Animals最新文献

{"title":"Effects of Sea-Buckthorn Flavonoids on Growth Performance, Serum Inflammation, Intestinal Barrier and Microbiota in LPS-Challenged Broilers","authors":"Kexin Zhi, Fanwen Gong, Lele Chen, Zezheng Li, Xiang Li, Huadi Mei, Chenxing Fu, Yurong Zhao, Zhuying Liu, Jianhua He","doi":"10.3390/ani14142073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142073","url":null,"abstract":"The experiment investigated the effects of sea-buckthorn flavonoids (SF) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged broilers. A total of 288 one-day-old male broilers were randomly assigned to 4 groups, with 6 replicates of 12 broilers each. The experiment lasted for 20 days. The diet included two levels of SF (0 or 1000 mg/kg) and broilers intraperitoneally injected with 500 μg/kg LPS on 16, 18, and 20 days, or an equal amount of saline. LPS challenge decreased final body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake, increased feed-to-gain ratio, and elevated serum IL-1β, IL-2, TNF-α, D-LA, and endotoxin levels. Moreover, it resulted in a reduction in the IL-10 level. LPS impaired the intestinal morphology of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, down-regulated the mRNA relative expression of Occludin, ZO-1, and MUC-2 in the jejunum mucosa, up-regulated the mRNA relative expression of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB, and IL-1β, and increased the relative abundance of Erysipelatoclostridium in broilers (p < 0.05). However, SF supplementation mitigated the decrease in growth performance, reduced serum IL-1β, IL-2, and D-LA levels, increased IL-10 levels, alleviated intestinal morphological damage, up-regulated mRNA expression of Occludin and ZO-1, down-regulated the mRNA expression of TLR4, NF-κB, and IL-lβ in jejunum mucosal (p < 0.05), and SF supplementation presented a tendency to decrease the relative abundance of proteobacteria (0.05 < p < 0.1). Collectively, incorporating SF can enhance the growth performance, alleviate serum inflammation, and improve the intestinal health of broilers, effectively mitigating the damage triggered by LPS-challenges.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141646597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Equus in Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA)","authors":"I. Tammen, Ernest Bailey, Marius Mather, Frank W. Nicholas","doi":"10.3390/ani14142069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142069","url":null,"abstract":"Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA is a freely available information resource, which includes information for Equus inherited traits/diseases (collectively called phenes). The database focuses on Mendelian traits and their likely causal variants (mutations). Some of these Mendelian traits are favored by humans, e.g., coat color, while others are diseases. Additions to OMIA are based on publications of peer-reviewed research. Maintaining up-to-date information in OMIA is a challenge, owing to the multiplicity of species, the increase in the number of relevant publications, and as reference genomes and methods of citation continue to evolve. This challenge has been successfully aided by contributions from scientists from around the world. In some cases, those scientists are faculty members who charge their students with curation as an educational activity. Recently, OMIA has introduced computerized lists of standardized names and synonyms (called ontologies) for breeds of Equus and other animals and for phene categories. These ontologies facilitate increased connectivity between OMIA and other online resources. OMIA is and will continue to be a major reference resource for Mendelian phenes in the genus Equus.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"118 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141646745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combined Effect of Nigella sativa and Kefir on the Live Performance and Health of Broiler Chickens Affected by Necrotic Enteritis","authors":"V. Manjunatha, Julian E. Nixon, Greg F. Mathis, B. Lumpkins, Z. B. Güzel-Seydim, A. C. Seydim, A. Greene, Xiuping Jiang","doi":"10.3390/ani14142074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142074","url":null,"abstract":"Coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis (NE) are prevalent poultry ailments worldwide, leading to decreased live performance and elevated mortality rates without antibiotic usage. This study evaluated Nigella sativa (black cumin) seeds (BCS) and kefir as alternatives to antibiotics for broilers. An in vivo study over a 28-day period, using 384 Cobb 500 male broilers organized into six treatment groups as part of a completely randomized block experimental design was conducted. Each treatment group included eight replicates, with each replicate containing eight birds. The treatments included positive control, negative control, antibiotic control, 5% BCS in feed, 20% kefir in drinking water, and a combination of 5% BCS and 20% kefir. NE was induced in broilers by administering ~5000 oocysts of Eimeria maxima orally on day 14, followed by inoculation with about 108 CFU/mL of Clostridium perfringens (Cp) (strain Cp#4) on days 19, 20, and 21. Live performance metrics including feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion were assessed in broilers. Additionally, NE disease outcomes such as lesion scores, mortality rates, and Cp populations in cecum were determined during the study. The BCS, kefir, and the combination had no detrimental effect on broiler live performance. BCS-treated and combination groups had lower NE scores (p > 0.05) in comparison to the positive control and exhibited no significant difference (p > 0.05) from antibiotic control. Additionally, treatment groups and antibiotic control were not significantly different (p > 0.05) in mortality, whereas the BCS and kefir combination significantly reduced (p < 0.05) mortality to 14.1% compared to 31.3% for the positive control. C. perfringens vegetative cells significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in treatments with BCS, kefir, and their combination on days 22 and 28 compared to the positive control. On day 22, Cp sores were significantly lower (p < 0.05) for the kefir and combination treatments compared to the positive control. In conclusion, BCS and kefir successfully reduced C. perfringens infection and mortality without any detrimental impact on broiler live performance with the combined treatment being the most effective. These results suggest that BCS and kefir could serve as potential alternatives to antibiotics in managing NE.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"43 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141644827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary Crude Protein and Lysine Levels Affect Meat Quality and Myofiber Characteristic of Slow-Growing Chicken","authors":"Cheng Chang, Weiyu Zhao, Qianqian Zhang, Xuan Wang, Jian Zhang, Zhixun Yan, Jing Cao, Huagui Liu, A. Geng","doi":"10.3390/ani14142068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142068","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) and lysine levels on growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, and myofiber characteristics of slow-growing chicken. A 3 × 3 factorial experiment was arranged, and the chickens were fed with 3 levels of dietary CP (16.0%, 17.0%, 18.0%) and 3 levels of dietary lysine (0.69%, 0.84%, 0.99%). A total of 540 8-week-old Beijing-You Chicken (BYC) female growing chickens were randomly allocated to 9 groups, 5 replicates per group, and 12 chickens per replicate. The birds were randomly allocated to one of the 9 experimental diets. Growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, and myofiber characteristics were determined at 16 weeks of age. The results showed that dietary CP level and the interaction of dietary CP and lysine levels affected average feed intake (AFI) (p < 0.05). The AFI in the 16.0% CP and 17.0% CP groups was higher than in the 18.0% CP group (p < 0.05). Dietary CP levels significantly affected body weight gain (BWG) (p < 0.05) at 9 to 16 weeks. The 18.0% CP group had the highest BWG (93.99 g). Dietary CP levels affected the percentage of leg muscle yield, and the percentage of leg muscle yield of the 16.0% CP group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups (p < 0.05). Dietary CP and lysine levels alone and their interactions did not affect pH24h, drip loss, and cooking loss of breast muscle (p > 0.05). The shear force of the 18.0% CP group (29.55 N) was higher than that in the other two groups (p < 0.01). Dietary CP level affected myofiber characteristic (p < 0.01), with the lowest myofiber density (846.35 p·mm−2) and the largest myofiber diameter (30.92 μm) at 18.0% CP level. Dietary lysine level affected myofiber diameter, endomysium thickness, perimysium thickness (p < 0.01), with the largest myofiber diameter (29.29 μm) obtained at 0.84% lysine level, the largest endomysium thickness (4.58 μm) at 0.69% lysine level, and the largest perimysium thickness (9.26 μm) at 0.99% lysine level. Myofiber density was negatively correlated with myofiber diameter and endomysium thickness (R = −0.883, R = −0.523, p < 0.01); perimysium thickness had a significant negative correlation with shear force (R = −0.682, p < 0.05). Therefore, reducing dietary CP level and adding appropriate lysine can reduce myofiber diameter and increase perimysium thickness, reducing shear force and improving meat tenderness. A high lysine level (0.99%) in the low-CP (16.0%) diet can improve meat tenderness by regulating the myofiber characteristic without affecting production performance.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"18 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141647721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of Dry Period Length with Automatic Milking System, Mastitis, and Reproductive Indicators in Cows","authors":"Vigilijus Jukna, E. Meškinytė, R. Antanaitis, V. Juozaitienė","doi":"10.3390/ani14142065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142065","url":null,"abstract":"The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between dry period (DP) length and various indicators of productivity, reproduction, and udder health in cows managed with an automatic milking system. We analyzed records from 3861 cows, categorizing them into three groups based on their DP duration: (1) <40 days, (2) 40–70 days, and (3) DP > 70 days. Cows with a DP of 40–70 days had an average energy-corrected milk production that was 8.2 kg greater than that of cows with a short DP and 5.0 kg greater than that of cows with a long DP (p < 0.001). Milk from the 40–70-day DP group exhibited the highest lactose concentration (4.64 ± 0.01%). Additionally, cows with the longest DP had the smallest proportion of animals with a milk fat-to-protein ratio of 1.2 to 1.4. Cows with a DP of 40–70 days also showed the lowest milk electrical conductivity across all udder quarters, whereas cows with the shortest DP had the highest conductivity. The highest conception rates were observed in the group with the shortest DP. These results suggest that a DP of 40–70 days is optimal for maximizing milk production and improving both udder health and reproductive performance under AMS. Proper management of DP duration can be an effective strategy for sustainable dairy herd management.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"54 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Most Common Environmental Risk Factors for Equine Asthma—A Narrative Review","authors":"Anna Mańkowska, Dorota Witkowska","doi":"10.3390/ani14142062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142062","url":null,"abstract":"Equine asthma is a popular subject of research. Many factors influencing the methods used to improve the welfare of asthmatic horses remain unclear. This study reviews scientific articles published after 2000 to collect the most important information on the terminology, symptoms, and potential environmental factors influencing the development and course of equine asthma. Our work highlights the impact of environmental factors on the severity of equine asthma and why these factors should be controlled to improve treatment outcomes. The present article provides horse owners and veterinarians with valuable information on how to improve the well-being of horses that are at risk of developing asthma symptoms.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"29 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141650365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New Advances in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-like Dogs","authors":"Ángela González-Martínez, Susana Muñiz de Miguel, F. J. Diéguez","doi":"10.3390/ani14142067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142067","url":null,"abstract":"Similar to humans, dogs could suffer an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-like syndrome (ADHD-like). In fact, several studies highlight the use of dogs as a model for studying ADHD. This condition entails behavioral problems expressed through impulsivity, attention issues, hyperactivity, and/or aggression, compromising the quality of life for both the caregiver and the dog. The pathophysiology of ADHD-like is complex and is associated with dysregulation of various neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. The expression of ADHD-like behavior in dogs would appear to depend on a classical gene–environment interaction as is the case with many neurological disorders in humans. In addition to the described symptomatology, ADHD-like dogs can exhibit strong comorbidities with compulsive behaviors, aggressiveness, inappropriate elimination and fearfulness, in addition to epilepsy, foreign body ingestion, and pruritus. In spite of the fact that there is no veterinary consensus about the diagnosis of ADHD-like, some validated questionnaires could be helpful, but these cannot be used as a unique diagnostic tool. The use of drugs, such as fluoxetine, in addition to an adequate environmental enrichment, relaxation protocols, and behavior modification can achieve an adequate quality of life for both the dog and caregivers.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"7 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Footbathing and Foot Trimming, and No Quarantine: Risks for High Prevalence of Lameness in a Random Sample of 269 Sheep Flocks in England, 2022","authors":"Kate Lewis, Martin Green, Rachel Clifton, Emma Monaghan, Naomi Prosser, Elizabeth Nabb, Laura Green","doi":"10.3390/ani14142066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142066","url":null,"abstract":"Since 2004, the prevalence of lameness in sheep flocks in England has reduced as farmers have adopted evidence-based management practices to control lameness. In 2011, the Farm Animal Welfare Council proposed a target prevalence of <2% lameness in sheep by 2021. This study investigated whether that target had been achieved and determined which practices were associated with prevalence of lameness. A postal questionnaire was sent to 1000 randomly selected farmers to investigate the prevalence of lameness and management practices in 2022. The geometric mean prevalence of lameness was <2% in ewes and lambs, but the median was 3%; approximately 26% flocks had <2% lameness. Data were analysed using robust variable selection with multivariable linear models. Farmers that quarantined ewes for ≥3 weeks and did not use foot bathing or foot trimming to prevent lameness had 40–50% lower prevalence of lameness than those not using these practices. Fewer farmers (19.0%) were always using parenteral antimicrobials to treat footrot, an effective practice, than in previous research (49.7%). We conclude that the target of <2% lameness in England has been achieved by 26% of farmers, and further work is required for more farmers to follow the evidence-based management practices to minimise lameness.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"3 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Up-Regulation of S100A8 and S100A9 in Pulmonary Immune Response Induced by a Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum HN-B Strain","authors":"Zhenxing Zhang, Xiangying Chen, Yong Meng, Junming Jiang, Lili Wu, Taoyu Chen, Haoju Pan, Zi-Ming Jiao, Li Du, Churiga Man, Si Chen, Fengyang Wang, Hongyan Gao, Qiaoling Chen","doi":"10.3390/ani14142064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142064","url":null,"abstract":"Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum (Mcc), a member of the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster, has a negative impact on the goat-breeding industry. However, little is known about the pathogenic mechanism of Mcc. This study infected mice using a previously isolated strain, Mcc HN-B. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, RNA sequencing, bioinformatic analyses, RT-qPCR, and immunohistochemistry were performed on mouse lung tissues. The results showed that 235 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses suggested that the DEGs were mainly associated with immune response, defensive response to bacteria, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and T cell receptor signaling pathway. RT-qPCR verified the expression of Ccl5, Cd4, Cd28, Il2rb, Lck, Lat, Ptgs2, S100a8, S100a9, and Il-33. The up-regulation of S100A8 and S100A9 at the protein level was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, RT-qPCR assays on Mcc HN-B-infected RAW264.7 cells also showed that the expression of S100a8 and S100a9 was elevated. S100A8 and S100A9 not only have diagnostic value in Mcc infection but also hold great significance in clarifying the pathogenic mechanism of Mcc. This study preliminarily elucidates the mechanism of Mcc HN-B-induced lung injury and provides a theoretical basis for further research on Mcc–host interactions.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"55 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141650398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metal Levels in Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) Stranded along the Sicilian Coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea","authors":"Clara Naccari, Vincenzo Ferrantelli, G. Cammilleri, F. Galluzzo, Andrea Macaluso, Pietro Riolo, Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico, Roberto Bava, E. Palma","doi":"10.3390/ani14142063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142063","url":null,"abstract":"Dolphins, top predators of the aquatic food chain, are used as sentinel species of marine pollution as they are sensitive to environmental changes and able to accumulate a large content of contaminants. Several EU directives promote study of marine mammalians as bio-indicators to evaluate the presence of contaminants in the aquatic environment, such as the Mediterranean Sea, which is rich in environmental pollutants due to its geographic and geo-morphological characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of toxic and essential metals and metalloids (Hg, Pb, Cd, As, Se and Zn), through ICP-MS analysis, in organs/tissues (liver, muscle, lung, kidney and skin) of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) stranded along the Sicilian coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea. The results confirm the exposure of dolphins to toxic metals and metalloids, with the highest Hg levels observed in skin and liver, although a low Metal Pollution Index (MPI) was found in all samples of both dolphin species. From a comparative analysis of trace metals and metalloids according to sex and state of development, the highest levels of Cd and As were found in females vs. males and adults vs. juveniles, except for Pb in both species, and significant differences were observed between the two species, size of specimens, and organs/tissues analyzed. The highest Hg levels were correlated to those of essential metals Se and Zn, expressed as molar ratios, to evaluate the potential synergic effect of these detoxifying elements against Hg toxicity. This study confirms the rule of Stenella coeruleoalba and Delphinus delphis as valid sentinel species of the Mediterranean Sea, to verify the trend of metals pollution in this aquatic environment and, consequently, the health of these marine species.","PeriodicalId":502248,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"46 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141650096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}