Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition最新文献

{"title":"Alteration of Acid-Binding Capacity of Various Nursery Pig Diets and Its Influence on Properties of Digesta Along the Gastrointestinal Tract","authors":"Hyunjun Choi,&nbsp;Sung Woo Kim","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70091","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jpn.70091","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of reduced dietary acid-binding capacity (ABC) by acidifiers on the properties of digesta along the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. In Exp. 1, 144 pigs at 21 d of age [6.5 ± 0.9 kg body weight (BW)] were housed in pens (3 pigs/pen). In Exp. 2, 540 pigs weaned at 21 d of age (6.9 ± 0.9 kg BW) were housed in pens (3 barrows and 3 gilts/pen). In Exp. 1, the basal diet was supplemented with 0.25% bacitracin methylene disalicylate, 0.30 or 0.50% lactic acid-formic acid blend, or 0.30% lactic acid-formic acid-benzoic acid blend. In Exp. 2, the basal diet was supplemented with 0.25% bacitracin methylene disalicylate, 0.25, 0.35, or 0.50% benzoic acid, or 0.30, 0.40, or 0.60% sodium benzoate. In both Exp. 1 and 2, pigs were fed diets in 3 phases: phase 1 (7 d in both Exp. 1 and 2), phase 2 (14 d in Exp. 1 and 17 d in Exp. 2), and phase 3 (21 d in Exp. 1 and 17 d in Exp. 2), respectively. The range of ABC at pH 4 in diets was 256 to 300, 194 to 220, and 129 to 176 meq/kg in phases 1, 2, and 3 of Exp. 1, and 234 to 273, 214 to 247, and 152 to 197 meq/kg in phases 1, 2, and 3 of Exp. 2, respectively. On d 42 in Exp. 1 and d 41 in Exp. 2, one pig representing the median BW in each pen was euthanized, and digesta from the stomach, proximal jejunum, distal jejunum, and cecum were collected to analyze the properties of digesta. The pH of digesta in the stomach was 4.0, which was lower (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) than the pH of digesta in the proximal jejunum (6.0), distal jejunum (5.9), and cecum (5.5). The pH of digesta in the cecum was lower (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) than the pH of the digesta in the proximal and distal jejunum. The dry matter (DM) content in stomach digesta was 32.5%, which was higher (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) than the DM content of digesta in the proximal jejunum (14.9%), distal jejunum (14.4%), and cecum (14.3%). The ABC at pH 4 of nursery diets was not correlated with the ABC at pH 3 of freeze-dried stomach digesta and pH of stomach digesta. However, the ABC-3 of freeze-dried stomach digesta was positively correlated (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) with the DM content in stomach digesta (<i>r</i> = 0.57) and the pH of stomach digesta (<i>r</i> = 0.63) in nursery pigs. The DM content in stomach digesta was also positively correlated <i>(p</i> &lt; 0.05) with the pH of stomach digesta of nursery pigs (<i>r</i> = 0.54). In conclusion, reducing dietary ABC by 40 to 50 meq/kg using acidifiers was not sufficient to reduce ABC or pH of stomach digesta in nursery pigs. However, the DM content in stomach digesta was positively correlated with its ABC and pH indicating that a decrease in the DM content and ABC of stomach digesta, if influenced by diets, is a primary factor contributing to reducing digesta pH in the stomach of nursery pigs.</p>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":"110 5","pages":"806-812"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jpn.70091","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148470753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Dietary Vitamin A, Breed, and Kidney Function on the Onset of Urinary Vitamin A Excretion and the Vitamin A Transport Complex in Growing Dogs","authors":"Jens Raila,&nbsp;Haydar Özpinar,&nbsp;Florian J. Schweigert","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70093","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jpn.70093","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters) is present in substantial amounts in the urine of healthy adult dogs, but the mechanisms affecting its excretion are poorly understood. To assess whether the onset of urinary vitamin A excretion is dependent on dietary vitamin A intake, breed, and/or parameters of kidney function, 48 puppies from two breeds, the Labrador Retriever and the Miniature Schnauzer were included. Dogs were given four diets with increasing vitamin A content (5000; 12,500; 75,000 and 100,000 IU vitamin A/1000 kcal metabolizable energy). Plasma and urine samples were collected and the onset of a continuous vitamin A excretion in urine was determined for each dog. Vitamin A concentration was determined by HPLC. Concentrations of creatinine, urea, protein and albumin were determined by colorimetric assays. Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) were measured by semiquantitative Western blot. Plasma vitamin A concentrations increased with increased dietary vitamin A intake (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), but the onset of urinary vitamin A excretion (<i>p</i> = 0.158) and the amount of vitamin A excreted at this time point were not different between the feeding groups (<i>p</i> = 0.128) or breed (<i>p</i> = 0.279). Concentrations of creatinine, urea, protein and albumin in plasma and protein in urine were not different between groups. There were no differences in the concentrations of RBP4 in plasma (<i>p</i> = 0.309), RBP4 in urine (<i>p</i> = 0.345) and THP in urine (<i>p</i> = 0.384). The onset of vitamin A excretion in the urine of dogs seems to be not directly associated with the plasma vitamin A concentration and, thus not simply explained by dietary vitamin A intake alone. The vitamin A excretion is not breed specific and not dependent on kidney function or the occurrence of transport proteins in plasma (RBP4) or urine (THP). Thus, the onset and the amount of vitamin A excreted are determined by factors that remain to be elucidated.</p>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":"110 5","pages":"813-819"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jpn.70093","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148470839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antioxidant-Optimised Insect Meal in Broiler Diets: A Systematic Approach to Enhance Growth Performance, Carcass Traits and Meat Oxidative Stability","authors":"Haroon,&nbsp;Riaz Hussain,&nbsp;Hasin Ullah","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70087","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jpn.70087","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We recommend systematically optimising the composition of insect meals in broiler feed, emphasising insects’ intrinsic antioxidant properties to eliminate lipid oxidation in meat products. The proposed method will involve high-resolution antioxidant profiling of candidate insects (e.g. <i>Hermetia illucens</i> and <i>Tenebrio molitor</i>) using the HPLC-DPPH method and subsequently using these metrics to index insect diets as an antioxidant capacity index (ACI). Broiler diets containing insect meals show better performance at inclusion ratios of 5–15, with macronutrient parity maintained through iso-nitrogen substitution for soybean meal. Additionally, the addition of proteases improves chitin digestion and enhances nutrient utilization. The insect diets with high antioxidant content are to be evaluated for broiler growth, carcass characteristics and the stability of the meat product's oxidative system, as assessed by malondialdehyde (MDA) and peroxide values (PV). These are summarised as a nutritional stability score (NSS), in which oxidation resistance is compared with growth measurements to continuously optimise feeds. The approach is also unusual compared to conventional methods because it dynamically correlates insect biochemistry with meat quality, thereby enabling a closed-loop system for the sustainable production of broilers. It shows that insect meals optimised for antioxidant content can serve as both a growth efficiency agent and a shelf-life extension agent, providing a dual effect for the poultry industry. Its scale is not specific and can be optimised in the future if new insect species or processing technologies emerge.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":"110 5","pages":"731-740"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148360879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating 20% and 40% Inclusion of Sugary Former Foods in Pig Diets: Effects on Growth Performance, Feeding Behaviour, Carcass and Meat Quality Traits","authors":"Marjeta Čandek-Potokar,&nbsp;Martin Škrlep,&nbsp;Klavdija Poklukar,&nbsp;Patrick Schlegel,&nbsp;Giuseppe Bee","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70090","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jpn.70090","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Former food products (FFP) are food industry leftovers that can be used as feed ingredients. We investigated the effects of sugary FFP on growth, feeding behaviour, carcass and meat quality of pigs fattened to a heavy weight. Three inclusion levels were tested: 0% (FFP-0 = control), 20% (FFP-20) and 40% (FFP-40) FFP in grower (20–60 kg BW), finisher 1 (60–100 kg BW) and finisher 2 (100–140 kg BW) phase. A total of 36 castrated pigs were used, with 12 pigs within a litter assigned to each treatment, housed in a single pen equipped with automatic feeders that allowed recording of individual (<i>ad libitum</i>) feed intake at each visit. The pigs were slaughtered in two batches at the age of 190.9 ± 1.5 days and BW of 144.7 ± 8.8 kg. At slaughter, carcass weight, <i>longissimus dorsi</i> (LD) pH and carcass traits were measured. The following day, body composition of carcasses was determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and then carcasses were dissected into primal cuts, and meat quality was assessed. Data were analysed with SASV9.4 (PROC MIXED), with diet as a fixed effect and litter (dam) as a random effect in the model. Linear effects of sugary FFP inclusion were tested. In the grower period, daily feed intake and daily gain decreased with increasing sugary FFP inclusion. In finisher periods, a tendency towards lower daily feed intake was observed with increasing sugary FFP inclusion, which did not affect daily gain, but led to better feed conversion in the finisher II period. In the grower period, no differences in feeding behaviour were observed, while in finisher II period, FFP-20 pigs spent the shortest time at the feeder, consumed more feed per minute, had a longer interval between visits, but tended to go to the feeder more often than the FFP-0 or FFP-40 pigs. Compared to control, the sugary FFP inclusion was associated with increased carcass protein and water and decreased fat content, in line with thinner backfat. The decrease in ultimate pH and CIE (Commission Internationale d'Eclairage) colour parameter L* of LD were the only significant effects on meat quality. The backfat fatty acid composition was affected by sugary FFP inclusion (more monounsaturated fatty acids and less polyunsaturated fatty acids with higher ∑n6:∑n3 ratio). In summary, the sugary FFP inclusion of up to 40% had a limited effect on growth performance and meat quality but resulted in less deposition of fat and altered adipose tissue fatty acids profile.</p>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":"110 5","pages":"792-805"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jpn.70090","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148470879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary L-Tyrosine Sustains Egg Production and Quality by Modulating Promoter CpG Methylation, Gene Expression, and Hormone Profiles in Reproductive Signalling Pathways of Aged Laying Hens","authors":"Hasan Hüseyin İpçak","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70078","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jpn.70078","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Managing prolactin (PRL)-mediated reproductive suppression is critical for maintaining egg production in commercial laying hens. L-tyrosine (TYR), a precursor of dopamine (DA), may counteract age-related reproductive decline by suppressing PRL, thereby sustaining productivity and egg quality in late-phase laying hens. The present study evaluated the effects of dietary L-tyrosine supplementation on laying performance, egg quality, reproductive hormone profiles, gene expression, and promoter CpG methylation in aged laying hens. A total of 180 Atak-S laying hens (71 weeks old) were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments, each with six replicates of 10 hens, and were fed a basal diet without L-tyrosine (control) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.5 g/kg (TYR0.5) or 1 g/kg (TYR1) L-tyrosine for 12 weeks. Hens in the TYR1 group exhibited higher hen-day egg production, improved feed conversion ratio, and significantly greater eggshell weight, shell thickness, Haugh unit, yolk index, and albumen index than the control group (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Dietary L-tyrosine increased plasma DA and serum estradiol while reducing serum PRL (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). L-tyrosine also upregulated the expression of key dopaminergic and reproductive signalling genes, with corresponding promoter hypomethylation (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), whereas PRL mRNA expression tended to decrease with concurrent promoter hypermethylation. A significant negative correlation was observed between target gene expression and promoter CpG methylation levels (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). These findings indicate that dietary L-tyrosine modulates reproductive hormone profiles and molecular responses within reproductive signalling pathways, resulting in improved laying performance and egg quality. Therefore, L-tyrosine may represent a promising nutritional intervention to sustain reproductive function and productivity in late-phase laying hens.</p>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":"110 5","pages":"685-698"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jpn.70078","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148199073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Acalypha australis L. Extract on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity and Intestinal Microbial Composition in Weaned Piglets.","authors":"Jiaqing Guo, Xin Guo, Mengting Wang, Yuting Ren, Yanxin Ye, Long Pan, Weiyun Zhu, Kaifan Yu","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.70112","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Acalypha australis L. extract (ALE) on the growth performance and intestinal health in piglets. A total of 24 weaned piglets were randomly allocated to three groups: the control group (CON), which was fed a basal diet, and the ALE0.5 and ALE1.0 groups, which were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg of ALE, respectively. The measured variables included growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal morphology, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota and metabolites. The results showed that, compared to the CON group, supplementation of 1.0 g/kg ALE in the diets of weaned piglets significantly increased the ratio of gain to feed from 15 to 21 days (p < 0.05), decreased the diarrhea rate from Days 15 to 21 and Days 0 to 21 (p < 0.05), and increased the activities of pancreatic α-amylase, lipase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin, as well as duodenal α-amylase, lipase, and trypsin, and jejunal maltase and sucrase (p < 0.05). Additionally, supplementation of 1.0 g/kg ALE in the diet significantly improved the intestinal morphology of the duodenum and jejunum, as well as the expression of intestinal barrier-related genes in the small intestine (p < 0.05). Moreover, it significantly increased serum glutathione peroxidase activity and jejunal and ileal superoxide dismutase activities (p < 0.05), and also significantly increased the colonic propionic acid concentration of piglets (p < 0.05). The ALE supplementation increased the abundance of the colonic marker bacteria Collinsella in the piglets and influenced pathways related to amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and lipid metabolism. ALE can serve as a potential natural feed additive to regulate the structure of intestinal microbiota and metabolic pathways, enhance antioxidant capacity, improve intestinal health, reduce diarrhea incidence, and ultimately promote the growth performance of piglets.</p>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148911908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Expression of Mineral and Urea Transport-Related Genes in the Salivary Glands and Ruminal Epithelium of Young Goats Fed Nitrogen- and/or Calcium-Reduced Diets.","authors":"Christopher-Yannik Egler, Madlin Heidelberg, Marion Burmester, Karin Hustedt, Nadine Schnepel, Alexandra S Muscher-Banse","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.70110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An adequate supply of protein and minerals, particularly nitrogen (N) and calcium (Ca), is essential for ruminant growth and metabolic function. The rumen and salivary glands are crucial for nutrient and electrolyte homoeostasis via specialised transport proteins. Dietary reductions in N and Ca may elicit adaptive molecular and physiological responses, but their effects on epithelial transport are still not entirely understood. This study investigated the effects of dietary N and Ca reductions on ruminal and salivary fluid composition and the mRNA expression of Ca-, phosphate (Pi)-, and urea-transporting proteins in the ruminal epithelium and salivary glands of young goats. Goats received diets with reduced N, reduced Ca, or combined N and Ca reduction. Ruminal and abomasal fluids, saliva, and tissue samples were analysed for mineral concentrations, urea, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). mRNA expression of transporters, including CASR, TRPC3, TRPV3, PMCA, NCX1, UTB, SLC4A4, ATP1B1 (Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase β-subunit), AQP5, NaPi IIb, and PiT1 was quantified using qPCR. Dietary N reduction decreased ruminal and salivary urea concentrations, reduced mRNA expression of SLC4A4, AQP5, and NaPi IIb in salivary glands, and lowered ruminal SCFA concentrations, indicating impaired microbial fermentation. The dietary Ca reduction increased salivary Pi and induced upregulation of AQP5, ATP1B1, and PiT1. In the ruminal epithelium, N reduction increased PMCA and UTB expression, whereas Ca reduction had only minor effects on Ca transporters. Ruminal Pi and Ca concentrations remained stable, reflecting strong stabilisation of mineral concentrations in the ruminal environment, whereas abomasal fluid showed greater sensitivity to dietary changes. These results indicate tissue-specific transcriptional and compositional responses of ruminant epithelia to dietary N and Ca reduction. N reduction primarily affects the expression of genes related to nutrient and solute transport, whereas Ca reduction is associated with selective transcriptional changes in mineral-related transporters. These results provide evidence for adaptive epithelial responses to nutritional variation, although functional consequences at the protein or transport level require further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148911939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combination of In Ovo Nutritional Components Improves Embryonic Development, Growth Performance, and Gut Health in Broiler Chickens.","authors":"Derya Yeşilbağ, Fulya Odabaşi Erbay, Ender Deniz Asmaz, Berrin Zik, Artun Yibar, Hilmi Can Acar, Engin Erbay, Kadir Yeşilbağ","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.70111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the effects of intra-amniotic administration of combined energy, amino acid, and vitamin sources on embryonic development, post-hatch growth performance, and intestinal health in broiler chickens. On Day 18 of incubation, 460 fertile Ross 308 eggs were allocated to four groups: non-injected negative control (NC), saline-injected positive control (PC), nutrient solution I (NS-I; glucose, lysine, and ascorbic acid), and nutrient solution II (NS-II; creatine monohydrate, glutamine, and ascorbic acid). At hatch, chick quality traits and intestinal histomorphometric and immunohistochemical parameters were assessed, and post-hatch performance was monitored for 35 days. Intra-amniotic administration, particularly NS-II, significantly increased hatch weight, chick length, and total intestinal length (p < 0.05). Both nutrient solutions improved jejunal morphology at hatch by increasing villus height, the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, and absorptive surface area, while reducing crypt depth (p < 0.05). The proliferation index and PCNA expression were significantly higher in the nutrient-injected groups, indicating enhanced epithelial cell proliferation. During the 35-day rearing period, NS-II significantly improved body weight gain, feed intake, carcass weight, and the European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF) (p < 0.05), without adversely affecting the feed conversion ratio. Cecal microbiota composition and overall meat quality parameters were not negatively affected; however, lower coliform and mesophilic bacterial counts were observed in meat samples from the NS-II group during refrigerated storage on Days 5 9. In conclusion, intra-amniotic supplementation with combined energy, amino acid, and vitamin sources, particularly creatine monohydrate and glutamine combined with ascorbic acid, positively modulated early intestinal development and improved growth performance in broilers without compromising meat quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148911971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Agricultural By-Products and Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as Alternatives to Soybean Meal in Commercial Broiler Diets: Effects on Meat Quality, Fecal Microbiota, and Environmental Impact.","authors":"Servet Yalçın, Silvia Martinez-Miro, Sezen Özkan, Josefa Madrid, Ana Montalban, Veysel Bay, Muazzez Cömert Acar, Berkay Bozkurt","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70109","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jpn.70109","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of partially replacing soybean meal with agricultural by-products with or without supplementation of dried black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal on meat quality, intestinal microbiota of commercial broiler chickens, and environmental sustainability. A total of 252 day-old Cobb 500 chicks were divided into three dietary treatments, including a corn-soybean-based Control diet and two alternative diets. Alternative diets were a diet in which soybean meal was replaced partly (SPR) by sunflower meal, brewers dried grain, and wheat middlings, and a diet in which BSFL meal was added (5%) to the SPR diet. At 39 days of age, the feces of chickens from each dietary treatment were sampled for fecal microbiota analysis. Birds were slaughtered at day 40 to assess breast meat quality. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to estimate the environmental impacts of each diet. The SPR and SPR+BSFL diets significantly (p = 0.003) reduced breast meat pH₂₄ without affecting lightness and yellowness values. While cooking losses were similar in the breast meat of chickens fed the Control and SPR diets, adding BSFL meal to the SPR diet reduced cooking losses (p < 0.001). The SPR+BSFL diet increased total saturated fatty acids (SFA), while the SPR diet elevated polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content, particularly linoleic acid (p < 0.001). Microbiota analysis revealed a higher abundance of Firmicutes, particularly Lactobacillus and Bacillus, in broilers fed the SPR+BSFL diet, while Clostridiaceae was more prevalent in the SPR group compared to the Control (p < 0.01). These changes in microbiota were likely attributed to the increased fiber content of the diets. Environmental impact analysis showed that both SPR and SPR+BSFL diets reduced global warming potential, damage to ecosystems, human health burden, and resource use compared to the Control diet (p < 0.001). The two alternative diets performed similarly in most environmental indicators. The results suggested that agricultural by-products with or without BSFL meal supplementation could be used to partially replace soybean meal in the diets of commercial broiler chickens and would beneficially modulate gut microbiota and reduce the environmental footprint of broiler production.</p>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148900540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modulatory Effects of Lagenaria Siceraria Leaf Powder Supplementation on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Defence, Gene Expression, Histology, and Enzyme Activity in Ossimi Lambs (Ovis Aries).","authors":"Yasmin M Abd El-Aziz, Menna H E Morsy, Eman H Rashwan, Ehab El-Haroun, Moaheda E H Eissa, El-Sayed Hemdan Eissa, Basma M Hendam","doi":"10.1111/jpn.70101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.70101","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present study was designed to evaluate the impact of graded levels of L. siceraria leaf powder (0.0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6%) in the diet on growth traits, immune response, oxidative status, gene expression, and tissue histology of male Ossimi lambs. Twenty-four intact male lambs (10-12 months; 32.60 ± 1.5 kg) were allotted randomly to four experimental groups (n = 6) and received the particular diets for 90 days. Blood was collected for evaluation of haematologic indices, immune responses, antioxidant enzyme activities, and liver function markers. At the end of the trial, histopathological examination and digestive enzyme activity testing were performed on intestinal tissues. The findings indicated a marked enhancement in growth performance, immune response, and antioxidant defence in the LS groups. In addition, the corresponding mRNAs of growth- and immunity-related genes (GH, IGF-1, GHR, TLR-7, IL-6, and IL-1β) were significantly upregulated. Morphometric examination of the intestine showed increased villus height, villus height/crypt depth ratio, and goblet cell number, specifically, at the 0.6% supplementation level. Histopathology showed normal liver architecture alongside enhanced intestinal barrier function and splenic immune activity. Furthermore, the reduction in liver enzymes implies potential hepatoprotective activity. Overall, supplementing the diet with 0.6% LS leaf powder represents a novel, effective, and safe approach to enhancing the health and productive performance of Ossimi lambs.</p>","PeriodicalId":14942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148887590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}