Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Decoding the lncRNA landscape in bovine mastitis: insights into immune regulation and gene networks underlying host response","authors":"V. Bisutti, D. Giannuzzi, A. Vanzin, G. Giannotta, A. Cecchinato, G. Polizel, V. Asselstine, Á. Canovas, S. Pegolo","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01500-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01500-0","url":null,"abstract":"Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical regulatory elements of gene expression and play a crucial role in immune regulation of disease, such as bovine mastitis. With this study we evaluated expression profile of lncRNAs in subclinical intramammary infection (sIMI) from two pathogens: <italic>Streptococcus agalactiae</italic> (<italic>S. agalactiae</italic>; Sa+) and <italic>Prototheca</italic> spp. (P+) and predicted their interaction with protein coding genes in 31 Holstein cows. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) annotation and enrichment analysis was carried out on the lncRNAs partner genes for a comprehensive overview of their potential association with phenotypic traits. Finally, Partial Correlation and Information Theory (PCIT) and Regulatory Impact Factor (RIF) algorithms were adopted to assess co-expression network of differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) and genes (DEGs).","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149086487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of a low dose of 3-nitrooxypropanol and a combination of direct-fed microbials on methane emission, oral swab bacterial community, and performance in dairy cows","authors":"W. Wang,S. Danesh Mesgaran,R. Gomez Exposito,A. Rytz,N. Walker,E. Soussan,S. Pruvost,D. R. Yáñez-Ruiz,P. Lund","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01501-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01501-z","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background 3-Nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) can inhibit ruminal methane production by inactivating the key enzyme during methanogenesis. Combining 3-NOP and direct-fed microbials (DFM) can potentially provide a dual-action approach to reduce ruminal methane production. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementation of a low dose of 3-NOP and a mixture of DFM, on methane emissions, performance, and rumen microbial community of dairy cows. Results Forty-eight Danish Holstein dairy cows were used in a 14-week randomized complete block design. Due to a mixing error, 3-NOP was included at an unexpected low dose (6.0 mg/kg DM). Cows were fed with one of four experimental diets: (1) control diet, and other treatment diets were control diet supplemented with (2) 3-NOP, or with (3) DFM (12 mg/kg P. acidipropionici strain P169 and 120 mg/kg Bacillus subtilis and B. licheniformis mixture), or with (4) a combination of 3-NOP and DFM. 3-NOP inclusion did not affect DMI, feed efficiency, or milk yield and composition. DFM supplementation reduced partial mixed ration intake and total DMI. 3-NOP supplementation significantly reduced CH 4 production (g/d) (8%) and CH 4 intensity (g/kg ECM) (9%) but did not affect CH 4 yield (g/kg DMI). Furthermore, 3-NOP supplementation increased H 2 production, yield, and intensity. DFM supplementation reduced milk yield from weeks 3 to 8 and ECM yield from weeks 3 to 7, but these effects diminished over time. 3-NOP alone or in combination with DFM resulted in higher abundance of Megasphaera and Prevotella genera in oral swab samples. DFM supplementation had no effect on gas emissions, and it only tended to improve feed efficiency (ECM/DMI, kg/kg) during the later stage of the experiment. DFM supplementation led to higher abundance of certain species within the Lactobacillaceae family particularly at later stages of the experiment. Conclusions An unforeseen reduced dose of 3-NOP supplementation still can effectively mitigate methane emissions (both production and intensity) and increase H 2 emissions without affecting DMI or performance. DFM supplementation reduced DMI and milk yield at the onset of the experiment, but the effects subsided over time, resulting in an increased feed efficiency by the end of the experiment.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149090444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chestnut–quebracho tannins shape the fecal metabolome of weaned pigs through microbiota-dependent urolithin production","authors":"Federico Correa,Diana Luise,Francesco Palumbo,Daniel Scicchitano,Simone Rampelli,Silvia Molino,Nicola Panciroli,Marco Candela,Beatriz Garay-Mayol,María Ángeles Ávila-Gálvez,Antonio González-Sarrías,Andrea Castagnetti,Paolo Trevisi","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01503-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01503-x","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Chestnut and quebracho tannins may support gut health in weaned piglets, but their efficacy likely depends on farm environment and microbial capacity to convert tannins into bioactive metabolites. This study evaluated the effects of a blend of chestnut-derived hydrolysable tannins and quebracho-derived condensed tannins on growth performance, diarrhea occurrence, gut metagenome, and fecal metabolome in piglets reared under two commercial farm conditions. A total of 160 weaned piglets (initial body weight 6.53 ± 0.13 kg) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial design comprising 2 weaning units (W1 and W2) and 2 dietary treatments (control diet or control diet + 2 g/kg tannin blend; 40 piglets per treatment × farm). The trial lasted 76 d, with weighings at T0 (entry into weaning, median 28 d), T1 (d 35), T2 (d 49), and T3 (d 76). Fecal scores and samples were collected at T1, T2, and T3 for shotgun metagenomics (155 samples per time point) and untargeted metabolomics, and targeted urolithin quantification was performed in tannin-treated piglets at T1 and T2. Results Tannin supplementation did not affect overall growth performance throughout the weaning phase, but reduced diarrhea occurrence at T2 in W2 ( P  = 0.032). Species-level beta diversity was consistently affected by treatment across time points ( R 2 = 0.01–0.03; P  &lt; 0.01), whereas alpha diversity was mainly farm-driven during the early post-weaning phase. Linear discriminant analysis effect size identified farm-dependent taxonomic markers, including Escherichia coli in control pigs from W1 at T1 and Megasphaera elsdenii , Faecalibacterium prausnitzii , and Lactobacillus amylovorus in tannin-treated pigs at later time points. Untargeted metabolomics revealed treatment-related fecal signatures, with isourolithin A and urolithin B among the most discriminant metabolites in treated pigs, especially in W2. Targeted analysis identified 3 urolithin metabotypes (metabotype B in 50.0% of samples), with higher isourolithin A, urolithin B, and urolithin A in W2 than W1 at T2 ( P  &lt; 0.01). Network integration identified candidate cooperative microbial consortia associated with urolithin production, including Ellagibacter isourolithinifaciens ; these co-abundance associations are correlative and remain to be functionally validated. Conclusions Overall, chestnut–quebracho tannins were associated with a farm-dependent reduction in post-weaning diarrhea and modulated the gut ecosystem through microbiota-dependent polyphenol metabolism.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149090446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ZBED6 deletion activates FNDC1-mediated PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathways to promote myogenesis in pigs","authors":"Xiao Zhang,Ruirui Pan,Miaomiao Qin,Jiakai Tang,Yifan Han,Chuxiong Zhang,Jiahao Chen,Haoyu Pei,Shan Jiang,Lijing Bai,Jiangwei Wu","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01504-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01504-w","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Myogenesis is a tightly regulated biological process that is essential for skeletal muscle growth, regeneration, and livestock production. Although the transcription factor ZBED6 is a key regulator of skeletal muscle development, the downstream molecular mechanisms through which it controls myogenesis remain incompletely understood. Here, using ZBED6-deficient pigs and primary porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells, we sought to identify novel downstream targets of ZBED6 and elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying ZBED6-mediated regulation of myogenesis. Results By integrating transcriptomic, quantitative proteomic, and ChIP-seq datasets, we identified fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 1 (FNDC1), a muscle-derived secreted factor, as a previously unrecognized direct transcriptional target of ZBED6. ChIP-qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that ZBED6 directly binds to the FNDC1 promoter and represses its transcription. Functional analyses in primary porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells showed that ZBED6 knockdown markedly promoted myoblast proliferation, differentiation, and myotube formation, whereas FNDC1 knockdown partially attenuated these effects. Conversely, FNDC1 overexpression partially rescued the impaired myogenesis caused by ZBED6 overexpression. Mechanistically, ZBED6 deficiency promoted porcine myoblast proliferation and differentiation, at least in part, through FNDC1 -mediated activation of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathways. Consistently, pharmacological inhibition of either pathway significantly attenuated the enhanced porcine myoblast proliferation and differentiation induced by ZBED6 deficiency, supporting that activation of these signaling pathways contributes in part to the pro-myogenic effects mediated by the ZBED6-FNDC1 regulatory axis in porcine myoblasts. Conclusions This study identifies FNDC1 as a novel direct transcriptional target of ZBED6, supporting the ZBED6-FNDC1 axis as a regulatory mechanism contributing to porcine myoblast proliferation and differentiation. These findings expand the current understanding of the ZBED6 regulatory network and provide a cellular framework for future studies investigating skeletal muscle growth in vivo.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149092173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Postbiotics enhance immune competence in black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii): linking innate immunity, apoptosis, and resistance to bacterial infection","authors":"Su-Jeong Lee,Young-Sun Lee,Yu-Ri Kim,Soo-Bin Hwang,Mi-Hyeon Jeon,Seong-Mok Jeong,Jinho Bae,Min-Gi Kim,Byunghwa Min,Eun-Woo Lee,Won Je Jang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01502-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01502-y","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background This study investigated the functional potential and safety of postbiotics derived from Latilactobacillus curvatus NBL2305 as a dietary feed additive for juvenile black rockfish ( Sebastes schlegelii ). Fish were fed diets supplemented with NBL2305-derived postbiotics, and their effects on growth performance, immune responses, antioxidant capacity, apoptosis-related gene expression, intestinal microbiota, and disease resistance were evaluated. Results Supplementation with postbiotics significantly improved growth performance and feed utilization, as indicated by increased weight gain and specific growth rate, along with a reduced feed conversion ratio. Innate immune responses were enhanced, as demonstrated by elevated activities of myeloperoxidase, superoxide dismutase, and lysozyme together with the upregulated expression of immune-related genes, including il8 , il1b , tnfa , tnfsf13b , and nfkb1 . In addition, postbiotic treatment modulated apoptosis-related gene expression in the liver, characterized by the downregulation of pro-apoptotic genes ( bax , tp53 , and casp3 ) and the upregulation of anti-apoptotic genes ( bcl2 and xiap ), indicating an anti-apoptotic gene expression profile. The postbiotics also exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against major fish pathogens and considerable antioxidant capacity. These functional effects were further supported by an in vivo challenge test, in which the postbiotic-fed group showed significantly higher survival following Edwardsiella tarda infection. No adverse effects were observed in serum biochemical parameters, somatic indices, or histopathological analyses, supporting the short-term safety of supplementation under the experimental conditions evaluated. Moreover, the intestinal microbiota composition remained stable, with selective enrichment of beneficial taxa. Conclusions Collectively, these findings demonstrate that NBL2305-derived postbiotics are safe and effective functional feed additives that enhance growth, modulated innate immune responses, and disease resistance in aquaculture species.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149090447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbohydrate and protein adaptation in low-protein diets for livestock and poultry: a nutritional revolution from static balance to dynamic synergy","authors":"Shuang Cai,Jiayu Tu,Tongtong Yang,Shiyan Qiao,Xiangfang Zeng","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01507-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01507-7","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Low-protein diet is a pivotal strategy for alleviating protein feed shortage and promoting the sustainable development of the livestock industry. However, the utilization efficiency of carbohydrate and protein nutrients in livestock and poultry remains relatively low, and carbohydrate-protein metabolism asynchrony is the core bottleneck limiting their efficient utilization. Carbohydrate and protein adaptation, based on low-protein diets, makes a shift from traditional static energy and nitrogen balance theories. By precisely aligning the digestive release patterns of carbohydrates and proteins, it enables the synergistic and efficient utilization of energy and amino acids, representing a promising concept in the low-protein diet systems. Nevertheless, current evidence supporting carbohydrate and protein adaptation remains relatively limited and largely based on indirect inference. This review summarizes the patterns of digestion and absorption of carbohydrate and protein in livestock and poultry as well as their key regulatory factors, clarifies the core technology and cutting-edge research methodologies for carbohydrate and protein adaptation, and analyzes the mechanisms by which carbohydrate and protein adaptation influences production performance, meat quality, intestinal health, and nutritional metabolism regulation. In addition, this review proposes future research directions, including quantitative and precise regulation, microbiome-targeted modulation, and multi-omics mechanism analysis, providing a theoretical basis for further research and industrial application of carbohydrate and protein adaptation in low-protein diets for livestock and poultry.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149090448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Magnolol enhances yak oocyte maturation and blastocyst quality by improving lipid metabolism and redox homeostasis through a PPARγ-dependent mechanism","authors":"Qiyong Zuo,Hui Zhang,Donglan Zhong,Tianhao Li,Yuejiao Liao,Yangyang Pan,Libin Wang,Sijiu Yu,Yan Cui","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01494-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01494-9","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Reproductive efficiency in yaks is limited by the poor developmental competence of their oocytes during in vitro maturation (IVM). Magnolol (MAG), a natural polyphenolic compound with potent antioxidant activity, has been reported to regulate cellular metabolism and oxidative stress; however, its role in oocyte maturation and early embryonic development remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effects and molecular mechanisms of MAG on yak oocyte maturation and developmental competence. Methods Yak cumulus–oocyte complexes were cultured in IVM medium supplemented with different concentrations of MAG (0, 0.5, 1, 5, and 10 μmol/L). Oocyte maturation, cumulus expansion, oxidative stress indicators, mitochondrial function, apoptosis, and lipid metabolism were evaluated using fluorescence staining, qPCR, and immunofluorescence analysis. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict potential targets of MAG, and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) antagonist GW9662 was applied to verify the regulatory mechanism occurring during IVM and subsequent embryo development. Results Based on the concentration-screening results, 1 μmol/L MAG was selected for subsequent mechanistic and embryo-development analyses. MAG supplementation significantly improved oocyte maturation and cumulus expansion, enhanced glutathione levels and mitochondrial membrane potential, and reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation and apoptosis. MAG also promoted lipid droplet accumulation and upregulated the expression of lipid metabolism–related genes, including PPARG , CD36 , FABP3 , and FABP4 . Network pharmacology identified PPARγ as a key target of MAG. Pharmacological inhibition of PPARγ with GW9662 markedly reversed MAG-induced improvements in lipid metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and oocyte developmental competence. Furthermore, MAG increased blastocyst formation rate, total cell number, and CDX2 expression while reducing the blastocyst apoptosis. Conclusion MAG improves yak oocyte quality and embryonic developmental competence by promoting lipid homeostasis, maintaining redox balance, and enhancing mitochondrial function. The beneficial effects of MAG are closely associated with the involvement of PPARγ signaling in the regulation of lipid homeostasis. These findings provide a potential strategy for improving the efficiency of yak assisted reproductive technologies.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149090449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leptin attenuates heat stress-induced mitoxyperilysis in porcine Sertoli cells by suppressing the mtDNA-cGAS-STING axis","authors":"Ming Guo,Jinyang Zhang,Shanshan Gu,Yawen Gao,Zhendong Zhu,Tao Zhang,Hongzhao Lu,Jun Luo,Wenxian Zeng","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01489-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01489-6","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Mammalian spermatogenesis is highly temperature-sensitive and relies critically on the protective function of Sertoli cells. Although heat stress is known to affect Sertoli cell fate, it remains unclear whether it triggers mitoxyperilysis and by what mechanism. Leptin is a multifunctional hormone that regulates energy metabolism and is critical for mitochondrial integrity across various cell types. However, whether leptin safeguards Sertoli cells from heat stress‑induced mitoxyperilysis remains unclear. Results In this study, the results demonstrated that heat stress induced mitochondrial oxidative damage, leading to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) leakage and metabolic reprogramming. Mechanistically, heat stress compromised mitochondrial membrane integrity by promoting aberrant mPTP opening, triggering BAX/BAK oligomerization, and facilitating VDAC1 oligomerization, collectively leading to mtDNA leakage into the cytosol. The cytosolic mtDNA activated the cGAS-STING signaling, subsequently triggering TBK1-IRF3 and NF-κB signaling cascades, which drove inflammatory cytokine production and ultimately culminated in mitoxyperilysis. Importantly, leptin safeguarded mitochondrial integrity, effectively prevented mtDNA release and suppressed cGAS-STING activation, thereby attenuating mitoxyperilysis. Conclusions Collectively, these findings suggest that leptin may serve as a critical guardian of mitochondrial integrity that protects Sertoli cells from heat stress-induced mitoxyperilysis, highlighting its potential to support future therapeutic strategies for heat stress-related male reproductive dysfunction.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148894563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subacute ruminal acidosis in high-producing dairy cows: an integrated diet–microbiota–epithelium–host framework for diagnosis and nutritional management","authors":"Xinyi Zhang, Jingyi Xu, Yiyang Sun, Shixi Liu, Shengjun Zhai, Ziyi Zhao, Junhu Yao, Shengru Wu","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01472-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01472-1","url":null,"abstract":"High-producing dairy cows are commonly fed energy-dense diets to meet the nutrient demands of intensive milk production, but excessive rumen-degradable starch and insufficient physically effective fibre increase the risk of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). Rather than being defined only by low ruminal pH, SARA reflects a failure of acid-load adaptation, in which acid production exceeds the capacity for buffering, epithelial absorption, microbial adaptation, and host recovery. This review examines SARA within a diet–microbiota–epithelium–host framework, linking dietary acid-load pressure with microbial dysbiosis, epithelial barrier dysfunction, host inflammatory responses, diagnostic interpretation, and nutritional management. Particular emphasis is placed on interpreting ruminal pH as an indicator of acid-load exposure, integrating host-response and organ-level signals as supportive evidence for risk assessment, and matching nutritional strategies to disrupted points in acid-load control. By connecting mechanisms with diagnosis and nutritional decision-making, this review provides a structured basis for earlier SARA risk recognition and more targeted nutritional management in high-producing dairy cows.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"361 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148715735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating multi-layer perceptron and random forest in an ensemble framework for improved genomic prediction accuracy and SHAP-derived interpretability of residual feed intake in cattle","authors":"Edwin Jun Kiat Ong, Mark H. Mooney, Faisal I. Rezwan, Hui Wang, Masoud Shirali","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01476-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01476-x","url":null,"abstract":"Feed efficiency (FE) is recognized as a vital component of sustainable dairy production, with residual feed intake (RFI) serving as a key metabolic indicator of FE independent of production levels. However, the genetic improvement of this complex trait is limited by the inability of conventional genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (gBLUP) model to capture complex, non-linear genetic architectures and epistatic interactions. To address these limitations, this study aims to compare the predictive performance of machine learning (ML) approaches, specifically Random Forest (RF) and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) models, against standard gBLUP using genomic data from 220 UK Holstein cows genotyped with the BovineSNP50 v3 BeadChip with 47,446 quality-controlled single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), phenotyped for RFI from 1996–2023. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were applied to interpret SNP feature importance from the ML models, and an ensemble framework was implemented to leverage the complementary strengths of RF and MLP.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"184 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148687885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}