Animal microbiome最新文献

{"title":"Characterising the gut microbiome of six Australian marsupials reveals captivity constrains microbiome.","authors":"Angela Russell, Rachele Gore, Jennifer L Wood, Kylie A Robert","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00545-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00545-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of microbes that live within the host’s digestive tract and are a vital component of host health. An increasing number of studies are investigating microbiome differences in wild and captive-managed populations to assist in species conservation and improve captive welfare. The gut microbiota of Australian marsupials has not been extensively studied but has long been recognised as having an important functional role in the digestive physiology and health of those in care. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterise and compare the faecal bacterial communities of six species of Australian marsupials from captive or wild origins over a large temporal and spatial scale. RESULTS: We found the microbiome of captive marsupials had reduced microbial richness and diversity in two species, the brushtail possum and the Eastern grey kangaroo. Captivity was associated with gut microbiome compositional differences for half of the species tested. These compositional changes were accompanied by less pronounced seasonal variability in captivity. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable baseline data and demonstrates that captivity significantly alters the gut microbiota, suppressing its natural seasonal variability. These findings enhance our understanding of the gut microbiome in Australian marsupials. Future research should focus on determining the functional importance of these microbial communities and develop strategies to address any microbiome deficiencies in managed populations. Such efforts could ultimately improve the success of captive rearing and reintroduction programs. </p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13123018/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147488782","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":"Harnessing the early-life gut microbiome for sustainable ruminant production.","authors":"Limei Lin, Milka Popova, Ilma Tapio, Le Luo Guan, Jana Seifert","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00549-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00549-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The gut microbiome is a dynamic and complex ecosystem that plays an important role in determining ruminant health, productivity, and environmental footprint. Its plasticity during early life presents a critical window for potential programming of long-term physiological and functional capacities, with early interventions demonstrating greater effectiveness compared to those applied in the stable adult microbiome. This review synthesizes current evidence on the assembly of the early-life gut microbiome, elucidates the mechanisms and effectiveness of various interventions (including nutritional, microbial, and genetic approaches), and evaluates their impacts on feed efficiency, animal health, and methane emissions. While various intervention strategies offer promise for advancing ruminant production, challenges remain due to the inconsistency and variability in the persistence and long-term efficacy of these protocols. We highlight the urgent need for integrated and standardized intervention strategies, alongside longitudinal, multi-omics research, and the application of artificial intelligence, to fully unlock the transformative potential of early-life microbiome modulation. Such efforts are essential to aligning ruminant production systems with global food security and climate sustainability goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13063736/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147476440","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":"Maternal supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri enhances colostrum sIgA secretion and immune function of offspring.","authors":"Qian Xie, Pengyi Tian, Qing Duanmu, Mei Yang, Chen Zhang, Jing Wang, Bi E Tan","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00550-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00550-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Specific maternal gut microbiota can activate immune responses in the gut-associated lymphoid tissues, driving the secretion of maternal immunoglobulins into the milk and facilitating the passive immunity of the offspring via the entero-mammary axis. This study aims to investigate the distinct gut microbiota profiles between large white (LW) sows and Ningxiang (NX) sows, and to explore probiotic for maternal and offspring intestinal health. Lactobacillus reuteri (LR) was significantly enriched in the feces of NX sows and positively correlated with colostral immunoglobulin (Ig) levels, specifically IgG (r = 0.568, P = 0.014), IgA (r = 0.573, P = 0.013), and IgM (r = 0.721, P = 0.0007). Maternal supplementation with LR isolated from NX pigs enhanced mammary IgA production and elevated secretory IgA (sIgA) levels in both colostrum and the ileum of mice. Importantly, maternal dietary LR supplementation improved immune functions of offspring mice challenged with enterotoxigenic escherichia coli (ETEC), as evidenced by reduced systemic inflammation (TNF-α, IFN-γ) and preserved intestinal barrier function. These results support the potential of NX pig-derived LR as a probiotic to improve the health of maternal and offspring via the gut-mammary axis.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13107913/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147476391","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":"Omics integration reveals how the gut microbiota of Warmblood horses responds to equestrian show jumping-a short-duration, high-intensity technical exercise stress.","authors":"Shilong Yu, Xiaoyu Yue, Qing Yang, Pengpeng Xu, Hui Yuan, Wendan Tang, Yue Luan, Qin Wang","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00535-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00535-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Intestinal microbial homeostasis and metabolic balance play a crucial role in maintaining normal physiological function in horses. Exogenous stress involving abrupt turns and jumps during show jumping significantly impacts intestinal microbial homeostasis and metabolic balance in these animals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>By comparing rectal (faecal) samples from 10 Warmblood horses collected before and immediately after a show jumping competition on the same day, we observed substantial alterations in intestinal microbial homeostasis and metabolic balance post-exercise. Microbial evenness significantly increased following the competition, accompanied by enrichment of specific taxa such as Bacteroides, Ruminococcus, Prevotella, and Fibrobacter. Metabolite analysis revealed a marked decrease in antioxidant-related compounds, including orsellinic acid, 2,3-dimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, and (1 R,6 R)-1,4,5,5a,6,9-hexahydrophenazine-1,6-dicarboxylate. Conversely, glucosan and thiamine pyrophosphate levels increased. Post-competition, membrane lipid metabolism pathways were significantly downregulated, while antioxidant responses and energy metabolism pathways were upregulated. Spearman correlation analysis indicated positive associations between Fibrobacter, Ruminococcus, and Prevotella with energy metabolism-related metabolites, whereas Lysinibacillus correlated positively with metabolites involved in antioxidant activity and intestinal mucosal protection.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Collectively, our findings demonstrate that show jumping induces shifts in intestinal microbial homeostasis and metabolic balance in Warmblood horses. These adaptations appear conducive to preserving epithelial integrity and enhancing energy provision to meet the demands of high-intensity exercise. This study provides novel insights into the impact of acute high-intensity exercise on equine gut microbial dynamics and metabolism, offering a theoretical basis for probiotic-based interventions to support intestinal health in sport horses.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13085445/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147461392","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":"Characterising the gut microbiomes of two baleen whales with different feeding and migratory strategies.","authors":"Aashi Parikh, Richard O'Rorke, Emma L Carroll, Els Vermeulen, Robert Harcourt, Rochelle Constantine, Stephanie Plön, William J Rayment, Anthony Chariton","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00538-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00538-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mammalian gut microbiomes are essential for supporting digestion, nutrient absorption and overall host health. While diet and phylogeny are the two main influences on gut microbial composition, other factors, including life history and environment also contribute. Here, we characterised and compared the gut (faecal) bacterial microbiomes of two baleen whale species with contrasting life histories: the Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni brydei), a non-migratory, year-round generalist forager; and the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis; SRW), a seasonal migrating species with a specialised diet of krill and copepods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that each species harboured distinct gut microbiomes with potential links to their different feeding and migratory strategies. The Bryde's whale gut microbiome bore a strong resemblance to that of toothed whales, with relatively lower bacterial richness and diversity and a high proportion of Proteobacteria after Firmicutes. The core microbiome of these whales included taxa supporting a protein-rich diet and year-round foraging lifestyle, e.g. Carnobacterium and Faecalitalea. In contrast, the SRW had a gut microbiome similar to other baleen whale species, with a higher richness and diversity, and dominated by Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The SRW core microbiome featured taxa associated with lipid metabolism, e.g. Erysipelotrichaceae and Coriobacteriia, reflecting a lipid-rich diet and reliance on blubber reserves during migration. We also found that SRWs sampled at different stages in the migratory cycle had significantly different gut microbial compositions. Functional analyses further supported these results, with Bryde's whales being broadly enriched in enzymatic functions including protein digestion and SRWs showing more selective enrichment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Along with species-specific microbiomes, our findings also suggest that migratory behaviour and foraging patterns - key aspects of cetacean life history - may substantially influence gut microbiome composition. The characterisation of the gut microbiomes of the two whales provides a valuable baseline for the future monitoring of cetaceans and their environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13097856/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147446124","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":"Identification of gut microbiota features of diarrheic calves using the full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and machine learning.","authors":"Jalyn Hawkins, Shelby Carpenter, Himani Joshi, Brandon Bernard, James Brett, Marcus McGee, Trent Smith, Amanda Stone, Chuan-Yu Hsu, Peixin Fan","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00532-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00532-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Gut microbial dysbiosis is a common cause of calf diarrhea, a major contributor to calf mortality. Additionally, the early gut microbiota in calves is considered a hotspot for antimicrobial resistance, potentially leading to the failure of antibiotic treatments. Most prior research investigating the associations between calf microbiota and diarrhea has relied on partial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, which offers limited taxonomic resolution. In this study, we collected fecal samples from 25 Holstein-Angus crossbred neonatal calves on days 4, 7, 11, 14, and 30 and analyzed the gut microbiota using full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. A machine-learning approach was employed to identify potential bacterial markers associated with diarrhea. RESULTS: A significant increase in gut microbial diversity (P < 0.05) was observed with the calves’ age; however, days 11 and 14 showed similar diversity levels, coinciding with the peak prevalence of diarrhea. Differences in gut microbiota features between healthy (n = 5) and diarrheic calves (n = 8), determined by fecal scores on days 11 and 14, were also detected at earlier (day 4) and later (day 30) stages of life. Seven diarrhea-associated species (e.g., Fusobacterium spp. and Bacteroides fragilis) and four health-associated species (e.g., Megasphaera elsdenii and Enterococcus faecium) were consistently identified by both Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis and Boruta feature selection. Machine learning models trained on Boruta-selected bacterial features using Random Forest and Support Vector Machine algorithms achieved high classification accuracy (87–100%) in distinguishing diarrheic from healthy fecal samples. Moreover, the concentration of gut bacteria resistant to the cephalosporin antibiotic cefotaxime was significantly higher in diarrheic calves that harbored a greater abundance of pathogens (P < 0.05), particularly on days 11 and 14, when the prevalence of diarrhea was high, which may be attributed to the co-localization of virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance genes. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a comprehensive characterization of the neonatal calf gut microbiota, identified potential bacterial species as biomarkers to predict diarrhea and probiotic candidates, and indicated early, immediate, and long-term microbiota changes associated with diarrhea. Additionally, it highlighted the increased risk of antimicrobial resistance to antibiotic treatment in diarrheic calves. </p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12983710/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147446133","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":"Host genome regulation of the porcine gut microbiota and its impact on feed conversion efficiency.","authors":"Qitian Wu, Xiaoqing Wang, Qiming Mu, Jingjing Tian, Hailing Wang, Jiayi Yang, Zhen Peng, Lili Gao, Pengfei Gao, Fuping Zhao","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00527-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00527-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aims to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of host genetics on the porcine gut microbiota and their subsequent impact on the feed conversion ratio (FCR). While initial genome-wide association studies (GWAS) did not identify significant SNPs directly associated with FCR, we investigated the gut microbiota as a potential intermediate phenotype influencing feed efficiency. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) based on Bray–Curtis distances demonstrated a distinct separation in microbial community structure between the high-feed conversion ratio (HFCR) and low-feed conversion ratio (LFCR) groups (stress = 0.19), suggesting a link between FCR and gut microbial composition. Furthermore, a significant, albeit weak, negative correlation was observed between the genomic relatedness matrices and microbial Bray‒Curtis dissimilarity (r = −0.0143, p = 0.0031), indicating host genetic control over the microbiome. Microbiome genome-wide association study (mGWAS) identified 117 significant SNPs associated with 28 microbial taxa. Functional annotation highlighted eight candidate genes (DCY8, PATJ, PTPN2, FTO, SLC13A1, ADAM28, MGST1, and PTGS2) involved in the regulation of taxa, including Campylobacter, Faecalibacterium, Streptococcus, Succinivibrio, Treponema, Turicibacter, uncultured Erysipelotrichales, and uncultured Peptococcaceae 2. Collectively, these findings establish that the gut microbiota is a heritable trait influenced by the host genome, providing novel targets for breeding strategies designed to optimize microbial composition for improved feed efficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12983837/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147446128","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":"Longitudinal source-sink dynamics of fecal litter and farm indoor environmental resistomes in broiler chicken and Cherry Valley ducks.","authors":"Peter Fauszt, Maja Mikolas, Peter David, Zsombor Szoke, Njomza Gashi, Emese Szilagyi-Tolnai, Endre Szilágyi, Maria Magdolna Szarvas, Monika Eva Fazekas, Andrea Kun-Nemes, Aniko Stagel, Ferenc Gal, Levente Czegledi, Sandor Biro, Laszlo Stundl, Judit Remenyik, Melinda Paholcsek","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00544-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00544-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance is a major One Health threat, and intensive poultry systems function as amplifiers. Although broilers and ducks are reared under similarly controlled conditions, their microecologies diverge. Integrated, longitudinal source-sink analyses quantifying overlap and directional flux between host-associated and environmental resistomes remain scarce. A two-year (2022–2024), longitudinal, commercial-scale comparison was undertaken across 15 stocking cycles under harmonized husbandry in Ross 308 broiler and Cherry Valley duck. Parallel shotgun metagenomics profiled fecal litter and farm indoor environments across standardized production, with daily monitoring in one complete cycle per system; in total, 96 pooled samples were sequenced to quantify cross-compartment overlaps. RESULTS: Antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) reservoir dominance proved to be system-specific, duck systems were environment-centric, whereas broiler systems were fecal litter-centric. Although overall ARG diversity was similar between systems (broiler 2,542; duck 2,494 types), ducks exhibited greater compartmental divergence, with ~ 2.6-fold more environment-unique ARGs than paired fecal litter and 1.15-fold higher environmental richness than broilers. Compartment coupling also differed: broilers showed tighter host-environment overlap, while ducks were more partitioned. A shared environmental ARG pool (57.5%) indicated substantial cross-system exchange potential. Temporally, shared ARGs accumulated across the grow-out and peaked pre-depopulation. The distribution of significant ARG carrier species revealed asymmetric host-environment coupling: overlap across compartments was 66.67% in broilers versus 45.45% in ducks, notably. The impact of antimicrobial use was nuanced: short, targeted courses were associated with lower aaAMR burden overall Collectively, the recurrent detection of clinically consequential carriers (P. aeruginosa, E. coli, A. baumannii, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, S. maltophilia, toxigenic Clostridium spp.) underscored One Health risks of zoonotic spillover and food-chain contamination. CONCLUSION: Reservoir behavior in intensive poultry systems should be treated as system-specific, and matrix-targeted, with biofilm and humidity management prioritized in duck operations, and litter/manure control emphasized in broilers. The finisher-depopulation window emerges as a critical intervention point, warranting intensified mitigation clean-out. Finally, mitigation should extend beyond individual farms to transport crates, vehicles, shared equipment, and supply chains. </p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13085657/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147391654","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":"Towards standardization in pig microbiome research based on a comprehensive twenty-year review.","authors":"Samuel Onyilokwu Enokela, Timur Yergaliyev, Krzysztof Flisikowski, Stéphanie Céline Hornburg, Henry Reyer, Jens Tetens, Klaus Wimmers, Jürgen Zentek, Amélia Camarinha-Silva","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00541-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00541-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The pig microbiome plays a crucial role in animal health, productivity, and meat quality. This comprehensive review analyzed 438 publications on pig microbiome studies from 2003 to 2023, focusing on experimental methodologies, bioinformatic tools, sequencing approaches, and metadata reporting practices. It critically analyzes the variability introduced by different DNA extraction methods, sequencing platforms, and bioinformatics pipelines, emphasizing their impacts on reproducibility and data comparability. We identify critical gaps in metadata reporting, particularly in DNA extraction protocols and bioinformatic workflows. To address these issues, we propose a standardized metadata template for pig microbiome studies, integrating Genomic Standards Consortium guidelines with project-specific criteria. This review provides a framework for developing standardized protocols in pig microbiome research, aiming to improve reproducibility and facilitate cross-study comparisons.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13063546/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147391669","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 Leuconostoc lactis on the antioxidant ability and indole-3-acetaldehyde metabolism via regulating the gut microbiota-liver axis in aged laying hens.","authors":"Zhou Chenxin, Liu Hui, Chen Meixia, Zhang Zefeng, Xu Fuzhou, Zhang Dongyan","doi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00531-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-026-00531-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lactobacillus has antioxidant properties that may benefit poultry production. However, there is no systematic research on antioxidant of Lactobacillus strain and its effects on regulating nutrient metabolism in aged laying hens. This study investigated the influence of Leuconostoc lactis on production and antioxidant capacity in aged laying hens and explored the key biomarkers associated with tryptophan-skatole metabolism and its effects on the intestinal microbiota-liver axis. Hens supplemented with L. lactis showed a higher laying rate, reduced hepatic MDA levels, and increased T-AOC in comparison with the control group (CG). Indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAld) levels were elevated in both feces and yolk, and skatole decreased in feces by the L. lactis group compared to CG. The total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), C18:3n3, and C18:2n6c in yolk were raised in the L. lactis group relative to CG. In the liver, mRNA levels of AhR, CYP2D6, and CPT-1 were markedly upregulated in the L. lactis group relative to CG. The L. lactis-treated group also exhibited higher alpha diversity in fecal samples at 30 days and in ileal samples at 60 days. Further, we conducted the hepatocyte validation experiment and found that MDA levels were significantly reduced, and T-AOC was increased in both the L. lactis and IAld-treated groups compared with the CG. IAld treatment significantly affected p38, and NF-κB, and Nrf2 cytokine expression in hepatocytes. The findings provide a reference for the use of L. lactis in improving production and intestinal nutrition in aged laying hens.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13077907/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147367365","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}