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Jabal Akhdar goats, native to Oman’s high-altitude Jabal Akhdar mountain range, are recognized for their high growth rate, remarkable twinning rate, and adaptability to harsh environmental conditions. This study assesses the genetic structure, inbreeding levels, effective population size (Ne), and linkage disequilibrium (LD) of Jabal Akhdar goats while identifying genomic regions under positive selection that may contribute to their environmental adaptation. The SNP genotypes from 72 Jabal Akhdar goats and two desert breeds from Egypt (153 Barki and 60 Saidi) revealed a clear genetic distinction between both groups. Within the Jabal Akhdar goats, genetic differentiation was also identified among the three sampled villages, indicating a village-specific genetic structure. The Jabal Akhdar breed exhibited a moderate level of inbreeding (FROH = 0.16), greater than that of the Barki and Saidi breeds. Additionally, Jabal Akhdar goats displayed greater LD and lower Ne levels compared to the Egyptian breeds. Analysis of runs of homozygosity (ROH) and extended haplotype homozygosity-based statistics (iHS and Rsb) identified 93 genomic regions exhibiting signatures of positive selection (80 from ROH, 5 from iHS, and 8 from Rsb). These regions harbor genes associated with traits essential for environmental adaptability, including hypoxia tolerance (SUCNR1, ANGPTL1, MITF, MTUS2), muscle development and function (MBNL1, ACTC1, CAPN5), fertility (GNRHR, CCNA1, SPAG1), UV radiation resistance (UVRAG, BRCA1), bone development (SOST, MEOX1), and lipid metabolism for energy utilization (DGAT2, G6PC, SUCLG2). The results of this study provide valuable insights for identifying causative variants and haplotypes underlying the Jabal Akhdar goat’s superior adaptability. These findings can guide breeders in designing conservation strategies and improving the productivity of this unique indigenous breed.

The objective of this study was to assess the relative abundance of bacteria microflora in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract (duodenum, jejunum, ilium, and cecum) of indigenous (local Omani) and commercial (Cobb 500) chicken strains. Birds were raised under an intensive management system fed a nonmedicated corn-soybean meal diet from Day 0–35 days of age. Using 16S rDNA-based analysis the study showed that in both breeds of birds Bacilli were the most abundant class of bacteria in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Local Omani chickens had significantly higher numbers of Clostridia at most time periods. Actinobacteria were found in higher numbers and reached 54.9% of the bacteria in the jejunum at Day 35 in Cobb 500 versus only 5.42% in the Omani chickens. The bacterial microbiota relative abundance differed significantly (p < 0.05) across different intestinal segments of the two strains, suggesting that each region developed its own bacterial community and the relative abundances of these were quite different.

Background Brucellosis is the most common zoonotic disease in Oman. Studies about genetic diversity of Brucella are limited in the country. This study aimed to genotype Brucella melitensis in human isolates and milk samples using multi-locus variable number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA-14) in Oman. Methods MLVA-14 was employed for forty-nine B. melitensis recovered from human isolates (n = 21), one goat isolate, and milk samples (n = 27). Results Clustering analysis separated the 49 B. melitensis strains into two main clusters including 31 genotypes. In Dhofar Governorate, shared genotypes among different animal species were identified; the same genotypes were found also in human isolates. Moreover, there was a close genetic relationship between human and milk sample strains from Dhofar and AD Dakhiliya Governorates. Phylogeography investigated by Minimum Spanning Tree analysis showed that Omani strains belonged to the East Mediterranean lineage and formed a distinct branch with a close relationship with two strains from the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, eight Omani strains genotyped from milk shared the same MLVA profile as strains from Spain, Portugal, China, India, and Turkey. The caprine isolate was an outlier correlated with a big cluster mostly formed by isolates from China with other strains from Portugal, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Mongolia, Marocco, France and Spain. Conclusions This study highlights the zoonotic nature of B. melitensis transmission from infected livestock to humans and also its circulation among different animal species. The One Health approach is the way to develop policies and programs for disease surveillance and control.

The aim of this study was to estimate the residue levels of five commonly used antibiotics in poultry tissue samples using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 200 samples that comprised breast and liver (100 each) were collected from five poultry farms randomly selected from Muscat regions. The samples were analyzed for enrofloxacin (ENR), gentamicin (GEN), oxytetracycline (OTC), sulfamethazine (SMZ), and tylosin (TYL) residue concentrations. Comparisons of antibiotic residues between breast and liver of chickens under investigations showed a significant difference of ENR, GEN, OTC, SMZ, and TYL residue concentrations (p < 0.05). The highest antibiotic residue concentrations reported in the chicken liver were TYL, GEN, OTC, SMZ, and ENR, respectively. The lowest residual antibiotic concentrations observed in the chicken breast were TYL, GEN, OTC, SMZ, and ENR, respectively. Furthermore, the Kruskal–Wallis statistical test revealed a significant difference between the five antibiotic concentrations in both breast (H (4) = 54.69, p < 0.05) and liver (H (4) = 44.36, p < 0.05). A follow up of this finding by Bonferroni correction for both breast and liver samples revealed a significant difference for the breast sample between the concentration of ENR residue, and the concentration of residues for of both OTC and TYL (p < 0.05). These data show that not all tissues incorporate antibiotics at the same concentration. The results of this study could support regulatory bodies in adopting, monitoring, and enforcing guidelines pertinent to safety levels of different antibiotic residue concentrations in poultry meat when antibiotics are used for different indications.

This study evaluated the effects of Alterion supplementation on growth rate, feed conversion ratio, intestine morphology, carcass quality, and blood indices in both commercial and local chicken breeds. Two chicken breeds (Local Omani and Cobb 430 broilers) and two dietary treatments (Control and 0.05% Alterion) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The results showed that, across both breeds, supplementation significantly improved weight gain over 42 days compared to the control. Specifically, the Alterion group exhibited a 12.1% increase in Cobb 430 and a 26.7% increase in Omani birds, with all differences being statistically significant ( p  < 0.001). Furthermore, the jejunum and ileum of both breeds fed supplemented diets exhibited higher villus height and villus-to-crypt ratio than the control group ( p  < 0.05). The counts of red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and total protein increased significantly in both chicken breeds fed supplemented diets compared with controls ( p  < 0.05). Carcass and internal organs were remarkably larger in Cobb 430 than in Omani chickens ( p  < 0.05), and in Alterion treatments than in controls ( p  < 0.05). In both chicken breeds, meat quality parameters were not significantly affected by Alterion. Alterion supplementation modulated gut microflora composition and relative abundance, with Bacilli being the most abundant class in all treatments and gut segments ( p  < 0.05). While Alterion supplementation had minimal influence on the overall composition of the bacterial community, it contributed to maintaining a normal ecological balance of the microbiota. In summary, supplementation with 0.05% Alterion improved growth, intestinal health, blood parameters, carcass yield, and internal organ weight, and beneficially modulated the gut microbiome in Cobb 430 and Omani chickens. Further research is recommended to determine the optimal dosage of Alterion for Omani chickens, thereby optimizing their performance.

The cost of animal feed is a serious limiting factor in livestock production in arid and semi-arid regions. This study investigated whether a locally formulated total mixed ration (TMR) based on date palm by-products, fish processing waste, and could serve as an economical alternative to commercial TMR for fattening Omani lambs. Twenty intact male Omani lambs (initial body weight 20.5 ± 2.3 kg, approximately 5 months old) were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments ( = 10 per treatment) in a completely randomized design for 84 days. The formulated TMR contained palm fronds (16%), barley grains (20%), fish meal (10%), date syrup (18%), leaves and stems (34%), and sodium chloride (1%). Productive performance, nutrient digestibility, hematological and biochemical parameters, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and feeding economics were evaluated and compared between the two dietary treatments. Commercial TMR lambs gained significantly more total weight (11.30 vs. 6.37 kg; < 0.0001) and average daily gain (0.135 vs. 0.076 kg/day) with better feed conversion ratio (6.17 vs. 11.19 kg feed/kg gain; = 0.0011) than lambs fed formulated TMR. Crude protein digestibility was significantly higher in formulated TMR (68.64 vs. 61.35%; = 0.039), whereas neutral detergent fiber digestibility was significantly higher in commercial TMR (49.51 vs. 36.56%; = 0.002). Animals fed commercial TMR had significantly greater slaughter weight (30.86 vs. 25.54 kg; = 0.004), but dressing percentage did not differ between groups. Internal fat deposition was significantly lower ( = 0.012) in formulated TMR animals, with 35.4% less total internal fat (1.305 vs. 2.021 kg). Hematological variables were within normal physiological limits in both groups. Blood biochemical analysis showed significant time × treatment interactions for glucose ( = 0.001) and calcium ( = 0.020). No significant treatment effects were observed for any meat quality attributes, including ultimate pH (5.31 vs. 5.37), cooking loss (27.37 vs. 25.90%), and shear force (3.90 vs. 3.81 kg; all > 0.05). The formulated TMR reduced daily feeding cost by 68.5% and lowered feed cost per kg live weight gain by 41.3% compared to commercial TMR. Hot carcass weight (13.42 ± 2.29 vs. 11.28 ± 2.32 kg; = 0.053) and cold carcass weight (13.07 ± 2.25 vs. 11.03 ± 2.19 kg; = 0.057) were similar between commercial and formulated TMR groups, respectively. Despite lower fiber digestibility and metabolizable energy availability than commercial TMR, which translated to reduced growth performance, the formulated TMR offered substantial economic benefits with a 68.5% reduction in daily feeding cost and a 41.3% lower feed cost per kg live weight gain compared to commercial TMR. Meat quality, hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight, and hematological profiles were unaffected, and internal fat deposition was reduced by 35.4%. The formulated TMR represents a viable and cost-effective option for sheep production in arid regions where date palm by-products, fish waste, and are locally available.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2026.1786930.].

ABSTRACT An observational study was conducted to investigate Eimeria species prevalence, fecal shedding, morphometric, and molecular composition in captive Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) bred at the Mammals Breeding Center in Oman. Oryx were sampled in the summer and winter seasons. Eimeria was detected at a prevalence of 26% in summer and 22% in winter, with higher shedding intensity observed during the summer among adult oryx. The isolated Eimeria displayed ellipsoidal oocysts and ovoidal sporocysts with average dimensions of 30.6 × 24.3 μm (ranging from 24.8 to 35.4 × 20.9–26.7) and 14.3 × 7.1 μm (ranging from 11.1 to 18.3 × 6.1–8.6), respectively. Molecularly (18S rRNA, ITS‐1), E. saudiensis revealed its unique identity and closest relation (96.7%–99.3%) to E. bovis isolates of bovine origin (MK691697 and AB769578), respectively, in the absence of antelope‐derived isolates. The findings serve as a precursor to incorporating Eimeria species derived from Arabian oryx into the molecular map.

Phytogenic feed additives have gained increasing attention in ruminant nutrition due to their capacity to modulate ruminal fermentation and reduce methane (CH ) emissions. This study evaluated the effects of three plant-based additives. Neem leaf ( ; NL), Indigofera leaf ( ; IL), and Pumpkin peel ( ; PP) included at four levels (0, 10, 20, and 30 g/kg DM) on ruminal fermentation, feed degradability, and CH emissions. A total mixed ration (TMR) was incubated with each additive and buffered rumen fluid using the gas production technique for 24 hours. NL and IL supplementation significantly ( < 0.05) increased gas and carbon dioxide (CO ) production, organic matter degradability, and total volatile fatty acid concentrations, particularly propionate and butyrate. Simultaneously, acetate concentration, CH emissions, NH -N levels, and protozoa abundance were reduced ( < 0.05). However, PP had limited effects on these parameters. The phenolic profiles of NL and IL, notably rich in 2-hydroxycinnamic acid and p-coumaric acid, likely contributed to these outcomes. In conclusion, these findings support the use of NL and IL as effective phytogenic additives for improving rumen fermentation and mitigating CH production. Further trials are recommended to validate these results.

Objective. The aim of the present work was to raise awareness of Brucella infection and emphasize the use of serological tests for screening and confirmation of the presence of the infection in different localities in the Dhofar region in the Sultanate of Oman. Methods. A seroprevalence of Brucella infection in naturally infected livestock was undertaken in 50 farms (a total of 434 sera, 207 goats, 84 sheep, 54 cattle, and 89 camels) from different wilayat of the Dhofar region in the southern part of Oman. Rose Bengal (RBT), complement fixation (CFT), and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA) tests were used to determine the presence of Brucella antibodies. Statistical analysis (Pearson chi-square, binary logistic regression, and univariate logistic regression) was used to investigate the significance between the prevalence and the categorical risk factors individually, with two or more levels (animal species, animal condition, and or location). Results. Our results show that the overall seroprevalence based on CFT, RBT, and I-ELISA was 3% (13/424, CI: 1.8–5.1%), 4.8% (21/434, CI: 3.1–7.3%), and 8% (35/434, CI: 5.8–10.9%), respectively. The highest seroprevalence was reported in goats (13% (27/207)) and animals from East Jabal (13% (21/161)), whereas the lowest was recorded in camels (3.4% (3/89)) and animals from deserts (1.4% (1/69)). Parameters such as the positive predictive value (PPV) and the negative predictive value (NPV) showed that the sensitivity of I-ELISA and CFT based on the RBT test was 61.9% and 57.1%, respectively, whereas the specificity of I-ELISA (94.6%) was less than that of CFT (97.33%). Conclusion. We concluded that three tests are confirmatory for the presence of Brucella infection.