Portfolio

2025

• Determining the effects of tylosin, and live or autolyzed Saccharomyces cerevisiae as supplements in high-grain finishing feedlot diets containing monensin on cattle performance, feeding behaviour, digestibility, and carcass characteristics. 2025. Williams, M. S., AlZahal, O., Steele, M. A., Penner, G. B. and Wood, K.M. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. Submitted March 2025.
• Preference for and acceptability of a fat-microencapsulated anionic salt by dry dairy cows. 2025. Bruner, S. J., Wood, K.M., AlZahal, O. and DeVries, T. J. Journal of Dairy Science. Submitted July 2025.

2024

• The impact of a gut health supplement on growth performance, indicators of gastrointestinal health, and carcass characteristics in finishing feedlot steers.. 2024. Lesperance, W. J., Duarte, M., Cant, J., Alzahal, O. and K. Wood International symposium on Ruminant Physiology, Chicago, IL.
• Impact of a microencapsulated blend of fermentation extracts, essential oils, and organic acids on the productivity of dairy cows. 2024. AlZahal, O., Bunod, J.-D. and Fontaine, J. Journal of Dairy Science. 107(Suppl. 1):437.
• Female dairy calves fed with a rumen-protected B-vitamin blend around weaning may have better odds of reaching first lactation and improving milk production.. 2024. Roszkos, R., Bouchut, D., Asselstine, V., AlZahal, O. and Brisson, V. Journal of Dairy Science. 107(Suppl. 1):331.

2023

• Impact of microencapsulated fermentation extracts, essential oils, and organic acids on productivity and fecal microbiota of dairy cows. 2023. Crespo, S. E. Izzo, Villalobos, O., AlZahal, O., Lahaye, L. and Costa, M. Symposium on Gut Health in Production of Food Animals, St. Louis, Missouri. Pages:19.
• Assessment of the effects of supplemental rumen protected B vitamins and choline for periparturient cows: A meta-analysis of 28 feeding studies. 2023. Evans, Essi, Fontaine, Emilie, AlZahal, Ousama and Gwyn, Chris Open Journal of Animal Sciences. 13:151-165. [doi]

2021

• Periparturient performance of dairy cows receiving a rumen-protected blend of B vitamins and choline during the transition period: A meta-analysis of 23 feeding trials. 2021. Evans, E., AlZahal, O., Gwyn, C. and Leclerc, H. Journal of Dairy Science. 104(Suppl.):315.
• Effect of adding different levels of fibrolytic enzyme solu tion on degradability and kinetics of whole-crop faba bean silage. 2021. Yang, J., Christensen, D. A., Lardner, H. (B.), Oquendo, V. H. Guevara, Refat, B., AlZahal, O. and Yu, P. Journal of Dairy Science. 104(Suppl. 1):298.
• Assessment of Lactational Performance in Dairy Cows Receiving a Rumen Protected B Vitamin Blend during Lactation: Part 2: A Regression Analysis of 50 Studies. 2021. Evans, Essi, Leclerc, Helene, Fontaine, Emilie, AlZahal, Ousama and Santin, Elizabeth Open Journal of Animal Sciences. 11:623-634. [doi]
• The impacts of a fibrolytic enzyme additive on digestibility and performance in the grower and early finisher period, and supplemental Saccharomyces cerevisiae on performance and rumen health in the late finisher period for feedlot cattle. 2021. Williams, Melissa S., AlZahal, Ousama, Mandell, Ira B., McBride, Brian W., Wood, Katharine M. and Miglior, Filippo Canadian Journal of Animal Science. 101:527-547. [doi]
• Evaluating the effects of fibrolytic enzymes on rumen fermentation, omasal nutrient flow, and production performance in dairy cows during early lactation. 2021. Refat, Basim, Christensen, David A., Ismael, Aya, Feng, Xin, Rodríguez-Espinosa, María E., Guevara-Oquendo, Victor H., Yang, Jenchieh, AlZahal, Ousama, Yu, Peiqiang and Miglior, Filippo Canadian Journal of Animal Science. e-First:1-11. [doi]
• Assessment of Lactational Performance in Dairy Cows Receiving a Rumen Protected B Vitamin Blend during Lactation: Part 1: A Meta-Analysis of 50 Studies. 2021. Evans, Essi, Leclerc, Helene, AlZahal, Ousama and Santin, Elizabeth Open Journal of Animal Sciences. 11:580-590. [doi]

2020

• Fecal bacterial community of finishing beef steers fed ruminally protected and non-protected active dried yeast. 2020. Ran, T., Jiao, P., AlZahal, O., Xie, X., Beauchemin, K. A., Niu, D. and Yang, W. Journal of Animal Science. 98:1-10. [doi]
• The effect of supplementing pony diets with yeast on 1. In vivo and in vitro digestibility, faecal pH and particle size. 2020. Garber, A., Hastie, P. M., Farci, V., Bulmer, L., AlZahal, O. and Murray, J. M. D. Animal. Pages:1-12. [doi]

2019

• Screening of live yeast and yeast derivatives for their impact of strain and dose on in vitro ruminal fermentation and microbial profiles with varying media pH levels in high-forage beef cattle diet. 2019. Jiao, P., Wei, C., Sun, Y., Xie, X., Zhang, Y., Wang, S., Hu, G., AlZahal, O. and Yang, W. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 99:6751-6760. [doi]

2018

• Using ruminally protected and nonprotected active dried yeast as alternatives to antibiotics in finishing beef steers: growth performance, carcass traits, blood metabolites, and fecal Escherichia coli. 2018. Ran, T., Shen, Y. Z., Saleem, A. M., AlZahal, O., Beauchemin, K. A. and Yang, W. Z. Journal of Animal Science. 96:4385-4397. [doi]
• The effect of fibrolytic enzymes on lactation performance, feeding behavior, and digestibility in high-producing dairy cows fed a barley silage-based diet. 2018. Refat, B., Christensen, D. A., McKinnon, J. J., Beattie, A. D., McAllister, T., Yang, W., AlZahal, O. and Yu, P. Journal of Dairy Science. 101(Suppl. 2):355.

2017

• Factors influencing ruminal bacterial community diversity and composition and microbial fibrolytic enzyme abundance in lactating dairy cows with a focus on the role of active dry yeast. 2017. AlZahal, O., Li, F., Guan, L. L., Walker, N. D. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 100:4377-4393. [doi]

2016

• Analysis of the distal gut bacterial community by 454-pyrosequencing in captive giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis). 2016. AlZahal, O., Valdes, E. V. and McBride, B. W. Zoo Biology. 35:42-50. [doi]

2015

• Feeding butter with elevated content of trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid to obese-prone rats impairs glucose and insulin tolerance. 2015. Hamilton, M., Hopkins, L. E., AlZahal, O., MacDonald, T. L., Cervone, D. T., Wright, D. C., McBride, B. W. and Dyck, D. J. Lipids Health Dis. 14:119. [doi]
• The periparturient period is associated with structural and transcriptomic adaptations of rumen papillae in dairy cattle. 2015. Steele, M. A., Schiestel, C., AlZahal, O., Dionissopoulos, L., Laarman, A. H., Matthews, J. C. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 98:2583-2595. [doi]
• Do Cows Under Subacute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA) Attempt to Self-Medicate? 2015. Hendriksen, E, AlZahal, O, Wright, T C, McGinnis, A and McBride, B W American Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. 10:197-201. [doi]

2014

• Active dry Saccharomyces cerevisiae can alleviate the effect of subacute ruminal acidosis in lactating dairy cows. 2014. AlZahal, O., Dionissopoulos, L., Laarman, A. H., Walker, N. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 97:7751-7763. [doi]

2013

• Technical note: Use of laser capture microdissection for the localization of tissue-specific global gene expression in rumen papillae. 2013. Steele, M. A., AlZahal, O., Greenwood, S. L., Matthews, J. C. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 96:7748-7752. [doi]

2011

• The use of a radiotelemetric ruminal bolus to detect body temperature changes in lactating dairy cattle. 2011. AlZahal, O., AlZahal, H., Steele, M. A., Van Schaik, M., Kyriazakis, I., Duffield, T. F. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 94:3568-74. [doi]

2010

• Effect of subacute ruminal acidosis on milk fat concentration, yield and fatty acid profile of dairy cows receiving soybean oil. 2010. AlZahal, O., Or-Rashid, M. M., Greenwood, S. L. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Research. 77:376-384. [doi]

2009

• The effect of dietary fiber level on milk fat concentration and fatty acid profile of cows fed diets containing low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. 2009. AlZahal, O., Or-Rashid, M. M., Greenwood, S. L., Douglas, M. S. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 92:1108-1116. [doi]
• The use of a telemetric system to continuously monitor ruminal temperature and to predict ruminal pH in cattle. 2009. AlZahal, O., Steele, M. A., Valdes, E. V. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 92:5697-5701. [doi]

2008

• Ruminal temperature may aid in the detection of subacute ruminal acidosis. 2008. AlZahal, O., Kebreab, E., France, J., Froetschel, M. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 91:202-207. [doi]
• Effects of monensin and dietary soybean oil on milk fat percentage and milk fatty acid profile in lactating dairy cows. 2008. AlZahal, O., Odongo, N. E., Mutsvangwa, T., Or-Rashid, M. M., Duffield, T. F., Bagg, R., Dick, P., Vessie, G. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 91:1166-1174. [doi]
• Data capture: Development of a mobile open-circuit ventilated hood system for measuring real-time gaseous emissions in cattle. 2008. Odongo, NE, AlZahal, O., Las, JE, Kramer, A., Kerrigan, B., Kebreab, E., France, J., McBride, BW, France, J. and Kebreab, E. Chapter in Mathematical Modelling in Animal Nutrition (France, J., Kebreab, E., eds.). CABI Publishing: Wallingford, UK.

2007

• Technical note: A system for continuous recording of ruminal pH in cattle. 2007. AlZahal, O., Rustomo, B., Odongo, N. E., Duffield, T. F. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Animal Science. 85:213-217. [doi]
• A mathematical approach to predicting biological values from ruminal pH measurements. 2007. AlZahal, O., Kebreab, E., France, J. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Dairy Science. 90:3777-3785. [doi]

2006

• Effects of mild heat stress and grain challenge on acid-base balance and rumen tissue histology in lambs. 2006. Odongo, N. E., AlZahal, O., Lindinger, M. I., Duffield, T. F., Valdes, E. V., Terrell, S. P. and McBride, B. W. Journal of Animal Science. 84:447-455. [doi]