Animals最新文献

{"title":"Dynamic Changes in the Gut Microbiota During Peripartum in Jennies.","authors":"Xinyue Wang, Yang Shao, Xiaoling Zhou, Zheng Li, Jingze Liu, Mingyao Tang, Yixin Yang, Liang Deng","doi":"10.3390/ani15091337","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091337","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The peripartum period is critical for breeding female donkeys (i.e., jennies) and ensuring the delivery of healthy neonatal foals. The gut microbiota deeply influences the host metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in the gut microbiome during the peripartum period in jennies. Fresh fecal samples of eight adult jennies were collected at the following seven sampling time points: 21, 7, and 3 days prepartum (G21, G7, and G3) and 1, 3, 7, and 14 days postpartum (L1, L3, L7, and L14). Sequencing of the V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA genes was carried out using fecal samples to identify the differences in the microbiome across the peripartum period. Bacteroidota and Firmicutes were the most abundant bacterial phyla in the feces. <i>Treponema</i> and <i>Lachnospiraceae XPB1014 group</i> significantly increased in the L3 group compared to the G7 group (<i>q</i> < 0.05), and a decline trend was observed in L1 group around parturition. The genus <i>Clostridium sensu stricto 1</i>, family Clostridiaceae, and order Clostridiales were considered to be biomarkers of the L3 group. Among the 25 functional pathways detected by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, beta lactam resistance, insulin resistance, and peptidases were the top three important pathways observed in the gut microbiota during the peripartum period in jennies. The gut microbial structure changed significantly at different time points during the peripartum period in jennies. These results contribute to a better understanding of the gut microbiota to ensure health care during important phases from late pregnancy to early lactation in jennies.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12071091/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143972022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of <i>Berchemia discolor</i> Leaf Meal (Muni Tree) on Feed Intake, Growth Performance and Digestibility of Non-Descript Goats.","authors":"Jobere Anastacia Mashiachidi, Tlou Grace Manyelo, Busisiwe Gunya","doi":"10.3390/ani15091342","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091342","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Seasonal feed shortages often limit goat productivity in rural areas, creating a need for alternative, locally available feed resources. This study evaluated the effect of <i>Berchemia discolor</i> leaf meal on feed intake, digestibility and growth performance of South African non-descript goats. Sixteen yearling goats (average age 12 months, body weight 19.63 ± 1.68 kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design and housed individually in metabolic cages. They were fed diets containing 0%, 15%, 20% and 30% <i>B. discolor</i> leaf meal, formulated on a dry matter basis for 42 days (14-day adaptation, 28-day measurement). <i>B. discolor</i> supplementation had no effect on weight and feed intake (<i>p</i> > 0.05). However, goats fed diets with 0% and 30% inclusion levels had a significantly higher average daily gain and more efficient feed conversion ratio compared to those fed 15% and 20% inclusion levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Daily dry matter intake did not differ (<i>p</i> > 0.05) among groups. However, <i>B. discolor</i> had lower (<i>p</i> < 0.05) crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents compared to the control (0% inclusion). Metabolic weight intakes were similar (<i>p</i> > 0.05) across treatments. <i>B. discolor</i> had no effect (<i>p</i> > 0.05) on dry matter digestibility, but CP and ADF digestibility were higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in goats fed 0% <i>B. discolor</i> than those in 15%, 20% or 30% inclusion groups. In conclusion, <i>B. discolor</i> inclusion improved growth performance and feed conversion efficiency in non-descript goats, though higher levels reduced nutrient digestibility. Inclusion up to 20% supported intake and growth, but the highest feed conversion ratio was observed at 0% and 30% inclusion.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12070876/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143967598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Short-Term Feeding with Diets Containing Insect Meal on the Gut Microbiota of African Catfish Hybrids.","authors":"Balázs Libisch, Zsuzsanna J Sándor, Tibor Keresztény, Chioma Lilian Ozoaduche, Péter P Papp, Katalin Posta, Janka Biró, Viktor Stojkov, Vojislav Banjac, Nóra Adányi, Mária Berki, Éva Lengyel-Kónya, Rita Tömösközi-Farkas, Ferenc Olasz","doi":"10.3390/ani15091338","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091338","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The impact of short-term feeding of three distinct diets containing insect meals on the intestinal microbiota of African catfish hybrid (<i>Clarias gariepinus × Heterobranchus longifilis</i>) juveniles was examined. The animals received experimental diets containing 30% insect meals derived from black soldier-fly larvae (BSL) (<i>Hermetia illucens</i>), yellow mealworm (<i>Tenebrio molitor</i>) or blue bottle-fly larvae (<i>Calliphora vicina</i>) for 18 days. The relative abundance of the <i>Bacillaceae</i>, the <i>Planococcaceae</i> and other bacteria significantly increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in the intestinal microbiota of the BSL group and also in the pooled group of the three catfish groups that received insect meals. Several strains of the <i>Bacillales</i> cultured from BSL feed had higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) abundance in the intestinal microbiota of the BSL group compared to those of the control group. Among these <i>Bacillales</i> strains, a single <i>fosB</i> antibiotic resistance gene was identified. In the gut resistomes of both the BSL and the control catfish groups, the <i>tetA(P)</i>, <i>tetB(P)</i> and <i>lnu(C)</i> antibiotic-resistance determinants were detected, while <i>fosB</i> was detected only in the BSL group. Overall, the study showed that a short-term shift to diets containing insect meals can induce significant (q < 0.05) changes in the gut microbiota of the African catfish without the development of reduced α-diversity and without the overgrowth of bacteria pathogenic to fish.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12071142/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143954546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic and Transcriptomic Profiling of Amino Acid Compositions in Common Carp Fillets.","authors":"Yingjie Chen, Kaikuo Wang, Qi Wang, Yiming Cao, Ran Zhao, Yan Zhang, Jiongtang Li","doi":"10.3390/ani15091335","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091335","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fish are rich sources of amino acids (AAs), particularly human essential amino acids (HEAAs). Exploring the regulatory mechanisms behind the changes in the combined AA content in the fillet and enhancing the content of AAs, especially HEAAs, in fillets of farmed fish is crucial for meeting human nutritional needs. After hot acidic hydrolysis of 304 common carp fillets, we quantified the contents of 17 single AAs and 5 AA groups and observed significant variations among them. Except for Pro, 16 single AAs and all AA groups showed medium-to-high heritabilities over 0.2. Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified 1974 SNPs and candidate genes associated with at least one AA content. Using transcriptome data from groups with the highest and lowest contents for each AA, 7089 candidate genes were related to the concentrations of at least two AAs. For the total HEAA content, 121 SNPs and their associated genes preferred ATPase-coupled transmembrane transporter activity, and 4727 differentially expressed genes were enriched in cytokine activity, chemokine activity, oxidoreductase activity, and ion binding. With the optimal genomic selection programs and associated SNPs, the correlation between the actual AA contents and estimated breeding values was high and positive, ranging from 0.76 to 0.90. These findings revealed the major-effect processes and regulatory mechanisms modulating the differences in fillet AA contents. The genomic selection programs will guide the future selection of common carp with high AA contents.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12070895/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143956423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Serum Norepinephrine and Cholesterol Concentrations as Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers for Vitamin E Deficiency in Holstein Cows.","authors":"Yuxi Song, Xuejie Jiang, Yu Hao, Rui Sun, Yunlong Bai, Chuang Xu, Cheng Xia","doi":"10.3390/ani15091333","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091333","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vitamin E deficiency (VED) represents a common micronutrient deficiency in dairy cows (DCs), leading to severe degenerative diseases, oxidative stress, immune dysfunction, and various health issues, ultimately causing significant economic losses for the global dairy sector. Accordingly, our objective was to explore the metabolic features of VED-afflicted cows by combining the untargeted gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify effective serum VED biomarkers. Untargeted GC-TOF-MS analysis identified 31 differential metabolites (DMs): 20 were overexpressed and 11 were suppressed in the VED group compared to the healthy control group. These DMs were enriched in six major metabolic pathways: glycine, serine, and threonine; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate; cysteine and methionine; tyrosine; primary bile acid biosynthesis; and nitrogen metabolisms. These outcomes show that VED significantly disrupts amino acid/lipid/energy metabolism pathways in DCs. Further targeted LC-MS quantification revealed significant alterations in key metabolites, including increased levels of norepinephrine, glycine, cysteine, and L-glutamine, as well as a significant reduction in cholesterol concentrations. Binary logistic regression analysis identified norepinephrine and cholesterol as strong candidate biomarkers for VED. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis established outstanding diagnostic accuracy for norepinephrine and cholesterol (for both <i>p</i> < 0.001, area under the curve = 0.980 and 0.990, correspondingly), with sensitivities and specificities of 90% and 100%, respectively. In conclusion, this study integrates untargeted and targeted metabolomics approaches to reveal VED-caused metabolic disruptions in DCs, particularly in amino acid/lipid/energy metabolism pathways. Norepinephrine and cholesterol were identified as highly accurate serum VED biomarkers with excellent diagnostic performance. Early detection and timely intervention using these biomarkers could promote disease treatment and cow health, as well as productivity, and decrease economic losses.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12070827/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143952477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphology, Molecular Characterization, and Phylogeny of <i>Travassosius rufus</i> Khalil, 1922 (Strongylidea: Trichostrongylidae), a Parasite from Endangered Sino-Mongolian Beaver (<i>Castor fiber birulai</i>) in Xinjiang, China.","authors":"Huiping Jia, Wenwen Chu, Dong Zhang, Kai Li, Wenpu Huang, Xiaoyun Li","doi":"10.3390/ani15091339","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091339","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genus <i>Travassosius</i> Khalil, 1922, the smallest genus in the subfamily Trichostrongylinae (family Trichostrongylidae), primarily infects the only two extant beaver species worldwide and can be lethal in severe infections. However, the mitochondrial genome evolution of <i>Travassosius</i> remains poorly understood, and its phylogenetic placement within Trichostrongylinae is still unresolved. In this study, we applied both morphological techniques (differential interference contrast microscopy) and molecular tools (nuclear ITS2 and mitochondrial genome) to examine <i>T. rufus</i> Khalil, 1922. Specimens were collected from the Sino-Mongolian beaver, a subspecies of the Eurasian beaver native to the Ulungur River Basin in northern Xinjiang, China. This work presents the first complete mitochondrial genome sequence and annotation of <i>T. rufus</i>, and it is also the first mitochondrial genome reported for the genus <i>Travassosius</i>. The mitochondrial genome of <i>T. rufus</i> measures 13,646 bp and contains 36 genes, including 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs) (excluding <i>atp</i>8), 22 transfer RNA genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences of 12 mitochondrial PCGs strongly supports the distinctiveness of the genus <i>Travassosius</i>. Additionally, <i>T. rufus</i> appears to be closely related to <i>Nematodirus</i> within Trichostrongylinae. This study also addresses the possible consequences of parasitic infection for the Sino-Mongolian beaver and offers a scientific foundation for conserving this endangered subspecies and managing parasitic diseases in its population.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12071037/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143956817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiological and Immunomodulatory Effects of Purslane Extract in <i>Cirrhinus mrigala</i> Juveniles: Implications for Sustainable Production.","authors":"Muhammad Faisal, Syed Makhdoom Hussain, Shafaqat Ali, Dariusz Kucharczyk, Khalid A Al-Ghanim","doi":"10.3390/ani15091334","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091334","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Medicinal plants are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, making them potentially suitable for use as chemotherapeutic agents and as additives in aquafeed. Our research evaluated the effects of purslane (<i>Portulaca oleracea</i>) extract supplemented in sunflower-based diets on the growth, carcass composition, blood indices, mineral content, liver antioxidant enzyme profile, and immune response in <i>Cirrhinus mrigala</i> (8.26 <i>±</i> 0.07 g/fish). The juveniles were fed one of seven different diets-T₀ (no extract), T₁ (0.5%), T₂ (1%), T₃ (1.5%), T₄ (2%), T₅ (2.5%), and T₆ (3%)-twice daily, at a feeding rate of 5% of their live body weight. They were stocked in V-shaped steel tanks for 90 days, with 15 juveniles per tank and three replicates per dietary treatment. The results of this research revealed that 1-2% purslane extract substantially enhanced growth indices in fish (<i>p <</i> 0.05). Furthermore, the supplementation of 1-2% dietary purslane extract in the diet significantly lowered fat content and improved protein content (<i>p <</i> 0.05) compared to the diets with 0% and 3% purslane extract inclusion. The outcomes also indicated that the hematology and mineral content in the bodies of juveniles were significantly improved (<i>p <</i> 0.05) at all levels of purslane supplementation, relative to the control groups with 0% and 3% inclusion levels. Moreover, the administration of purslane extract markedly increased the liver antioxidant profile, including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. Additionally, there was a notable reduction in malondialdehyde levels when fish were fed diets having 1% and 1.5% extract. The findings of this study also revealed improvements in immunological markers, characterized by increased lysozyme activity and elevated total globulin levels. The current research suggests that supplementing <i>C. mrigala</i> diets with 1% purslane extract optimally enhances growth and immunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12070858/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143966400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Demographic and Life-History Responses of <i>Rhinella arenarum</i> to Road-Associated Environments.","authors":"Mariana Baraquet, Favio Pollo, Manuel Otero, Adolfo Martino, Pablo Grenat","doi":"10.3390/ani15091343","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091343","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The global decline of amphibians is linked to habitat loss, with urbanization and roads as major threats. Roads fragment habitats and introduce stressors like pollution, temperature changes, and non-native predators. Despite growing awareness, studies in Latin America are scarce. In this study, we examined life-history traits of <i>Rhinella arenarum</i> from four sites in central Argentina that differ in urbanization intensity near roads. We analyzed snout-vent length (SVL), age, growth, size at maturity, and longevity in reproductive individuals. Sexual size dimorphism was present across sites, with females consistently larger than males. Moderate variation in SVL and age structure was observed among populations, with smaller and generally younger individuals in sites with medium-to-high urbanization. In contrast, individuals from the least disturbed site tended to show broader age ranges and greater longevity. Growth rates were also slower in the most urbanized site. While differences were moderate and sample sizes limited, these patterns suggest that urban-associated factors may influence demographic traits in <i>R. arenarum</i>. These findings contribute to our understanding of how human-altered environments might affect amphibian populations and highlight the need to distinguish between natural geographic variation and anthropogenic impacts on amphibian populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12071181/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143966754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Analysis of Anti-Müllerian Hormone Concentration in Two Indigenous Slovenian Sheep Breeds.","authors":"Nataša Šterbenc, Janko Mrkun, Špela Petročnik, Meta Sterniša, Maja Zakošek Pipan","doi":"10.3390/ani15091332","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091332","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), produced only by granulosa cells, is a biomarker for ovarian reserve in sheep. This study compared AMH levels in two Slovenian breeds: Istrska pramenka (IP), a seasonal breeder, and Jezersko-Solčava (JS), which reproduces year-round. Blood serum samples from 78 sheep were analyzed during the estrus period using an ovine AMH ELISA. JS sheep were grouped by age (1-3, 4-6, ≥ 7 years), while the majority of IP sheep were ≥7 years. AMH levels differed significantly between breeds (<i>p</i> < 0.001), with JS sheep showing higher concentrations. No age-related differences were found within the JS breed (<i>p</i> = 0.752), but JS sheep ≥ 7 years had higher AMH than IP sheep of the same age (<i>p</i> < 0.001). AMH levels were also higher in ewes lambing two lambs (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and were positively correlated with litter size, particularly in the JS sheep ≥ 7 years (<i>p</i> < 0.001). These findings suggest AMH is a useful fertility marker in sheep, although breed-specific reference values are essential for an accurate interpretation. The study highlights the influence of breed and age on AMH levels and its potential role in predicting reproductive performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12070882/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143956863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gas Endeavour: An Innovative Equipment for Estimating Methane Kinetics During <i>In Vitro</i> Rumen Fermentation.","authors":"Rashid Iqbal, Sheyla Arango, Franco Tagliapietra, Lucia Bailoni","doi":"10.3390/ani15091331","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15091331","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growing need to reduce methane emissions from ruminants while enhancing feed utilization has driven the development of innovative <i>in vitro</i> measurement techniques. This review examines the Gas Endeavour (GES), an automated volumetric apparatus that quantifies both total gas and methane production in real time during rumen fermentation. Utilizing the principles of liquid displacement and buoyancy, the GES integrates a thermostatically controlled water bath, specialized gas flow cells, and an alkaline CO₂ absorption unit to deliver precise kinetic data on fermentation. Compared to conventional methods-which often rely on manual measurements and post-incubation gas chromatography-the GES provides continuous monitoring and immediate data acquisition, reducing labour and potential errors. This review discusses the system's design, operational challenges such as controlling headspace pressure and ensuring consistent inoculum preparation, and its applications in both animal nutrition and biomethane potential assessments. The findings suggest that, with further standardization and protocol refinement, the GES could significantly advance research aimed at optimizing feed digestibility and mitigating methane emissions in ruminant production systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12071131/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143963547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}