Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Correction: RFLNA mitigates heat stress-impaired chondrocyte proliferation and vertebral development through cytoskeletal regulation in pigs.","authors":"Xiaoyang Yang, Yuxuan Xie, Yabiao Luo, Yubei Wang, Lixian Yang, Longmiao Zhang, Pengxiang Xue, Chengwan Zha, Meiying Fang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01518-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01518-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663154/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149186535","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-omics reveals that dietary Piper sarmentosum Roxb. extract improves goat meat quality via the microbiota-muscle amino acid metabolic axis.","authors":"Guodong Ren, Tingshuo Yang, Ziyang Sheng, Yixin Chen, Lexiang Chen, Yuting Wang, Peilin He, Hailing Luo","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01509-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01509-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Improving meat quality through nutritional regulation is an important approach in ruminant production. Growing evidence suggests that rumen microbiota influences host metabolism via microbial metabolites, thereby affecting meat quality. However, whether Piper sarmentosum Roxb. extract (PSE), a medicinal and edible plant-derived extract, improves meat quality through rumen microbiota-host metabolic interactions remains unclear. Thirty-six weaned male Hainan black goats (approximately 3 months old) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments supplemented with 0, 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg PSE (dry matter basis), respectively. After a 90-day feeding trial, goats were fasted for 12 h before slaughter, and rumen and longissimus lumborum muscle samples were collected for subsequent analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Supplementation with 600 mg/kg PSE significantly enhanced meat quality traits, including higher ultimate pH, improved color stability, and increased water-holding capacity, without affecting growth performance or carcass traits. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that PSE supplementation was associated with remodeling of amino acid and energy metabolism in muscle, particularly glutamate-related pathways. These metabolic changes were accompanied by increased expression of key metabolic genes, including BCAT2, IDH1, and IDH3A, alongside alterations in energy-related metabolites, such as the downregulation of carnitine and upregulation of creatinine. Concomitant shifts in rumen microbial composition were observed, with PSE supplementation increasing the abundance of genera like Weissella and Ruminococcus, while reducing potentially opportunistic genera, such as Acinetobacter and Klebsiella. Weissella showed strong positive correlations with elevated rumen metabolites like serine, threonine, choline, and hypoxanthine. Metagenome-assembled genome analysis of Weissella cibaria revealed an enrichment of genes related to amino acid metabolism and glycosyltransferase families. Correlation and mediation analyses further revealed associations among Weissella abundance, rumen metabolites, and muscle metabolic traits, supporting a potential microbiota-metabolite-host metabolic relationship.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Collectively, this study provides new insights into the association network linking PSE-induced alterations in rumen microbiota, microbial metabolites, and host muscle metabolism in relation to goat meat quality. These findings suggest that PSE supplementation may improve meat quality through coordinated changes in rumen microbial ecology and muscle metabolic profiles.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13660090/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149186545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary phosphorus source reprograms the kidney-intestine axis to dictate calcium-phosphorus efficiency and egg production in aging hens.","authors":"Astrid Lissette Barreto Sánchez, Minyahel Tilahun, Guiping Zhao, Haijun Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01506-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01506-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The decline in egg production in aging hens poses a significant challenge to sustainable poultry production. Given that evidence suggests the phosphorus source affects late‑lay performance, we tested the hypothesis that the dietary phosphorus source is a decisive regulator sustaining performance by reprogramming systemic mineral homeostasis. Using a systems biology approach, we analyzed the coordinated expression of eleven key mineral transporter genes across the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and kidney of hens fed dicalcium phosphate (DCP) or tricalcium phosphate (TCP).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During weeks 5-8, hens fed DCP showed significant declines in egg production (β = -3.11/week, P < 0.001) and egg weight (β = -0.47 g/week, P = 0.049), unlike the stable TCP group. TCP induced an efficient \"precision conservation\" phenotype, characterized by the co-upregulation of key duodenal phosphorus and calcium transporters (NaPi-IIb, PiT2; NCX1, PMCA1b), a gene set identified as the top predictor of performance. Conversely, DCP triggered a costly \"compensatory salvage\" state, scattering expression to duodenal calcium channels (TRPV5, TRPV6) and renal compensatory genes (NCX1, CALB1). Network analysis pinpointed these renal genes as a central, performance-limiting hub.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We conclude that TCP sustains production by programming a systemically efficient homeostatic strategy, thereby explaining the established performance benefit at a molecular level. This establishes a new principle for layer nutrition: phosphorus source selection must consider its role as a physiological signal that modulates homeostasis. This strategy mitigates age-related decline and enhances resource allocation to production.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13660273/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early-life microbial contact with adult hens modulates cecal microbiota and mitigates host responses to lipopolysaccharide-induced stress in broilers.","authors":"Haoran Zhao, Ans De Ceuster, Muhammad Zeeshan Akram, Luke Comer, Elena Fako, Matthias Corion, Nadia Everaert","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01511-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01511-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In commercial production, the absence of adult hens disrupts natural gut colonization, forcing chicks to rely on environmental microbes and potentially compromising the ecological succession essential for health. This study investigated whether early-life adult hen microbial contact could optimize the intestinal community and metabolite profiles, thereby mitigating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced immunological stress in broilers. Accordingly, 128 one-day-old broilers were assigned to control or adult hen microbial contact groups. Hens were removed on D 10, and LPS was administered on D 18 and D 20, resulting in a 2 × 2 factorial design.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Adult hen microbial contact did not affect body weight or ileal histomorphology on D 10 or D 21. However, it reshaped the alpha diversity (P < 0.05) and beta diversity (P < 0.05) of the cecal microbiota, enriching beneficial genera such as Bacteroides, Prevotellaceae, Rikenellaceae, Muribaculaceae, and Megasphaera, although these were not primarily established through direct adult hen transfer. These microbial alterations were accompanied by increased production of cecal volatile fatty acids (P < 0.05) and altered tryptophan metabolism (P < 0.05), characterized by the conversion of serum tryptophan to indoleacetic acid. In the ileum, the adult hen microbial contact upregulated (P < 0.05) genes associated with mucosal barrier integrity (MUC13, CLDN2) and antioxidant defense (SOD2, FOXO1), while independently downregulating (P < 0.05) hepatic genes involved in redox regulation and autophagy (GRX5, LC3-1). LPS challenge induced a pronounced (P < 0.05) antioxidant imbalance in the ileum, characterized by the downregulation of CAT and NRF2, together with elevated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL8, IFNA, TNFA), compromising barrier function (MUC13, CLDN2). Concurrently, the LPS challenge increased (P < 0.05) the expression of hepatic genes involved in redox regulation and autophagy (GRX5, LC3-1), consistent with a systemic stress response. Notably, microbial contact attenuated the LPS-induced reduction in valeric acid (P < 0.05), suggesting a protective effect on microbial metabolite production under immunological stress.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Adult hen microbial contact did not improve growth performance or ileal histomorphology, but shaped the early-life gut microbiota and associated metabolite profiles, contributing to improved resilience to subsequent immune challenges in broilers.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13653393/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149149820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated single-cell and metabolomic profiling identifies ovarian metabolic differences and endothelial heterogeneity associated with litter-size variation in Hu sheep.","authors":"Ting Ge, Xiaoyu Huang, Kuiming Su, Yifan Wen, Bo Li, Shaohua Jiang, Fan Zhao, Enping Zhang, Wen Wang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01508-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01508-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hu sheep are highly prolific, but litter size remains variable among individuals. How ovarian metabolism and somatic-cell heterogeneity are associated with this variation remains unclear. Ovarian metabolites from high-litter-size (HLS) and low-litter-size (LLS) Hu ewes were profiled by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Ovarian cell populations and transcriptional states were characterized by single-cell RNA sequencing. Integrated analyses were used to relate metabolic differences to specific cell populations and predicted cell-cell communication. RT-qPCR and multiplex immunofluorescence were used to examine selected metabolic genes and the endothelial localization of ESM1. Separate cell experiments assessed the effects of endothelial cell-conditioned medium (EC-CM) and recombinant human IGFBP3 on primary ovine granulosa cells (GCs), with TMEM219 knockdown used to evaluate receptor involvement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HLS ovaries showed higher L-carnitine abundance, whereas several representative sphingomyelin species were more abundant in LLS ovaries (nominal P < 0.05). Integrated analysis identified two EC associated genes: DNAJB4 was downregulated, whereas NDRG1 was upregulated in HLS ovaries (P < 0.05). At the EC level, gene set enrichment analysis showed significant enrichment of glutathione metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation in the HLS group. EC subclustering further associated these transcriptional programs with ESM1⁺ angiogenic endothelial cells (A-ECs). Multiplex immunofluorescence localized ESM1 to VWF-positive vascular structures and showed a significantly larger ESM1-positive area and more VWF/ESM1 double-positive cells in HLS ovaries (P < 0.05). Cell-cell communication analysis identified IGFBP3-TMEM219 as a candidate EC-GC interaction. IGFBP3 was detected in EC-conditioned medium, which significantly reduced EdU incorporation and the expression of CYP11A1, FSHR and STAR (P < 0.05) in granulosa cells. Recombinant IGFBP3 produced similar responses, and TMEM219 knockdown partially attenuated several of these effects.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study identified an association between exploratory ovarian metabolic patterns and EC heterogeneity, while functional experiments showed that EC-derived IGFBP3 affected GC function partly through TMEM219. These findings suggest that endothelial state and signaling may be relevant to follicular development, although whether IGFBP3-TMEM219 signaling contributes to litter-size variation in Hu sheep remains to be established.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13651338/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Establishment and validation of porcine embryo genomic selection system through SCNT technique.","authors":"Songxian Zhou, Jianhua Wang, Xueyi Ding, Zhiyuan Lin, Yan Shang, Wenting Song, Hongfei Duan, Tingting Wang, Kai Zhou, Jingjing Zhang, Xihong Tan, Fang Fang, Lilin Yin, Yiliang Miao, Guojian Ma, Xin Liu","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01514-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01514-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Embryo genomic selection (EGS) refers to the technique of performing genotyping and genomic prediction at the preimplantation stage. When combined with in vitro embryo production method, EGS enhances selection intensity and offers the potential to prevent the birth of offspring carrying genetic defects or an undesired sex. Given that the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technique can copy the genetic information from donor pigs into early embryos, this study aims to establish and validate a complete porcine EGS workflow by integrating SCNT with genomic selection methodology.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>First, porcine SCNT embryos were constructed using donor cells collected from candidate pigs with known genotypes and phenotypes. Cell biopsy performed in SCNT embryos revealed that collecting approximately 9.5 trophectoderm (TE) cells from blastocysts had the least impact on subsequent development. Next, a whole-genome multiple displacement amplification protocol was optimized for TE biopsy cells to conduct 80 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis. The SNP call rates ranged from 94.44% to 99.77%, with genotype concordance between SCNT embryos and their donor pigs mostly exceeding 95%. Finally, genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for three production traits were calculated using the GBLUP and Bayesian methods, and strong positive correlations (r > 0.90) of GEBVs were observed for each embryo and its donor.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study establishes and validates a complete EGS workflow for pigs, including embryo biopsy, whole-genome amplification, SNP genotyping, and GEBV prediction. The workflow provides a technical foundation for applying EGS in pig breeding and has the potential to accelerate genetic improvement through early embryo selection. Additionally, the results demonstrate that SCNT can be used to replicate elite genetic resources for the pig farming industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13647512/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149129444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Limosilactobacillus reuteri orchestrates IAA-mediated mitochondrial homeostasis and stem cell renewal against intestinal oxidative injury in aged hens.","authors":"Shenao Zhan, Ziyu Wang, Yujie Lv, Weichen Huang, Chaoyue Ge, Lianchi Wu, Dongyou Yu, Bing Liu","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01499-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01499-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Intestinal oxidative stress compromises gut health and production performance in laying hens. Although Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) has been shown to mitigate oxidative stress, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study therefore investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of L. reuteri against diquat-induced intestinal oxidative injury in aged hens.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 270 70-week-old Jinbai hens were divided into control (CON), diquat (DQ), and L. reuteri + diquat (LRD) groups with 6 replicates each. Birds in CON and DQ groups received a basal diet, while those in LRD group received basal diet supplemented with L. reuteri. After a 10-week pretreatment, DQ and LRD hens were intraperitoneally injected with diquat, while CON hens were injected intraperitoneally with an equivalent amount of saline solution.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Diquat challenge significantly compromised intestinal barrier integrity, as evidenced the downregulated mRNA and protein expression of MUC2, ZO-1 and Occludin (P < 0.05). Notably, these adverse impacts were markedly reversed by L. reuteri pretreatment. Moreover, L. reuteri reshaped the gut microbiota by increasing the abundance of Lactobacillus (P < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis revealed significant enrichment of tryptophan metabolism, with a notable upregulation of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). At the mitochondrial level, L. reuteri reduced mitochondrial ROS production, restored ATP content (P < 0.05), and downregulated mitochondrial biogenesis-related genes expression of PGC-1α and NRF1 and balanced mitochondrial dynamics genes expression of MFN1 and DRP1 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, L. reuteri elevated GSH-Px and T-AOC activities via activation of the Nrf2 pathway, and reduced IL-1β and IL-6 levels by suppression of NF-κB signaling (P < 0.05). In vitro organoid culture further demonstrated IAA significantly reduced mitochondrial ROS production and restored ATP levels (P < 0.05) and stimulated stem cell proliferation. These changes inhibited apoptosis and promoted intestinal proliferation, thereby alleviating intestinal oxidative injury.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>L. reuteri alleviates intestinal oxidative damage via modulation of the gut microbiota-IAA axis, which coordinates mitochondrial homeostasis and stem cell renewal, thereby mitigating oxidative stress and enhancing barrier function. These findings highlight its potential as a probiotic therapeutic agent for mitigating oxidative stress and preserving gut health in aging poultry.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13573404/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148972543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated metabolomic and gut microbiota analyses reveal TCA cycle dysfunction in broiler skeletal disorders and the protective effect of L‑malic acid.","authors":"Yuyang Xue, Min Yao, Xiangjian Peng, Fang Wang, Wei Jing, Fei Zhang, Lulu Mi, Wenju Zhang, Cunxi Nie","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01498-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01498-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Skeletal disorders pose a significant challenge to intensive broiler production. However, the metabolic mechanisms underlying the development of skeletal abnormalities in broilers remain unclear. This study aims to reveal the underlying mechanisms through multi-omics analyses and evaluate the ameliorative effects of exogenous L-malic acid supplementation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The abnormal group exhibited reduced serum concentrations of calcium and phosphorus, as well as decreased bone calcium and phosphorus content. These changes were accompanied by deterioration in bone geometric properties and microstructural parameters. The abnormal group exhibited downregulated expression of osteogenesis-related genes, whereas the mRNA expression levels of osteoclast-related genes were significantly higher than those observed in the normal group (P < 0.05). Serum metabolomics revealed that the differentially enriched pathways were primarily associated with energy metabolism, particularly the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle). Concurrently, the mRNA expression levels of genes encoding key glycolytic enzymes and key complexes of the electron transport chain were elevated in the abnormal group. The analysis of the gut microbiota revealed an increased abundance of harmful bacteria and a significant decrease in microbes associated with energy metabolism in the abnormal group (P < 0.05). Targeted analysis further identified TCA cycle intermediates, fumarate and malate, as robust biomarkers for discriminating skeletal health status. Early dietary supplementation with L-malic acid improved bone health in broilers by increasing TCA activity, as evidenced by enhanced bone mineralization, improved bone microstructural parameters, and an increased OPG/RANKL ratio.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Skeletal abnormalities in broilers are closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis accompanied by TCA cycle metabolic disruption. Exogenous L-malic acid supplementation improved bone health by enhancing TCA cycle-related activity, supporting a functional role of TCA cycle-related metabolism in skeletal development.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13571327/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148957411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of phenylalanine supplementation on meat fatty acid composition, gut microbiota, and pork volatile organic compound profile in finishing pigs.","authors":"Mingyang Tan, Zhenglei Shen, Enfa Yan, Boyang Wan, Linjuan He, Qiuyu Zeng, Jingdong Yin","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01496-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01496-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pork quality is a crucial factor influencing consumer purchasing decisions. Previous research has indicated that dietary amino acids such as lysine, arginine, and tryptophan can significantly affect meat quality in finishing pigs. However, the role of phenylalanine, an essential amino acid, in influencing meat quality has not been fully clarified.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, we investigated the effects of increasing dietary phenylalanine/lysine (P/L) ratios on meat quality using castrated finishing barrows. The results showed that dietary P/L ratios of 0.75, 0.90 and 1.05 did not affect carcass traits compared with the control ratio of 0.60 (P > 0.05). Pigs fed a diet with a P/L ratio of 0.75 exhibited a significant increase in meat a^* value at 45 min postmortem (P = 0.01), along with alterations in fatty acid profiles and gut microbiota compositions. PICRUSt2 analysis revealed that the fatty acid metabolic pathway was significantly enriched in predicted functional potential of the gut microbiota under the 0.75 P/L treatment, and Coprococcus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4B4_group, and Dialister were significantly correlated with muscle fatty acid profiles (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the PLSR analysis showed that muscle C8:0, C10:0, and C24:1 were negatively correlated with pork volatile organic compounds (VOCs).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study demonstrated that dietary P/L ratios affected gut microbiota composition in castrated finishing barrows, as well as meat color, fatty acid composition, and free amino acid profiles of pork. Moreover, fatty acids (specifically C8:0, C10:0, and C24:1) correlated with gut microbiota and were associated with differences in the VOC profile between the 0.75 and 0.60 P/L ratio groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13570519/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148957278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gut microbiota-driven indole-3-propionic acid and kynurenine production is associated with improved metabolic adaptation in periparturient dairy cows.","authors":"Xiaojing Liu, Zhantao Yang, Xinyue Zhang, Weixuan Tang, Yajing Wang, Zhijun Cao, Hongjian Yang, Wei Wang, Yangyi Hao, Shengli Li","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01497-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01497-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gastrointestinal microbes convert tryptophan into various bioactive metabolites that influence host energy metabolism; however, these mechanisms are not well understood in periparturient dairy cows, which experience marked metabolic challenges during this period.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, we used periparturient dairy cows with rumen and ileal cannulas as in vivo models. Blood, rumen fluid, ileal digesta, and fecal samples were collected at four time points during the periparturient period. By combining metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and targeted metabolite quantification, we characterized microbial tryptophan metabolism and associated metabolite profiles during the periparturient period. The results showed that postpartum cows exhibited significantly increased serum concentrations of triglyceride (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), and total bilirubin (T-Bil) compared with prepartum cows, together with decreased levels of several tryptophan metabolites, including indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) and kynurenine (KYN), indicating that tryptophan deficiency might aggravate metabolic disturbances. Metagenomic analysis identified 578 high-quality MAGs, of which 461 contained genes involved in microbial tryptophan metabolic pathways. Among these, the ruminal taxon CAG-791 harbors acdA and contributes to IPA production, whereas the hindgut taxon Treponema_D harbors kynB and promotes KYN formation. Decreases in both taxa were consistent with the reduced levels of these metabolites observed above. In a follow-up in vivo trial with tryptophan supplementation, the abundance of CAG-791 and Treponema_D increased, along with tryptophan-derived metabolites (IPA and KYN), which further partially mitigated metabolic disturbances.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings characterize spatial and temporal changes in tryptophan metabolites and gut microbial features in periparturient dairy cows, and provide integrated evidence that alterations in tryptophan metabolism are associated with postpartum metabolic adaptation, thereby supporting the potential of tryptophan-targeted nutritional strategies to improve metabolic health in dairy cows.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13563733/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148931971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}