Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Unlocking the power of swine gut bacteria: newly isolated Blautia strain and its metabolites inhibit the replication of Salmonella Typhimurium in macrophages and alleviate DSS-induced colitis in mice","authors":"Jiatong Wei, Yang Liu, Hua Li, Ze Lu, Yanjiao Liu, Yifan Zhang, Cong Lan, Aimin Wu, Jun He, Jingyi Cai, Gang Tian, Daiwen Chen, Bing Yu, Zhiqing Huang, Ping Zheng, Xiangbing Mao, Jie Yu, Junqiu Luo, Hui Yan, Jiayong Tang, Huifen Wang, Quyuan Wang, Yuheng Luo","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01208-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01208-7","url":null,"abstract":"Inflammatory bowel disease is a significant health concern for both humans and large-scale farm animals. In the quest for effective alternatives to antibiotics, next-generation probiotics (NGPs) have emerged as a promising option. The genus Blautia presents a rich source of potential NGP strains. Here we successfully isolated Blautia hominis LYH1 strain from the intestines of healthy weaned piglets and characterized its biological traits. Its anti-inflammatory activity was then assessed using macrophages, while its protective effects against colitis and gut barrier damage were validated in a DSS-induced mouse colitis model. B. hominis LYH1 displayed typical characteristics of an obligate anaerobe, including non-hemolytic and non-motile features, and a genome enriched with carbohydrate-active enzyme genes. It produced metabolites with antibiotic-like compounds, demonstrating antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. In vitro, B. hominis LYH1 effectively inhibited pathogen replication in macrophages, reducing cellular infections and alleviating inflammatory damage. In vivo, oral administration of B. hominis LYH1 or its metabolites significantly mitigated DSS-induced colitis in mice by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, inhibiting T-lymphocyte activation, and enhancing short-chain fatty acid production. Our findings underscore B. hominis LYH1’s potential as a NGP for maintaining gut health and combating intestinal inflammation. These findings offer valuable insights into the development of antibiotic alternatives and innovative strategies for preventing and treating enteritis in both agricultural and medical settings.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144341361","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":"Nutritional strategies for Nile tilapia: protein and carbohydrate balances in saline-alkaline aquaculture","authors":"Wei Liu, Erchao Li, Chang Xu, Liqiao Chen, Xiaodan Wang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01215-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01215-8","url":null,"abstract":"The development of saline-alkaline water aquaculture is an important part of the development of the global food supply. However, there is still limited knowledge about nutritional strategies for aquaculture in saline-alkaline water, including essential nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates. In this study, our objective was to elucidate the role of different protein-to-carbohydrate ratios in the adaptation of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to salinity-alkalinity stress. Fish were fed three isoenergetic (16.5 kJ/g) and isolipidic (60 g/kg) diets with different protein-to-carbohydrate ratios (27% protein and 35% carbohydrate; 35% protein and 25% carbohydrate; 42% protein and 15% carbohydrate) for 50 d. Nile tilapia (0.44 ± 0.03 g) were exposed to both freshwater (salinity: 0.2 PSU; alkalinity: 0.5 g/L NaHCO₃) and saline-alkaline water (salinity: 16.0 PSU; alkalinity: 3.0 g/L NaHCO₃) to observe changes in growth performance, whole-body composition, and antioxidant capacity. To further elucidate the role of protein-to-carbohydrate ratios, we performed gut microbiota and transcriptomic analyses. The results revealed that salinity-alkalinity stress induced oxidative stress, damaged the gill tissue structure, caused hepatocyte cytoplasmic vacuolation, increased the energy demand and the abundance of intestinal pathogens, and ultimately inhibited the growth of tilapia. A diet containing 27% protein and 35% carbohydrate significantly alleviated oxidative stress in tilapia, increased their crude protein content, and ultimately significantly improved the growth performance. Further analyses of the intestinal microbiota and transcriptomics revealed that a diet containing 27% protein and 35% carbohydrate increased the abundance of probiotics in the gut and upregulated energy metabolism pathways related to glucose metabolism. The diet containing 27% protein and 35% carbohydrate increased the abundance of probiotics in the gut, promoted energy metabolism, and improved the growth performance of tilapia under long-term salinity-alkalinity stress. This study evaluated the impact of protein and carbohydrate levels on the growth of tilapia in saline-alkaline water, offering theoretical support for the development of the saline-alkaline water feed industry. This study also highlighted the crucial role of saline-alkaline water aquaculture in global food security and nutritional supply.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304447","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":"Heat stress and the chicken gastrointestinal microbiota: a systematic review","authors":"Chris Major Ncho","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01225-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01225-6","url":null,"abstract":"Heat stress (HS) has become a significant challenge for poultry farming due to an increase in global temperatures. Existing literature suggests that the health effects of HS in chickens are related to its impact on the gastrointestinal tract. While there is evidence of the detrimental consequences of HS on the gut structure, little is known about the effects of HS on the microbial population inhabiting this organ. Fortunately, recent advancements in \"omics\" technologies have made investigating the interaction between HS and the gut microbiota possible. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to assess the effects of HS on chicken gut microbiota. In July 2024, a comprehensive literature search was performed across scientific repositories, including Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Eighteen studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion and a qualitative synthesis of their results was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Current evidence indicates that HS poses a significant challenge to the gastrointestinal system of chickens, resulting in a range of physiological reactions. These changes trigger fierce competition among beneficial microbial species for limited nutrients, promote microbial shifts from obligate to facultative anaerobes, and increase the abundance of microbial species with high resistance to elevated environmental temperatures. Furthermore, the proliferation of pathogens is exacerbated. Ultimately, gut microbiota profiling highlights changes in microbial diversity, alterations in the composition of microbial populations, disruptions in specific microbial functional pathways (tricarboxylic acid cycle, amino acid metabolism, antioxidant biosynthesis, and fatty acid degradation), and the breakdown of complex networks that govern microbial interactions. Understanding the complex relationship between HS and microbial shifts within the chicken gut can provide valuable insights for the development of sustainable mitigation strategies. Further research is needed to expand the current knowledge and employ more advanced literature synthesis techniques such as meta-analyses. ","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"91 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144296291","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":"Limosilactobacillus reuteri SXDT-32-derived shikimic acid protects against colonic inflammation in piglets by inhibiting the PI3K-Akt pathway","authors":"Ying Chen, Chengzeng Luo, Zhaohan Zhan, Shuo Liu, Chunran Teng, Ruixiao Mao, Shunfen Zhang, Xunbozan Zhang, Qingshi Meng, Ruqing Zhong, Liang Chen, Hongfu Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01221-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01221-w","url":null,"abstract":"Colitis caused by bacterial infection is a major global health challenge. Unfortunately, current treatment options are limited. We previously disclosed that L. reuteri SXDT-32 was enriched in the feces of an ancient diarrhea-resistant pig breed (Mashen pig) in China over 2500 years old. As diarrhea is often closely associated with intestinal inflammation, L. reuteri SXDT-32 was identified as a potential beneficial bacterium to prevent intestinal inflammation. However, the precise mechanisms involved remained unclear. Our tests showed that L. reuteri SXDT-32 alleviated colonic damage induced by pathogenic E. coli SKLAN202302 in weaned pigs by enhancing barrier integrity and inhibiting inflammation. The transcriptomics revealed that L. reuteri SXDT-32 protected against inflammatory injury by inhibiting the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Metabolite analysis indicated that the content of shikimic acid (SA) was substantially elevated in the colonic mucosa of L. reuteri SXDT-32-fed piglets (P < 0.05). In addition, Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS) analysis showed significant increases in SA content in both the colonic chyme of L. reuteri SXDT-32-fed piglets and the supernatant of in vitro grown cultures of L. reuteri SXDT-32 (P < 0.05). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis identified gene aroE from L. reuteri SXDT-32, which is a key gene directly linked to SA synthesis, and elevated shikimate dehydrogenase (SD, encoded by aroE) was also detected in both L. reuteri SXDT-32 and the colonic mucosa of piglets fed L. reuteri SXDT-32 (P < 0.01). In vitro Caco-2 cell experiments demonstrated that SA, L. reuteri SXDT-32, and the supernatant from in vitro grown cultures of L. reuteri SXDT-32 exhibited comparable inhibitory effects on the PI3K-Akt pathway to those of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. L. reuteri SXDT-32 alleviated intestinal inflammation in piglets by producing SA that inhibits the PI3K-Akt pathway. This study provides an innovative approach for the treatment and prevention of colitis caused by bacterial infection.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144278521","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 supplementing bile acids on the production performance, fatty acid and bile acid composition, and gut microbiota in transition dairy cows","authors":"Lei Li, Jiaxiao Li, Zhihui Liu, Zihan Jin, Mengyang Wang, Ying Wu, Zhihong Zhang, Xinfeng Hou, Junhu Yao, Jun Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01207-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01207-8","url":null,"abstract":"During the transition period, cows are prone to negative energy balance, which can lead to a decline in production performance and health in severe cases. In recent years, it has been discovered that bile acids (BAs) can act not only as fat emulsifiers but also as signaling molecules to regulate body metabolism. Although BAs have been used to some extent in monogastric and aquatic animals, their role in ruminants, particularly in transition cows, remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of BAs on the production performance, milk and plasma fatty acid and BA composition, and fecal microbiota in transition dairy cows. Forty-six healthy transition Holstein dairy cows with similar conditions were randomly divided into two groups and supplemented with 0 or 20 g/d of BAs from 21 d before the expected calving to 21 d after calving. The production performance was tracked until 60 d after calving. The results indicated that BA supplementation significantly improved postpartum milk fat content and yields as well as the yields of unsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk. There was a significant increase in the concentration of triglyceride and the proportion of C ≤ 16 fatty acids in the plasma of cows supplemented with BAs, while the concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate and the proportion of C > 16 fatty acids in the plasma decreased significantly. BA supplementation significantly altered the composition of the fecal bacterial community and increased the relative abundance of bacteria beneficial for BA metabolism and transformation (Romboutsia, Clostridium sensu_stricto_6, and Clostridium sensu_stricto_1). Functional prediction analysis showed that the relative abundance of bile salt hydrolase, 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and BA inducible E as well as the pathways related to BA metabolism also significantly increased in cows supplemented BAs. In addition, BA supplementation significantly altered the composition of plasma and fecal BAs, particularly increasing circulating secondary BA concentration, which might induce the complete oxidation of fatty acids in the liver and further reduce the concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate. These findings highlight the potential benefits of BA supplementation in improving milk yields and quality, as well as influencing metabolic pathways in transition dairy cows. Meanwhile, further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and explore the broader implications of these results by using more tissue samples.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144268854","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":"Integrated analysis of microbiome and transcriptome reveals the mechanisms underlying the chlorogenic acid-mediated attenuation of oxidative stress and systemic inflammatory responses via gut-liver axis in post-peaking laying hens","authors":"Zhaoying Hu, Lianchi Wu, Yujie Lv, Chaoyue Ge, Xinyu Luo, Shenao Zhan, Weichen Huang, Xinyu Shen, Dongyou Yu, Bing Liu","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01216-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01216-7","url":null,"abstract":"Systemic inflammatory responses and oxidative stress occur in laying hens during the aging process, particularly during the post-peaking laying period, which generally result in multi-organ damages, leading to significant declines in egg performance and quality. Chlorogenic acid (CGA)-enriched extract from Eucommia ulmoides leaves has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. However, the mechanisms underlying whether and how CGA alleviates systemic inflammatory responses and oxidative stress to improve egg performance and quality in post-peaking laying hens remain unclear. In this study, the potential regulatory mechanisms of CGA in alleviating inflammatory responses and oxidative stress along the gut-liver axis were investigated. A total of 360 55-week-old Hy-line white-laying hens were randomly selected and divided into four groups. The hens in the four groups were fed a basal diet (CON) or basal diets supplemented with 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg of CGA (CGA200, CGA400, and CGA800, respectively) for 10 weeks. The results demonstrated that CGA significantly alleviated intestinal and hepatic damages resulting from systemic inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, thereby improving the laying performance and egg quality of post-peaking laying hens. CGA reduced systemic inflammation by improving intestinal barrier function and modulating inflammation-associated microbiota (Blautia and Megamonas), thus inhibiting endotoxin translocation. CGA can also reduce oxidative stress by upregulating the NRF-2 pathway-related genes and increasing antioxidant enzyme activities in the liver. The results of transcriptome sequencing revealed that CGA promoted lipid metabolism by regulating hepatic adipocytokine pathway-related genes/protein and reduced the inflammatory responses and apoptosis in liver by regulating PI3K/AKT pathway-related genes/proteins, which was also verified by qPCR and western blotting. CGA alleviated multi-organ damages and dysfunction by suppressing the systemic inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in post-peaking laying hens, thereby improving egg performance and quality. The optimal dose of CGA is 400 mg/kg in this experiment. These results provide a sound theoretical basis for the application of CGA as an exogenous animal feed additive for laying hens.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144228737","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":"Fat-rich diet promotes microbiome-dependent ATP synthesis in sheep model","authors":"Fan Hu, Kefyalew Gebeyew, Zhiwu Wu, Bingrui Chen, Jinzhen Jiao, Zhiliang Tan, Di Tian, Zhixiong He","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01214-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01214-9","url":null,"abstract":"The ketogenic diet that forces adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production by beta-oxidation of fatty acids instead of carbohydrate glycolysis, has gained consensus on host metabolism. However, the mechanisms how a ketogenic diet alters gastrointestinal microbiome and its downstream consequences on microbial nutrient availability and energy metabolism remain to be elucidated. Here, we used the sheep model fed with fat-rich diet to evaluate the symbiotic microbiome across three regions of the gastrointestinal tract (rumen, ileum, and colon) to gain a comprehensive understanding of the microbial energy metabolism and microbe-mediated ATP biosynthesis. Results showed that sheep fed a fat-rich diet had a greater ADG and increased reliance on fat oxidation for fuel utilization. Metagenomics analysis showed the loss of the specialized fiber-degrading bacteria (genus_Fibrobacter) in the rumen and enrichment of genera RUG420 and Eubacterium, which are involved in lipid metabolism and bile acid processing, in the ileum. A significant functional shift related to energy metabolism was shared across three regions of the gastrointestinal microbiomes. These shifts were dominated by glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and TCA cycle in the rumen and by fatty acid degradation and bile acid transformation in the ileum, indicating adaptation to nutrient availability and energy acquisition. Notably, the abundance of substrate-level phosphorylation (SLP) enzymes was significantly increased in the rumen, ileum and colon, while the ATP-producing capacity through electron transport phosphorylation (ETP) by family_Bacteroidaceae in rumen and Acutalibacteraceae in ileum of sheep with fat-rich diet. Altogether, the ATP-related microbiome encoding SLP and ETP in rumen, ileum, and colon contributed 36.95% to the host’s weight variation. Our study is the first one demonstrating the microbial potential in the ATP synthesis under the shift in dietary energy source, providing a new perspective on the energy metabolism and precise human macronutrients nutrition.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144218901","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":"Intestinal fungi biogeography, succession and its association with diarrhea in pigs","authors":"Ruochen Ren, Xiaojun Zhang, Fangfang Lou, Yang Li, Lingyan Ma, Yingping Xiao, Qu Chen, Yang Wen, Wentao Lyu","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01206-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01206-9","url":null,"abstract":"The composition and relative abundances of intestinal microbiota are closely related to animal growth, development and health. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of intestinal fungi in pigs, with a focus on fungal alterations associated with diarrhea. Intestinal digesta from duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and feces of 8 finishing pigs (180 days old) were collected. Fecal samples were also collected from 18 pigs across different growth stages, including lactation (3 d), nursery (26 d, 35 d, 49 d), growing (120 d) and finishing (180 d). Additionally, feces were collected from 32 diarrheal and 32 healthy piglets at 28 days old. Fungal community profiling in these samples was performed using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. A total of 9,224 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were detected in all of 220 samples. Intestinal fungal diversity exhibited clear biogeographic patterns, with significantly lower richness and Shannon index in the ileum (P < 0.05) and significantly higher richness in the large intestine and feces (P < 0.05). The fungal community structure also varied significantly across intestinal segments, with Kazachstania dominating in the ileum and Geotrichum in the duodenum and jejunum. Across growth stages, fecal fungal diversity increased after weaning. PCoA results revealed that fungal structure exhibited significant temporal changes (R = 0.7313, P = 0.001), with the core fungal taxa dominated by Diutina catenulata, Aspergillus restrictus and Tahromyces munnarensis. In addition, by comparing the fungal community of piglets with and without diarrhea, the richness and Shannon index were significantly higher in the diarrheal piglets than those in healthy piglets (P < 0.05) with Kazachstania, Diutina and Aspergillus enriched in diarrheal piglets and Geotrichum, Tahromyces and Piromyces in healthy piglets. The intestinal fungal community in pigs shows distinct spatial variation, with greater diversity in the large intestine. Fungal composition shifts dynamically with age, particularly around the weaning transition. This study highlights specific fungal taxa associated with diarrhea caused by weaning stress, offering new insights into the interplay between gut fungi and pig health.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144211084","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":"Cinnamaldehyde supplementation in sows and their offspring: effects on colostrum and milk composition, performance, redox status and intestinal health","authors":"Junqi Jin, Shiya Liu, Qiang Zhou, Zhengfeng Fang, Yan Lin, Shengyu Xu, Bin Feng, Yong Zhuo, Hefeng Luo, Xiuming Liu, De Wu, Lianqiang Che","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01212-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01212-x","url":null,"abstract":"Maternal nutrition significantly influences offspring development. This study investigated the effects of maternal or post-weaning cinnamaldehyde (CA) supplementation in sows and their offspring on reproductive performance and health. Sixty sows, selected based on body condition score and parity, were randomly allocated to control or CA (500 mg/kg) diets from d 107 of gestation to d 24 of lactation. At weaning, 128 piglets were assigned to four groups (n = 8) based on weight and source litter for a 21-d experiment. The four groups were CON-CON (both sow and piglet on CON), CON-CA (sow on CON, piglet on CA), CA-CON (sow on CA, piglet on CON), and CA-CA (both sow and piglet on CA). Maternal CA supplementation tended to improve body weight (+ 15%, P = 0.09) and average daily gain (+ 21%, P = 0.07) of suckling piglets, along with increased levels of milk IgG (P = 0.01) and IgM (P = 0.02), colostrum crude fat (P = 0.01), and plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity (P = 0.02) at farrowing. Moreover, maternal CA supplementation significantly improved plasma antioxidant capacity, expressions of intestinal barrier and anti-inflammatory genes, and gut microbiota structure of piglets at the end of suckling. Additionally, maternal CA supplementation increased the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of crude protein (P < 0.01), gross energy (GE; P = 0.03), and dry matter (P = 0.01), improved jejunal sucrase activity (P < 0.01), villus height (P = 0.03), the ratio of villi height to crypt depth (P = 0.02), and the expressions of intestinal barrier and anti-inflammatory genes in post-weaning piglets. Furthermore, post-weaning CA supplementation tended to decrease diarrhea scores of piglets during d 14–21 and increased the ATTD of GE (P = 0.02), activities of jejunal sucrase (P = 0.02), plasma catalase (P = 0.01), and total superoxide dismutase (P < 0.01) in piglets. Maternal CA supplementation tended to increase the growth rate and weaning weight of suckling piglets, associated with improved antioxidant capacity and milk composition. Moreover, maternal CA supplementation or post-weaning CA supplementation improved nutrient digestibility, redox status, and intestinal function-related parameters of weaned piglets.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"99 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144201976","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":"In-feed provision of binding proteins sustains piglet gut health and mitigates ETEC-induced post-weaning diarrhea","authors":"Jiajia Xu, Melania Andrani, Rikke Brødsgaard Kjærup, Tina Sørensen Dalgaard, Carsten Eriksen, Andreas Hougaard Laustsen, Susanne Brix, Sandra Wingaard Thrane, Nuria Canibe","doi":"10.1186/s40104-025-01209-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01209-6","url":null,"abstract":"Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets, often caused by F4+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), poses significant challenges in pig production. Traditional solutions like antibiotics and zinc oxide face increasing restrictions due to growing concerns over antibiotic resistance and environmental sustainability. This study investigates the application of bivalent heavy chain variable domain (VHH) constructs (BL1.2 and BL2.2) targeting ETEC virulence factors, administered in feed to mitigate ETEC-induced PWD in weaned piglets. The supplementation of BL1.2 and BL2.2 in both mash and pelleted feed significantly reduced the diarrhea incidence and fecal shedding of F4+ ETEC in challenged piglets. Pelleted feed containing VHH constructs helped to preserve gut barrier integrity by maintaining levels of the tight junction protein occludin in the small intestine. Additionally, the constructs maintained blood granulocyte counts at a similar level to the non-challenged control group, including neutrophils, and ameliorated the acute phase protein response after challenge. Notably, even at low feed intake immediately after weaning, VHH constructs helped maintain piglet health by mitigating ETEC-induced inflammation and the resulting diarrhea. Our findings demonstrated that using VHH constructs as feed additives could serve as an effective strategy to help manage ETEC-associated PWD, by reducing F4+ ETEC gut colonization and supporting gut barrier function of weaned piglets. The high stability of these VHH constructs supports their incorporation into industrial feed manufacturing processes, offering a more sustainable preventive strategy compared to traditional antimicrobial interventions, which could contribute to sustainable farming practices.","PeriodicalId":14928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144193331","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}