JAHP_14_1_190-198

Introduction

Livestock depend heavily on minerals for proper growth, functioning, and nutrient proficiencies, and the importance of copper, zinc, and manganese trace minerals is even more pronounced as integral constituents of certain enzymes controlling fundamental metabolic activities (Vatankhah et al., 2025). The majority of high meat producing animals stay deficit in consumption of a certain trace mineral because roughages rarely contain minerals in sufficient amounts. Hence, supplementation of diet is warranted. Research has established the role of water-soluble smart hydroxy trace minerals for the maintenance of rumen health and their adequacy for performance in weight gain animals. The simulation of rumen fermentation with different sources of hydroxy trace minerals, for instance copper and zinc, has positively affected the production of volatile fatty acids and gas which signify improvements in rumen fermentation efficiency and subsequently enhanced dry matter digestibility, animal tissue weight, and health in general (Byrne and Murphy, 2022). In addition, growth performance and nutrient assimilation of small ruminants is positively impacted by the other trace minerals as well.

AZOMITE (AZM) is a certified, naturally occurring mineral compound free from synthetic components. It is a unique mineral deposit formed from volcanic ash that settled into an ancient seabed and was later mined from a distinct geological region in Utah, USA. AZM is recognized globally as a valuable natural mineral supplement. It has been certified and approved as safe by several regulatory bodies and organizations, including the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI, USA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use in food production, the China Ministry of Agriculture (Feed Additive License, 2012, the Zhunzi 19th), and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). AZM is widely used as a natural mineral enhancer or ‘booster’ in livestock, aquaculture feeds, and organic agriculture due to its rich and diverse trace mineral content.

AZOMITE is the mixture of animal, plants residues and variety of minerals. It contains more than 70 trace and other minerals, especially rich in rare earth elements. According to an official analysis report, AZM contains Calcium (Ca) 5.17%, Potassium (K) 5.18%, Sodium (Na) 2.00%, Magnesium (Mg) 0.78%, Sulfur (S) 0.21%, Iron (Fe) 1.37%, Manganese (Mn) 0.02%,Zinc (Zn) 64.3 ppm, Cobalt (Co) 22.3 ppm, Copper (Cu) 13.5 ppm, Molybdenum (Mo) 12.6 ppm, Fluorine (F) 320 ppm, Lithium (Li) 859 ppm, Boron (B) 29 ppm, Chromium (Cr) 7.85 ppm, Lanthanum (La) 257 ppm, Cerium (Ce) 360 ppm, Praseodymium (Pr) 26.75 ppm, Tungsten (W) 31.00 ppm, Vanadium (V) 9.35 ppm, Nickel (Ni) 2.27 ppm and Tin (Sn) 2.90 ppm (Azomite, 2023).

Previous studies in poultry, fish, and lambs have confirmed that dietary AZM supplementation does not exert adverse effects on health status and overall performance, indicating its suitability as a natural mineral-based feed additive (Xu et al., 2021; Pirzado et al., 2022; Vizcarra-Chávez et al., 2024).

Interestingly, in various studies AZM is well established and widely used as natural feed additive in aquaculture and poultry feed industry to improve the growth performance and digestibility of nutrients and carcass characteristics (Azam et al., 2016; Pirzado et al., 2020). AZM is an important trace mineral and immune enhancer which has been used in the aquatic feed industry, livestock and organic agriculture for last two decades. Several research works pointed out that the addition of AZM in diets is effective on feed quality, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, nutrient utilization in shrimp, tilapia and Catfish (Liu et al., 2011; Mustafa et al., 2016: Batool et al., 2018). AZM also increases the nutrient digestibility and activity of digestive enzymes in tilapia (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) and broilers (Azam et al., 2016; Pirzado et al., 2022). Despite having findings on non-ruminant species, currently there is no reported studies are available on the effects of AZM in goats. Thus, this study was designed to assess growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and meat quality in male goats with dietary AZM supplementation.

Materials and Methods

Animal ethics

All experimental procedures involving animals were conducted in accordance with the guidelines and regulations approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam (Approval No. 679/2024). Proper care and management were ensured throughout the experimental period to minimize animal discomfort and stress.

Animal management, sample collection and digestibility analysis

For this research trial thirty-two castrated male goats, approximately 3–4 months of age with an initial average body weight of 9.0±1.0 kg, were utilized in this study. The goats were purchased from local livestock market and subjected to a 15-day acclimatization period under uniform management conditions. During this phase, goats were dewormed using a broad-spectrum anthelmintic, and health monitoring was conducted twice daily to ensure their fitness for the trial. The animals were individually housed in well-ventilated pens measuring 2.5 × 4.0 ft, with concrete flooring to facilitate hygiene and daily cleaning. Each pen was equipped to provide ad libitum access to fresh drinking water. Following acclimatization, goats were randomly allocated into four dietary treatment groups (n= 8 per group): A control group (CONT) receiving the basal diet, and three experimental groups supplemented with AZM- 0.2 (AZM-0.2 %), AZM-0.4 (AZM-0.4%), and AZM-0.6 (AZM-0.6%) of the total feed, respectively. All goats were offered a total mixed ration (TMR) twice daily, at 07:00 and 17:00 h. The feeding trial was conducted for 105 days, inclusive of the acclimatization period, during which standard animal welfare and management practices were strictly maintained. The TMR formulation are given in Table 1.

Table 1: Diet Composition and Nutrient Levels of ration (DM basis %).

Ingredients %*	CONT	AZM-0.2	AZM-0.4	AZM-0.6
Maize fodder	58	58	58	58
Wheat bran	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5
Rice polish	05	05	05	05
Maize	05	05	05	05
Molasses	02	02	02	02
Cotton seed cake	04	04	04	04
Guar meal	07	07	07	07
Soybean	05	05	05	05
Salt	01	0.8	0.6	0.5
MM	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Limestone	01	01	01	0.9
AZM	0.0	0.2	0.4	0.6
Total	100	100	100	100
Calculated nutrient %
DM	54.81	54.81	54.81	54.81
CP	16.06	16.02	16.0	15.99
ME (kcal/kg)	2380	2380	2380	2380
Fat	4.3	4.3	4.3	4.3
Fiber	15.6	15.6	15.6	15.6
ADF	22.22	22.22	22.22	22.22
NDF	26.88	26.88	26.88	26.88
Calcium (%)	1.09	1.10	1.10	1.11
Phosphorus (%)	0.73	0.73	0.73	0.73
Magnesium (%)	0.46	0.46	0.46	0.46
Potassium (%)	1.37	1.38	1.39	1.40
Sodium (%)	0.70	0.70	0.70	1.69
Phosphorus (%)	0.73	0.73	0.73	0.73
Magnesium (%)	0.46	0.46	0.46	0.46
Iron (ppm)	167.32	167.32	167.32	167.33
Zinc (ppm)	118.05	118.18	118.31	118.44
Copper (ppm)	19.17	19.20	19.22	19.25
Manganese (ppm)	107.00	107.00	107.00	107.00
Selenium (ppm)	0.56	0.56	0.56	0.56
Cobalt (ppm)	0.99	1.03	1.08	1.12
Iodine (ppm)	0.93	0.94	0.94	0.95
Molybdenum(ppm)	12.60	12.63	12.65	12.68
Chromium(ppm)	0.0	0.02	0.03	0.05
Lanthanum(ppm)	0.0	0.51	1.03	1.54
Cerium(ppm)	0.0	0.72	1.44	2.16
Praseodymium(ppm)	0.0	0.05	0.11	0.16
Tungsten(ppm)	0.0	0.06	0.12	0.19
Vanadium(ppm)	0.0	0.02	0.04	0.06
Nickel(ppm)	0.0	0.005	0.009	0.014
Tin(ppm)	0.0	0.006	0.012	0.017

*MM: Mineral mixture (The premix provided the following per kg of the diet: VA 3 000 IU, VD3 750 IU, VE 6 mg, nicotinamide 11 mg, Cu (as copper sulfate) 11 mg, Fe (as ferrous sulfate) 40 mg, Mn (as manganese sulfate) 50 mg, Zn (as zinc sulfate) 50 mg, Se (as sodium selenite) 0.25 mg, Co (as cobalt chloride) 0.5 mg, I (as calcium iodate) 0.4 mg); AZM: Azomite; DM: dry matter; CP: crude protein; ME: metabolizable energy; ADF: acid detergent fiber; NDF: neutral detergent fiber.

Growth and digestibility analysis

Following the adaptation period, initial body weights were individually recorded. Final live body weights were measured on the 90th day of the experimental trial. To measure feed intake, feed refusals were recorded daily for each animal. Growth performance parameters, including weight gain (WG), average daily gain (ADG), average daily dry matter intake (ADDMI), and feed efficiency (FE), were calculated using the following standard formulas:

For the determination of nutrient digestibility, excreta samples were collected individually from each animal in treatment (n= 08 goats) continuously during the last week of the study. Freshly voided feces were immediately frozen at −20 °C, then subsequently dried in a forced-air oven at 65 °C for 48 hours. The dried samples were ground to a uniform particle size and stored at 4 °C until further chemical analysis. Both feed and fecal samples were analyzed for dry matter (DM; method 930.15), crude protein (CP; Kjeldahl method, N × 6.25; method 954.01), ether extract (EE; method 991.36), and ash (method 942.05) using standard procedures outlined by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 2000). The concentrations of acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were determined following the procedures described by Van Soest et al. (1991). The digestibility of nutrients was calculated using following formula.

Carcass cuts and meat quality parameters

The goats were fasted for about 6 hours before to slaughter, with free access to water. The animals were slaughtered following the halal method, confirming complete bleeding. After whole blood removed, carcass was deskinned, and visceral organs were carefully removed before subsequent carcass and meat quality evaluations. Carcass characteristics, including carcass weight, dressing percentage, and leg length, were recorded following the procedures outlined by Lawler et al. (2004). 500g meat samples were obtained from the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle for physico-chemical analysis. The LD muscle was excised from the left side of each carcass between the 8th and 11th thoracic vertebrae, as described by Honikel (1998), and all visible fat was carefully removed prior to analysis. The pH of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was assessed 24 hours post-slaughter to determine the ultimate pH. A representative 10 g sample of LD muscle was mechanically homogenized in 90 mL of distilled water, and pH was subsequently measured using a calibrated digital pH meter, following the procedure described by Ockerman (1985). Water-holding capacity (WHC) was assessed following the procedure by Wardlaw et al. (1973). Briefly, 8 g of meat was mixed with 12 mL of 0.6 M NaCl solution in a test tube and centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 15 minutes at 4 °C. The supernatant was discarded, and WHC was calculated and expressed as a percentage. Cooking loss was evaluated based on the method of Kondaiah et al. (1985). A 20 g meat sample was sealed in a polyethylene bag and heated in a water bath until the internal temperature reached 72 °C. The sample was then cooled, and the weight difference before and after cooking was used to calculate cooking loss. Drip loss was measured following the protocol described by Sen et al. (2004). A 100 g meat sample was placed in a sealed polyethylene bag and stored at 4 °C for 24 hours. After refrigeration, the sample was removed, gently blotted with filter paper, and reweighed. The difference in weight before and after storage was recorded as drip loss. Chemical composition of the meat including moisture, crude protein, ether extract, and ash was determined using standard methods outlined by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 2000).

Statistical analysis

The complete dataset was analyzed using a one-way ANOVA in SPSS version 24 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Normality of the data was evaluated via the Shapiro–Wilk test, and homogeneity of variances was examined using Levene’s test. The comparison of treatment means was performed with the Tukey post hoc test. Results were expressed as mean ± standard error (SE). Statistical significance was established at P < 0.05.

Results

Growth performance

The impact of dietary AZM supplementation on the growth performance of male goats is presented in Table 2. The final live body weight (FLBW), weight gain (WG), and average daily gain (ADG) were significantly improved (P < 0.05) in goats fed AZOMITE, with the highest values observed in the AZM-0.4 group. Average dry matter intake (ADMI) was significantly influenced by treatment (P<0.05), with higher values in AZM-0.2 and AZM-0.4 groups compared to the control. Feed efficiency (FE) was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) by AZM supplementation, with lower FE values indicating better efficiency in AZM-supplemented groups, especially AZM-0.4.

Table 2: Effect of AZOMITE on growth performance of male goats.

Items	Dietary treatments				SE	P value
Items	CONT	AZM-0.2	AZM-0.4	AZM-0.6	SE	P value
IBW (kg)	9.08	9.07	9.10	9.6	0.08	0.953
FLBW (kg)	15.49d	18.51b	19.63a	16.50c	0.79	<0.001
WG (kg)	6.41d	9.44b	10.53a	7.44c	0.27	0.0027
ADG (g)	71.30d	104.89b	117.04a	82.74c	3.04	<0.001
ADDMI (g)	499.87b	506.50a	503.43ab	504.67ab	9.02	0.025
FE (g/g)	7.03 a	4.83 b	4.30 b	4.61 b	0.20	0.001

CONT: control diet; AZM-0.2: Azomite 0.2%; AZM-0.4: Azomite 0.4%; AZM-0.6: Azomite 0.6%; FLBW: final live body weight; WG: weight gain; ADG: average daily gain; ADDMI: average daily dry matter intake; FE: feed efficiency.

Nutrient digestibility

As indicated in Table 3, AZM supplementation significantly enhanced dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and fat digestibility (P < 0.01). Ash retention was also significantly affected (P < 0.05), with AZM-0.4 showing improved values over the CONT. The highest (P < 0.05) acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) retainability observed in AZM-0.4. The AZM-0.4 group consistently exhibited the highest nutrient retention values.

Table 3: Effect of AZOMITE on nutrient digestibility of male goats (%).

Items (%)	Dietary treatments				SE	P value
Items (%)	CONT	AZM-0.2	AZM-0.4	AZM-0.6	SE	P value
DM	70.63b	71.03b	73.35a	69.47c	0.49	0.0001
CP	68.15b	68.90b	71.77a	67.41c	0.49	0.0001
Fat	76.21b	76.76b	79.53a	73.62c	0.62	0.0001
Ash	82.27ab	82.52ab	84.04a	79.70b	1.31	0.027
ADF	42.29ab	43.16ab	44.48a	39.21b	1.50	0.015
NDF	45.20b	45.70ab	47.96a	43.73b	0.82	0.006

CONT: control diet; AZM-0.2: Azomite 0.2%; AZM-0.4: Azomite 0.4%; AZM-0.6: Azomite 0.6%; DM: dry matter; CP: crude protein; ADF: acid detergent fiber; NDF: neutral detergent fiber.

Dressing characteristics

As shown in Table 4, carcass weight (P < 0.01), dressing percentage and most primal cut weights including hind leg, front leg, loin, ribs (P < 0.05), loin and shoulder were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the AZM-0.4 group compared to the CONT. The weight of neck showed no difference in all treatments. Moreover, organ weights such as heart, liver, and kidney and spleen showed no significant differences among treatments (P < 0.05).

Table 4: Effect of AZOMITE on carcass performance of male goats.

Items	Dietary treatments				SE	P value
Items	CONT	AZM-0.2	AZM-0.4	AZM-0.6	SE	P value
CW (kg)	6.06c	7.52b	8.32a	6.50c	0.19	<0.001
DP (%)	44.97b	45.53ab	47.20a	44.77b	0.75	0.017
Hind Leg (kg)	1.11b	1.12b	1.37a	1.10b	0.03	0.021
Front Leg (kg)	0.70c	0.76b	0.85a	0.72c	7.92	0.011
Neck (kg)	0.79	0.84	0.89	0.72	0.03	0.092
Ribs (kg)	1.30b	1.38b	1.73a	1.31b	0.04	0.0041
Loin (kg)	0.75c	0.80b	1.09a	0.77bc	0.01	<0.001
Shoulder (kg)	0.27b	0.33b	0.56a	0.27b	0.04	<0.001
Heart (kg)	0.10	0.11	0.13	0.11	0.01	0.069
Liver (kg)	0.30	0.34	0.34	0.30	0.01	0.075
Kidney (kg)	0.09	0.10	0.12	0.10	4.86	0.069
Spleen (kg)	0.04	0.05	0.05	0.04	4.56	0.213

CONT: control diet; AZM-0.2: Azomite 0.2%; AZM-0.4: Azomite 0.4%; AZM-0.6: Azomite 0.6%, CW: carcass weight; DP: dressing percentage.

Physicochemical properties of meat

The effects of AZOMITE on meat quality parameters are presented in Table 5. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in moisture content, crude protein, fat, ash, or pH values among the treatments. However, the CL and DL was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in the AZM-0.4 group. However, water-holding capacity (WHC) was significantly improved (P < 0.05) in AZM-0.4 group.

Table 5: Effect of AZOMITE on physicochemical propertied of meat of male goats.

Items	Dietary treatments				SE	P value
Items	CONT	AZM-0.2	AZM-0.4	AZM-0.6	SE	P value
MOIS (%)	71.24	71.21	71.54	71.55	2.39	0.731
CP (%)	19.86	19.92	20.04	19.74	0.64	0.906
Fat (%)	3.80	3.79	3.62	3.86	0.34	0.910
Ash (%)	1.11	1.15	1.21	1.26	0.13	0.684
pH	5.93	5.75	5.65	5.900	0.24	0.201
CL (%)	30.26a	27.67ab	26.03b	30.26a	1.03	0.035
DL (%)	4.84a	3.43ab	2.42b	2.95b	0.10	0.021
WHC (%)	69.52b	70.68ab	71.79a	68.77b	1.65	0.007

CONT: control diet; AZM-0.2: Azomite 0.2%; AZM-0.4: Azomite 0.4%; AZM-0.6: Azomite 0.6%; MOIS: moisture; CP: crude protein; CL: cooking loss; DL: drip loss; WHC: water holding capacity.

Discussion

The livestock industry is emphasizing increasing goat production through efficient feed utilization and enhanced nutrient digestibility to improve mutton yield (Pirzado et al., 2016). Many feed additives are now being used to improve animal efficiency, e.g., prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, essential oils, enzymes, edible insects and immune enhancers (Qureshi et al., 2024; Abbasi, 2024, 2025; Zakria et al., 2025). Consequently, trace minerals (organic and inorganic) and rare earth elements have gained more popularity for improving growth performance, nutrient utilization, health status, and immunity in poultry, small ruminants, and other animal species (Sheoran, 2017; Pirzado et al., 2021; Samarin et al., 2022; Vizcarra-Chávez, 2024).

AZM has been identified as a functional mineral supplement and feed additive that enhances growth performance and nutrient utilization in aquaculture and poultry, primarily through improvements in digestive efficiency (Liu et al., 2011; Batool et al., 2018; Pirzado et al., 2022). The beneficial effects of AZM are likely mediated by multiple mechanisms, which may include the binding of dietary toxins, improved bioavailability of nutrients, and the unique contribution of its complex mineral profile. Specifically, its composition comprising hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate, rare earth elements, and diverse trace minerals provides essential cofactors that support metabolic, digestive, and physiological processes in animals. The present study offers novel insights into the application of AZM supplementation in goats. To the best of our knowledge, evidence on the dietary incorporation of AZM in goats remains scarce, and information regarding its effects on growth performance and nutrient utilization is particularly limited.

In the present study, dietary supplementation of 0.4% AZM in goats resulted in improved average dry matter intake (ADMI), average daily gain (ADG), body weight gain (BWG), and feed efficiency. These findings are consistent with earlier reports demonstrating enhanced ADG, average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in aquatic species such as shrimp, tilapia, and catfish following AZM supplementation (Liu et al., 2009, 2011; Musthafa et al., 2016). Comparable outcomes were also observed by Pirzado et al. (2022), who reported that inclusion of 0.25% and 0.5% AZM in broiler diets significantly improved ADG and FCR in broiler chickens. Moreover, an earlier study reported that dietary supplementation with 4.0 g/kg AZM significantly improved growth performance in koi carp fingerlings (Jaleel et al., 2015). Previous studies have attributed improvements in growth performance and feed efficiency to enhanced nutrient digestibility, absorption, and metabolism associated with AZM supplementation (Azam et al., 2016). These effects may be linked to the diverse trace minerals in AZM, which act as cofactors for digestive enzymes, stimulate rumen microbial activity, and optimize nutrient absorption, thereby contributing to improved growth efficiency and overall performance (Samarin et al., 2022).

Male goats receiving a diet containing 0.4% AZM exhibited a statistically significant increase in the in vivo digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), fat, and the fiber fractions, namely acid and neutral detergent fibre (ADF and NDF). These findings corroborate earlier work in poultry, where broilers receiving identical dosage levels of AZM (0.25 and 0.5%) also demonstrated enhanced digestibility of DM, CP, fat, and fibre (Pirzado et al., 2022). Comparable augmentations in DM and CP digestibility were recorded in tilapia following AZM inclusion (Fodge et al., 2011), thereby suggesting a potential species-invariant mode of action mediated by the additive. Furthermore, complementary research illustrated that the incorporation of nano zinc oxide into lamb rations elicited marked increases in the digestibility of DM, CP, ADF, and NDF (Abadi, 2024). Notably, supplementation with trace minerals in male goats was recently shown to yield improvements in digestibility metrics for ADF and NDF (Thamizhan et al., 2024), underscoring the collective impact of mineral fortification strategies. AZM itself serves as a concentrated reservoir of both ubiquitous and oligoelement minerals including rare earth elements which are speculated to mediate enhancements in microbial and enteric digestibility, absorption kinetics, and overall gastrointestinal function. The incorporation of specific minerals into diets characterized by rumen-degradable protein (RDP) and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) significantly improves both feed digestibility and fermentation efficiency in the rumen, as corroborated by Vigh et al. (2023). Sulphur, within this cohort, assumes a key positive role in enhancing rumen microbial metabolism because it activates microbial protein synthesis, a process critical for optimal growth and metabolic stability in ruminants, as articulated by Rosmalia et al. (2022). Nutritional equilibria, fortified by the judicious inclusion of key minerals, foster amplified microbial proliferation and confer a concurrent rise in digestibility, the effectiveness of which has been documented in the findings of Hao et al. (2018) and Lv et al. (2020). These empirical observations lend credence to the hypothesis that the administration of AZM may, through an augmentation of gastrointestinal digestive enzyme activity, increase both proteolytic and amylolytic pathways. Such a metabolic up-regulation would, in turn, antagonistically effect protein and carbohydrate fermentation, ultimately translating into heightened nutrient assimilation and, as a corollary, accelerated growth and enhanced weight gain in male goats.

Carcass performance, including all major primal cuts, was significantly improved in goats supplemented with 0.4% AZM in the diet, with the exception of the spleen, which showed no significant difference. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have been published to date that specifically evaluate the effects of AZM supplementation on carcass characteristics in goats. Our findings are inconsistent with those documented by Pirzado et al. (2022), who observed that AZM supplementation in broiler diets enhanced carcass traits, including dressing percentage, breast and leg yields, and organ weights. Similarly, several studies have documented that dietary inclusion of 2–4 g/kg AZM in fish significantly improved body mass and overall growth performance (Azam et al., 2016; Batool et al., 2018). Moreover, selenium yeast supplementation has been shown to improve carcass weight, dressing percentage, and leg muscle yield in goats (Samo et al., 2018). Comparable results were reported by Aghwan et al. (2016), who demonstrated that dietary supplementation with a combination of selenium and iodine significantly enhanced carcass weight and dressing percentage in goats. The enhancement in carcass cuts observed with AZM supplementation is likely attributable to improved nutrient bioavailability, which enhances nitrogen retention and amino acid utilization. This, in turn, stimulates muscle protein synthesis and promotes lean tissue accretion, particularly in metabolically active, high-yield regions such as the loin, legs, and shoulder muscles (Yao et al., 2024).

The findings indicate that AZM supplementation had no discernible effect on the proximate composition of goat meat, including moisture, crude protein, fat, ash, and pH. However, dietary inclusion of AZM at the 0.4% level markedly improved key functional meat quality attributes (WHC, DL and CL). Our findings are in agreement with those of Zhang et al. (2024), who indicated that the use of organic mineral chelates lowered cooking loss (CL) in the meat of sheep. Evidence from Verma et al. (2025) corroborates these observations, as their findings shown that mineral supplementation concurrently reduced both cooking loss (CL) and drip loss (DL) in goat meat. However, the study led by Huang et al. (2014) reported that the addition of trace minerals shown no notable alteration in either cooking loss (CL) and drip loss (DL) in goat meat. Notably, reductions in cooking loss and drip loss suggest enhanced water retention capacity in the muscle tissue, which is a critical determinant of meat quality during processing and storage and reduces the flavor (Huff-Lonergan and Lonergan, 2005). These improvements may be attributed to the mineral-rich composition of AZM, which potentially contributes to better muscle fiber integrity and postmortem water-binding properties, thereby supporting its application as a functional feed additive in meat-producing goats.

Conclusion

Supplementation with AZM at a concentration of 0.4% markedly improved the growth performance of male goats, elevated nutrient digestibility, and enhanced the physicochemical attributes of meat. Thus, the results suggest that the moderate incorporation of AZM is capable of conferring considerable productive advantages in goat production. To establish the robustness of these observations, it is advisable that follow-up trials be conducted with expanded cohorts and prolonged experimental periods.

Acknowledgement

The authors are deeply grateful to the Department of Animal Nutrition, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam for the provision of vital facilities and steady support that made this study possible.

Novelty Statement

The current study investigates the effect of AZM supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and meat quality traits of goats. Although AZM has been studied in poultry, fish and lambs, there is no publication on the effect of AZM on goats. Filling such existing gaps, this study seeks to provide new insights regarding the efficacy of mineral complexes for productivity and carcass attributes and meat quality of small ruminants.

Author Contribution

SAB: Investigation, visualization, software and initial draft of manuscript. SAP: Conceptualization, supervision and review and editing the final. RA: Methodology. MCA: Formal analysis. GSB: Data curation.

Data availability

The data will be made available by the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Generative AI and AI-assisted technology statement

The authors declare that no generative AI and AI-assisted technologies were used in the writing, editing, data analysis, and preparation of manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared no conflict of interest.

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