Effect of synbiotic supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, and blood metabolites in Arabi lambs

Jinan Abdul Aziz Bannai — 2026-06-30

Background. A synobiotic is a product of living microorganisms and their metabolites, which when consumed can benefit the health of the host animal by affecting the microbial balance in the stomach or gut.

Purpose. To assess the growth performance and nutrient utilization of diet supplementation with synbiotic to Arabi lambs.

Methodology. Thirty male lambs, approximately four months old, were used in a 105-day feeding trial, which included a 15-day adaptation period. Animals were randomly and evenly allocated into three dietary groups. The control group received a basal diet composed of 40% concentrate and 60% alfalfa hay. The second and third groups were offered the same basal diet supplemented with 3 kg/ton and 5 kg/ton synbiotic, respectively. Parameters measured included body weight, total and daily weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and apparent nutrient digestibility.

Results. Synbiotic supplementation at 3 kg/ton and 5 kg/ton increased final body weight by 15.50% and 14.28%, respectively, compared with the control group. Likewise, total and daily weight gains improved by 40.19% and 33.83%, respectively. Feed intake showed a slight increase (2.11%), whereas feed conversion ratio improved markedly, decreasing by 24.97% and 22.32% in the 3 kg and 5 kg synbiotic groups, respectively. Digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were significantly higher (p<0.05) in both supplemented groups.

Conclusion. The moderate synbiotic supplementation (3 kg/ton) optimizes nutrient utilization, enhances growth performance, and improves feed efficiency in Arabi lambs under Basrah field.

Level of CTLA‑4 and some other future markers for predicting preeclampsia in pregnant women: a correlation study

Raghda Abdulsamad Abdualhay — 2026-06-30

Background. Preeclampsia (PE) is a dangerous complication of pregnancy and still a major cause of maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality.

Purpose. Evaluate the correlation of CTLA-4 with serum biomarkers of angiogenic factors, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction in preeclamptic pregnant women.

Methodology. The study included 120 pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia (PE), as well as 46 healthy pregnant women. We measured their serum levels of NO, eNOS, MDA, ADMA, sENG, sFlt-1, T-AOC, and CTLA-4.

Results. Our findings indicated significant (p < 0.01) positive correlations between CTLA-4 and NO, eNOS, and T-AOC (r= 0.723 vs. r= 0.597; r= 0.557 vs. r= 0.580; and r= 0.577 vs. r= 0.791, respectively). On the other hand, CTLA-4 exhibited a significant negative correlation (r= 0.728 vs. r= 0.710; r= 0.722 vs. r= 0.632; r= 0.636 vs. r= 0.655; and r= 0.790 vs. r= 0.717, respectively) in EOP and LOP patients. According to the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) findings, CTLA-4 and sFlt-1 may be more effective predictors in early- (AUC= -1.00 and 0.98, respectively) and late-onset preeclampsia (AUC= -1.00 and 1.00, respectively) than other biomarkers and antioxidants such as NO, sENG, eNOS, ADMA, MDA, and T-AOC.

Conclusion. CTLA-4 with biomarkers of angiogenic factors, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction was not significantly different in EOP and LOP patients, which may cast new light on the possible role as an etiological cause of PE and might be a better monitoring index in women with PE.

Siberian Journal of Life Sciences and Agriculture

Effect of synbiotic supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, and blood metabolites in Arabi lambs

Level of CTLA‑4 and some other future markers for predicting preeclampsia in pregnant women: a correlation study