@article{ZentekBruckerCarleetal.2025, author = {Zentek, J{\"u}rgen and Brucker, Lisa and Carle, Reinhold and Kr{\"u}sselmann, Philip and Mart{\´i}nez-Vallesp{\´i}n, Beatriz and Grześkowiak, Łukasz and Holthausen, Johannes Schulze and Saliu, Eva-Maria and Vahjen, Wilfried}, title = {Effects of low levels of mango peels (Mangifera indica L.) and apple pectin on in vitro-fermentability, digestive-physiological, and microbiological parameters in piglet nutrition}, series = {Livestock Science}, volume = {297}, journal = {Livestock Science}, publisher = {Elsevier BV}, issn = {1871-1413}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105724}, year = {2025}, abstract = {Food processing by-products such as mango peel and apple pectin present valuable sources of dietary fibre, pectins and various other beneficial compounds for pig nutrition. The study's objective was to explore the effects of incorporating mango peel and apple pectin into pig feed. Batch fermentations using sow faeces were conducted to assess the fermentability of the substrates over a 24-hour incubation period. Subsequently, a feeding experiment was conducted using post-weaning piglets to examine the impact of adding 1 \% or 2 \% (w/w) mango peel and apple pectin to their diet. The in vitro fermentation studies with sow faeces showed increasing lactate and short-chain fatty acid concentrations when apple and mango pectin were added as substrates. The feeding trial indicated no significant impact on piglets' performance, nor the apparent praecaecal digestibility of crude protein was altered, while the apparent praecaecal digestibility of crude fat decreased with the addition of 1 \% apple pectin, but increased with 2 \% mango peel. Concentrations of microbial metabolites in the digesta were similar, and only slight variations were observed in the bacterial levels as determined by qPCR. In the treatment groups, enhanced utilisation of mango peel and apple pectin by the faecal microbiota was noted compared to the control group (BIOLOG test). In summary, incorporating small quantities of mango peel and apple pectin resulted in only mild alterations within the piglets' digestive system. Additional research to determine the optimal levels for effective usage of mango peels and apple pectin in piglet diets is required.}, language = {en} } @article{RiedelSchermulyRomanetetal.2025, author = {Riedel, Julia and Schermuly, Isabel I. and Romanet, Stella and Saliu, Eva-Maria and Lemme, Andreas and Zentek, J{\"u}rgen and Aschenbach, J{\"o}rg R.}, title = {Transport and expression of transporters for 3-O-methyl-D-glucose and L-methionine along the intestine of broiler chickens receiving different methionine supplements}, series = {Poultry Science}, volume = {104}, journal = {Poultry Science}, number = {6}, publisher = {Elsevier BV}, issn = {0032-5791}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105142}, year = {2025}, language = {en} } @article{YuVallespinGrześkowiaketal.2025, author = {Yu, Xiaoxiao and Vallesp{\´i}n, Beatriz Mart{\´i}nez and Grześkowiak, Łukasz and Rothk{\"o}tter, Hermann-Josef and Vahjen, Wilfried and Saliu, Eva-Maria and Zentek, J{\"u}rgen and Holthausen, Johannes Schulze}, title = {Dietary fibre and weaning age influence morphology, mucin distribution, and immunological traits in the porcine colon}, series = {Journal of Functional Foods}, volume = {131}, journal = {Journal of Functional Foods}, publisher = {Elsevier BV}, issn = {1756-4646}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2025.106947}, year = {2025}, language = {en} } @article{RiedmuellerMonteiroMaenneretal.2025, author = {Riedm{\"u}ller, Jonathan and Monteiro, Alessandra and M{\"a}nner, Klaus and Saliu, Eva M and Vahjen, Wilfried and Zentek, J{\"u}rgen}, title = {Effects of different doses and preparations of zinc oxide in weanling piglets on performance, intestinal microbiota and microbial metabolites}, series = {Translational Animal Science}, volume = {9}, journal = {Translational Animal Science}, publisher = {Oxford University Press (OUP)}, issn = {2573-2102}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaf073}, year = {2025}, abstract = {Abstract For years, high zinc levels (up to 3000 mg/kg feed) have been used to aid piglets during the weaning phase. However, studies revealed drawbacks like antimicrobial resistance and environmental impact. Since 2022, the EU limits zinc inclusion levels to 150 mg total zinc per kg. Therefore, alternative strategies for replacing high levels of zinc are of great interest. This study compares a potentiated zinc oxide source (HiZox®) and feed grade zinc oxide at various levels on piglet performance, fecal consistency and fecal microbiome. The trial involved a total of 1,440 healthy weaned piglets (DanBred × Duroc; 50\% barrows, 50\% gilts; initial BW 10.1 ± 1.46 kg) over the 28-day duration of the experimental period. Piglets were randomly assigned to 12 treatment groups, each consisting of 12 pens, with 10 piglets per pen. The trial comprised two periods: the starter period (days 1 to 14) focused on comparing the two zinc products, while all animals received a diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg of potentiated ZnO in the grower period (days 15 to 28). Treatment groups receiving feed grade ZnO were denoted as Z150, Z300, Z600, Z900, Z1500, and Z3000, while corresponding groups with the potentiated ZnO product were labeled H150, H300, H600, H900, H1500, and H3000, respectively. Body weight (BW) and feed intake (FI) were measured for every pen at days 1, 14 and 28. Fecal samples were collected on the same days. During the starter phase (days 1 to 14), potentiated ZnO significantly improved average daily gain (ADG) compared to feed-grade ZnO (P ≤ 0.001), with the highest values observed at 3000 mg/kg (H3000: 247 g/d vs. Z3000: 233 g/d). Feed intake (FI) was also higher in potentiated ZnO groups (P ≤ 0.001), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was more efficient (e.g., H3000: 1.2 vs. Z3000: 1.24; P = 0.001). In the grower phase residual effects from the starter phase persisted: animals previously fed potentiated ZnO had improved FCR (P = 0.003). Fecal microbiota analysis revealed that higher zinc levels reduced Lactobacillus abundance (P ≤ 0.001) and increased the presence of genera typical of adult pigs, such as Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Terrisporobacter (P \< 0.01). In conclusion, based on the observed shift in fecal microbiota composition characterized by a reduction in lactobacilli and an increase in proteobacteria due to heightened dietary zinc levels, it is advised to adjust zinc supplementation to 150 mg/kg after the initial 2 wk post-weaning.}, language = {en} } @article{FelleEstenfelderWenigetal., author = {Felle, Tim Konrad and Estenfelder, Jannis and Wenig, Charlett and Berendt, Ferr{\´e}ol and Eder, Michaela and Cheng, Tian and Benz, Johan Philipp}, title = {Tree bark as a substrate for mycelium-bound composites with two Ganoderma species}, series = {Discover Materials}, volume = {6}, journal = {Discover Materials}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer International Publishing}, address = {Cham}, issn = {2730-7727}, doi = {10.1007/s43939-025-00507-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-10886}, abstract = {Bark is currently considered a by-product of the wood industry and is mostly incinerated for energy, left in forests, or used as a mulch layer in gardens, parks, and forests to help prevent soil from drying out. However, considering that bark makes up about 10-20\% of the tree volume, there is a considerable amount of material that can be exploited and should be investigated in terms of a resource-efficient bioeconomy. One way to use bark as a raw material for innovative products could be as a substrate within mycelium-bound composite materials. However, since one of the natural functions of bark is to inhibit microbial infestation of the trees, it was unclear whether bark could be utilized in this manner. Therefore, we investigate in this study the possibilities of producing such composites by evaluating the performance of several bark-fungus combinations. Three different barks (from Douglas fir, Scots pine and European birch) and two species of fungi ( Ganoderma resinaceum and Ganoderma adspersum ) were selected for the experiments. Mycelium growth rates were evaluated with a newly developed method using fungal "growth tubes". In addition, composites were prepared for performance tests from pure bark and 1:1 mixture of bark and beech wood sawdust. Composites made of mixed bark and beech wood were mostly well overgrown with a thick layer of mycelium on the surface, supporting higher compression strengths. The mycelium layer on the composites made with tree bark only was considerably thinner, resulting in lower compression strength. Water absorption potential was found to be highly dependent on the mycelium layer on the composite surfaces, which has substantial hydrophobic properties. Overall, although the required incubation times tend to be longer than for other commonly used substrates, our experiments demonstrate that bark clearly represents a potential co-substrate for the production of mycelium-bound composites.}, language = {en} } @article{LowitzschHeldewegEppetal., author = {Lowitzsch, Jens and Heldeweg, Michiel and Epp, Julia and Bucha, Monika}, title = {Developing Energy Citizenship—Empowerment Through Engagement and (Co-)Ownership, Individually and in Energy Communities}, series = {Social Sciences}, volume = {15}, journal = {Social Sciences}, number = {1}, editor = {Holz, Sheila and Esteves, Denise}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2076-0760}, doi = {10.3390/socsci15010056}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-10895}, abstract = {Opportunities for citizens to become prosumers have grown rapidly with renewable energy (RE) technologies reaching grid parity. The European Union's ability to harness this potential depends on empowering energy citizens, fostering active engagement, and overcoming resistance to RE deployment. European energy law introduced "renewable self-consumers" and "active customers" with rights to consume, sell, store, and share RE, alongside rights for citizens collectively organised in energy communities. This article explores conditions for inclusive citizen engagement and empowerment within the RE system. Building on an ownership- and governance-oriented approach, we further develop the concept of energy citizenship, focusing on three elements: conditions for successful engagement, individual versus collective (financial) participation, and the role of public (co-)ownership in fostering inclusion. The analysis is supported by 82 semi-structured interviews, corroborating our theoretical lens. Findings show that participation, especially of vulnerable consumers, relies on an intact "engagement chain," while energy communities remain an underused instrument for inclusion. Institutional environments enabling municipalities and public entities to act as pace-making (co-)owners are identified as key. Complementing the market and the State, civil society holds important potential to enhance engagement. Inspired by the 2017 European Pillar of Social Rights, we propose a corresponding "European Pillar of Energy Rights."}, language = {en} } @article{HirschGreinerMuellerBodenetal., author = {Hirsch, Mareike and Greiner-M{\"u}ller, Evgenia and Boden, Simon and Hillenmeyer, Katharina and Mattes, Arno and Schuler, Johanna and Spathelf, Peter and Maaten, Ernst van der and Maaten-Theunissen, Marieke van der and Seifert, Thomas}, title = {Drought and masting affect growth allocation along the stem axis in beech, oak, fir and spruce in temperate forests}, series = {Trees}, volume = {40}, journal = {Trees}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, address = {Berlin/Heidelberg}, issn = {0931-1890}, doi = {10.1007/s00468-026-02723-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-10906}, abstract = {In temperate forests, tree growth and vitality are significantly influenced by drought, often reflected by low stem diameter growth. Additionally, masting, the cyclic production of seeds, can also affect growth, particularly through its interactions with environmental factors like drought. Despite extensive research on the individual impacts of drought and masting, their combined effects on growth allocation remain underexplored, especially for a broader variety of species. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating how drought and/or masting influence growth patterns in the coniferous species Abies alba and Picea abies , as well as the deciduous broadleaved species Fagus sylvatica and Quercus petraea . Utilising tree-ring data collected over several decades, we analysed how basal area increment (BAI) at 1.3 m stem height as well as along the stem axis responds to various scenarios of drought and masting. Our results showed that drought consistently reduced BAI in all species. F. sylvatica and P. abies experienced significantly lower BAI during mast years that coincided with drought, suggesting a potential trade-off between vegetative and reproductive growth under resource limitation. In contrast, Q. petraea exhibited higher BAI during mast years, indicating a distinct carbon allocation strategy. Furthermore, our study revealed that differences in BAI between mast and non-mast years were most prominent in the upper stem in the deciduous species, particularly during drought periods. These findings highlight the complex interactions between environmental stress, stem diameter growth and seed production, emphasising the need for further research into whole-tree carbon allocation processes.}, language = {en} } @article{AbdelmegeidZeineldinSeboussietal., author = {Abdelmegeid, Mohamed and Zeineldin, Mohamed and Seboussi, Rabiha and Mohamadin, Mahmoud and Alharthi, Abdulrahman S. and Mansour, Nabil and Okasha, Lamiaa A. and Elolimy, Ahmed A. and Saliu, Eva-Maria}, title = {Metagenomic analysis of the camel rumen archaeome and its functional potential}, series = {Frontiers in Veterinary Science}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Veterinary Science}, publisher = {Frontiers Media S.A.}, issn = {2297-1769}, doi = {10.3389/fvets.2025.1738018}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-10910}, pages = {17}, abstract = {The camel rumen harbors a unique and underexplored archaeal community that plays a critical role in methanogenesis and ruminal fermentation. This study aimed to characterize the taxonomic composition and functional potential of the camel rumen archaeome using whole-genome shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Across the seven healthy racing camel rumen samples, the archaeal community was dominated by Euryarchaeota (50.1 ± 0.02\%) and the Methanomada group (49.7 ± 0.03\%), with Methanobacteriaceae and Methanobrevibacter representing the predominant family and genus, respectively. Species-level analysis revealed Methanobrevibacter sp. YE315 and Methanobrevibacter millerae as the most abundant archaeal species across all samples. Alpha-diversity analyses indicated a diverse and evenly distributed archaeal population in the camel rumen. Beta-diversity based on Bray-Curtis and Jaccard dissimilarities demonstrated strong similarity among samples, highlighting a conserved archaeal community structure across individuals. Core microbiome assessment (≥ 80\% occurrence) identified seven dominant Methanobrevibacter species as the stable core archaeome. Functional profiling revealed a consistent metabolic repertoire dominated by methanogenesis (PWY-5209), amino acid biosynthesis, and nucleotide metabolism pathways. Functional alpha-diversity metrics and beta-diversity clustering highlighted low inter-sample variability and a stable functional architecture. Overall, the camel rumen archaeome exhibited a stable and conserved community composition and functional architecture, underscoring its central role in hydrogen utilization and methane production within the rumen ecosystem. Although based on a small number of animals from a single location and therefore descriptive in nature, this study provides a comprehensive metagenomic overview of the taxonomic and functional profiles of the camel rumen archaeal community.}, language = {en} } @article{HirschGreinerMuellerBodenetal., author = {Hirsch, Mareike and Greiner-M{\"u}ller, Evgenia and Boden, Simon and Hillenmeyer, Katharina and Mattes, Arno and Schuler, Johanna and Spathelf, Peter and Maaten, Ernst van der and Maaten-Theunissen, Marieke van der and Seifert, Thomas}, title = {Drought and masting affect growth allocation along the stem axis in beech, oak, fir and spruce in temperate forests}, series = {Trees}, volume = {40}, journal = {Trees}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, address = {Berlin/Heidelberg}, issn = {0931-1890}, doi = {10.1007/s00468-026-02723-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-10924}, abstract = {In temperate forests, tree growth and vitality are significantly influenced by drought, often reflected by low stem diameter growth. Additionally, masting, the cyclic production of seeds, can also affect growth, particularly through its interactions with environmental factors like drought. Despite extensive research on the individual impacts of drought and masting, their combined effects on growth allocation remain underexplored, especially for a broader variety of species. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating how drought and/or masting influence growth patterns in the coniferous species Abies alba and Picea abies , as well as the deciduous broadleaved species Fagus sylvatica and Quercus petraea . Utilising tree-ring data collected over several decades, we analysed how basal area increment (BAI) at 1.3 m stem height as well as along the stem axis responds to various scenarios of drought and masting. Our results showed that drought consistently reduced BAI in all species. F. sylvatica and P. abies experienced significantly lower BAI during mast years that coincided with drought, suggesting a potential trade-off between vegetative and reproductive growth under resource limitation. In contrast, Q. petraea exhibited higher BAI during mast years, indicating a distinct carbon allocation strategy. Furthermore, our study revealed that differences in BAI between mast and non-mast years were most prominent in the upper stem in the deciduous species, particularly during drought periods. These findings highlight the complex interactions between environmental stress, stem diameter growth and seed production, emphasising the need for further research into whole-tree carbon allocation processes.}, language = {en} } @article{SchueleHeinken, author = {Sch{\"u}le, Maren and Heinken, Thilo}, title = {Rapid shift in plant species composition in burned pine forests with different post-fire management}, series = {Fire Ecology}, volume = {22}, journal = {Fire Ecology}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer International Publishing}, address = {Cham}, issn = {1933-9747}, doi = {10.1186/s42408-025-00437-5}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-10959}, abstract = {Background Wildfires have burned large areas of forest in Central Europe in recent years, and the risk of fires is predicted to increase. However, this region is still underrepresented in fire ecology research. To help to fill this knowledge gap, we investigated post-fire vegetation composition and mean Ellenberg indicator values (EIV) in two burned Scots pine forests in NE Germany with different levels of salvage logging (no, partial, complete) in the first 6 years after a severe fire. Results Vegetation composition of burned plots differed drastically from unburned control plots, resulting in enhanced species richness (mainly due to open land species) and increased EIV for light, reaction, and nitrogen. In the first year, species richness was generally lower on completely salvage logged plots, as was EIV for light, reaction, and nitrogen. On non-salvage- and partially salvage logged plots, total species richness and the number of open land species, as well as forb cover, increased in the first 3 years and decreased thereafter. The number of forest species, as well as the cover of grasses and bryophytes, increased continuously on all plots. EIV for moisture, reaction, and nitrogen showed a temporal decrease. Conclusions We were able to show that even in the short period of up to 6 years after fire, vegetation changed rapidly. Post-fire species composition shifted from early open land pioneer species towards late successional forest species. Decreasing EIVs for reaction and nutrients indicate that the temporary increase in nutrient availability quickly dissipates, probably due to nutrient leaching. Post-fire management has a strong influence on post-fire vegetation. Even if some successional patterns remained similar for all salvage logging groups, recolonization of completely salvage logged plots was slower, resulting in lower species richness and ground vegetation cover. In the next years, the shift from pioneer towards late successional climax species will probably continue in our study areas as site conditions are expected to change further.}, language = {en} }