Journal of Dairy Science最新文献

{"title":"Stakeholder perspectives on dairy calf management challenges in North America.","authors":"M C Cantor, Rielle K Perttu, Matthew Spindler, Hannah Mansfield","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-28966","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-28966","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Calf morbidity is common on dairies, yet stakeholders who troubleshoot these challenges possess critical experiential knowledge regarding which practices to prioritize during outbreaks. This study evaluated calf experts' perceptions of management practices most critical to address when dairies experience a high prevalence of diarrhea (>25%), bovine respiratory disease (BRD; > 15%), and umbilical infections (>5%) in calves up to 90 d of age. An online survey used a snowball sampling strategy to recruit North American calf experts (n = 70; veterinarians, extension professionals, nutritionists, and consultants) who had no financial stake in a dairy and had troubleshot calf health on ≥3 commercial farms within the past year. Respondents scored the relevance of 8 management domains from 0 to 100; domains scoring > 80 triggered \"drill-down\" questions where experts ranked specific management failures. Garrett scores assessed consensus within rankings, with scores > 60 indicating important factors and ≥70 indicating strong consensus. Overall, 51% (36/70) of experts reported working with farms experiencing high BRD, followed by diarrhea (47%; 33/70) and umbilical infection (13%; 9/70). For BRD, calf housing/environment had the greatest mean relevancy, followed by colostrum management and nutrition. Strong consensus emerged that restricted nutrition, specifically feeding a low quantity of milk solids (≤0.5 kg/d or ≤4 L/d), is a pivotal management failure to address during BRD outbreaks (Garrett Score = 74.75). Other critical BRD contributors included inadequate colostrum volume (≤2 L; Garrett Score = 67.94), large social groups (>10 calves; Garrett Score = 62.05), and poor winter ventilation (<4 air exchanges/h; Garrett Score = 61.60). For diarrhea, sanitation had the highest perceived relevancy, followed by colostrum, housing, and nutrition. Experts demonstrated near-consensus that large social groups (Garrett Score = 68.90) and low milk solids (Garrett Score = 68.90) exacerbate diarrhea challenges, alongside a lack of sanitation standard operating procedures (SOPs; Garrett Score = 64.36) and low colostrum volume (Garrett Score = 64.00). For umbilical infections, clear consensus linked outbreaks to a lack of umbilical cord dipping (Garrett Score = 73.60), with poor maternity pen hygiene as another contributor (Garrett Score = 68.80). These findings uniquely highlight that experts view nutritional restriction and protocol gaps as central drivers of disease severity. This study identified that dairy stakeholders such as veterinarians, extension/academics, consultants, and nutritionists believe that calf disease challenges on farm are linked to a lack of standard operating procedures for sanitation, colostrum and umbilical cord care. Moreover, underfeeding calves at ≤4 L/d milk, and housing more than 10 calves in a pen was perceived as being related to high disease pressure herds struggling with neonatal calf diarrhea and bovine respiratory disease. Th","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015196","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":"Characterizing dairy cows based on their daily behavior deviation patterns relative to the herd using a clustering approach.","authors":"Lianzhe Shi, Ariette van Knegsel, Bas Kemp, Akke Kok","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-28441","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-28441","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Large variability in the behavioral patterns among individual cows has been reported in previous studies, which compromises the interpretation of herd behavioral patterns. Assessing the behavioral variability of cows at the subgroup level may make the interpretation clearer. The aims of the current study were (1) to assess the individual behavioral variability among cows by clustering individuals based on deviations from herd level patterns in lying duration, number of steps, and number of posture changes at the daily level and during specific time periods within a day, separately for periods without and with pasture access, and (2) to characterize the identified clusters according to their behavioral variables and parity. Accelerometer data, including lying duration, number of steps, and posture changes in 15-min intervals of 185 individual cows in the year 2019, were retrieved from one commercial dairy farm in the Netherlands. From the behavioral data, 13 variables describing the behavioral deviation from the herd level in lying duration, number of steps, and posture changes were extracted per individual cow, including absolute deviation across a day and signed deviation in specific time periods within a day. K-means clustering based on the extracted variables was performed to cluster individual cows in periods without pasture access and with pasture access separately. In both clustering analyses, the same 4 types of individual cow clusters were identified. The behavioral deviation patterns of the 4 types of clusters were further characterized based on the mean values of variables of individual cows per cluster: 1) locomotive; 2) standing; 3) restless; 4) lying. Cows in the locomotive cluster had shorter lying duration and higher number of steps than the herd level. Cows in the standing cluster had shorter lying duration, lower number of steps, and fewer posture changes than the herd level. Cows in the restless type cluster had higher lying duration, number of steps, and more posture changes than the herd level. Cows in the lying cluster had higher lying duration and lower number of steps than the herd level. 72.4% of the individual cows were consistently clustered in the same type of cluster, independent of whether cows were on pasture or not. The majority of cows in parity 1 were clustered in the locomotive type of clusters. Most cows in parity 2 were clustered in the standing type of clusters, whereas most cows in parity 3 or greater (parity 3<sup>+</sup>) were clustered in the lying type of clusters. In conclusion, 4 distinct types of behavioral deviation patterns were observed among individual cows via a clustering approach and were generally consistent in periods without and with pasture access. In general, the cows in parity 2 and parity 3<sup>+</sup> had lower number of steps and posture changes than cows in parity 1. This study demonstrates the potential to use clustering to improve interpretation of individual behavioral variabi","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015032","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":"Meta-analysis to predict the effects of extended lactations on milk production and reproductive performance of dairy cows.","authors":"Z Tao, J L Ellis, J P Cant, C F Baes, T J DeVries","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-29046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-29046","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The effects of extended lactation (EXTL) on milk production and reproductive performance of dairy cows were quantified using a meta-analysis approach. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify studies that compared milk yield and reproductive performance between cows managed within EXTL systems and those managed under conventional lactation length, resulting in 21 studies eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Data collected from those studies included calving interval (CInt), voluntary waiting period (VWP), parity, breed, farm type (experimental vs. commercial), and whether cows were selectively assigned to EXTL based on production and cow characteristics or randomly allocated. Corresponding treatment means were extracted for energy-corrected milk yield per calving interval day (ECM/CInt), first service conception rate, and number of inseminations per conception. Mixed-effects models were developed for each outcome, with study as a random effect. The models included CInt as the main predictor for ECM/CInt and VWP for first service conception rate and number of inseminations per conception, along with other covariates that were retained if significant. A separate subgroup analysis was conducted to compare studies using selective versus random assignment to EXTL. The relationship between CInt length and ECM/CInt differed by parity, where each 10-d increase in CInt was associated with a 0.08 kg/d increase in ECM/CInt in primiparous cows, while no effect of CInt length on ECM/CInt was observed in multiparous cows. Selective assignment of multiparous cows to EXTL, based on individual cow characteristics and production traits, tended to be associated with 1.9 kg/d higher ECM/CInt compared with randomized allocation, although production of cows selectively assigned to EXTL was similar to that of conventionally managed cows. In addition, criteria used to identify cows suitable for EXTL were variable between studies, and no consistent or clearly effective selection method could be determined. Reproductive performance improved with extended VWP across parities; each 10-d increase in VWP was associated with a 0.02 unit decrease in inseminations per conception and higher odds of first service conception (1.1 × in multiparous cows and 1.04 × in primiparous cows). Overall, the results of this meta-analysis indicate that EXTL improves measures of reproductive performance in both parity groups and increases ECM/CInt in primiparous cows, whereas the response in milk yield of multiparous cows depends on whether the EXTL strategy was selectively implemented. These results indicate that EXTL, if implemented, should be applied as an individualized rather than a herd-level strategy.</p>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015165","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":"Associations among FADS1/2 expression, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism, and adipokines in colostrum and mature human milk.","authors":"Ibrahim A Bakry, Ning Li, Amr Mekky, Basma A Eldemasy, Xinmiao Pan, Dalia A Latif, Xianqing Huang, Amal E Gohary, Amr M Bakry","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-28949","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-28949","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) and adipokines in human milk are important contributors to early metabolic programming. This study examined fatty acid desaturase (FADS)1/2 expression, LC-PUFA profiles, desaturase activity indices, and leptin/adiponectin concentrations across lactation stages in Egyptian mothers. Total PUFA levels were higher in mature milk than in colostrum (n-3: 2.16 ± 0.74% vs. 1.29 ± 0.44%; n-6: 22.17 ± 6.49% vs. 16.41 ± 4.37%), together with increased Δ6-desaturase and n-3 pathway indices, whereas FADS1/2 mRNA expression remained unchanged between lactation stages. Leptin and adiponectin concentrations decreased by approximately 13% and 10%, respectively, and were inversely associated with LC-PUFAs, including arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as well as desaturase indices. In contrast, leptin showed positive correlations with saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). FADS1/2 expression was primarily associated with n-6 fatty acid products, particularly gamma-linolenic acid and AA, and these patterns were consistent with a possible role of substrate availability. These findings highlight potential associations among FADS gene expression, PUFA metabolism, and adipokine composition in human milk, and suggest that maternal dietary intake of α-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) may contribute to LC-PUFA availability for the infant.</p>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987504","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":"Challenges and future perspectives in forage production and silage making for climate-resilient systems in a global context.","authors":"D Vyas, A T Adesogan, M Wallau","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-28972","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-28972","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Silage remains a fundamental component of ruminant nutrition globally. Although substantial advances have been made in silage fermentation, preservation, and nutritive value over recent decades, future developments are expected to further transform silage production, storage, and feeding systems. This review highlights emerging innovations likely to shape silage systems by 2050, with emphasis on precision technologies, alternative forage resources, novel additives, and sustainable management practices. Expanding the use of tropical grasses and legumes, cool-season forages, agro-industrial byproducts, and other non-conventional silage crops will require forage/byproduct -specific ensiling guidelines and targeted additive application types and strategies to improve fermentation, aerobic stability, protein preservation, and food safety. Precision monitoring tools, including hand-held, satellite and drone-mounted near-infrared and hyperspectral sensors will provide early warnings about pests and diseases, toxins etc. In the field, real-time assessment of the best time to harvest, forage yield, moisture, and nutritive value information will be generated to optimize harvest and storage decisions. Future storage systems incorporating vacuum-assisted compaction to optimize packing density, wireless sensor networks, and thermal imaging will enable continuous monitoring of silo conditions, microbial dynamics, antinutrients, toxins, and spoilage risk. Novel inoculants, enzymes, bacteriocins, tannins, and other biologically derived additives will further improve nutrient preservation and feed safety. In parallel, innovations in silage-based feeding systems, precision nutritional characterization, and automated feeding management are expected to improve feed efficiency, animal performance, and health, as well as to ensure food safety. Achieving these goals will require interdisciplinary collaboration among agronomists, microbiologists, animal scientists, engineers, and data scientists to develop scalable, resilient, and sustainable silage technologies for future livestock production systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987506","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":"Microwave vacuum drying of fermented dairy products: Effect of processing on drying kinetics and powder quality.","authors":"Hanyu Chen, Carmen I Moraru","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-28930","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-28930","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fermented dairy products have gained widespread popularity globally due to their bioactive compounds and nutritional value. While these dairy products are typically consumed fresh, their preservation as shelf stable powders can bring utilization, transportation, and supply chain advantages. This research investigates the use of microwave vacuum drying (MVD) as an effective technology to produce shelf-stable dehydrated fermented dairy products of high quality and viable lactic acid bacteria. The microwave vacuum drying kinetics for commercial plain yogurt, Greek style yogurt, and kefir were evaluated and successfully modeled using the Page model (0.93 < R² < 0.96). Greek yogurt and kefir dried faster than plain yogurt, likely due to differences in matrix structure and EPS-associated water binding by the plain yogurt matrix. MVD processing reduced viable LAB counts by approximately 1.5 log. All 3 products achieved shelf stability (a_w < 0.4) within 120 min of MVD, corresponding to 113.6 W/g cumulative energy input, and 2 kPa pressure. Selected reconstitution conditions include mixing with water at 4°C for 2 min and 12,000 rpm. Reconstitution delivered reconstituted products with similar viscosity and density as the original products, for all tested products. The dried and reconstituted products showed minimal quality differences compared with fresh samples, which was possible since the product temperature was <50°C at all times during MVD. A good retention of viable lactic acid bacteria was achieved, as indicated by the <2 log reduction in the concentration of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus in the reconstituted MVD products. These findings lay the groundwork for the manufacture of high-quality, shelf-stable fermented dairy powders, which positions MVD technology as an important innovation driver in the dairy industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987538","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":"Genomic background of gestation length and calving-related traits in Holstein cattle.","authors":"Pedro F C Aponte, Paulo L S Carneiro, Delvan Alves Silva, Patrick R Fotso-Kenmogne, Renata Veroneze, Filippo Miglior, Flavio S Schenkel, Luiz F Brito","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-28587","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-28587","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The reproductive success of cows directly influences the profitability of dairy farms. Reproductive traits, particularly calving-related traits, generally have low heritability but sufficient additive genetic variance to enable genetic progress through genomic selection. Thus, the primary objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters and perform single-step genome-wide association studies (ssGWAS) for calf size, calving ease, gestation length, and stillbirth in Holstein cattle. Variance components were estimated based on animal models and Bayesian inference using a data set containing 226,717 animals with phenotypic records, 15,761 animals genotyped with 45,101 SNP markers, and 461,819 animals in the pedigree. SNP effects were estimated using the single-step GBLUP method. For direct and maternal genetic effects, heritability estimates (posterior standard deviation) ranged from 0.001 (0.002) for gestation length in heifers to 0.16 (0.001) for gestation length in cows. Genetic correlations ranged from -0.57 (0.01) between calving ease and stillbirth in heifers to 0.74 (0.01) between gestation length evaluated in heifers and cows. The ssGWAS results supported a highly polygenic architecture for calving-related traits, with most genomic signals not reaching genome-wide significance. A genome-wide significant association was detected for calving ease in cows on BTA23, highlighting FARS2 as a positional candidate gene. The strongest GWAS signals for each trait harbored additional biologically important candidate genes, including NPPA, NPPB, BCHE, EPHA4, DLD, and GTF2I. Given the generally low heritability estimates and the predominantly polygenic architecture observed for these traits, genomic selection may contribute to the genetic improvement of calving-related traits in Holstein cattle, with potential benefits for cow welfare, calf survival, and overall dairy production efficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987548","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":"Peripartal changes in diurnal rhythms in blood metabolites and ruminal fermentation profiles in dairy cows.","authors":"A F S Lima, G G Begalli, E Trevisi, R S Marques, T Fernandes, I J Salfer, I Yoon, J S Osorio","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-28888","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-28888","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to characterize circadian rhythms in blood metabolites and ruminal fermentation parameters in dairy cows during the transition period. Forty Holstein cows (BW = 779 ± 100 kg; parity = 2 ± 1.2; 305ECM = 13,863 ± 2,490 kg) were monitored from -35 to 60 DIM. Cows were fed once daily at 1011 (±23 min) and 0925 h (±26 min) during close-up and early lactation, respectively. Blood and rumen samples were collected at 9 h intervals over 3 consecutive days to assess 24-h rhythmicity at -12 ± 5 d prepartum (PRE) and 14 ± 2 DIM postpartum (POST). The fit, amplitude, and acrophase of the daily rhythms were evaluated by fitting the data to a linear form of sine and cosine functions using a linear mixed model in R with the fixed effect of stage of lactation (PRE vs POST), collection day (1, 2, and 3), parity, and random effect of cow. During PRE, plasma glucose, insulin, and NEFA exhibited 24-h rhythmicity, with a trend for rhythmicity in BHB. During POST, rhythmicity was observed for NEFA and BHB. Mesor glucose and insulin decreased from PRE to POST, whereas mesor NEFA and BHB increased. Acrophase shifted from PRE to POST for and BHB (1954 to 1632 h), while NEFA acrophase remained unchanged. Ruminal fermentation parameters, including total VFA and molar proportion of individual VFA, exhibited daily rhythms during PRE and POST. In contrast, ruminal NH₃ rhythmicity was present in PRE but not POST. Acrophase shifted from PRE to POST periods for total VFA (2045 to 1952 h) and butyrate (2055 to 1958 h). Changes in glucose, BHB, and NEFA rhythmicity suggest that while diurnal glucose turnover and incomplete fatty acid oxidation shift around calving, lipid mobilization exhibited rhythmicity around calving, with greater amplitude postpartum, indicating more pronounced diurnal variation after calving. The lack of rhythmicity in NH₃ after calving could reflect a reorganization of N metabolism, driven by changes in diet, feeding behavior, and rumen microbial activity. Overall, these results demonstrate that circadian rhythms in blood metabolites and ruminal fermentation in a 1 × /d feeding program are dynamic across the transition period, with calving representing a key inflection point in the temporal regulation of dairy cow metabolism.</p>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987497","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":"Associations of short photoperiod and the male effect with fecal microbiota, metabolomic profiles, serum metabolites, and reproductive performance in dairy goats during the nonbreeding season.","authors":"Q Q Liu, Y L Wang, C B Shi, K X Yu, L H Liu, W Wang, Q Y He, J Luo","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-29026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-29026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Seasonal anestrus in Saanen dairy goats limits the continuity of year-round milk production, and the physiological and molecular mechanisms of seasonal estrus of dairy goats remain to be investigated. Eighty healthy female dairy goats aged 2.5-3.5 years were randomly divided into 2 groups during the non-breeding season (March to April): a control group (C, natural or long photoperiod) and a treatment group (T, short photoperiod combined with buck induction), comprising 40 goats each, housed 10 per pen. The experimental group additionally housed 2 bucks per pen, separated from the does by partitions. The trial lasted 4 weeks, estrus monitoring was conducted daily, and fecal and blood samples were collected weekly. Reproductive hormone levels (FSH, LH, E2, P4) were measured on d 7, 14, 21, and 28. On d 0 and 14, and at estrus (treatment group), serum and fecal samples underwent metabolomic analyses, and feces underwent 16S rRNA sequencing analyses, respectively. Results indicated that short photoperiod combined with the male effect significantly influenced the dynamic changes in serum reproductive hormones, with marked increases in E2 and FSH levels. Fecal microbial 16S rRNA analysis revealed changed microbial community structure at the phylum and genus levels, with Bacillota and Bacteroidota as the dominant phyla. Metabolomic analysis suggested that this treatment significantly altered the serum and fecal metabolite profiles. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that differentially abundant metabolites were primarily associated with reproduction-related pathways, including steroid hormone synthesis. The correlation analysis revealed a relationship between bacterial genera, reproductive hormones, and metabolites. Follow-up of does that conceived after induced estrus showed no seasonal difference in kid birth weight, whereas milk fat and total solids were higher in non-breeding season milk. In conclusion, the short photoperiod combined with the male effect could increase the estrus and pregnancy rate of dairy goats in the non-breeding season, and is associated with changes in endocrine, gut microbial, and metabolic networks.</p>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987524","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":"Oral supplementation of 6'-sialyllactose in early-life enhances cognitive function in mice via modulating gut microbiota and promoting brain myelination.","authors":"Mingxin Yang, Yating Luo, Simou Wu, Wen Jia, Hongru Chen, Fang He, Ruyue Cheng","doi":"10.3168/jds.2026-29049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2026-29049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to investigate the effects of early-life oral supplementation with 6'-sialyllactose (6'-SL) on neurobehavioral development in mice and the potential mechanisms involving the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis. Neonatal mice received daily oral gavage of saline or 6'-SL from birth to postnatal day (PND) 21. Behavioral tests (Y-maze, open field, light-dark box, forced swim test) were conducted from PND 37-41. Fecal metagenomics and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels were assessed, and brain gene expression was analyzed by RNA sequencing and reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) at PND 21 and PND 42. Our findings revealed that 6'-SL supplementation enhanced cognitive function in growing mice, as evidenced by improved performance in the Y-maze test. Early-life 6'-SL supplementation exerts profound and sustained regulatory effects on the gut microbiota and SCFA. At PND 21, 6'-SL enriched Akkermansia muciniphila and elevated acetate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate, while suppressing Enterococcus. At PND 42, Akkermansia muciniphila and Escherichia were further enriched, while Alistipes and Duncaniella were inhibited. Meanwhile, acetate, isobutyrate and propionate levels remained elevated. Notably, these changes were observed not only at the end of the intervention but also persisted at PND 42, indicating a sustained long-term effect of 6'-SL supplementation. In contrast, most myelin genes were altered only to a small extent at PND 21, compared with their marked upregulation in the PFC at PND 42 (Mbp, Mog, Olig1, Sox10, Egr2, Vegfa). Correlation analysis revealed that the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila was positively correlated with isobutyrate levels, Escherichia showed a positive correlation with propionate levels, while Enterococcus was negatively correlated with acetic acid. These SCFA were positively associated with myelin gene expression. Further, these genes were positively associated with cognitive performance, suggesting their potential involvement in cognitive function. Thus, 6'-SL enhances spatial cognition in early-life mice through a mechanism involving gut microbiota and SCFA modulation, subsequent upregulation the transcription of prefrontal myelination-related gene. This study provides novel insights into the mechanisms by which 6'-SL regulates early brain development via the MGB axis and offers critical theoretical support for nutritional supplementation strategies in infancy.</p>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987476","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}