresh forage diets and to increase the IVOMD in hay diets in comparison with the forages alone.

Erratum: Rufino-Moya, P.J., et al. Methane Production of Fresh Sainfoin, with or without PEG, and Fresh Alfalfa at Different Stages of Maturity is Similar, but the Fermentation End Products Vary. Animals 2019, 9, 197.

The authors wish to make the following correction to their paper [...].

Effect of Feeding Pomegranate Byproduct on Fatty Acid Composition of Ruminal Digesta, Liver, and Muscle in Lambs.

This work investigated the effects of feeding whole pomegranate byproduct (WPB) to lambs on ruminal, liver, and intramuscular fatty acids (FA). Seventeen lambs, divided into two groups, were fed for 36 days with a cereal-based concentrate diet (CON) or with a concentrate diet containing 200 g/kg DM of WPB to partially replace barley and corn (WPB). The dietary treatment did not affect the final body and carcass weight, the dry matter intake, or the average daily gain. However, total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), linolenic, rumenic (RA), and vaccenic (VA) acid were increased in liver (+15%, +32%, +344%, and +118%, respectively) and muscle (+46%, +38%, +169%, and +89%, respectively) of WPB lambs ( P < 0.05). Punicic acid and three isomers of conjugated linolenic acid were detected exclusively in the rumen and tissues of WPB-lambs. The C18:1 t10/ t11 ra tio in rumen digesta or in tissues was reduced by feeding WPB (-791%, -690%, and -456%, respectively, in rumen, liver and muscle; P < 0.001), suggesting that the WPB prevented the t10-shift rumen biohydrogenation pathway. In conclusion, the inclusion of WPB into a concentrate-based diet can be a strategy to improve the FA composition of meat, without effects on the animal performances.

Methane Production of Fresh Sainfoin, with or without PEG, and Fresh Alfalfa at Different Stages of Maturity is Similar but the Fermentation End Products Vary.

Alfalfa and sainfoin are high-quality forages with different condensed tannins (CT) content, which can be affected by the stage of maturity. To study the effects of CT on fermentation parameters, three substrates (alfalfa, sainfoin, and sainfoin+PEG) at three stages of maturity were in vitro incubated for 72 h. Sainfoin had greater total polyphenol and CT contents than alfalfa. As maturity advanced, CT contents in sainfoin decreased (p < 0.05), except for the protein-bound CT fraction (p > 0.05). The total gas and methane production was affected neither by the substrate nor by the stage of maturity (p > 0.05). Overall, sainfoin and sainfoin+PEG had greater in vitro organic matter degradability (IVOMD) than alfalfa (p < 0.05). Alfalfa and sainfoin+PEG presented higher ammonia content than sainfoin (p < 0.001). Total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production was only affected by the stage of maturity (p < 0.05), and the individual VFA proportions were affected by the substrate and the stage of maturity (p < 0.001). In conclusion, alfalfa and sainfoin only differed in the IVOMD and the fermentation end products. Moreover, CT reduced ammonia production and the ratio methane: VFA, but the IVOMD was reduced only in the vegetative stage.