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The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jul 2018Cesarean delivery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed by obstetricians. Infectious morbidity after cesarean delivery can have a tremendous impact on... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Cesarean delivery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed by obstetricians. Infectious morbidity after cesarean delivery can have a tremendous impact on the postpartum woman's return to normal function and her ability to care for her baby. Despite the widespread use of prophylactic antibiotics, postoperative infectious morbidity still complicates cesarean deliveries. This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2010 and subsequently updated in 2012, and twice in 2014.
OBJECTIVES
To determine if cleansing the vagina with an antiseptic solution before a cesarean delivery decreases the risk of maternal infectious morbidities, including endometritis and wound complications. We also assessed the side effects of vaginal cleansing solutions to determine adverse events associated with the intervention.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth's Trials Register, ClinicalTrials.gov, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (10 July 2017), and reference lists of retrieved studies.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomized trials and one quasi-randomized trial assessing the impact of vaginal cleansing immediately before cesarean delivery with any type of antiseptic solution versus a placebo solution/standard of care on post-cesarean infectious morbidity. Cluster-randomized trials were eligible for inclusion but none were identified. We excluded trials that utilized vaginal preparation during labor or that did not use antibiotic surgical prophylaxis. We also excluded any trials using a cross-over design.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
At least three of the review authors independently assessed eligibility of the studies. Two review authors were assigned to extract study characteristics, quality assessments, and data from eligible studies.
MAIN RESULTS
We included 11 trials reporting results for 3403 women evaluating the effects of vaginal cleansing (eight using povidone-iodine, two chlorhexidine, one benzalkonium chloride) on post-cesarean infectious morbidity. Additionally, some trials used vaginal preparations using sponge sticks, douches, or soaked gauze wipes. The control groups were typically no vaginal preparation (eight trials) or the use of a saline vaginal preparation (three trials). The risk of bias in the studies reduced our confidence in the results for endometritis outcomes.Vaginal preparation with antiseptic solution immediately before cesarean delivery probably reduces the incidence of post-cesarean endometritis from 8.7% in control groups to 3.8% in vaginal cleansing groups (average risk ratio (RR) 0.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20 to 0.63, 10 trials, 3283 women, moderate quality of evidence). Subgroup analysis could not rule out larger reductions in endometritis with antiseptics in women who were in labor or in women whose membranes had ruptured when antiseptics were used. Risks of postoperative fever and postoperative wound infection may be slightly lowered by antiseptic preparation, but the confidence intervals around the effects for both outcomes are consistent with a large reduction in risk and no difference between groups (fever: RR 0.87 (0.72 to 1.05; wound infection: RR 0.74 (95% CI 0.49 to 1.11), both moderate-quality evidence). Two trials reported a lower risk of a composite outcome of wound complication or endometritis in women receiving preoperative vaginal preparation (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.82, two trials, 499 women, moderate-quality evidence). No adverse effects were reported with either the povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine vaginal cleansing.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Vaginal preparation with povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine solution compared to saline or not cleansing immediately before cesarean delivery probably reduces the risk of post-cesarean endometritis. Subgroup analysis could not rule out larger reductions in endometritis with antiseptics in women who were in labor or in women whose membranes had ruptured when antiseptics were used.The quality of the evidence using GRADE was moderate for all reported outcomes. We downgraded the outcome of post-cesarean endometritis and composite of wound complications or endometritis for risk of bias and postoperative fever and postoperative wound infections for wide CIs.As a simple, generally inexpensive intervention, providers may consider implementing preoperative vaginal cleansing with povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine before performing cesarean deliveries.
Topics: Administration, Intravaginal; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Benzalkonium Compounds; Cesarean Section; Chlorhexidine; Disinfection; Endometritis; Female; Fever; Humans; Povidone-Iodine; Pregnancy; Preoperative Care; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Surgical Wound Infection; Vagina
PubMed: 30016540
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007892.pub6 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Oct 2022Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that is endemic in 78 countries and affects almost 240 million people worldwide. It has been acknowledged that an integrated...
BACKGROUND
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that is endemic in 78 countries and affects almost 240 million people worldwide. It has been acknowledged that an integrated approach that goes beyond drug treatment is needed to achieve control and eventual elimination of the disease. Improving hygiene has been encouraged by World Health Organisation, and one aspect of good hygiene is using soap during water-contact activities, such as bathing and doing laundry. This hygiene practice might directly reduce the skin exposure to cercariae at transmission sites. A systematic review was carried out to investigate the efficacy of soap against schistosome cercariae and to identify the knowledge gaps surrounding this topic.
METHODOLOGY
Six online databases were searched between 5th and 8th July of 2021. Records returned from these databases were screened to remove duplicates, and the remaining records were classified by reading titles, abstracts, and full texts to identify the included studies. The results were categorised into two groups based on two different protective mechanisms of soap (namely, damage to cercariae and protection of skin).
CONCLUSIONS
Limited research has been conducted on the efficacy of soap against schistosome cercariae and only 11 studies met the criteria to be included in this review. The review demonstrates that soap has the potential of protecting people against schistosome cercariae and there are two protective aspects: (1) soap affects cercariae adversely; (2) soap on the skin prevents cercariae from penetrating the skin, developing into adult worms and producing eggs. Both aspects of protection were influenced by many factors, but the differences in the reported experimental conditions, such as the cercarial endpoint measurement used and the cercaria numbers used per water sample, lead to low comparability between the previous studies. This review indicates that more evidence is needed to inform hygiene advice for people living in schistosomiasis endemic areas.
Topics: Animals; Cercaria; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis; Soaps; Water
PubMed: 36191022
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010820 -
Molecular Oral Microbiology Jun 2023COVID-19 is a transmissible respiratory and multisystem disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Viral transmission occurs mainly... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
COVID-19 is a transmissible respiratory and multisystem disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Viral transmission occurs mainly through the spread of salivary droplets or aerosol from an infected subject. Studies suggest that salivary viral load is correlated with disease severity and probability of transmission. Cetylpyridinium chloride mouthwash has been found to be effective in reducing salivary viral load. The aim of this systematic review of randomized controlled trials is to evaluate the efficacy of the mouthwash ingredient cetylpyridinium chloride on salivary viral load in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
METHODS
Randomized controlled trials comparing cetylpyridinium chloride mouthwash with placebo and other mouthwash ingredients in SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals were identified and evaluated.
RESULTS
Six studies with a total of 301 patients that met the inclusion criteria were included. The studies reported the efficacy of cetylpyridinium chloride mouthwashes in reduction on SARS-CoV-2 salivary viral load compared to placebo and other mouthwash ingredients.
CONCLUSION
Mouthwashes containing cetylpyridinium chloride are effective against salivary viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in vivo. There is also the possibility that the use of mouthwash containing cetylpyridinium chloride in SARS-CoV-2 positive subjects could reduce transmissibility and severity of COVID-19.
Topics: Humans; Cetylpyridinium; Mouthwashes; SARS-CoV-2; Chlorides; Dental Plaque; COVID-19; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 36808889
DOI: 10.1111/omi.12408 -
Critical Reviews in Food Science and... 2023This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess the effects of Sn-2-palmitate-enriched formula feeding on infants' growth, stool characteristics, stool... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Effects of Sn-2-palmitate-enriched formula feeding on infants' growth, stool characteristics, stool fatty acid soap contents and bone mineral content: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess the effects of Sn-2-palmitate-enriched formula feeding on infants' growth, stool characteristics, stool fatty acid (FA) soap contents and bone mineral content (BMC). We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials published up to April 2022. Sixteen studies involving 1,931 infants were included. From each included study, weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each of the above mentioned outcomes were extracted and pooled with a fixed-effects model ( ≤ 50%) or a random-effects model ( > 50%). Infants fed Sn-2-palmitate-enriched formula exhibited greater weight gains (WMD: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.23, 1.39 g/d; = 0.00%), lower contents of total stool FA soaps (WMD: -3.47; 95% CI: -5.08, -1.86 mg/100 mg; = 0.00%) and higher BMC (WMD: 7.08; 95% CI: 4.05, 10.10; = 0.00%) than infants fed standard formula. However, no difference was observed in these outcomes between infants fed Sn-2-palmitate-enriched formula and those fed human milk. This meta-analysis demonstrated that compared with standard formula feeding, Sn-2-palmitate-enriched formula feeding could effectively promote weight gains, bone mineral accumulation and stool FA soap reduction in infants.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Fatty Acids; Soaps; Palmitates; Infant Formula; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Minerals; Weight Gain
PubMed: 35622955
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2079606 -
The British Journal of Ophthalmology Nov 2020This systematic review compared the efficacy and safety of benzalkonium chloride (BAK)-preserved eye-drops with alternatively preserved (AP) and preservative-free (PF)... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis
Efficacy and safety evaluation of benzalkonium chloride preserved eye-drops compared with alternatively preserved and preservative-free eye-drops in the treatment of glaucoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND/AIMS
This systematic review compared the efficacy and safety of benzalkonium chloride (BAK)-preserved eye-drops with alternatively preserved (AP) and preservative-free (PF) eye-drops.
METHODS
PubMed, EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched for randomised controlled trials in June and October 2019. Study selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment were made by two independent reviewers using the Cochrane Handbook. Studies on prostaglandin analogue or beta-blocker eye-drops and patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension were included. Primary outcome was change in intraocular pressure (IOP). Secondary outcomes were safety measures as assessed in original study.
RESULTS
Of 433 articles screened, 16 studies were included. IOP meta-analysis was conducted on 13 studies (4201 patients) ranging from 15 days to 6 months. No significant differences between BAK versus PF and AP were identified (95% CI -0.00 to 0.30 mm Hg, p=0.05). Meta-analyses revealed no differences between BAK versus AP and PF with regards to conjunctival hyperaemia (risk ratio (RR) 1.05, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.22, 3800 patients, 9 studies), ocular hyperaemia (RR 1.31, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.78, 2268 patients, 5 studies), total ocular adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.20, 1906 patients, 5 studies) or tear break-up time (mean difference 0.89, 95% CI -0.03 to 1.81, 130 patients, 3 studies). Diverse reporting on safety measures made comparison challenging. Risk of bias was assessed as high or unclear in many relevant domains, suggesting potential selective reporting or under-reporting.
CONCLUSION
No clinically significant differences on efficacy or safety could be determined between BAK versus AP and PF. However, there were substantial uncertainties on safety.CRD42019139692.
Topics: Administration, Ophthalmic; Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Antihypertensive Agents; Benzalkonium Compounds; Databases, Factual; Glaucoma, Open-Angle; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Ocular Hypertension; Ophthalmic Solutions; Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; Prostaglandins, Synthetic; Tonometry, Ocular; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 32051133
DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-315623 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jan 2021Annually, infections contribute to approximately 25% of the 2.8 million neonatal deaths worldwide. Over 95% of sepsis-related neonatal deaths occur in low- and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Annually, infections contribute to approximately 25% of the 2.8 million neonatal deaths worldwide. Over 95% of sepsis-related neonatal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Hand hygiene is an inexpensive and cost-effective method of preventing infection in neonates, making it an affordable and practicable intervention in low- and middle-income settings. Therefore, hand hygiene practices may hold strong prospects for reducing the occurrence of infection and infection-related neonatal death.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the effectiveness of different hand hygiene agents for preventing neonatal infection in community and health facility settings.
SEARCH METHODS
We used the standard search strategy of Cochrane Neonatal to search the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2019, Issue 5), in the Cochrane Library; MEDLINE via PubMed (1966 to 10 May 2019); Embase (1980 to 10 May 2019); and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) (1982 to 10 May 2019). We also searched clinical trials databases and the reference lists of retrieved articles for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-randomised trials. Searches were updated 1 June 2020.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included RCTs, cross-over trials, and quasi-RCTs that included pregnant women, mothers, other caregivers, and healthcare workers who received interventions within the community or in health facility settings DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane and the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence. Primary outcomes were incidence of (study author-defined) suspected infection within the first 28 days of life, bacteriologically confirmed infection within the first 28 days of life, all-cause mortality within the first seven days of life (early neonatal death), and all-cause mortality from the 8th to the 28th day of life (late neonatal death).
MAIN RESULTS
Our review included five studies: one RCT, one quasi-RCT, and three cross-over trials with a total of more than 5450 neonates (two studies included all neonates but did not report the actual number of neonates involved). Four studies involved 279 nurses working in neonatal intensive care units and all neonates on admission. The fifth study did not clearly state how many nurses were included in the study. Studies examined the effectiveness of different hand hygiene practices for the incidence of (study author-defined) suspected infection within the first 28 days of life. Two studies were rated as low risk for selection bias, another two were rated as high risk, and one study was rated as unclear risk. One study was rated as low risk for allocation bias, and four were rated as high risk. Only one of the five studies was rated as low risk for performance bias. 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) compared to plain liquid soap We are uncertain whether plain soap is better than 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) for nurses' skin based on very low-certainty evidence (mean difference (MD) -1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) -3.31 to -0.19; 16 participants, 1 study; very low-certainty evidence). We identified no studies that reported on other outcomes for this comparison. 4% chlorhexidine gluconate compared to triclosan 1% One study compared 1% w/v triclosan with 4% chlorhexidine gluconate and suggests that 1% w/v triclosan may reduce the incidence of suspected infection (risk ratio (RR) 1.04, 95% CI 0.19 to 5.60; 1916 participants, 1 study; very low-certainty evidence). There may be fewer cases of infection in the 1% w/v triclosan group compared to the 4% chlorhexidine gluconate group (RR 6.01, 95% CI 3.56 to 10.14; 1916 participants, 1 study; very low-certainty evidence); however, we are uncertain of the available evidence. We identified no study that reported on all-cause mortality, duration of hospital stay, and adverse events for this comparison. 2% CHG compared to alcohol hand sanitiser (61% alcohol and emollients) We are uncertain whether 2% chlorhexidine gluconate reduces the risk of all infection in neonates compared to 61% alcohol hand sanitiser with regards to the incidence of all bacteriologically confirmed infection within the first 28 days of life (RR 2.19, 95% CI 1.79 to 2.69; 2932 participants, 1 study; very low-certainty evidence) in the 2% chlorhexidine gluconate group, but the evidence is very uncertain. The adverse outcome was reported as mean visual scoring on the skin. There may be little to no difference between the effects of 2% CHG on nurses' skin compared to alcohol hand sanitiser based on very low-certainty evidence (MD 0.80, 95% CI 0.01 to 1.59; 118 participants, 1 study; very low-certainty evidence). We identified no study that reported on all-cause mortality and other outcomes for this comparison. None of the included studies assessed all-cause mortality within the first seven days of life nor duration of hospital stay. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We are uncertain as to the superiority of one hand hygiene agent over another because this review included very few studies with very serious study limitations.
Topics: Age Factors; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Bacterial Infections; Bias; Chlorhexidine; Cross-Over Studies; Hand Hygiene; Hand Sanitizers; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Neonatal Nursing; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Soaps; Triclosan
PubMed: 33471367
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013326.pub2 -
Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal... Apr 2018The ruminal ecosystem is a fermentative milieu which is interesting to discuss in terms of its redox status as a reflection of an intense bacterial activity. The... (Review)
Review
The ruminal ecosystem is a fermentative milieu which is interesting to discuss in terms of its redox status as a reflection of an intense bacterial activity. The objective of this systematic literature review is to quantitatively analyze data collected on redox potential (Eh) in the rumen and to explore relationship between ruminal Eh, nature of the diet fed to ruminants, and ruminal fermentation parameters. Data obtained from 15 studies comprising 24 different diets was used in the analysis. Studies included in the data file were selected based on the criteria of: (i) the nature of the reference electrode was specified, (ii) the ruminal Eh was recorded simultaneously to pH, (iii) animal body weight (BW) and dry matter intake (DMI) were reported and (iv) the composition of the diet was precisely described. Results showed a high variability in ruminal Eh values. However, all recorded values are markedly negative reflecting the absence of oxygen and the strong reducing power of the rumen environment. The main factors contributing to the variation were the method of Eh measurement and the nature of the diet fed to ruminants. Redox potential was positively correlated with DMI and proportion of concentrate in the diet, and tended to be positively correlated with soluble carbohydrates content. In contrast, it was negatively correlated with neutral detergent fibre from forages. The hierarchical ascendant classification discriminated two groups of diets leading to significant change in ruminal Eh level. Ruminal Eh was negatively correlated with pH, total volatile fatty acids produced and proportion of acetate, and positively correlated with proportion of propionate. This review revealed Eh to be dependent on the diet composition and DMI, at least within the range of diets included in the database.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Diet; Oxidation-Reduction; Rumen; Ruminants
PubMed: 29352497
DOI: 10.1111/jpn.12855 -
Journal of Economic Entomology Apr 2022The European bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), is a fundamental resource for the pollination of a great variety of botanical species used by humans for...
The European bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), is a fundamental resource for the pollination of a great variety of botanical species used by humans for sustenance. Over the last few decades, bee colonies have become vulnerable to a new pest that has advanced beyond its native sub-Saharan territory: the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae). This currently presents a pressing problem in the United States and Australia, but it has also been recorded in Portugal and Italy and it is likely to spread in the rest of Europe too. This study represents a systematic review, based on EFSA guidelines, of the various control treatments for small hive beetles in order to identify the most effective methods as well as, those with no effects on bee colonies. The results show that the bulk of these studies were performed in the United States and that a number of treatments are suitable for the control of A. tumida, though some have negative effects on bees while others have low effectiveness or are ineffective. The best results are those with the entomopathogenic nematodes of the genus Steinernema and Heterorhabditis, but also with formic acid or diatomaceous earth. Various products containing insecticides have been effective, for example, Perizin (Bayer), GardStar (Y-Tex), CheckMite+ strips (Bayer), but Apithor (Apithor ) cannot be used in Europe because it contains Fipronil, which has been banned since 2013. Some common products like bleach and detergent have also been effective.
Topics: Animals; Australia; Bees; Coleoptera; Europe; Insecticides; Italy
PubMed: 35217874
DOI: 10.1093/jee/toac001 -
Journal of Dairy Science Jan 2024A systematic literature review of in vitro studies was performed to identify methane (CH) mitigation interventions with a potential to reduce CH emission in vivo. Data... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
A systematic literature review of in vitro studies was performed to identify methane (CH) mitigation interventions with a potential to reduce CH emission in vivo. Data from 277 peer-reviewed studies published between 1979 and 2018 were reviewed. Individual CH mitigation interventions were classified into 14 categories of feed additives based on their type, chemical composition, and mode of action. Response variables evaluated were absolute CH emission (number of treatment means comparisons = 1,325); total volatile fatty acids (n = 1,007), acetate (n = 783), propionate (n = 792), and butyrate (n = 776) concentrations; acetate to propionate ratio (n = 675); digestibility of dry matter (n = 489), organic matter (n = 277), and neutral detergent fiber (n = 177). Total gas production was used as an explanatory variable in the model for CH production. Relative mean difference between treatment and control means reported in the studies was calculated and used for statistical analysis. The robust variance estimation method was used to analyze the effects of CH mitigation interventions. In vitro CH production was decreased by antibodies (-38.9%), chemical inhibitors (-29.2%), electron sinks (-18.9%), essential oils (-18.2%), plant extracts (-14.5%), plant inclusion (-11.7%), saponins (-14.8%), and tannins (-14.5%). Overall effects of direct-fed microbials, enzymes, macroalgae, and organic acids supplementation did not affect CH production in the current meta-analysis. When considering the effects of individual mitigation interventions containing a minimum number of 4 degrees of freedom within feed additives categories, Enterococcus spp. (i.e., direct-fed microbial), nitrophenol (i.e., electron sink), and Leucaena spp. (i.e., tannins) decreased CH production by 20.3%, 27.1%, and 23.5%, respectively, without extensively, or only slightly, affecting ruminal fermentation and digestibility of nutrients. It should be noted, however, that although the total number of publications (n = 277) and treatment means comparisons (n = 1,325 for CH production) in the current analysis were high, data for most mitigation interventions were obtained from less than 5 observations (e.g., maximum number of observations was 4, 7, and 22 for nitrophenol, Enterococcus spp., and Leucaena spp., respectively), because of limited data available in the literature. These should be further evaluated in vitro and in vivo to determine their true potential to decrease enteric CH production, yield, and intensity. Some mitigation interventions (e.g., magnesium, Heracleum spp., nitroglycerin, β-cyclodextrin, Leptospermum pattersoni, Fructulus Ligustri, Salix caprea, and Sesbania grandiflora) decreased in vitro CH production by over 50% but did not have enough observations in the database. These should be more extensively investigated in vitro, and the dose effect must be considered before adoption of mitigation interventions in vivo.
Topics: Female; Animals; Diet; Milk; Lactation; Propionates; Methane; Tannins; Rumen; Acetates; Nitrophenols; Fermentation; Digestion; Animal Feed
PubMed: 38353472
DOI: 10.1016/S0022-0302(23)00819-6 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Nov 2021Small ruminants such as goats have a higher preference for browse species than cattle and sheep. In a meta-analysis of 42 papers describing 117 experimental treatments... (Review)
Review
Small ruminants such as goats have a higher preference for browse species than cattle and sheep. In a meta-analysis of 42 papers describing 117 experimental treatments found by a search performed in June 2021 in PubMed and Web of Knowledge, we examined the general effect of including foliage in the diet of goats, replacing grasses, on dry matter intake and average daily weight gain. The inclusion requirement for a paper was that it described a controlled trial with a control diet of grass and with grass replaced by foliage in the experimental diet. Publication bias was estimated by calculating the Fail-safe n. Random effects analyses were conducted, using effect size calculated as Hedges' d. The results showed that inclusion of foliage increased feed intake (Hedges' d = 1.350, SE = 0.388) and average daily weight gain (Hedges' d = 1.417, SE = 0.444) compared with a grass-based control. The positive effect of foliage inclusion on dry matter intake was associated with lower neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and higher crude protein (CP) in the foliage than in the grass it replaced. The positive effect on average daily weight gain was associated with higher CP concentration in the foliage than in grass. Foliage inclusion level showed a quadratic relationship with dry matter intake, with maximum dry matter intake achieved at a level of 50-60%. There was wide variation between the studies reviewed, and this variation was not reduced by subgroup analysis based on different kinds of foliage. In conclusion, the addition of foliage to goat diets can increase feed intake and daily weight gain, as an effect of the dietary preferences of goats and of generally higher nutritional value in foliage species compared with natural/semi-natural grass species.
PubMed: 34827895
DOI: 10.3390/ani11113163