Pub Date : 2025-10-15DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116534
Martino Musati , Marco Sebastiano Bella , Antonino Bertino , Fabrizio Mangano , Giuseppe Luciano , Alessandro Priolo , Luisa Biondi , Massimiliano Lanza , Paweł Solarczyk , Guido Mangione , Antonio Natalello
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary pistachio skin, a by-product of the confectionary industry, on the growth performance and meat quality of lambs. Twenty-four male lambs were assigned to 2 dietary treatments and fed for 60 days with a concentrate-based diet or the same diet with 120 g/kg DM of pistachio skin inclusion as a partial replacement of maize and soybean meal. We evaluated growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and lipid metabolism. The hydrophilic antioxidant capacity, and fat-soluble vitamins were assessed on fresh meat, while colour stability and lipid and protein oxidation were measured over 7-days of refrigerated storage. Dietary treatment did not affect growth performance, carcass traits, and ruminal fermentation (P > 0.05). Pistachio skin enriched meat with health promoting fatty acids, including vaccenic and rumenic acids (P = 0.037 and 0.031; respectively). Feeding lambs with a diet containing pistachio skin increased also meat tocopherols, including γ-tocopherol (P < 0.001), and reduced the lipid oxidation during 7-days of refrigerated storage measured as production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (P = 0.004). Meat from lambs fed pistachio skin showed lesser values of a*, b*, and C* colour descriptors (P = 0.001, 0.009, and 0.003; respectively). The development of hydroperoxides, thiols, and carbonyls was not affected by dietary treatment (P > 0.05). Feeding lambs pistachio skin as a replacement for conventional feedstuffs may be useful for reducing the environmental impact of the meat supply chain. The inclusion of pistachio skin can be a profitable strategy for improving the fatty acid profile and lipid oxidative stability of lamb, without adverse effects on growth performance and ruminal fermentation.
{"title":"Pistachio skin as a novel feedstuff for lambs: effects on growth performance and meat quality","authors":"Martino Musati , Marco Sebastiano Bella , Antonino Bertino , Fabrizio Mangano , Giuseppe Luciano , Alessandro Priolo , Luisa Biondi , Massimiliano Lanza , Paweł Solarczyk , Guido Mangione , Antonio Natalello","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116534","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116534","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary pistachio skin, a by-product of the confectionary industry, on the growth performance and meat quality of lambs. Twenty-four male lambs were assigned to 2 dietary treatments and fed for 60 days with a concentrate-based diet or the same diet with 120 g/kg DM of pistachio skin inclusion as a partial replacement of maize and soybean meal. We evaluated growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and lipid metabolism. The hydrophilic antioxidant capacity, and fat-soluble vitamins were assessed on fresh meat, while colour stability and lipid and protein oxidation were measured over 7-days of refrigerated storage. Dietary treatment did not affect growth performance, carcass traits, and ruminal fermentation (<em>P</em> > 0.05). Pistachio skin enriched meat with health promoting fatty acids, including vaccenic and rumenic acids (<em>P</em> = 0.037 and 0.031; respectively). Feeding lambs with a diet containing pistachio skin increased also meat tocopherols, including γ-tocopherol (P < 0.001), and reduced the lipid oxidation during 7-days of refrigerated storage measured as production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (<em>P</em> = 0.004). Meat from lambs fed pistachio skin showed lesser values of <em>a</em>*, <em>b</em>*, and <em>C</em>* colour descriptors (<em>P</em> = 0.001, 0.009, and 0.003; respectively). The development of hydroperoxides, thiols, and carbonyls was not affected by dietary treatment (<em>P</em> > 0.05). Feeding lambs pistachio skin as a replacement for conventional feedstuffs may be useful for reducing the environmental impact of the meat supply chain. The inclusion of pistachio skin can be a profitable strategy for improving the fatty acid profile and lipid oxidative stability of lamb, without adverse effects on growth performance and ruminal fermentation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116534"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145326800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-14DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116533
M. Ahmad , K. Itani , S. Ghimire , J. Apajalahti , A. Smith , F.S. Steinhoff , B. Svihus
The effects of NSPase, barley variety and feeding regimen and their interactions on the performance, nutrient digestibility, digestive tract characteristics and ileal microbiota were studied. A total of 1936 eleven-day-old Ross 308 female broilers were given ad libitum (ADL) or intermittent (INT) access to pelleted diets based on low-viscosity (LVB) or high-viscosity (HVB) barley at 540 g/kg, with or without a cocktail of β-glucanase and xylanase (Ronozyme® MultiGrain) at 0.1 g/kg in a replicated pen trial. From d 11–17, INT birds had interrupted feed access for 8 h daily, which reduced to 7 h daily from d 18–33, while ADL birds had continuous feed access for 18 h daily. Supplementation with NSPase improved weight gain and FCR, reduced water intake and load of ileal C. perfringens and the effect was larger with HVB diets due to interactions between NSPase and barley variety (P<0.025). Despite higher weight gain and feed intake with ADL feeding (P<0.001), FCR and ileal bacterial load was lower with INT feeding (P<0.001). Protein digestibility was improved with NSPase supplementation and with INT feeding (P<0.009). The HVB diets resulted in higher jejunal digesta viscosity, longer small intestines and more sticky/watery excreta (P<0.001), all of which were offset with NSPase supplementation (P<0.025). Overall, the HVB diets performed more poorly regardless of their better response to NSPase, than the LVB diets. Furthermore, the effect of NSPase and INT feeding on nutrient utilization, FCR and gut health was additive.
{"title":"Effect of NSPase and feeding regimen on performance, nutrient digestibility and ileal microbiota of broiler chickens fed pelleted diets containing low- or high-viscosity barley","authors":"M. Ahmad , K. Itani , S. Ghimire , J. Apajalahti , A. Smith , F.S. Steinhoff , B. Svihus","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116533","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effects of NSPase, barley variety and feeding regimen and their interactions on the performance, nutrient digestibility, digestive tract characteristics and ileal microbiota were studied. A total of 1936 eleven-day-old Ross 308 female broilers were given ad libitum (ADL) or intermittent (INT) access to pelleted diets based on low-viscosity (LVB) or high-viscosity (HVB) barley at 540 g/kg, with or without a cocktail of β-glucanase and xylanase (Ronozyme® MultiGrain) at 0.1 g/kg in a replicated pen trial. From d 11–17, INT birds had interrupted feed access for 8 h daily, which reduced to 7 h daily from d 18–33, while ADL birds had continuous feed access for 18 h daily. Supplementation with NSPase improved weight gain and FCR, reduced water intake and load of ileal <em>C. perfringens</em> and the effect was larger with HVB diets due to interactions between NSPase and barley variety (P<0.025). Despite higher weight gain and feed intake with ADL feeding (P<0.001), FCR and ileal bacterial load was lower with INT feeding (P<0.001). Protein digestibility was improved with NSPase supplementation and with INT feeding (P<0.009). The HVB diets resulted in higher jejunal digesta viscosity, longer small intestines and more sticky/watery excreta (P<0.001), all of which were offset with NSPase supplementation (P<0.025). Overall, the HVB diets performed more poorly regardless of their better response to NSPase, than the LVB diets. Furthermore, the effect of NSPase and INT feeding on nutrient utilization, FCR and gut health was additive.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116533"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145326801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-13DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116531
A. Gómez-Mesonero , D.R. Yáñez-Ruiz , M. Blanch-Saborit , A.I. Martín-García , M. Romero-Huelva
Voluntary feed intake greatly influences productivity and welfare in dairy goats. Sensory additives can enhance feed palatability and the acceptance of sustainable, alternative feedstuffs. However, data on goats’ flavor preferences remain limited. This study assessed kids and adult goats’ preferences for basic flavors: sweet, umami, and a diverse flavor blend under two feeding environments using a feeding behavior monitoring system. Two experiments were conducted: i)experiment 1: a no-choice feeding setup with 20 animals randomly allocated into four pens and assigned to one of the four diets and ii)experiment 2: a cafeteria-style feeding system design, where two groups of 5 animals either received control, or chose among control, sweet, and umami options. Under no-choice conditions, the umami additive significantly reduced feed intake in both age groups compared to the other treatments. Age influenced feeding patterns: kids preferred the diversity blend (31.2 visits/day), while adults visited control and diversity diets more frequently (28.8 and 23.4 visits/day, respectively). This correlated with greater feed efficiency in kids, but not in adults, where the highest values were recorded for control and sweet treatments, with distinct activity period. In the cafeteria design, flavor preferences differed by age: kids preferred the sweet diet, whereas adults strongly selected the umami option (50.1 and 62.3 g/kg BW0.75 per day, respectively), and entirely rejected sweet treatment. These findings demonstrate that goat flavor preferences are highly dependent on physiological stage and feeding environment (no-choice vs. cafeteria-style), highlighting the potential of targeted sensory additives to optimize intake across life stages.
{"title":"Monitoring feeding behavior and flavor preferences in kids and adult goats using sensory additives","authors":"A. Gómez-Mesonero , D.R. Yáñez-Ruiz , M. Blanch-Saborit , A.I. Martín-García , M. Romero-Huelva","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116531","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Voluntary feed intake greatly influences productivity and welfare in dairy goats. Sensory additives can enhance feed palatability and the acceptance of sustainable, alternative feedstuffs. However, data on goats’ flavor preferences remain limited. This study assessed kids and adult goats’ preferences for basic flavors: sweet, umami, and a diverse flavor blend under two feeding environments using a feeding behavior monitoring system. Two experiments were conducted: <em>i)</em> <strong>experiment 1</strong>: a no-choice feeding setup with 20 animals randomly allocated into four pens and assigned to one of the four diets and <em>ii)</em> <strong>experiment 2</strong>: a cafeteria-style feeding system design, where two groups of 5 animals either received control, or chose among control, sweet, and umami options. Under no-choice conditions, the umami additive significantly reduced feed intake in both age groups compared to the other treatments. Age influenced feeding patterns: kids preferred the diversity blend (31.2 visits/day), while adults visited control and diversity diets more frequently (28.8 and 23.4 visits/day, respectively). This correlated with greater feed efficiency in kids, but not in adults, where the highest values were recorded for control and sweet treatments, with distinct activity period. In the cafeteria design, flavor preferences differed by age: kids preferred the sweet diet, whereas adults strongly selected the umami option (50.1 and 62.3 g/kg BW<sup>0.75</sup> per day, respectively), and entirely rejected sweet treatment. These findings demonstrate that goat flavor preferences are highly dependent on physiological stage and feeding environment (no-choice vs. cafeteria-style), highlighting the potential of targeted sensory additives to optimize intake across life stages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116531"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145324014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-13DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116532
Caroline Schmitz , Daniel Kuhn , Guilherme Schwingel Henn , Cláudia Schlabitz , Eduardo Steiger Kaufmann , Lucélia Hoehne , William Jacobs , Daniel Neutzling Lehn , Claucia Fernanda Volken de Souza
The incorporation of spent brewer’s yeast (SBY) into cattle feed presents a sustainable and nutritionally advantageous strategy, benefitting digestibility, rumen microbiota balance, and immunomodulation. However, the survivability of live yeast cells in the digestive tract is limited, necessitating encapsulation techniques like spray drying to improve cell viability. This study aimed to develop a high-value nutritional product for dairy cattle by encapsulating SBY using cheese whey (CW) and autolyzed yeast extract (YE). Spent brewer’s yeast was pre-processed, debittered, and autolyzed to produce YE, which, when combined with CW, formed the encapsulation matrix. The encapsulated product was evaluated in terms of its composition, techno-functional properties, storage stability, survival under simulated ruminant gastrointestinal conditions, and economic feasibility. The formulation using a CW:YE ratio of 70:30 demonstrated the highest encapsulation efficiency, achieving a 96 % cell survival rate after 30 days of storage and superior performance under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Chemical analysis revealed the carbohydrate-rich profile of CW and the antioxidant capacity of YE, while highlighting the impact of high salt concentrations on cell viability, suggesting the need for further process optimization. Encapsulated particles produced at the 70:30 ratio exhibited extended shelf life and preserved nutritional value. Economic analysis confirmed the feasibility of industrial-scale production, with a relatively short discounted payback period of 3.25 years, supporting a circular bioeconomy. This study demonstrates that spray drying is an effective technique for repurposing SBY and CW into a value-added product for dairy cattle nutrition, providing enhanced protection of viable yeast cells during storage and gastrointestinal transit.
{"title":"Encapsulation of spent brewer’s yeast by spray-drying: Techno-functional properties, ruminant gastrointestinal survival and scale-up viability","authors":"Caroline Schmitz , Daniel Kuhn , Guilherme Schwingel Henn , Cláudia Schlabitz , Eduardo Steiger Kaufmann , Lucélia Hoehne , William Jacobs , Daniel Neutzling Lehn , Claucia Fernanda Volken de Souza","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116532","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116532","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The incorporation of spent brewer’s yeast (SBY) into cattle feed presents a sustainable and nutritionally advantageous strategy, benefitting digestibility, rumen microbiota balance, and immunomodulation. However, the survivability of live yeast cells in the digestive tract is limited, necessitating encapsulation techniques like spray drying to improve cell viability. This study aimed to develop a high-value nutritional product for dairy cattle by encapsulating SBY using cheese whey (CW) and autolyzed yeast extract (YE). Spent brewer’s yeast was pre-processed, debittered, and autolyzed to produce YE, which, when combined with CW, formed the encapsulation matrix. The encapsulated product was evaluated in terms of its composition, techno-functional properties, storage stability, survival under simulated ruminant gastrointestinal conditions, and economic feasibility. The formulation using a CW:YE ratio of 70:30 demonstrated the highest encapsulation efficiency, achieving a 96 % cell survival rate after 30 days of storage and superior performance under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Chemical analysis revealed the carbohydrate-rich profile of CW and the antioxidant capacity of YE, while highlighting the impact of high salt concentrations on cell viability, suggesting the need for further process optimization. Encapsulated particles produced at the 70:30 ratio exhibited extended shelf life and preserved nutritional value. Economic analysis confirmed the feasibility of industrial-scale production, with a relatively short discounted payback period of 3.25 years, supporting a circular bioeconomy. This study demonstrates that spray drying is an effective technique for repurposing SBY and CW into a value-added product for dairy cattle nutrition, providing enhanced protection of viable yeast cells during storage and gastrointestinal transit.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116532"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145324015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-11DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116529
Damian Konkol , Marta Kuźmińska-Bajor , Jan P. Madej , Ewa Popiela , Magdalena Lis , Maciej Kuczkowski , Marianna Szczypka , Kamil Sierżant , Muhammad Umair Ashgar , Katarzyna Leicht , Małgorzata Korzeniowska , Cassandra Ceccopieri , Mariusz Korczyński
This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with levan a microbial fructan-type exopolysaccharide, as a feed additive on growth performance, meat quality, intestinal microflora composition, intestinal histomorphometry, lymphoid organ, and the formation of blood immune cell populations in broiler chickens. A total of 1400 day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into five experimental groups, each comprising eight replicates of 35 birds. The control group (C) received the basal diet without levan whereas the experimental groups received a basal diets supplemented with 0.1 % (L0.1), 0.25 % (L0.25), 0.5 % (L0.5) or 1 % (L1) levan throughout the rearing period. Dietary levan supplementation significantly improved growth performance parameters compared with the C group. However, higher inclusion levels (0.5 and 1 %), resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) deterioration of certain sensory meat quality traits. Cecal microbiological analysis revealed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in Lactobacillus spp. counts in levan supplemented groups. Histomorphometric evaluation of the ileum (IL) showed that levan significantly (P < 0.05) increased the villus surface area and the villus height to the crypt depth ratio (V/C). The lymphoid organs morphometry and the proportions of blood lymphocytes and monocytes were not significantly affected, suggesting that there was no measurable immunomodulatory activity under the conditions of this study. In summary, dietary levan has the potential to improve the growth performance, beneficial intestinal microbiota, and intestinal morphology of broilers. However, meat sensory characteristics may be adversely affected by excessive concentrations. Further research is required to completely understand the mechanisms that underlie these effects and optimize inclusion levels.
{"title":"Dietary levan as a feed additive: Effects on growth performance, meat quality, immune response, and gut health in broiler chickens","authors":"Damian Konkol , Marta Kuźmińska-Bajor , Jan P. Madej , Ewa Popiela , Magdalena Lis , Maciej Kuczkowski , Marianna Szczypka , Kamil Sierżant , Muhammad Umair Ashgar , Katarzyna Leicht , Małgorzata Korzeniowska , Cassandra Ceccopieri , Mariusz Korczyński","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with levan a microbial fructan-type exopolysaccharide, as a feed additive on growth performance, meat quality, intestinal microflora composition, intestinal histomorphometry, lymphoid organ, and the formation of blood immune cell populations in broiler chickens. A total of 1400 day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into five experimental groups, each comprising eight replicates of 35 birds. The control group (C) received the basal diet without levan whereas the experimental groups received a basal diets supplemented with 0.1 % (L0.1), 0.25 % (L0.25), 0.5 % (L0.5) or 1 % (L1) levan throughout the rearing period. Dietary levan supplementation significantly improved growth performance parameters compared with the C group. However, higher inclusion levels (0.5 and 1 %), resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) deterioration of certain sensory meat quality traits. Cecal microbiological analysis revealed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in <em>Lactobacillus</em> spp. counts in levan supplemented groups. Histomorphometric evaluation of the ileum (IL) showed that levan significantly (P < 0.05) increased the villus surface area and the villus height to the crypt depth ratio (V/C). The lymphoid organs morphometry and the proportions of blood lymphocytes and monocytes were not significantly affected, suggesting that there was no measurable immunomodulatory activity under the conditions of this study. In summary, dietary levan has the potential to improve the growth performance, beneficial intestinal microbiota, and intestinal morphology of broilers. However, meat sensory characteristics may be adversely affected by excessive concentrations. Further research is required to completely understand the mechanisms that underlie these effects and optimize inclusion levels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116529"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145326802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-11DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116530
Xin Wang , Dongming Zhang , Xinping Zhang , Xinyu Lei , Dan Jiang , Lili Lin , Wenli Zhu , Sibu Wang , Quan Huang , Yuxin Li , Yu-ke Chen , Zhixin Guo
This study investigated the effects of Bacillus tequilensis (GCB-3) on growth, gut immunity, hepatopancreatic health, and antioxidant capacity in grass carp fed a high-carbohydrate diet, with a focus on the gut–liver axis. Three experimental diets were formulated: a control diet (CK), a high-carbohydrate diet (HC), and a high-carbohydrate diet supplemented with 10⁸ CFU/g GCB-3 (HCB). Dietary GCB-3 supplementation significantly improved final body weight, intestinal fold height, and muscle layer thickness, showing linear or quadratic trends (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the HCB group exhibited reduced villous fusion in the intestine compared to the HC group, although the intrinsic layer was partially absent in some villi. Biomarkers of intestinal permeability, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels were significantly lower in the HCB group compared to the HC group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expression levels of intestinal tight junction proteins and anti-inflammatory factors were significantly upregulated, while proinflammatory factors were downregulated in the HCB group (P < 0.05). In the hepatopancreas, the HC diet induced significant increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS), cortisol, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (P < 0.05), which were mitigated by GCB-3 supplementation (P < 0.05). Conversely, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the expression of related genes followed an opposite trend. The HC group also exhibited elevated levels of hepatopancreas injury markers, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood ammonia, and total bilirubin, along with reduced γ-glutamyltranspeptidase and albumin levels. Histologically, the HCB group displayed fewer hepatopancreatic sinusoids, less vacuolization, and reduced nuclear displacement compared to the HC group. Additionally, the HC group showed marked upregulation of genes associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and pro-apoptosis. In conclusion, B. tequilensis GCB-3 promotes growth, enhances intestinal barrier function, reduces LPS burden, inhibits inflammation, boosts antioxidant capacity, and suppresses endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and apoptosis, thereby mitigating high-carbohydrate diet-induced oxidative damage.
{"title":"Modulation of growth, gut-liver axis, and antioxidant defense by Bacillus tequilensis (GCB-3) in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) under high-carbohydrate diet: Insights into health enhancement and oxidative stress mitigation","authors":"Xin Wang , Dongming Zhang , Xinping Zhang , Xinyu Lei , Dan Jiang , Lili Lin , Wenli Zhu , Sibu Wang , Quan Huang , Yuxin Li , Yu-ke Chen , Zhixin Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the effects of <em>Bacillus tequilensis</em> (<em>GCB-3</em>) on growth, gut immunity, hepatopancreatic health, and antioxidant capacity in grass carp fed a high-carbohydrate diet, with a focus on the gut–liver axis. Three experimental diets were formulated: a control diet (CK), a high-carbohydrate diet (HC), and a high-carbohydrate diet supplemented with 10⁸ CFU/g <em>GCB-3</em> (HCB). Dietary <em>GCB-3</em> supplementation significantly improved final body weight, intestinal fold height, and muscle layer thickness, showing linear or quadratic trends (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Furthermore, the HCB group exhibited reduced villous fusion in the intestine compared to the HC group, although the intrinsic layer was partially absent in some villi. Biomarkers of intestinal permeability, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels were significantly lower in the HCB group compared to the HC group (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Moreover, the expression levels of intestinal tight junction proteins and anti-inflammatory factors were significantly upregulated, while proinflammatory factors were downregulated in the HCB group (<em>P</em> < 0.05). In the hepatopancreas, the HC diet induced significant increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS), cortisol, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (<em>P</em> < 0.05), which were mitigated by <em>GCB-3</em> supplementation (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Conversely, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the expression of related genes followed an opposite trend. The HC group also exhibited elevated levels of hepatopancreas injury markers, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood ammonia, and total bilirubin, along with reduced γ-glutamyltranspeptidase and albumin levels. Histologically, the HCB group displayed fewer hepatopancreatic sinusoids, less vacuolization, and reduced nuclear displacement compared to the HC group. Additionally, the HC group showed marked upregulation of genes associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and pro-apoptosis. In conclusion, <em>B. tequilensis GCB-3</em> promotes growth, enhances intestinal barrier function, reduces LPS burden, inhibits inflammation, boosts antioxidant capacity, and suppresses endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and apoptosis, thereby mitigating high-carbohydrate diet-induced oxidative damage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116530"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145327095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study evaluated the synergistic effects of taurine, lysine, and methionine supplementation in low fish meal (LFM) diets on the growth performance, health status, and liver histopathology of juvenile meagre (Argyrosomus regius). Experimental diets were prepared compared to a high-fish-meal control diet (HFM) and a low-fish-meal basal diet (LFM), which was supplemented with combinations of taurine, lysine, and methionine. Supplementing LFM diets with taurine, lysine, and methionine significantly improved growth performance (P < 0.05). Specifically, the LFM+TLM (taurine + lysine + methionine) diet achieved growth performance statistically comparable to the high fish meal (HFM) control diet (P > 0.05). Hematological analyses revealed that supplementation with taurine, methionine, and lysine significantly increased hematocrit and hemoglobin levels (P < 0.05). Histological examination of liver tissue showed that amino acid supplementation (particularly taurine) reduced liver lipid accumulation and improved liver health (P < 0.05). Moreover, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) excretion was significantly lower in the amino acid-supplemented groups compared to the LFM diet alone (P < 0.05), indicating optimized nitrogen metabolism and enhanced environmental sustainability. Economic analyses demonstrated that supplementation with taurine, lysine, and methionine in LFM diets improved feed conversion efficiency and increased economic profitability. In conclusion, this study indicates that supplementing low-fish meal diets with taurine, lysine, and methionine can significantly enhance growth performance, health status, and feed efficiency. The findings highlight the potential of amino acid supplementation to optimize nitrogen metabolism, improve liver health, and reduce environmental impact, offering a cost-effective and sustainable feeding strategy for meagre aquaculture.
{"title":"Synergistic impacts of dietary supplementation of taurine, lysine and methionine in low fish meal diets on the growth performance, health status and liver histopathology of meagre (Argyrosomus regius)","authors":"Derya Güroy , Onur Karadal , Betül Güroy , Yılmaz Emre , Nesrin Emre , Durali Eraslan , Fatma Banu Yalım , Serhan Mantoğlu , Abdullah Demir","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the synergistic effects of taurine, lysine, and methionine supplementation in low fish meal (LFM) diets on the growth performance, health status, and liver histopathology of juvenile meagre (<em>Argyrosomus regius</em>). Experimental diets were prepared compared to a high-fish-meal control diet (HFM) and a low-fish-meal basal diet (LFM), which was supplemented with combinations of taurine, lysine, and methionine. Supplementing LFM diets with taurine, lysine, and methionine significantly improved growth performance (P < 0.05). Specifically, the LFM+TLM (taurine + lysine + methionine) diet achieved growth performance statistically comparable to the high fish meal (HFM) control diet (P > 0.05). Hematological analyses revealed that supplementation with taurine, methionine, and lysine significantly increased hematocrit and hemoglobin levels (P < 0.05). Histological examination of liver tissue showed that amino acid supplementation (particularly taurine) reduced liver lipid accumulation and improved liver health (P < 0.05). Moreover, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) excretion was significantly lower in the amino acid-supplemented groups compared to the LFM diet alone (P < 0.05), indicating optimized nitrogen metabolism and enhanced environmental sustainability. Economic analyses demonstrated that supplementation with taurine, lysine, and methionine in LFM diets improved feed conversion efficiency and increased economic profitability. In conclusion, this study indicates that supplementing low-fish meal diets with taurine, lysine, and methionine can significantly enhance growth performance, health status, and feed efficiency. The findings highlight the potential of amino acid supplementation to optimize nitrogen metabolism, improve liver health, and reduce environmental impact, offering a cost-effective and sustainable feeding strategy for meagre aquaculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116527"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145327094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A 60-day experiment on juvenile common carp (Cyprinus carpio) evaluated the effects of different acidic dietary additives on growth performance and various welfare indices of the fish. Four feeding groups were established: CON (control group, fed with an unmodified commercial feed), HCL (the same feed supplemented with 1.5 % hydrochloric acid), CIT (+1.5 % of citric acid), and ACE (+1.5 % of acetic acid). In result, only group HCL achieved a significantly higher body weight (25.98 g; p = 0.0109) and total length (11.94 cm; p = 0.0044) than CON (23.51 g, 11.51 cm), and the skeletal deformity rate in all three experimental groups was evenly reduced (from 16.7 % in CON to 2.2 %; p < 0.0003). Group CIT had a significantly higher whole-body protein content (153.6 g kg–1; p = 0.0077) than CON (141.7 g kg–1). Histological measurements revealed predominantly favorable alterations of hepatocytes in groups HCL and CIT, and also of intestinal mucosa in HCL. TEM analysis showed an elongation of enterocyte microvilli in HCL (1.503 µm), CIT (1.579 µm) and ACE (1.520 µm), in comparison to CON (1.363 µm; all p < 0.0001). Beneficially, groups CIT and ACE showed increased (p = 0.0134 and 0.0009, respectively) hepatocyte proliferation (60.52 and 64.28 %) than CON (44.72 %), as well as lowered (p = 0.0031 and 0.0024) hepatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD; 12.84 and 12.89 g–1, as compared to 21.37 g–1). In summary, hydrochloric acid yielded the best results in terms of fish growth and histological markers of enteric homeostasis, while citric and acetic acids notably improved several physiological markers of the liver. Hence, these cheap ingredients could be tested on a broader scale, to optimize their dosage for common carp of various size classes, as well as to assess their effects in combination with different dry diets.
通过对鲤鱼幼鱼60 d的试验，研究了不同酸性饲料添加剂对鲤鱼生长性能和各项福利指标的影响。设4个饲喂组：CON（对照组，饲喂未经改性的商品饲料）、HCL（相同饲料中添加1.5 %盐酸）、CIT（+1.5 %柠檬酸）和ACE（+1.5 %乙酸）。盐酸在结果,只有集团取得了显著高于体重(25.98 g; p = 0.0109)和总长度(11.94 厘米;p = 0.0044)比反对(23.51 g、11.51 厘米),和实验三个组的骨骼畸形率平均降低(从16.7 CON 2.2 % %;p & lt; 0.0003)。CIT组全鱼蛋白质含量（153.6 g kg-1; p = 0.0077）显著高于CON组（141.7 g kg-1）。组织学测量显示，HCL组和CIT组的肝细胞以及HCL组的肠粘膜发生了明显的有利改变。TEM分析显示，与CON（1.363 µm；均p <； 0.0001）相比，HCL（1.503 µm）、CIT（1.579 µm）和ACE（1.520 µm）组的肠细胞微绒毛延长（1.503 µm）。有益的是，CIT组和ACE组肝细胞增殖（p分别 = 0.0134和0.0009）比CON组（p分别为44.72 %）增加（p分别为60.52和64.28 %），肝脏超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性（p分别 = 0.0031和0.0024）比CON组（p分别为21.37 g-1和12.84和12.89 g-1）降低（p分别为 0.0031和0.0024）。综上所述，在促进鱼类生长和肠内稳态组织学指标方面，盐酸的效果最好，而柠檬酸和乙酸则显著改善了肝脏的一些生理指标。因此，这些廉价的原料可以在更大的范围内进行试验，以优化其对不同大小类别的普通鲤鱼的剂量，并评估其与不同干饲料组合的效果。
{"title":"Growth performance, deformity rate, body composition and digestive organ morphology of juvenile common carp fed dry diet enriched with hydrochloric, citric or acetic acid","authors":"Robert Kasprzak , Rafał Kamiński , Justyna Sikorska , Maciej Kamaszewski , Jacek Wolnicki , Dobrochna Adamek-Urbańska , Hubert Szudrowicz , Wiktoria Cieśla , Artur Balicki , Justyna Frankowska-Łukawska , Rafał Wild , Rafał Ireneusz Grabowski , Kacper Kawalski , Jakub Martynow , Bogumił Łosiewicz , Zuzanna Kulis , Sylwia Jarmołowicz","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A 60-day experiment on juvenile common carp (<em>Cyprinus carpio</em>) evaluated the effects of different acidic dietary additives on growth performance and various welfare indices of the fish. Four feeding groups were established: CON (control group, fed with an unmodified commercial feed), HCL (the same feed supplemented with 1.5 % hydrochloric acid), CIT (+1.5 % of citric acid), and ACE (+1.5 % of acetic acid). In result, only group HCL achieved a significantly higher body weight (25.98 g; <em>p</em> = 0.0109) and total length (11.94 cm; <em>p</em> = 0.0044) than CON (23.51 g, 11.51 cm), and the skeletal deformity rate in all three experimental groups was evenly reduced (from 16.7 % in CON to 2.2 %; <em>p</em> < 0.0003). Group CIT had a significantly higher whole-body protein content (153.6 g kg<sup>–1</sup>; <em>p</em> = 0.0077) than CON (141.7 g kg<sup>–1</sup>). Histological measurements revealed predominantly favorable alterations of hepatocytes in groups HCL and CIT, and also of intestinal mucosa in HCL. TEM analysis showed an elongation of enterocyte microvilli in HCL (1.503 µm), CIT (1.579 µm) and ACE (1.520 µm), in comparison to CON (1.363 µm; all <em>p</em> < 0.0001). Beneficially, groups CIT and ACE showed increased (<em>p</em> = 0.0134 and 0.0009, respectively) hepatocyte proliferation (60.52 and 64.28 %) than CON (44.72 %), as well as lowered (<em>p</em> = 0.0031 and 0.0024) hepatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD; 12.84 and 12.89 g<sup>–1</sup>, as compared to 21.37 g<sup>–1</sup>). In summary, hydrochloric acid yielded the best results in terms of fish growth and histological markers of enteric homeostasis, while citric and acetic acids notably improved several physiological markers of the liver. Hence, these cheap ingredients could be tested on a broader scale, to optimize their dosage for common carp of various size classes, as well as to assess their effects in combination with different dry diets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116528"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145277920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116526
Jebarson Solomon , Ganesh Kumar , Prachi Asgolkar , Nuzaiba P. Muhammad , Satyakumar Akhila , Veeramani Maruthi , Potluri Sai Kishore , Layana Porayil , Ashutosh D. Deo , Subodh Gupta , Tincy Varghese
This study investigated the effects of dietary Coleus forskohlii root powder (CFRP) supplementation on growth performance, fat deposition, and fatty acid profiles in striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus juveniles. Fish were fed diets with graded levels of CFRP (0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 g kg⁻¹) for 60 days. Fish fed 10 g kg⁻¹ CFRP showed optimal growth performance with improved weight gain, specific growth rate, and FCR. Higher CFRP doses (15–20 g kg⁻¹) reduced whole-body lipid content and decreased hepatosomatic, viscerosomatic, and mesenteric fat indices. CFRP supplementation modified the fatty acid composition in muscle and viscera, reducing saturated fatty acids while increasing beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids, with improved n-3/n-6 ratios. Serum analysis showed reductions in glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol, with increased HDL-cholesterol. Higher CFRP levels were associated with reduced lipogenic enzyme activities (G6PDH and ME) and increased ppar-α gene expression. These results indicate that CFRP supplementation at 10 g kg⁻¹ optimizes growth performance with moderate reduction in fat deposition, whereas higher levels prioritize lipid reduction over growth in P. hypophthalmus.
本试验研究了饲粮中添加黄颡鱼根粉（CFRP）对下眼鳞鲶鱼（Pangasianodon hypophthalmus）幼鱼生长性能、脂肪沉积和脂肪酸谱的影响。用不同水平的CFRP（0、5、10、15或20 g kg⁻¹）喂养鱼60天。饲喂10 g kg kg⁻¹ CFRP的鱼表现出最佳的生长性能，提高了增重、特定生长率和FCR。高剂量的CFRP（15-20 g kg⁻¹）降低了全身脂肪含量，降低了肝体、内脏体和肠系膜脂肪指数。添加CFRP改变了肌肉和内脏中的脂肪酸组成，减少了饱和脂肪酸，增加了有益的多不饱和脂肪酸，提高了n-3/n-6比率。血清分析显示葡萄糖、甘油三酯、总胆固醇和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇降低，高密度脂蛋白胆固醇升高。较高的CFRP水平与降低的脂肪生成酶活性（G6PDH和ME）和增加的ppar-α基因表达相关。这些结果表明，在10 g kg kg⁻¹ 时添加CFRP可以优化生长性能，适度减少脂肪沉积，而在低眼假体中添加更高水平的CFRP会优先减少脂肪而不是生长。
{"title":"Dietary Coleus forskohlii root powder reduces fat deposition and improves fatty acid composition in striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus)","authors":"Jebarson Solomon , Ganesh Kumar , Prachi Asgolkar , Nuzaiba P. Muhammad , Satyakumar Akhila , Veeramani Maruthi , Potluri Sai Kishore , Layana Porayil , Ashutosh D. Deo , Subodh Gupta , Tincy Varghese","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116526","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the effects of dietary <em>Coleus forskohlii</em> root powder (CFRP) supplementation on growth performance, fat deposition, and fatty acid profiles in striped catfish, <em>Pangasianodon hypophthalmus</em> juveniles. Fish were fed diets with graded levels of CFRP (0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 g kg⁻¹) for 60 days. Fish fed 10 g kg⁻¹ CFRP showed optimal growth performance with improved weight gain, specific growth rate, and FCR. Higher CFRP doses (15–20 g kg⁻¹) reduced whole-body lipid content and decreased hepatosomatic, viscerosomatic, and mesenteric fat indices. CFRP supplementation modified the fatty acid composition in muscle and viscera, reducing saturated fatty acids while increasing beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids, with improved n-3/n-6 ratios. Serum analysis showed reductions in glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol, with increased HDL-cholesterol. Higher CFRP levels were associated with reduced lipogenic enzyme activities (G6PDH and ME) and increased <em>ppar-α</em> gene expression. These results indicate that CFRP supplementation at 10 g kg⁻¹ optimizes growth performance with moderate reduction in fat deposition, whereas higher levels prioritize lipid reduction over growth in <em>P. hypophthalmus</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116526"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145278299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116525
Zhixin Wen , Rui Mi , Xinghe Chen , Xinyue Jia , Tonghui Ren , Yongxin Sun , Xingfan Du
Antheraea pernyi cecropins, small proteins exhibiting antimicrobial activity against various human and insect pathogens, have been shown to enhance weight gain and survival rates in marine molluscs. In this study, sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus) were fed diets containing cecropin at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 g/kg for 30 days. Initial assessments were made of growth and serum immune parameters in each group. Results revealed that cecropin supplementation led to enhanced growth in sea cucumbers, with significant improvements observed in specific growth rates in the 0.5 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg supplementation groups (P < 0.05). Additionally, lysozyme (LZM) activity significantly increased in all cecropin supplementation groups (P < 0.05), while acidic phosphatase (ACP) activity in the 1.0 g/kg group was significantly higher than in the control group (P < 0.05). Following identification of the 1.0 g/kg group as optimal, further investigations into intestinal microbiota and intestinal proteomics revealed a more diverse microbiota in cecropin-supplemented sea cucumbers, dominated by Proteobacteria (35.50 %), Firmicutes (31.74 %), and Actinobacteria (8.75 %), compared to the control group of Proteobacteria (67.22 %), Firmicutes (8.61 %), and Verrucomicrobiota (8.39 %). At the genus level, the cecropin group featured Rhodobacteraceae (12.45 %), Natranaerovirga (5.40 %), and Chloroplast (4.68 %), while the control group had Rhodobacteraceae (40.29 %), Rubritalea (4.23 %), and Lutibacter (3.47 %). Moreover, cecropin-fed sea cucumbers exhibited significantly higher levels of Lactococcus and Bifidobacterium compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Predictive functional analysis of the intestinal microbiota indicated enhanced carbohydrate metabolism and immunity pathways following cecropin supplementation. Proteomics analysis identified 1241 differentially expressed proteins in the sea cucumber intestine of the cecropin group, with 521 upregulated and 720 downregulated. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated significant enrichment in metabolic and immunity-related pathways. In conclusion, cecropin enhances sea cucumber growth and immunity by optimizing intestinal microbiota structure and inducing metabolism in intestinal epithelial cells, along with expression of immune-related proteins.
{"title":"Impact of dietary supplementation with Antheraea pernyi cecropin on growth performance, serum immune indices, intestinal microbial communities and proteomics of Apostichopus japonicus","authors":"Zhixin Wen , Rui Mi , Xinghe Chen , Xinyue Jia , Tonghui Ren , Yongxin Sun , Xingfan Du","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116525","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116525","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Antheraea pernyi</em> cecropins, small proteins exhibiting antimicrobial activity against various human and insect pathogens, have been shown to enhance weight gain and survival rates in marine molluscs. In this study, sea cucumbers (<em>Apostichopus japonicus</em>) were fed diets containing cecropin at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 g/kg for 30 days. Initial assessments were made of growth and serum immune parameters in each group. Results revealed that cecropin supplementation led to enhanced growth in sea cucumbers, with significant improvements observed in specific growth rates in the 0.5 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg supplementation groups (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Additionally, lysozyme (LZM) activity significantly increased in all cecropin supplementation groups (<em>P</em> < 0.05), while acidic phosphatase (ACP) activity in the 1.0 g/kg group was significantly higher than in the control group (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Following identification of the 1.0 g/kg group as optimal, further investigations into intestinal microbiota and intestinal proteomics revealed a more diverse microbiota in cecropin-supplemented sea cucumbers, dominated by Proteobacteria (35.50 %), Firmicutes (31.74 %), and Actinobacteria (8.75 %), compared to the control group of Proteobacteria (67.22 %), Firmicutes (8.61 %), and Verrucomicrobiota (8.39 %). At the genus level, the cecropin group featured Rhodobacteraceae (12.45 %), Natranaerovirga (5.40 %), and Chloroplast (4.68 %), while the control group had Rhodobacteraceae (40.29 %), Rubritalea (4.23 %), and Lutibacter (3.47 %). Moreover, cecropin-fed sea cucumbers exhibited significantly higher levels of <em>Lactococcus</em> and <em>Bifidobacterium</em> compared to the control group (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Predictive functional analysis of the intestinal microbiota indicated enhanced carbohydrate metabolism and immunity pathways following cecropin supplementation. Proteomics analysis identified 1241 differentially expressed proteins in the sea cucumber intestine of the cecropin group, with 521 upregulated and 720 downregulated. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated significant enrichment in metabolic and immunity-related pathways. In conclusion, cecropin enhances sea cucumber growth and immunity by optimizing intestinal microbiota structure and inducing metabolism in intestinal epithelial cells, along with expression of immune-related proteins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"330 ","pages":"Article 116525"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145326803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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