Artichoke bract silage as a wheat straw replacer in finishing beef steers: Effects on feed efficiency, oxidative status, intestinal morphometry and environmental impact

This study evaluated the effects of partially replacing wheat straw with artichoke bract silage on growth performance, serum biochemistry, plasma oxidative status, hepatic gene expression, intestinal morphometry and environmental impact in finishing beef steers. Forty-eight Belgian Blue × Holstein steers were assigned to three diets for 60 d: a control diet containing 150 g/kg dry matter (DM) wheat straw, and two diets in which wheat straw was replaced by 50 g/kg DM (S1) or 100 g/kg DM (S2) artichoke bract silage. Body weight, feed intake, serum biochemistry, plasma oxidative biomarkers and antioxidant enzymes, hepatic redox- and inflammation-related transcripts, intestinal morphometry and life cycle assessment outputs were evaluated. Final body weight, cold carcass weight and dressing percentage were not affected by treatment. Average daily gain was higher in S2 than in control, whereas feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio improved in both artichoke bract silage groups. Serum biochemical parameters remained unchanged. During the feeding period, plasma malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls decreased over time, while catalase and glutathione reductase were modulated. After transport, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and glutathione S-transferase responses differed among treatments. Artichoke bract silage reduced hepatic SOD1 expression, reduced GPX1 expression at the highest inclusion level, and increased NFKB expression. Treated steers showed greater villus height and villus height:crypt depth ratios. Life cycle assessment indicated lower global warming potential and fossil energy use, with trade-offs for abiotic depletion and water scarcity. Overall, artichoke bract silage improved feed efficiency and supported its use as an alternative roughage replacer in finishing beef diets.