Animal Nutrition最新文献

{"title":"Effects of feed intake-regulated nutritional compensation strategies on growth performance, blood indices, and rumen microbiota of Gangba sheep","authors":"Yining Xie, Xiaokang Jing, Zhaohan Zhan, Liang Chen, Hongfu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.04.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.04.005","url":null,"abstract":"Feed intake-regulated nutritional compensation improves feed efficiency in sheep; however, its relevance and underlying mechanisms in high-altitude indigenous breeds such as Gangba sheep remain unclear. Ninety-six four-month-old healthy male Gangba sheep (16.20 ± 0.61 kg) were randomly assigned to four groups (six replicates per group, four sheep per replicate): ad libitum feeding (ALF) and low-, medium-, and high-restriction feeding groups (LRF, MRF, and HRF), receiving 85%, 70%, and 55% of ALF intake, respectively, for 30 d, followed by 60 d of compensatory refeeding. During the restriction period, increasing restriction intensity decreased body weight at d 30, average daily feed intake, and average daily gain (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05) and increased the feed-to-gain ratio (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.001). Medium and high restriction also decreased total antioxidant capacity (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.010), immunoglobulin A (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.001), immunoglobulin M (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.045), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.004), ruminal papilla height (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.006), and ruminal butyric acid concentration (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.013). Over the whole experimental period, feed intake-regulated nutritional compensation significantly reduced average daily feed intake compared with ALF (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.001). The feed-to-gain ratio was lower in the LRF group than in the ALF group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.004), indicating improved feed efficiency under low restriction feeding. Restriction feeding also induced adaptive changes in gastrointestinal development and rumen microbial diversity, with microbial α diversity recovering after refeeding while community structure remained differentiated among treatments. Overall, low feed restriction (85% of ALF) enhanced feed utilization while maintaining physiological homeostasis in Gangba sheep under forage-limited high-altitude conditions.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal suppression of the PPAR α/γ pathway linking purine metabolism disorder to high-protein diet-induced hyperuricemia in goslings","authors":"Xifeng Li, Yufei Xie, Mengyao Zhang, Tao Zou, Chonghua Zhong, Zahid Iqbal Rajput, Shicheng Bi, Liting Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.011","url":null,"abstract":"Hyperuricemia (HUA) and gout in goslings are increasingly recognized in intensive production systems, yet liver involvement in HUA remains poorly understood. This study examines how a high-protein diet influences gosling HUA through liver transcriptional and metabolic alterations. In Exp. Ⅰ, a total of 80 one-d-old male goslings (93.13 ± 0.96 g) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments containing 18% (control group), 21% (P21 group), 24% (P24 group), and 27% (P27 group) crude protein (CP), with 4 replicates of 5 birds per treatment, for an 18-d experimental period to establish a HUA model. Goslings fed the 24% CP diet exhibited joint swelling, sparse plumage, and white feces, accompanied by reduced ADG (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.011) and ADFI (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.001). Serum uric acid (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.005), xanthine oxidase (XOD; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.009), xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.018), aspartate aminotransferase (AST; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.001), urea (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.001), interleukin-1β (IL-1β; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.010), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.001) levels were significantly elevated in the P24 group, consistent with HUA-associated metabolic and inflammatory alterations. In Exp. Ⅱ, a total of 40 one-d-old goslings (93.88 + 0.92 g) were randomly assigned to 2 groups (<ce:italic>n</ce:italic> = 20 per group) and fed an 18% CP basal diet (CON group) or a 24% CP diet (HUA group) for 18 d. The HUA group showed increased liver index (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001), hydropic and partial lipid degeneration, hepatocyte swelling, and marked mitochondrial swelling observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics of liver revealed that decreased levels of 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9-HODE) and 8(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid [8(S)-HETE] were associated with suppression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α/γ (PPARα/γ) signaling pathway, meanwhile the upregulation of <ce:italic>ACSL6</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>ACSBG2</ce:italic> was linked to a 2.61-fold increase in adenosine monophosphate (AMP) accumulation. Elevated <ce:italic>AMPD3</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>NT5C1B</ce:italic> expression enhanced AMP-to-inosine conversion (1.69-fold), and coordinated up-regulation of <ce:italic>NT5C1B</ce:italic>, <ce:italic>PNP</ce:italic>, and <ce:italic>XDH</ce:italic> further accelerated UA formation in purine metabolism, collectively contributing to HUA and associated inflammatory responses. Although graded increases in dietary CP induced proportional shifts in digestible amino acid concentrations, these results reveal a strong correlation between high-protein diets and HUA, as well as subsequent liver and renal injuries in goslings.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"454 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A tributyrin-monolaurin complex protects piglets against PEDV infection via viral inhibition, lipid metabolism restoration, and microbiota modulation","authors":"Zhuan Song, Huanhuan Xu, Hongli Ren, Qian Zhang, Mengjun Wu, Lei Wang, Di Zhao, Dan Yi, Tao Wu, Ling Yang, Yongqing Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.04.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.04.006","url":null,"abstract":"Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a major pathogen causing severe diarrhea and intestinal damage in piglets. Monolaurin (GML) and tributyrin (TB) are well-documented functional lipids with intestinal health benefits, but their combined efficacy against PEDV infection remains unclear. The present study first investigated the anti-PEDV effect of GML, TB, and their mixtures using PEDV-infected Vero cells. Then, the effects of a microencapsulated TB-GML complex (PE) were evaluated in PEDV-infected piglets, focusing on its protective mechanisms. Vero cells were simultaneously treated with PEDV and graded concentrations of GML (20-40 μmol/L), TB (0.25-0.50 mmol/L), or their combinations to determine for synergistic antiviral effects. In vivo, a total of 30 piglets (2.49 ± 0.38 kg), 7-d-old, were randomly assigned to three groups: negative control (NC), PEDV, and PE + PEDV. After a 3-d adaptation period, piglets in the PE + PEDV group received an oral dose of PE at 100 mg/kg body weight for 7 consecutive days. On d 8, piglets in the PEDV and PE + PEDV groups were orally inoculated with 1 × 10&lt;ce:sup loc=\"post\"&gt;6&lt;/ce:sup&gt; 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID&lt;ce:inf loc=\"post\"&gt;50&lt;/ce:inf&gt;) of PEDV per piglet. The experiment lasted for 11 d. The results showed that 40 μmol/L GML alone, or 0.25 mmol/L TB combined with 20-40 μmol/L GML, suppressed virus replication (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; = 0.023). The PE administration improved villus morphology and increased expression of genes involved in water and ion transport in the jejunum, including &lt;ce:italic&gt;AQP10&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, &lt;ce:italic&gt;KCNJ13&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, &lt;ce:italic&gt;NHE2&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, and &lt;ce:italic&gt;NHE3&lt;/ce:italic&gt; (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). Additionally, PE reduced serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, and downregulated jejunal relative mRNA expression of inflammation-related genes, mainly &lt;ce:italic&gt;IL-8&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, &lt;ce:italic&gt;IL-1β&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, and &lt;ce:italic&gt;CXCL2&lt;/ce:italic&gt; (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). The PE reversed the enhanced antioxidant stress response in the jejunum by reducing total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). The PE inhibited PEDV replication, downregulated relative mRNA expression of &lt;ce:italic&gt;IFN-β&lt;/ce:italic&gt; and its downstream genes, and reduced protein abundance of PEDV-N (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). Transcriptomic and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses revealed that PE restored lipid metabolic homeostasis by balancing lipogenesis, lipid transport, and fatty acid β-oxidation. Moreover, PE increased the abundance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, &lt;ce:italic&gt;Bacteroides&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, and &lt;ce:italic&gt;Halomonas&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, while decreasing the abundance of Firmicutes and &lt;ce:italic&gt;Lactobacillus&lt;/ce:italic&gt;. In conclusion, PE mitigated inflammation, enhanced antioxidant and antiviral capacities, while all","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"323 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal methionine supplementation in low-protein diets during late gestation and lactation increases the performance and alters fecal microbiota of the sows and their offspring","authors":"Mengliao Wan, Zhiwei Kong, Yuan Gao, Yulong Yin, Fengna Li, Yehui Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.009","url":null,"abstract":"Methionine (Met) is known to enhance antioxidant defense and reproductive efficiency in sows, but its role under low-protein feeding conditions is unclear. This study evaluated the effects of Met supplementation on lactation performance, antioxidant status, and gut microbiota of sows and their piglets. Sixty-six multiparous sows with two parity and similar body weight (244.1 ± 1.73 kg) were assigned to a normal protein diet (18% crude protein [CP]) or low-protein diets (15% CP) containing graded standardized ileal digestible (SID) Met levels (0.23%, 0.30%, 0.37%, 0.44%, and 0.51%, respectively) from d 107 of gestation to d 21 of lactation, with 11 replicates in each group and 1 sow per replicate. The results showed that low-protein diets supplemented with 0.30% Met achieved milk yield and piglet growth comparable to the normal protein group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &gt; 0.05). In addition, 0.30% Met supplementation reduced serum urea nitrogen content, enhanced the concentrations of milk immunoglobulin M, glutathione, and taurine, and increased the activities of serum total superoxide dismutase in sows and glutathione peroxidase in piglets when compared with the normal protein diet (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05). Microbiome analysis indicated higher relative abundance of <ce:italic>Christensenellaceae_R-7_group</ce:italic> in piglets from the 0.30% Met group, positively correlated with growth traits. These findings suggest that a 0.30% Met level in a 15% CP diet supports sow performance and piglet development comparable to normal protein feeding through improved antioxidant capacity and beneficial microbial modulation.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of grain type and soybean meal reduction on growth performance, carcass traits, and nutrient digestibility of broilers","authors":"Yutong Fu,Jiasui Li,Eunjoo Kim,Mehdi Toghyani,Shemil Macelline,Sonia Yun Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.04.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.04.008","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"355 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148894082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of dietary supplementation with fat powder with different n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios on the reproductive performance of sows and intestinal health of piglets","authors":"Yanlong Li, Shiwei Zhao, Fenglai Wang, Xiangfang Zeng, Yanbing Zhang, Shuang Cai","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.010","url":null,"abstract":"The n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio in diets is a pivotal nutritional factor influencing animal health and reproductive performance. This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with fat powders with varying n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios on sow reproductive performance, piglet growth performance, and intestinal health. A total of 60 Landrace × Large White crossbred sows of parity 3 or 4 were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments. The control group (CON) was fed a basal diet, while the experimental groups received a basal diet supplemented with fat powders with different n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios: 3.48:1 (YR1), 3.75:1 (YR2), and 2.60:1 (YR3) from d 90 of gestation to d 21 of lactation. Each group consisted of 15 replicates, with one sow per replicate. On d 21 of lactation, 24 piglets with an average body weight of 7.27 kg (12 from the CON group and 12 from the optimal treatment group) were selected. Half of the piglets in each group were intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 50 μg/kg body weight, while the others received saline. Piglets were euthanized 4 h postinjection. Compared with the CON diet, dietary supplementation with three fat powders did not significantly affect the production performance of sows or piglets (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &gt; 0.05). However, a linear decrease in piglet diarrhea rate was observed as the dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios decreased (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; = 0.008). On d 21 of lactation, compared with the CON group, the serum triglyceride (TG) level was significantly elevated (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.001), whereas the colostrum n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios was significantly decreased in the YR1 and YR3 groups (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.001). In sows, serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) exhibited significant quadratic responses (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). In piglets, decreasing dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios improved serum antioxidant status, with reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration observed in the YR2 group (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; = 0.002). Dietary treatments improved serum inflammatory status in both sows and piglets, although interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations were increased in the YR2 group compared with the CON group (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). Additionally, the Simpson index indicated that fat powder supplementation altered the gut microbial diversity in piglets (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; = 0.044). Compared with CON group, piglets in YR3 group presented elevated ileal T-AOC and GSH-Px activity (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05), improved jejunal villus height and the villus-to-crypt ratio of both jejunal and ileum (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05), reduced mucosal IL-1β protein expression (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.001). Dietary fat powder supplementation effectively improved antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity, colostrum quality, and microbiota","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancement of growth performance, muscle nutrient composition, and nutritional value in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by guanidinoacetic acid-enriched diets","authors":"Di Wu, Shaoxia Lu, Jiaxin Li, Yuanyuan Zhang, Yiqi Gao, Changan Wang, Shicheng Han, Ze Fan, Jinnan Li, Hongbai Liu, Liansheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.007","url":null,"abstract":"The role of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) in modulating nutritional value and muscle quality warrants attention, particularly given the scarcity of mechanistic studies in aquatic animals. A total of 450 healthy juvenile rainbow trout (&lt;ce:italic&gt;Oncorhynchus mykiss&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, aged approximately 76 d post-hatch, initial body weight 7.77 ± 0.14 g) were randomly distributed into 5 groups (3 replicates per group, 30 fish per replicate) to investigate the effects of dietary GAA supplementation at concentrations of 0, 300, 600, 1200, and 2400 mg/kg on muscle nutritional value and quality, designated as groups G0, G3, G6, G12, and G24, respectively. After an 8-week feeding trial, dietary supplementation with 600 mg/kg GAA significantly increased final body weight and protein efficiency ratio, and decreased feed conversion ratio compared to the G0 group (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). Whole-body crude protein and crude lipid contents were significantly affected by dietary GAA supplementation, with the G6 group exhibiting significantly higher levels of total amino acids, non-essential amino acids, and essential amino acids than the G0 group (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). In parallel, GAA supplementation significantly enhanced muscle polyunsaturated fatty acid deposition (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05), with linear increases observed for polyunsaturated fatty acid and linoleic acid (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05), and a quadratic response for docosahexaenoic acid (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; = 0.003). Notably, the G6 group exhibited the highest combined docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) + eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; = 0.011). Nutritional evaluation based on FAO/WHO standards confirmed that dietary GAA supplementation significantly improved essential amino acid index (EAAI; &lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.001), with the highest value observed in the G6 group (72.806). Met + Cys was the first limiting amino acid across all GAA treatments. Moreover, GAA supplementation significantly upregulated the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism, including &lt;ce:italic&gt;gpat&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, &lt;ce:italic&gt;srebp1&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, &lt;ce:italic&gt;fas&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, and &lt;ce:italic&gt;lpl&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, as well as mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling-related genes, including &lt;ce:italic&gt;tgf-β&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, &lt;ce:italic&gt;tor&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, &lt;ce:italic&gt;igf-1&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, and &lt;ce:italic&gt;4e-bp1&lt;/ce:italic&gt;, with the G6 group showing significantly higher expression levels than the G0 group (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). Antioxidant analysis further revealed significantly lower malondialdehyde levels in the G6 group (&lt;ce:italic&gt;P&lt;/ce:italic&gt; &lt; 0.001). Collectively, these findings demonstrate that dietary supplementation with 600 mg/kg GAA effectively enhances growth performance, whole-body chemical composition, and muscle nutritional value in rainbow trout, likely through the coordinated regulation of amino acid utilization, lipid met","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinct functional roles of Lactobacillus strains in modulating lipid metabolism, adipose accumulation, inflammatory responses, and carcass characteristics in heavy finishing pigs","authors":"Boyang Wan, Qiuyu Zeng, Linjuan He, Xu Qin, Mingyang Tan, Enfa Yan, Jialong Liao, Zhongchao Li, Xin Zhang, Jingdong Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"Supplementation with <ce:italic>Lactobacillus</ce:italic> strains attracts intense interest for its potential in regulating fat accumulation in both humans and animals. However, the functional disparities among <ce:italic>Lactobacillus</ce:italic> strains remain poorly understood. This study examined the impact of dietary supplementation with <ce:italic>Lactobacillus reuteri</ce:italic> (<ce:italic>L. reuteri</ce:italic>) and <ce:italic>Lactobacillus johnsonii</ce:italic> (<ce:italic>L. johnsonii</ce:italic>) on lipid metabolism, carcass traits, and meat quality in heavy finishing pigs. A total of 288 finishing pigs (equal numbers of castrated barrows and gilts; initial body weight = 109.88 ± 1.58 kg) were randomly allocated to 3 dietary treatments with 6 replicate pens and 16 pigs per pen. Pigs were fed a basal diet (CON), or the basal diet supplemented with <ce:italic>L. reuteri</ce:italic> or <ce:italic>L. johnsonii</ce:italic> at a daily dose of 5 × 10<ce:sup loc=\"post\">10</ce:sup> CFU per pig, respectively, over a 42-d experimental period. The experimental results demonstrated that compared with CON, both probiotic strains significantly decreased serum levels of cortisol and pro-inflammatory factors including TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-17, while significantly elevating the levels of anti-inflammatory factor IL-4 and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05), and reduced the concentration of saturated fatty acids in <ce:italic>Longissimus thoracis</ce:italic> (LT) (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.014). <ce:italic>L. johnsonii</ce:italic> supplementation significantly reduced backfat thickness at the 10th-rib (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.040) and last-rib backfat (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.025), significantly increased fat-free lean index (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.015), and significantly decreased adipocyte size in subcutaneous adipose tissue (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.001), accompanied by the activation of the AMPK/PPARγ signaling pathway. Compared with CON, <ce:italic>L. reuteri</ce:italic> supplementation significantly reduced the shear force (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.043) and intramuscular fat (IMF) content (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.026) of LT muscle of finishing pigs and significantly increased free valine, methionine, and isoleucine concentrations in fresh meat (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, the two strains of <ce:italic>Lactobacillus</ce:italic> exhibited distinct characteristics. Specifically, <ce:italic>L. johnsonii</ce:italic> primarily promoted lipid catabolism while simultaneously suppressing lipid anabolism by activating the AMPK/PPARγ signaling pathway, leading to a reduction in backfat thickness. In contrast, <ce:italic>L. reuteri</ce:italic> exhibited stronger focus on improving meat quality traits, such as tenderness and amino acid composition. This study offers a valuable insight into the specific application of probiotics in high-quality pork production.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Liquid feeding of miscellaneous grain and meal diets with enzymes improved growth performance and intestinal health of growing pigs","authors":"Fangrui Zuo, Ying Zhou, Chang Liu, Minyan Wan, Ping Zheng, Bing Yu, Daiwen Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.05.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"The utilization of miscellaneous grain and meal (MGM) as an alternative to corn and soybean meal (CSM) in pig production is a crucial strategy to alleviate the limited availability of high-quality feed resources. Nevertheless, optimizing the utilization efficiency of MGM to maintain or improve pig production performance poses a significant technical challenge that requires in-depth investigation. This study investigated the effects of liquid feeding with enzyme-supplemented MGM diet on the growth performance and health status of growing pigs, and evaluated the effectiveness of replacing the CSM diet. A total of 180 pigs (age 72 d, initial body weight 26.84 ± 1.29 kg) were randomly allocated to 5 treatment groups, with 6 replicate pens of 6 pigs each for a 28-d experimental period. The five groups were: CSM diet solid feeding (CSMD), MGM diet solid feeding (MGMD-S) or liquid feeding (MGMD-L), and enzyme-added MGM diet solid feeding (MGMD-SE) or liquid feeding (MGMD-LE). Relative to the CSMD group, pigs in the MGMD-LE group showed a higher average daily gain and a lower feed-to-gain ratio (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05). Diets supplemented with enzyme preparations (MGMD-SE and MGMD-LE) showed significantly higher digestibility of crude protein, ether extract, and crude fiber, they also enhanced the activities of lipase, amylase, and sucrase in the jejunal mucosa, and elevated the mRNA expression of nutrient transporters than other three groups (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, the MGMD-LE group markedly elevated serum total antioxidant capacity and concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgG, and IgM than other four groups <ce:italic>(P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05). Additionally, the villus height and the villus-to-crypt ratio were significantly increased in MGMD-LE group, along with higher butyrate concentrations in the colon and cecum (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05). The microbial profiling of colonic digesta revealed that the MGMD-LE group exhibited enrichment of <ce:italic>Ligilactobacillus</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>Limosilactobacillus</ce:italic> and depletion of <ce:italic>Streptococcus</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>Sarcina</ce:italic> than other four groups (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the addition of enzyme preparation (MGMD-SE and MGMD-LE) also increased the relative abundance of <ce:italic>Christensenellaceae_R-7_group</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>Pseudobutyrivibrio</ce:italic> than those in the MGMD-S and MGMD-L groups (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> &lt; 0.05). In summary, liquid feeding of the enzyme-supplemented MGM diet in growing pigs showed a significant growth advantage over the CSM diet, probably attributable to enhanced nutrient digestibility and intestinal health.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phloretin as a functional feed bioactive in livestock: Biological role, biosynthesis, and practical applications","authors":"Ebadu Areb, Qihui Zhu, Lin Han, Chuanying Pan, Wenhao Li, Xianyong Lan","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2026.04.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2026.04.004","url":null,"abstract":"Phloretin is a natural dihydrochalcone polyphenolic compound predominantly found in apples and other plants, recognized for its broad bioactivities. Despite extensive investigation of its pharmacological effects in biomedical research, the functional roles and mechanisms of phloretin in livestock production remain limited. This article summarizes current evidence on the biological functions of phloretin in livestock nutrition and elucidates its underlying mechanisms of action and biosynthesis strategies. It provides a narrative review of published studies on phloretin across multiple databases. Phloretin exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects primarily through modulation of the key cellular signaling pathways, including inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) inflammatory pathway, activation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) antioxidant response, and regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) related signaling. These mechanisms contribute to improved intestinal barrier integrity, mitigation of lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative stress, supporting overall animal resilience to environmental and metabolic stressors, and potential improvements in growth performance and reproductive function in livestock. These effects make phloretin a promising candidate for dietary supplementation in animal husbandry. Despite these promising findings, current research remains fragmented and largely limited to in vitro or non-livestock models, with insufficient data regarding optimal dosage and direct association with economically important production traits. Therefore, future studies integrating nutrigenomics and controlled feeding trials are required to understand the mechanistic links between phloretin supplementation, association with economic traits, health benefits, and dose determination. Hence, this article emphasizes the prospective use of phloretin as a functional feed additive and provides a framework for future research aimed at developing evidence-based applications in livestock production.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}