Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Multi-omics analysis of soy isoflavone-induced responses in rumen fermentation, endocrine status and milk production in cows with varying milk yields.","authors":"Xingwei Jiang, Chenguang Zhang, Yuhao Zhang, Jing Li, Jianrong Ren, Jiarui Wang, Xinfeng Hou, Zhihong Zhang, Shengru Wu, Junhu Yao","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01397-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01397-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Improving milk yield and feed efficiency is pivotal for climate-smart dairy systems, as rumen mediated fermentation governs energy and nitrogen utilization and thereby greenhouse-gas emission intensity. Soybean isoflavones (SIF) may modulate rumen fermentation, yet their effects on rumen function, microbiome features, host endocrine/metabolic responses, and lactation performance-particularly across cows with divergent milk-yield phenotypes-remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifty‑six lactating Holstein cows (28 high‑yield cows, HY; 28 low‑yield cows, LY) were divided into two categories by milk yield. Within each yield category, cows were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments: a basal diet (Control) or the basal diet supplemented with SIF at 0.01% of dry matter. This yielded a 2 × 2 factorial design with four experimental groups (n = 14 per group): high‑yield control (HCON), high‑yield SIF (HSIF), low‑yield control (LCON), and low‑yield SIF (LSIF). SIF increased milk yield by 8.75% and improved fat-corrected milk (+ 7.20%), dry matter intake (+ 3.20%), and feed efficiency (+ 3.26%), with larger gains in HY cows (milk yield + 8.89%; feed efficiency + 4.55%). Rumen fermentation shifted toward a more energetically favorable profile, with lower acetate (- 2.70%), higher propionate (+ 4.55%), and a reduced acetate-to-propionate ratio (- 7.02%), accompanied by increased microbial crude protein (+ 21.53%) without changes in pH or NH₃-N. SIF altered endocrine status irrespective of phenotype, increasing estradiol and progesterone while decreasing prolactin and growth hormone, and reduced blood ALP, lactate, and triglycerides. Metagenomics indicated phenotype-dependent microbial and functional responses to SIF: HY cows showed enrichment of taxa (e.g., Caudoviricetes sp., Eubacterium sp., and Butyrivibrio sp.) associated with amino-acid, cofactor metabolism and propionate pathways, whereas LY cows exhibited enrichment of Prevotella sp. and Bacteroides sp. with functions favoring carbohydrate degradation. The HCON group exhibited greater abundances of Prevotella sp. and Hallella spp. with enhanced carbohydrate degradation functions, whereas the LCON group was enriched in Ruminococcus sp. and Methanobrevibacter sp., associated with methane metabolism.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of SIF supplementation to improve lactation efficiency, modulate rumen microecology and endocrine function in dairy cows. These findings establish a theoretical framework for achieving efficient and precise feeding management on large-scale dairy farms.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846605","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":"Bacillus velezensis mitigates chronic LPS-induced lung injury of broilers via microbiota-driven isoflavone production and NF-κB/PPAR-γ axis modulation.","authors":"Xunbozan Zhang, Xuan Liu, Ye Xu, Dadan Liu, Ying Chen, Christopher Peterson Daniel, Ruixiao Mao, Liang Chen","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01391-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01391-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chronic exposure to low‑dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in poultry farming environments induces persistent respiratory inflammation, resulting in lung injury and impaired growth performance in broilers. Bacillus velezensis (BV) is a probiotic with known antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities, yet its role in respiratory health remains poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the potential benefits of BV in alleviating chronic pneumonia triggered by LPS in broilers and to clarify its mechanistic pathways.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A chronic LPS intratracheal instillation model was established, comprising control, LPS, and BV + LPS groups. BV supplementation significantly ameliorated LPS‑induced growth impairment (P < 0.05), inhibited the synthesis of key inflammatory mediators, and mitigated oxidative stress in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (P < 0.05). Integrated multi‑omics analyses revealed that BV remodeled the pulmonary microbiota, enriching isoflavone‑metabolizing taxa including Blautia and unclassified Lachnospiraceae (P < 0.05), which was associated with elevated pulmonary concentrations of daidzein, genistein, and glycitein (P < 0.05). Transcriptomic together with molecular analyses revealed that BV enhanced the activation of PPAR‑γ while attenuating NF‑κB pathway activity, thereby reducing the expression of genes associated with inflammation (P < 0.05). In vitro, experiments showed that daidzein and genistein inhibited cellular inflammatory responses through PPAR-γ signaling. BV culture supernatant directly suppressed NF‑κB/NLRP3 inflammasome activation in chicken HD11 macrophages, reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and shifted macrophage polarization toward an anti‑inflammatory phenotype (P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings demonstrate that BV alleviates LPS-induced chronic pneumonia through two complementary pathways, as it remodels the pulmonary microbiota to enhance isoflavone metabolism and thereby suppress inflammation, while its own metabolites also directly inhibit inflammatory signaling. This study provides new insight into probiotic-based interventions for respiratory health in livestock.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13151109/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846580","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":"Runs of homozygosity reveal population dynamics and selection across global cattle.","authors":"Jun Ma, Xinxia Liu, Xue Gao, Dawei Wei, Zijing Zhang, Abdullah Muhammad, Ningbo Chen, Xiaoting Xia, Yun Ma, Eryao Wang, Xian Liu, Chuzhao Lei, Yu Jiang, Yongzhen Huang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01403-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01403-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cattle have undergone complex evolutionary trajectories shaped by domestication, migration, and selection. Although runs of homozygosity (ROH) are a ubiquitous genomic feature, their full potential to decipher the evolutionary history and functional consequences in global cattle populations remains underexplored. We analyzed whole-genome sequences from 102 breeds across 17 geographic regions to conduct a global investigation of ROH landscapes, population structure, genomic inbreeding, and functional variants.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>ROH patterns revealed elevated homozygosity burdens in intensively selected European breeds, whereas South Chinese indicine showed a high short ROH burden, suggestive of a unique ancient demography. ROH-based principal component analysis (PCA) and admixture delineated taurine-indicine lineages, region-specific ancestries, inbreeding, and breeding effects. ROH-based inbreeding coefficient (F_ROH) exhibited greater stability for cross-population inbreeding assessment, showing a high correlation with excess of homozygosity-based inbreeding coefficient (F_HOM) and a negative association with heterozygosity. Region-specific ROH hotspots, identified via permutation test, reflected a combination of local adaptation and demographic legacies. Trait-focused analyses, cross-validated with multiple selection scans, identified genes underlying growth, milk, and climate adaptation. Notably, we found missense mutations in CHEK2, SPG7, FANCA, and MSRB3, whose frequencies were significantly correlated with temperature and humidity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study establishes ROH as a pivotal genomic marker for illuminating the dynamics of domestication, migration, inbreeding, and selection. Our findings offer valuable resources and insights for advancing genetic conservation and precision breeding in cattle under the pressures of climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13147640/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846642","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":"Scutellaria baicalensis exosome-like nanoparticles combat lung infection caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum by regulating calcium homeostasis.","authors":"Yecheng Yao, Ruiying Hu, Yifan Li, Mingyu Yu, Fangbing Xu, Yuquan Guo, Shun Wang, Liyang Guo, Jichang Li, Chunli Chen, Zhiyong Wu","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01395-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01395-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Scutellaria baicalensis, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has demonstrated significant therapeutic efficacy in treating respiratory diseases caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG). However, the effective components of Scutellaria baicalensis are complex, and the material basis for its efficacy anti-MG infection remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which Scutellaria baicalensis exosome-like nanoparticles (SBELNs) and the key effector molecule, miR159a, regulate inflammation-induced injury caused by MG infection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>SBELNs were isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis root by ultracentrifugation. The in vivo and in vitro transport of SBELNs was investigated through live imaging and laser confocal microscopy after staining with DIR fluorescent dye. Key miRNAs were screened via RNA sequencing, and target genes were predicted using online databases. The interaction between miR159a and its target gene, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel alpha 1 (CNGA1), was validated using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, the regulatory network of the miR159a/CNGA1 axis was systematically analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>SBELNs can specifically target lung tissue. Subsequently, SBELNs release bioactive components that alleviate the lung inflammatory damage caused by MG infection. This beneficial effect stems from two aspects. Firstly, the flavonoid metabolites encapsulated in SBELNs directly suppress the inflammatory damage caused by MG infection. Secondly, the microRNA in SBELNs regulates calcium ion homeostasis via the miR159a/CNGA1 axis. This relieves the intracellular calcium overload induced by MG and participates in the regulation of the immune system by modulating calcium ions. The microRNA in SBELNs regulates calcium ion homeostasis through the miR159a/CNGA1 axis, thereby alleviating MG-induced intracellular calcium overload, mitochondrial damage, excessive ROS, and overactivation of the NF-κB inflammatory pathway.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This article expounds that SBELNs alleviate lung injury caused by MG infection by regulating calcium homeostasis. This discovery demonstrates the anti-infective capability SBELNs, but also supports the development of natural drug delivery systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13141375/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846677","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":"Improvement of chicken genome editing efficiency in vitro using ribonucleoprotein-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 delivery.","authors":"Yujin Han, Chan Young Kwon, Jae Yong Han","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01402-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01402-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Limitations in genome editing of avian species, including chicken, due to the inaccessibility of one-cell zygotes, have led to the manipulation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) as the primary approach for generating genetically engineered birds. Although plasmid-mediated delivery of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) has been widely used, it has several limitations, including delayed nuclease activation, increased off-target effects, cytotoxicity, and the inability to apply in vivo selection strategies. Collectively, these limitations highlight the need to develop strategies that achieve high on-target activity at the initial editing step.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, we compared plasmid- and ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 delivery in Leghorn male hepatoma (LMH) cells and in PGCs targeting three loci: deleted in azoospermia like (DAZL), chicken vasa homologue (CVH), and stimulated by retinoic acid 8 (STRA8). RNP delivery showed comparable or higher cell viability and editing efficiency than plasmid delivery in both cell types. Insertion/deletion (indel) profiling revealed broader and more diverse mutation patterns with RNPs, consistent with a shift in repair pathway engagement toward microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), which favors larger deletions. Off-target analysis further showed substantially reduced off-target editing and high specificity with RNP delivery.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Together, these findings demonstrate that RNP delivery improves efficiency, reduces cytotoxicity, and improves precision, providing a more reliable platform for chicken genetic engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13137644/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824248","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":"Dynamic synergistic interplay between ovarian antioxidant defense and angiogenesis sustains high egg production in laying hens.","authors":"Kailong Qin, Minglu Gao, Xiaoying Liu, Yanli Liu, Xiaojun Yang, Jiantao Yang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01420-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01420-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Follicular development in laying hens requires a balance between angiogenesis and redox status, yet their synergistic interplay across different production levels and physiological stages remains unclear. This study compared high-production (HP) and low-production (LP) hens at 50 and 75 weeks of age using morphological, antioxidant, angiogenic, and transcriptomic analyses. An acute tBHP-induced oxidative stress model was further employed to elucidate the temporal coupling between these systems.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HP hens exhibited significantly superior laying rate and FCR compared to LP hens at both 50 and 75 weeks. Morphologically, HP ovaries featured more hierarchical follicles, denser vascular networks, and reduced senescence (β-galactosidase) and apoptotic (TUNEL) signals. Mechanistically, HP ovaries showed significantly enhanced antioxidant capacity (increased T-AOC, GSH, and SOD; decreased MDA) and upregulated expression of antioxidant genes (e.g., NOX1, SOD3, HSPB1). Concurrently, HP ovaries displayed dense CD31-positive microvascular signaling, with significantly higher protein levels of VEGF and ANGPT1. Similarly, gene expression (e.g., VEGFA, KDR, ANGPT1, and ITGA5) was upregulated. Transcriptomic profiling revealed a functional transition: differentially expressed genes at 50 weeks were primarily enriched in immune and metabolic pathways, whereas at 75 weeks, enrichment shifted to extracellular matrix organization and angiogenesis. Co-enrichment analysis identified p53, FoxO, and VEGF as core regulatory pathways, highlighting ITGA5 and HSPB1 as key nodal genes. Finally, the tBHP challenge significantly increased ovarian ROS, triggering a synchronous, compensatory upregulation of antioxidant (NRF2, HIF1α) and angiogenic (VEGF, ANGPT1) factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates that a synergistic antioxidant-angiogenesis axis is a critical mechanism supporting sustained high yield, offering theoretical insights for optimizing the ovarian microenvironment and extending the productive lifespan of laying hens.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13137499/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824277","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":"Recent advances in nonprotein amino acids: insights from function to biosynthesis.","authors":"Yuhong Zou, Xi Jiang, Na Li, Shasha Zhong, Shimin Zhang, Yuanqing Ji, Haitao Yu, Xiangfang Zeng, Aihua Deng, Shiyan Qiao","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01396-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01396-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The systematic exploration of novel bioactive compounds with superior functional properties is critical for driving innovations in agriculture, healthcare, and related fields, thereby becoming essential for advancing sustainable biotechnological solutions. Nonprotein amino acids (NPAAs), functional amino acids not incorporated into proteins, exhibit unique physiological activities and provide distinctive advantages in nutritional enhancement, functional product formulation, and food/feed processing. These attributes challenge the conventional perception of proteins as mere nutritional carriers, positioning NPAAs as promising bioproducts for biosynthesis and functional applications in agriculture, food, and medicine. This review summarizes the classification of the available NPAAs based on their synthetic substrates for the first time and then outlines their diverse functional roles. A comprehensive analysis of recent advances in biosynthetic pathways, engineering strategies, and production level demonstrates their primary research progress in the laboratory phase. The further sustainable biomanufacturing of NPAAs is hampered by several challenges, including poorly elucidated biosynthetic mechanisms, limited robustness and low productivity of microbial strains, and difficulties in scaling up production for industrial applications. Addressing these bottlenecks will require innovative strategies and technologies to facilitate the translation of NPAA production from bench to industry. This review offers valuable insights into the potential of NPAAs in the development of next-generation bioproducts of nutrition, immune regulation, antioxidant defense, and intestinal homeostasis maintenance, suggesting a promising direction for microbial production of high-performance bioactive molecules in agricultural synthetic biomanufacturing.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13134175/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824243","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":"Comprehensive multi-omics reveals dynamic chromatin changes and gene regulatory networks during duck folliculogenesis.","authors":"Zhen Li, Yunxiao Sun, Dandan Sun, Ning Yang, Zhongtao Yin, Zhuocheng Hou","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01393-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-026-01393-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Follicular development is a prerequisite for vertebrate reproduction, and it is precisely regulated by complex genomic conformations and regulatory elements. However, the dynamic changes in the interaction between the three-dimensional genome and regulatory elements of granulosa cells (GCs) during avian follicular development are still unclear. Here, we integrated RNA sequencing, ATAC sequencing, CUT&Tag, and Hi-C of GCs in 7 stages of Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domestica) to construct a high-resolution three-dimensional cis-regulatory map of follicular development, revealing the chromatin dynamics basis of avian folliculogenesis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our integrative analysis reveals that H3K27ac dynamics, rather than chromatin accessibility alone, are strongly associated with the stage-specific transcriptional increase of follicle selection and maturation. We identified enhancers and super-enhancers (SEs) that are significantly correlated with the expression of key follicular genes. Regarding 3D genome organization, we observed that topologically associating domains (TADs) remained largely stable, serving as a structural scaffold. However, stage-specific boundary changes coincided with the transcriptional alterations of key regulator genes. Furthermore, we inferred putative gene regulatory networks (GRNs) comprising 46 core transcription factors (TFs) predicted to be closely linked to follicular development. Finally, comparative analysis highlighted both the conservation and species-specificity of these regulatory elements between birds and mammals.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study provides an integrative, multi-omics resource that offers novel insights into the epigenomic landscape of duck follicular development. The resulting dataset and regulatory map establish a valuable foundation for further mechanistic studies of folliculogenesis and for understanding regulatory divergence across species.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13134274/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824296","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":"Curcumin mitigated aflatoxin B₁-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and gut-kidney axis damage in sheep by regulating the ATF6/GRP78 and IL-1β/NF-κB signaling pathways.","authors":"Ting Wang, Chuanqi Wang, Tongwei Liu, Jiefeng Li, Hengtong Fang, Jing Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01382-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01382-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), a toxic secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, is widely present in various crops and induces endoplasmic reticulum stress in the intestine and kidney of animals, leading to apoptosis and inflammatory damage. Curcumin is a natural phenolic antioxidant that has antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the role and mechanism of curcumin in alleviating the toxicity of AFB₁ in sheep remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mitigating effects of curcumin on intestinal microbiota disorders and intestinal and kidney injuries in AFB₁-exposed sheep. Eighteen sheep were randomly divided into three treatment groups. The groups were the control group (CON, basal diet), the AFB₁ group (AFB₁, basic diet + 500 μg/kg DM AFB₁), and the AFB₁_Curcumin group (AFB₁_CUR, basic diet + 500 μg/kg DM AFB₁ + 800 mg/kg DM curcumin) for 21 d.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>AFB₁ induced intestinal barrier dysfunction, intestinal flora imbalance, and intestinal mucosal damage. Curcumin addition inhibited the activity of the ATF6/GRP78 and IL-1β/NF-κB signaling pathways to alleviate kidney injury and activated the NRF2/KEAP1 pathway and antioxidant system to reduce the toxic substances cycle in the intestine-kidney axis (P < 0.05). The protective effects of curcumin on the intestine and kidney are related to a reduction in the levels of Prevotella ruminicola and Ruminococcus albus. Therefore, the structure of the microbiota and antioxidant functions were improved, mitigating damage to the intestine-kidney axis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Curcumin can alleviate AFB₁-induced disorder of the intestinal microbiota by enhancing intestinal barrier function; reducing intestinal apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory damage; and regulating the intestinal microbiota via the intestine-kidney axis. Moreover, the activity of the ATF6/GRP78 and IL-1β/NF-κB signaling pathways was inhibited by curcumin to mitigate intestine-kidney axis injury. Additionally, activating the NRF2/KEAP1 signaling pathway promotes the function of biological antioxidant system.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13097883/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147730770","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 N-acetylcysteine enhances sperm motility by remodeling the rumen microbiome and its metabolic axis in goats.","authors":"Jinhong Luo, Xiaodong Wang, Yonghong Ju, Quan Ji, Ruiyang Li, Yong Ruan, Jiafu Zhao, Qingmeng Long, Yishun Shang, Ping Li, Maosheng Cao, Xiang Chen","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01390-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01390-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Enhancing sperm motility is crucial for improving male fertility in ruminants. The rumen microbiota, central to nutrient metabolism of ruminants, represents a promising yet underexplored target for dietary intervention. This study investigated whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improves sperm motility via modulating the rumen microbiota-metabolite axis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Dietary NAC supplementation significantly enhanced sperm motility in goats (P < 0.05), with the optimal effect observed at 0.3%, which coincided with improvements in sperm membrane integrity, antioxidant capacity, and mitochondrial function. Functional analysis revealed that NAC-induced microbial remodeling enriched KEGG pathways involved in antioxidant, energy, and lipid metabolism. Correspondingly, beneficial bacteria such as Pediococcus pentosaceus, Bacteroides acidifaciens, and Akkermansia, among others, were significantly enriched (P < 0.05). Notably, metabolic alterations in these pathways were consistently reflected in both the rumen fluid and plasma metabolomes, as evidenced by 25 conserved pathways and 2 overlapping metabolites. Collectively, these metabolic alterations ultimately enhanced sperm motility by improving sperm antioxidant status, energy supply, and lipid homeostasis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study thus reveals that NAC enhances sperm motility via a rumen microbiome-mediated \"rumen-plasma-sperm\" axis. This novel insight broadens the understanding of how NAC-and potentially other antioxidants-regulates sperm motility, highlighting the promise of NAC-based dietary interventions for improving reproductive performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13093934/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147724823","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}