Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Lemnaceae as a poultry feed supplement: a review on the nutritional and economic potential for long term feed sustainability.","authors":"Aakarsh Salian, Manikprabhu Dhanorkar, Satish Tongaonkar, Dibyendu Dey, Sarwar Ali, Piruthiviraj Kumar, Pooja Singh","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01415-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01415-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soybean is a conventional and widely used protein source in the poultry feed. Fluctuating soybean prices linked to changing climatic and agroeconomic condition brings in multiple sustainability and food security concerns in the poultry feed sector. Additionally, competition for agricultural land, coupled to rising feed costs has put economic strain on the consumers. There is a need to promote alternative low-cost protein sources to bring in circularity in production systems, reduce environmental footprints, and improve long-term resilience of the poultry feed sector in the face of climate change. This work explores duckweed as a promising and economical alternative to soybean for use in the poultry feed sector and evaluates the limitations in their widespread use. Rich protein (around 35%-40%), high lysine content and diverse nutritional profile of duckweed confirm its suitability as an attractive component in the poultry feed, particularly relevant in the era of climate change and feed security crisis. Large scale production is however limited by processing and storage concerns that need to be further addressed to increase the economic viability of duckweeds. Production systems based on recycled wastewater makes the process sustainable. Reduction in antinutritive factors by enzymes or microbial fermentation will further enhance the acceptability of these plants as feed components. This study highlights opportunities to reduce the dependency on climate-sensitive soybean while promoting a circular bioeconomy approach in the poultry feed sector. Use of duckweed offers a promising approach to ensure a climate resilient and sustainable poultry sector, with potential to enhance food security.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13179611/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147950307","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":"Efficacy and safety evaluation of artificial intelligence-identified antimicrobial peptides targeting avian pathogenic Escherichia coli in broiler chickens.","authors":"Emre Demirsoy, Teagan I Parkin, Shaeleen E Mihalynuk, Anna H Dema, Lorissa Corrie, Marika E Heilker, Haley N Kuecks-Winger, Anat Yanai, Uluc B Birol, Michael McIlwee, Kay de Wet, Mathijs Knipscheer, Victoria Bowes, Vanessa Tuytel, Liam Ritchie, Wolfgang Köster, Emil Berberov, William R Cox, Monica Kotkoff, Vanessa C Thompson, René L Warren, Erin Fraser, Linda M N Hoang, Fraser Hof, Fatih Birol, Caren C Helbing, Inanc Birol","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01417-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01417-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The overuse of antibiotics in both veterinary and human medicine has resulted in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, prompting a search for effective alternatives. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short, often cationic, peptide-based molecules with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity, which makes them promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics in poultry production.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From a prior machine-learning-guided screen of 875 candidate AMPs against a wide bacterial panel, 62 exhibited activity against avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and low in vitro hemolytic and cytotoxic activity. We selected three lead AMPs from this list (named TeRu4, TeBi1, and PeNi4), and evaluated their in vitro and in vivo efficacy, safety, and immunomodulatory potential for use in poultry farming. In animal experiments, AMPs were administered via in ovo injection on d 18 of embryonic development. In APEC challenge trials, yolk sacs were inoculated with APEC post-hatch to assess early chick mortality, while in pen trials, birds were raised in a commercial production setting for 35 d. For challenged birds, TeBi1 (10 μg/egg) significantly reduced culture-positive rates for APEC in the air sac and pericardium, increased body weight by 50% and reduced cytokine transcript levels by 10%-30% on d 7 post hatch. In HD11 chicken macrophage-like cultured cells, TeRu4 (16 μg/mL) suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine transcript levels. In pen trials, TeRu4 (20 μg/egg) increased the survival probability of female birds by 4.9%, while TeBi1 (20 μg/egg) increased the survival probability of all birds by 4.4%, by d 35. Gene expression analysis revealed AMP- and sex-specific cytokine responses. In pen trials, no significant differences were observed in mean weights, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and flock uniformity on d 35. By integrating high-throughput in ovo automation with large-scale commercial pen trials, this study provides a systematic translational bridge from in silico AI discovery to field-relevant poultry production interventions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings demonstrate that TeBi1 and TeRu4 are promising antibiotic alternatives that improve survival, modulate immune responses, and maintain normal growth performance in broiler chickens in this experimental setting.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13177867/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147943867","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":"Transcriptome profiling of bovine preantral follicles during early folliculogenesis.","authors":"Noemi Monferini, Pritha Dey, Ludovica Donadini, Filippo Zambelli, Federica Franciosi, Valentina Lodde, Alberto Maria Luciano","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01407-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01407-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The ovarian reserve, primarily composed of primordial (PMF), primary (PF), and secondary follicles (SF), holds great potential for fertility preservation, yet remains inaccessible mainly due to the challenges of replicating early folliculogenesis in vitro. The molecular mechanisms governing the activation and differentiation of oocytes from the dormant PMF pool remain poorly defined. In this study, we used a bovine model to investigate early follicular development.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The transcriptome of isolated PMF, PF, and SF revealed different profiles of the follicles during early folliculogenesis. Differential gene expression analyses between PF versus PMF and SF versus PF revealed 689 and 3,206 significantly regulated genes, respectively (FDR < 0.05), highlighting key pathways including PI3K-Akt, Wnt, mTOR, and ECM-receptor interaction. Between PF versus PMF and SF versus PF, 13 and 69 DEGs were identified as transcription factors, respectively. A Likelihood Ratio Test followed by hierarchical clustering identified four major gene expression clusters across the three stages, showing significant enrichment in processes such as ECM-related functions and cell cycle. Based on the enrichment of the cell cycle pathway, we focused on RAD51, which was highly expressed in preantral follicles. Immunohistochemical analysis further showed that RAD51 protein localized in the ooplasm, along with the mitochondrial marker HSP60.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This is the first study to perform bulk RNA sequencing on isolated preantral follicles (PMF, PF, and SF) in cattle. Our findings provide new insights into the stage-specific mechanisms regulating follicle activation and growth in cattle, laying the groundwork for future in vitro fertility preservation strategies in both clinical and conservation contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13173735/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147935818","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":"Butyrate combined with niacin enhances intestinal barrier function repair in weaned piglets infected with ETEC by promoting colonic metabolism and antimicrobial peptide expression.","authors":"Qingsong Tang, Rui Zhen, Bijing Yang, Zhenyan Miao, Yangyang Wei, Shihui Ruan, Yiyi He, Yunxia Xiong, Qiwen Wu, Li Wang, Zongyong Jiang, Hongbo Yi","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01405-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01405-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Weaning piglets are highly susceptible to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infections, which can cause intestinal barrier function dysfunction and death. However, there is still a lack of efficient, economical, and safe nutritional interventions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of combining butyrate with niacin on intestinal barrier function repair and resistance to ETEC infection in weaned piglets. In this study, two 14-d animal experiments were designed to observe the optimal butyrate-to-niacin ratio and assess their responses to the ETEC challenge.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Supplementation with butyrate and niacin at a ratio of 100:2 (2,000 mg/kg butyrate and 40 mg/kg niacin, BN2) increased the average daily gain (ADG) and reduced the diarrhea incidence. We also observed an increase in the levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in the colon of weaned piglets. Notably, BN2 promoted amino acid anabolism in the colon and enhanced glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle by increasing the acetylation of key enzymes in the TCA. Furthermore, BN2 enhanced the expression of indispensable genes for the colonic mucosal barrier, including antimicrobial peptides such as porcine β defensin 1 (pBD1), porcine β defensin 2 (pBD2), and proline-arginine rich 39-amino acid peptide (PR39), tight junction proteins, and improved colonic microbiome composition. Based on these findings, we found that BN2 alleviated growth restriction and diarrhea, and modulated the expression of antimicrobial peptides, tight junction proteins, and cytokines to reduce colonic barrier function dysfunction in weaned piglets challenged with ETEC. Mechanistically, we confirmed that BN2 elevated the protein expression of acetylation of histone 3 lysin 27 (H3K27ac) and enhanced the binding of acH3K27 to the promoter regions of pBD1 and PR39.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Supplementation with BN2 improved growth performance, supported colonic barrier function repair, and enhanced disease resistance in weaned piglets challenged with ETEC. This offers new insights into nutritional strategies for intestinal barrier function repair of piglets infected with ETEC.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13169904/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147935773","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":"Enhanced valorization of Korshinsk peashrub (Caragana korshinskii Kom.) as ruminant feed via the selective ligninolysis by the white rot fungus Dichomitus squalens.","authors":"Jiale Liao, Wenjing Zhang, Yidi Wang, Bin Yao, Le Gao, Chuncheng Xu, Haitao Yu, Xing Qin, Guijie Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01404-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01404-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Korshinsk peashrub (Caragana korshinskii Kom.) is a valuable forage shrub for ruminants due to its abundant cell walls. However, its utilization is largely limited by the cross-linked structures of lignocellulose within its cell walls. White rot fungi possess the ability to degrade these resistant cross-linked structures, offering enormous potential to develop cost-effective biopretreatment processes of Korshinsk peashrub.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the white rot fungi evaluated, Dichomitus squalens demonstrated superior efficacy in improving lignocellulose deconstruction and subsequent rumen fermentation of Korshinsk peashrub (P < 0.05). This fungus preferentially degrades lignin, hemicellulose, and pectin (P < 0.05), which corresponded to significantly improved enzymatic saccharification, ruminal degradability, and gas production (P < 0.05). Genomic analysis revealed that D. squalens possesses a comprehensive range of genes encoding ligninolytic enzyme. Elevated activities and expression levels of laccase, manganese peroxidase, esterase, glutathione S-transferase, versatile peroxidase, and hydrogen peroxide-generating enzymes aligned with the disruption of cross-linked structures and increased porosity of Korshinsk peashrub. Furthermore, the extracellular enzyme cocktail from D. squalens exhibited robust lignin‑degrading capability, corroborating its role in selective ligninolysis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pretreatment of Korshinsk peashrub with selective white rot fungi offers a practical approach to valorize this woody biomass as an alternative feedstock for ruminants.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13162467/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147876493","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 and their metabolites contribute to the heterosis of breast muscle yield in broilers.","authors":"Qiang Huang, Chaoliang Wen, Shuang Gu, Yuchen Jie, Guangqi Li, Yiyuan Yan, Guiqin Wu, Ning Yang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01409-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01409-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Breast muscle yield is a key economic trait in broilers, directly affecting carcass value and profitability, and has been significantly improved by intensive selection and exploiting heterosis through crossbreeding. Our previous work showed that synergy between the gut microbiota and host genome underlies breast muscle heterosis in crossbred progeny (CR) derived from Cornish (CC) and White Plymouth Rock (RR) lines. However, the molecular mechanisms by which the gut microbiota contributes to heterosis in breast muscle yield remain poorly understood. Here, we integrated cecal microbiome, metabolome, and transcriptome data from 266 birds at 42 days of age to elucidate the potential gut microbiota-mediated molecular mechanisms underlying breast muscle yield heterosis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>To assess whether heterosis extends beyond productive traits to the gut microbiota and their metabolites in broilers, we compared the cecal microbial and metabolic profiles of CR with those of their parental lines. The gut microbiota of CR were clearly distinct from those of both parental lines and exhibited heterosis characteristics, with 88 genera displaying heterotic patterns that collectively accounted for approximately 85% of the total microbial abundance. Heterosis was also evident in the cecal metabolites of CR birds. Differential abundance analysis across groups identified 868 cecal metabolites, and abundance-pattern classification showed that approximately 75% exhibited nonadditive patterns in the crossbred progeny. These nonadditive metabolites were predominantly host-microbiota co-metabolites and were mainly enriched in amino acid and lipid metabolic pathways. Importantly, seven of the nine genera previously identified in association with breast muscle yield exhibited heterosis in the crossbred progeny. At the metabolomic level, yield-associated genera were linked to a distinct set of 35 cecal metabolites, dominated by sphingolipids, ether-linked phospholipids, and acyl-homoserine lactones. These metabolites formed coordinated associations with the expression of 269 host genes, which were functionally enriched in MAPK signaling and focal adhesion pathways.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest that heterosis exists not only in productive traits but also in gut microbiota and their metabolites, the latter in turn contributed to breast muscle yield, which offers valuable guidance for elucidating the molecular basis of heterosis in animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13159366/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147870753","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 methylome-transcriptome profiling reveals epigenetic regulation of immune activation pathways and CSN3-associated lactation repression in bovine subclinical mastitis.","authors":"Shraddha Dwivedi, Amit Kumar, Ujjwal Kumar De, Anuj Chauhan, Ravi Kant Agrawal, Shivani Khanna, Amritanshu Upadhyay, Ayushi Singh, Prem Chand Devatwal, Triveni Dutt","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01400-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01400-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is a major constraint in dairy production and is driven by complex host-pathogen interactions. Although transcriptional responses associated with SCM have been widely investigated, the epigenetic mechanisms that stably regulate these programs remain less well characterized, particularly in crossbred cattle populations. This study aimed to characterize DNA methylation-based regulatory networks by integrating whole-genome methylation and transcriptome data from milk somatic cells of Vrindavani (Bos taurus × Bos indicus) cattle. Whole-genome methylation (n = 6) and corresponding transcriptome profiling (n = 6) were performed on milk somatic cells from SCM-affected and healthy control cows.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Differential methylation analysis (q-value < 0.05) identified 62,940 differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs), 7,706 differentially methylated regions (DMRs), and 6,203 differentially methylated genes (DMGs), with a predominant bias toward hypomethylation in SCM. Integrative analysis using stringent thresholds for both methylation (≥ 10%) and expression change (|log₂ fold change| ≥ 1; P of GMM < 0.001) identified 1,407 differentially methylated and expressed genes (DMEGs). Functional enrichment analysis revealed 47 KEGG pathways and 30 Gene Ontology biological process terms (FDR < 0.05), primarily associated with immune signaling and inflammatory responses. In contrast, a subset of DMEGs showed methylation-associated repression of lactation- and metabolism-related genes. Selected genes were experimentally validated by qPCR, including upregulation of the inflammatory mediator S100A8 and downregulation of CSN3 (κ-casein), a key milk protein gene.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings provide an integrated view of the DNA methylation and transcriptional landscape of SCM in milk somatic cells and demonstrate that epigenetic remodeling is associated with coordinated activation of immune pathways alongside repression of lactation-associated functions. The results contribute to understanding the molecular basis of subclinical mastitis and may inform future efforts toward biomarker development and epigenetically informed strategies for improving disease resilience in dairy cattle.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13157666/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147864795","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 iron and metal-based growth promoters differentially modulate the gut resistome and Escherichia coli virulome in weaned pigs.","authors":"Shya E Navazesh, Anneliek Ter Horst, Weizhang Wen, Yanhong Liu, David Kiang, Zhirong Li, Alice Yu, C Titus Brown, Peng Ji","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01399-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01399-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>High levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper sulfate are widely used as alternative growth promoters in postweaning pig diet. However, excessive exposure to these metals may drive co-selection for heavy metal (HMR) and antibiotic resistance (AMR). Nursery diets also contain abundant iron to offset the low bioavailability of plant-derived iron, yet how dietary iron influence gut dysbiosis and microbial resistance in postweaning pigs remains unclear. This exploratory study examined the effects of dietary iron and metal-based growth promoters on the fecal resistome of postweaning pigs using shotgun metagenomics and whole-genome sequencing (WGS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifty weanling pigs were stratified and randomly assigned to five dietary treatments for 24 d. Experimental diets included a control diet (Con) containing 25, 139, and 141 mg/kg of Cu, Fe, and Zn, respectively, a low-iron diet (LFe, 19 mg Fe/kg), a high-iron diet (HFe, 1,219 mg Fe/kg), a high-copper diet (HCu, 257 mg Cu/kg), and a high-zinc diet (HZn, 2,631 mg Zn/kg, including 2,490 mg Zn/kg from ZnO). All pigs were orally administered with F18 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) on d 13-16. Metagenome sequencing were performed on d 24 fecal DNA (n = 24) to identify HMR genes (BacMet Predicted database) and AMR genes (CARD database). Functional annotation was performed using HUMAnN3. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was conducted on 120 E. coli isolates from fecal cultures on d 1, 12, and 24, and AMR and virulence genes were identified from contig assemblies using ABRicate.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Dietary metal treatments significantly altered β-diversity of HMR genes compared with Con, with HZn differing from both HCu and LFe (P < 0.05). Fecal iron levels correlated with sodB (ρ = 0.64, P = 0.075), an iron-containing superoxide dismutase, while fecal copper levels correlated with pcoC (ρ = 0.66, P = 0.075), a plasmid-mediated copper resistance gene. Across metagenomes, 172 AMR genes were identified, dominated by glycopeptide and tetracycline resistance. While dietary iron had minimal effects on fecal AMR profile, HZn induced the largest shifts in resistome, including increases of ant(9)-la, conferring aminoglycoside resistance on mobile genetic elements, and adeF, encoding a multidrug efflux pump (P < 0.05). Functional profiling revealed enrichment of carbohydrate metabolism pathways in HZn group (P < 0.05). WGS of E. coli isolates showed distinct AMR profiles under HZn on d 24 and distinct virulence profile under LFe on d 12, exhibiting increased prevalence of exotoxin and T3SS genes (P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Dietary iron restriction enhanced E. coli virulence genes, whereas excessive ZnO induced the most pronounced changes in the gut resistome and microbial metabolism, highlighting a risk for AMR co-selection and marked influence on gut microbiota.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13156864/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147864803","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 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":"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":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13154547/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846605","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":"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":7.9,"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}