British Poultry Science最新文献

{"title":"Molecular modelling study on <i>Piper betle</i> phytocompounds to discover the potential active moiety responsible for xanthine oxidase inhibition in avian gout.","authors":"P Vikramachakravarthi, M Karthikeyan, L Lakshmanan, S Jeyanthi, S Murugesan, A Arivuchelvan, K Sukumar, A Arulmozhi, A Jagadeeswaran","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2728724","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2728724","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. This study investigated the phytochemicals responsible for xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity in <i>Piper betle</i> L. herb. <i>In silico</i> analysis was performed against the active sites of XO using 32 phytocompounds from <i>P. betle</i> along with the known inhibitor allopurinol used in avian gout treatment.2. Functions including docking score and GLIDE score, ADME analyses using QikProp module and toxicity assessment with ProTox-II server. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed for 100 ns with GROMACS software to evaluate the stability and fluctuations of the protein-ligand complexes.3. The results revealed that 12 phytocompounds of <i>P. betle</i> exhibited higher GLIDE XP docking scores (-6.881 to -4.766 kcal/mol) compared to allopurinol (-4.535 kcal/mol) and 11 phytocompounds showed higher GLIDE energy (-42.822 kcal/mol to -36.706 kcal/mol) than allopurinol (-32.676 kcal/mol). Among these, 4-chromanol and 4-allyl-1,2-diacetoxybenzene were identified as the most potent compounds of <i>P. betle</i>, forming hydrogen bond interactions with XO similar to allopurinol.4. The ADME analyses showed that selected phytocompounds met the ADME descriptors and did not violate Lipinski's 'rule of five' and toxicity assessment yielded satisfactory results. Furthermore, 100 ns MD simulations showed a stable trajectory and less conformational variation (RMSD, RMSF) along with a steady interaction profile observed throughout the simulations. The MM‑GBSA calculations supported the docking studies.5. The data showed that 4-chromanol and 4-allyl-1, 2-diacetoxybenzene phytocompounds present in <i>P. betle</i> might account for antigout activity through XO inhibition, meaning that these could be developed as potential drug molecules.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149079834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary inclusion of a fermented rapeseed-seaweed blend alters immunity and intestinal microbial activity but not <i>Ascaridia galli</i> burden in laying hens.","authors":"R B Kjærup, S Vimon, M Højmark, T S Dalgaard, R M Engberg","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2704214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2704214","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. Dietary components that are pre-fermented with lactic acid bacteria have recently attracted attention and may positively affect performance and gut health in poultry. This study investigated whether a commercial feed ingredient (EP199), containing fermented rapeseed meal, wheat bran and seaweed, could control worm burden, intestinal microbiota profiles and intestinal fermentation patterns, as well as immune profiles of layers infected with <i>Ascaridia galli.</i>2. A total of 192, 20 week old Bovans Brown laying hens were randomly allocated into four treatment groups; control diet <i>vs</i>. EP199 diet and experimentally infected (EXP) <i>vs.</i> naturally infected (NAT). The EP199 diet partly replaced rapeseed cake at 6%. The infected hens were either naturally exposed to <i>A. galli</i> contaminated litter or received oral administration of 764 embryonated <i>A. galli</i> eggs per hen at 20 weeks of age for 12 weeks.3. Performance was unaffected by EP199 or infection. However, hens fed the EP199 diet had a significantly lower egg production 3-12 weeks <i>post</i>-infection (pi) compared to the control group (86.1% <i>vs</i>. 90.1%, P=0.044). There was no effect on intestinal worm burden (<i>x</i>=7.98 worms per hen) or immune competence, as assessed by mitogen activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Despite similar nutrient profiles of the two diets, the hens fed the EP199 diet had significantly higher caecal levels of specific short chain fatty acids: acetic acid (79.8 <i>vs</i>. 71.0 mmol/kg digesta; P=0.020), propionic acid (35.0 <i>vs</i>. 30.1 mmol/kg digesta; P=0.005) and n-butyric acid (17.3 <i>vs</i>. 14.7 mmol/kg digesta; P=0.015).4. Compared to the control group, hens fed EP199 had a lower humoral <i>A. galli</i>-specific immune response, in terms of IgY serum titres at 10 weeks (2812 <i>vs</i>. 5291; P=0.002) and 12 weeks (10546 <i>vs</i>. 17668; P=0.025) pi. Hens fed the EP199 diet showed a significantly higher frequency of activated CD4+CD8+ T cells (28.7% <i>vs</i>. 21.9%; P=0.045).5. Feeding EP199 at 6% did not have an effect on severity of <i>A. galli</i> infection. However, EP199 showed an immunomodulatory effect and altered caecal microbial activity. Infection method (experimental <i>vs</i>. natural) influenced both the worm burden and immune parameters.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149079876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of chronic cyclic heat stress on breast muscle proteomics in broiler chicken.","authors":"F Ahmadi, C Xie, J J Cottrell, M G Leeming, H A R Suleria, F R Dunshea","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2724003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2724003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. Previous work has demonstrated that chronic cyclic heat stress (HS; 33°C for 8 h/day) resulted an 18.2% reduction in broiler breast muscle compared to a thermoneutral cohort (TN; 23°C). Given the deleterious impact of HS on broiler breast muscle mass, mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics was employed in the following trial to compare muscle protein expression in broiler chicken kept under HS or TN conditions. This investigated molecular mechanisms involved in HS-induced reduction of breast muscle mass.2. The experiment ran in broilers aged days 15-35. Acclimation occurred from day 15 to day 21, when birds in the HS group were exposed to a stepwise increase in temperature from 28°C to 33°C (8 h/day), achieving 33°C by day 21 which was maintained until day 35.3. On day 35, male birds were selected randomly (<i>n</i> = 10/treatment; total <i>n</i> = 20) and euthanised for breast muscle proteome profiling. Proteomic analyses were performed using pen-level biological replication (<i>n</i> = 4/treatment group) to identify proteins differentially abundant in response to chronic cyclic HS. The LC-MS/MS proteomics combined with bioinformatics was undertaken to identify proteins in breast muscle with significant changes in abundance in response to HS exposure.4. Bioinformatics confirmed that 116 proteins were differentially expressed, with the majority downregulated (88%) under HS, as determined at a significant fusion score ≤ 0.05. The KEGG pathways related to extracellular matrix organisation and structural integrity, including cytoskeleton in muscle cells, extra-cellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction and focal adhesion, were significantly enriched. The majority of associated proteins in these pathways were downregulated in breast muscle of HS-challenged broilers.5. Gene Ontology Cellular Component terms, including extracellular matrix and external encapsulating structure were enriched, likely indicating HS-induced impairment of muscle structural stability and cell-matrix interactions in broiler breast muscle.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149024017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic characterisation and lytic potential of phage SF01 against multidrug-resistant <i>Salmonella enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i>, a key agent of infection in poultry.","authors":"Y Feroz, H Ali, N Hassan, A Latif, A Ali, A Sarwat, S T Qousain, A Nawaz, M Hammad, M Khan, A Umar","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2719998","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2719998","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. <i>Salmonella enterica</i> remains the key cause of salmonellosis in poultry, causing high morbidity and mortality. Due to the unprecedented resistance of <i>S. enterica</i> to antibiotics, bacteriophages have emerged as a powerful alternative to conventional antibiotics treatment for salmonellosis.2. In this study, a strain was isolated from infected broiler chickens and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) identified the strain SFD-01 as <i>S. enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i>. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that the genome was 4.6 Mb in size with 4559 coding sequences (CDS), 77 tRNAs and 4 rRNAs. Additionally, 119 virulence genes, 125 antimicrobial resistance genes, 5 mobile genetic elements, 2 prophages and multiple copies of pathogenicity islands (SPI) were identified in the genome.3. To address this, bacteriophage SF01 was isolated from wastewater near a chicken slaughterhouse against host strain SFD-01. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the phage had an 85-nm icosahedral head and a 130-nm long contractile tail. The <i>Felixounavirus</i> SF01 exhibited high stability across pH 3-9. Phage lytic activity at a multiplicity of infection of 0.01 restricted the bacterial growth.4. Whole genome analysis (WGS) identified phage SF01 as a <i>Felixounavirus</i> with 88-kb genome composed of 174 CDS, 20 tRNA genes and with no lysogenic markers, resistance genes or virulence factors. The strict lytic potential of phage SF01 makes it a highly viable option for use in the potential biocontrol of the novel strain <i>S. enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i> serotype 42:z4,z23.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>In silico</i> evaluation of selected plant-based compounds as potent dual target inhibitors against highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus.","authors":"S Ari, M Das, S V Krishna, P Bandyopadhyay, S Debnath, A S Panja","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2721464","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2721464","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. Influenza viruses remain a serious global health issue due to their high morbidity and mortality rates. Among them, avian influenza H5N1 virus is highly pathogenic, causing up to 100% mortality in poultry. As the avian influenza H5N1 virus continues to mutate across different regions, understanding multiple viral proteins, particularly the mutated haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), is crucial for effective control.2. In this study, dual-target inhibitors capable of neutralising both HA and NA were developed, and a comprehensive <i>in silico</i> analysis was performed on different variants collected over the past decade. Structural modelling revealed conserved domains in NA (A0A1I9QM14, China) and HA (A0A0A0V4U2, Bali), which were selected for ligand docking.3. Twenty active compounds, traditionally used as natural feed additives in broiler chicken diets, were screened using protein-ligand docking, ADME profiling, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Quercetin and luteolin emerged as promising dual-target inhibitors, showing high binding affinity, drug-likeness, and favourable toxicity profiles. The binding free energy (ΔG = -8 ± 0.2 kcal/mol) from docking studies confirmed their inhibitory potential against avian influenza H5N1 virus HA and NA.4. The results demonstrated that virtual screening of natural compounds can effectively identify those effective against influenza virus surface proteins. This integrative computational-experimental strategy supported the development of novel plant-derived antiviral agents with potential applications for disease control.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of genotype and sex on carcass composition, physicochemical properties, texture and microstructure of meat from parent stock laying hens after the reproductive period.","authors":"M Wegner, D Kokoszyński, J Żochowska-Kujawska, M Kotowicz","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2714534","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2714534","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. The aim of this study was a detailed evaluation of the influence of genotype and sex on carcass traits and meat quality (chemical composition, physicochemical properties, texture and structure) of spent hens (parent stock of laying hens after the reproductive period).2. After slaughter (83 weeks of age), the eviscerated carcass weight and the proportion of carcass components were determined. Analyses were performed for 24 h <i>post-mortem</i> pH (pH₂₄), electrical conductivity (EC₂₄), cooking loss, colour parameters (<i>L</i>*, <i>a</i>* and <i>b</i>*) and composition of breast and leg muscles. Texture and microstructure analysis of the <i>pectoralis major</i> muscle was conducted.3. Genotype significantly influenced carcass weight (Hy-Line Brown 1.775 kg <i>vs</i>. Isa Brown 1.564 kg), breast muscle, abdominal fat, skin with subcutaneous fat, wings and carcass remainders. Genotype affected the water and fat content in both breast and leg muscles and protein in breast muscles. Differences between the genotypes were seen for pH and cooking loss in leg muscles and in the electrical conductivity in breast muscles (Hy-Line Brown 9.68 mS/cm <i>vs</i>. Isa Brown 7.12 mS/cm) and leg muscles. Breed influenced lightness (<i>L</i>*) of both muscles and redness (<i>a</i>*) in breast muscles. Shear force of <i>pectoralis major</i> was significantly different as was the thickness of the <i>perimysium</i> and <i>endomysium</i>, depending on genotype.4. Sex influenced carcass weight, the proportion of breast muscles and leg muscles, abdominal fat, skin with subcutaneous fat and neck weight. It affected water, protein, fat and collagen content in both breast and leg muscles, as well as the pH of breast muscles and EC of both breast and leg muscles. Sex also affected the redness (<i>a</i>*) of the breast and leg muscles. Analysis of the <i>pectoralis major muscle</i> texture and structure revealed sex-related differences in most evaluated traits, except for vertical fibre diameter (V).5. Meat from spent breeder hens can be successfully used in meat processing, especially where mechanical or thermal treatment helps minimise quality differences due to age. Higher protein and relatively low fat content in the muscles of older hens may even be technologically advantageous. For consumers, this offers a cheaper alternative to more expensive broiler meat, provided it is properly prepared.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148879105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Broiler behavioural changes in response to intermittent lighting schedules.","authors":"T Shynkaruk, C Raginski, H L Classen, K Schwean-Lardner","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2699739","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2699739","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. Provision of light and dark periods can influence broiler behaviour and impact bird welfare. Determining how offering light in different patterns, such as intermittent (INT) lighting, impacts birds is necessary to determine ideal management practices. The objective of this research was to establish the impact of 9 h of darkness (D) provided in one (1 × 9D), two (2 × 4.5D) and three (3 × 3D) periods on Ross 308 male broiler behaviour.2. Each treatment was replicated three times and behaviour was recorded over 24 h at 32-34 d in one pen per room using infrared cameras. Behaviour was assessed <i>via</i> instantaneous scan sampling at 10 min intervals.3. Birds in the INT treatments spent a lower percentage of time preening. Broilers spent most of their time resting during scotoperiods. The INT lighting schedule birds spent a higher percentage of time feeding and drinking and less time in comfort and exploratory behaviours. Broilers appeared to anticipate all scotoperiods and increased their feeding activity at the beginning of each photoperiod, regardless of period duration.4. Providing 9 h of darkness over 24 h in one, two or three scotoperiods had minor impacts on behaviour. Birds prioritised resting during scotoperiods, while during the shorter photoperiods between scotoperiods birds on INT lighting schedules prioritised nutritive behaviours. Broilers appeared to anticipate the beginning of each scotoperiod and adjusted their feeding behaviour to compensate for time off feed during scotoperiods.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148879152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patterns of egg production across the lunar cycle in broiler breeder hens under tropical conditions.","authors":"F P Perea, K Y Fárez, J G Quezada, F M Astudillo, M S Méndez","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2720003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2720003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. This study evaluated whether lunar periodicity was associated with variation in productive traits and mortality in commercial broiler breeder hens. Production records from Cobb 500 heavy breeder hens (<i>n</i> = 17,548), collected between 2016 and 2021 on a commercial farm, were analysed.2. The synodic lunar cycle was divided into eight consecutive phases of approximately 3.7 days each. Two production seasons were defined according to rainfall patterns: December-April (wet season) and May-November (dry season). In addition, three laying periods were considered: early production (weeks 26-28), peak production (weeks 29-34) and late production (weeks 35-56).3. The lunar cycle significantly influenced the number of eggs laid, laying rate, percentage of hatching eggs and the number of cracked eggs (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The number of double-yolk eggs was not affected. Egg production decreased towards the middle of the lunar cycle and increased towards the final phases, with higher production around the new moon compared to the full moon.4. Significant interactions were observed between lunar phase and both production season and laying period. Mortality showed variation across the lunar cycle, with the highest values occurring around phase 6.5. These findings suggested that lunar periodicity may be associated with short-term variation in productive traits and mortality in commercial broiler breeder flocks, highlighting the potential relevance of lunar-associated environmental rhythms in avian biology.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148879077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide candidate signatures of divergent selection between broody Silkie and White Leghorn chickens revealed by high-density SNP genotyping.","authors":"A Basheer, I Zahoor","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2721458","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2721458","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. In this study, genome-wide population structure, genetic differentiation and homozygosity patterns were investigated between Silkie (SLK) and White Leghorn (WLH) chickens, using high-density autosomal SNP genotypes. These breeds were selected as they have markedly different breed histories and productive performances.2. Principal component analysis revealed complete genetic separation between the two breeds, explaining 75.82% of total genomic variance and indicating strong divergence. Genome-wide differentiation showed heterogeneous patterns across autosomes. The top 1% of windows (FST ≥ 0.7467) were used as an empirical threshold for prioritising regions showing elevated differentiation.3. The study identified 20 protein-coding positional candidate genes, including TRHDE, GABBR2, SEMA3A, SEMA5A, IGF1, SOCS2, AR and NLGN4, which have roles in neuroendocrine, behavioural, growth and reproduction.4. Breed-specific runs of homozygosity (ROH) revealed marked differences in autozygosity, with Silkie chickens showing substantially higher genomic inbreeding coefficients (F) of ROH (mean FROH = 0.396) than White Leghorns (mean FROH = 0.175). Island analysis identified 30 islands in Silkie and 19 in White Leghorn chickens, predominantly located on macrochromosomes. There were breed-specific and partially overlapping differentiated genomic intervals, highlighting concurrent differentiation and homozygosity in the two breeds.5. The results showed substantial genome-wide differentiation between Silkie and White Leghorn chickens. This provided a population-genomic framework for prioritising candidate regions for maternal behaviour, reproductive physiology and egg production.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148879166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fatty acid composition and genetic associations in breast muscle of Kaijiang Sheldrake ducks.","authors":"Z Yang, J Ren, L Wang, L Li, L Bai, D Peng, F Zhou, X Zeng, Y Li, Y Liao, B Hu, H Liu","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2026.2705333","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2026.2705333","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. Fatty acid (FA) composition determines the nutritional value of duck meat. Systematic characterisation of FA profiles in indigenous breeds, such as the certified Kaijiang Sheldrake, is essential for genetic improvement of meat quality.2. This study used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to comprehensively analyse the fatty acid composition in the breast muscle of 60 Kaijiang Sheldrake ducks and explored their potential genetic basis using genome-wide association analysis (GWAS).3. The GC-MS detected 51 FA, with saturated FA (SFA) accounting for the largest proportion (49.45%). Palmitic acid (C16:0, 27.96%), stearic acid (C18:0, 19.95%) and linoleic acid (C18:2n-6, 13.74%) were the most abundant. ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) showed strong intra-series correlations. Several individual FA showed significant associations with phenotypic traits, including positive correlations with breast muscle weight and percentage (<i>p</i> < 0.05), whereas short-chain SFAs (C6:0, C13:0) and specific PUFA (C20:3n-3, C20:5n-3) were negatively associated with post-mortem pH (0 h). In contrast, no significant associations were detected between aggregated ω-3 and ω-6 indices and most slaughter or meat quality traits. GWAS further suggested potential associations for both saturated and unsaturated FA, identifying candidate genes, such as <i>RASGEF1A</i>, <i>BPHL</i>, <i>FAF1</i>, <i>SPAG16</i>, <i>FGF12</i>, <i>GPC1</i> and <i>HK2</i> located near associated loci, with enrichment in metabolic pathways including carbohydrate metabolism and glycolysis.4. Overall, this study systematically evaluated slaughter performance, meat quality traits and the fatty acid composition of breast muscle in Kaijiang Sheldrake, providing comprehensive data to support the utilisation and precision breeding of local duck genetic resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148808317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}