{"title":"Comparative effects of bile salts and free bile acids on intestinal health of grouper (Epinephelus spp.) fed a high cottonseed protein concentrate diet","authors":"Fan Wang, Yuchen Bao, Yuhua Zhao, Junxiang Lai, Ermeng Yu, Fajun Jiang, Jia Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147496615","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-11DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.005
Jonathan Dayan, Alessandra De Cesare, Francesca Soglia, Marco Zampiga, Valentina Indio, Emilia Luigia Antenucci, Massimiliano Petracci, Federico Sirri
{"title":"Nutritional alternatives to commercial lipid sources: Impact of the dietary inclusion of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae oil on broiler chicken productivity, breast meat quality traits and caeca microbiome","authors":"Jonathan Dayan, Alessandra De Cesare, Francesca Soglia, Marco Zampiga, Valentina Indio, Emilia Luigia Antenucci, Massimiliano Petracci, Federico Sirri","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.005","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147447657","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-11DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.007
Andrew Wallace, Michael.R. Bedford, Gemma González-Ortiz, Natalie K. Morgan
{"title":"Impact of fraction size on the efficacy of xylo-oligosaccharides in broiler chicken diets","authors":"Andrew Wallace, Michael.R. Bedford, Gemma González-Ortiz, Natalie K. Morgan","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"93 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147447656","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-07DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.006
Eunjoo Kim, Mingan Choct, Anna Fickler, Leon Hall, Tamsyn M. Crowley, Nishchal K. Sharma
Broiler diets containing wheat distillers’ dried grain with solubles (wDDGS) have higher levels of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) compared to conventional maize-soybean meal-based diets, which can increase intestinal viscosity and impair nutrient utilisation. This study investigated the effects of supplemental xylanase and β-glucanase (XG) preparation on growth performance, ileal flow of soluble NSP constituent sugars, and the gastrointestinal environment in broilers fed maize-based diets with varying wDDGS levels. A total of 768 mixed-sex Cobb 500 broilers (on hatch day and 40 ± 1 g) were assigned to 6 treatments in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, with wDDGS levels (none), 6%–12% (medium), 12%–20% (high) with or without XG supplementation across eight replicate pens of 16 birds each, totaling 128 birds per treatment. From d 0–10, XG and wDDGS interacted for weight gain (WG; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.019), with XG improving WG only in broilers fed high wDDGS diets but not in others. High wDDGS worsened feed conversion ratio (FCR; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.014), while XG tended to improve it (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.079). From d 21–35, XG increased WG (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001) and improved FCR (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.006) regardless of wDDGS level. From d 0–35, XG increased WG (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001) and tended to improve FCR regardless of wDDGS level (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.097). Medium and high wDDGS diets raised ileal viscosity at d 21 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.020) and high wDDGS at d 35 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.002). XG lowered ileal viscosity at d 21 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.006) and d 35 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001). Medium and high wDDGS diets resulted in higher ileal flow of soluble NSP constituent sugars, including soluble arabinose, mannose, and glucose (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001) vs. the control. XG reduced soluble arabinose (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.012) and total soluble NSP constituent sugars (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.007). Dietary XG and wDDGS interacted for ileal soluble xylose concentration within the NSP fraction (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.018), where XG reduced soluble xylose in broilers fed medium and high wDDGS diets but not the control (no wDDGS). High wDDGS diets increased the ileal flow of insoluble NSP constituent sugars (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001) vs. the control diet with no wDDGS. XG supplementation did not affect ileal insoluble NSP constituent sugars (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> > 0.05), but tended to elevate xylose in the free oligosaccharide fraction in the ileum (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.053). XG increased caecal propionic acid (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.004) and tended to increase caecal short-chain fatty acids (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.060). In conclusion, XG supplementation enhanced broiler performance in maize-based diets with wDDGS by reducing soluble NSP and small intestinal viscosity while promoting
{"title":"The response of broilers to xylanase and β-glucanase combination in maize-based diets containing wheat distillers’ dried grain with solubles","authors":"Eunjoo Kim, Mingan Choct, Anna Fickler, Leon Hall, Tamsyn M. Crowley, Nishchal K. Sharma","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.12.006","url":null,"abstract":"Broiler diets containing wheat distillers’ dried grain with solubles (wDDGS) have higher levels of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) compared to conventional maize-soybean meal-based diets, which can increase intestinal viscosity and impair nutrient utilisation. This study investigated the effects of supplemental xylanase and β-glucanase (XG) preparation on growth performance, ileal flow of soluble NSP constituent sugars, and the gastrointestinal environment in broilers fed maize-based diets with varying wDDGS levels. A total of 768 mixed-sex Cobb 500 broilers (on hatch day and 40 ± 1 g) were assigned to 6 treatments in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, with wDDGS levels (none), 6%–12% (medium), 12%–20% (high) with or without XG supplementation across eight replicate pens of 16 birds each, totaling 128 birds per treatment. From d 0–10, XG and wDDGS interacted for weight gain (WG; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.019), with XG improving WG only in broilers fed high wDDGS diets but not in others. High wDDGS worsened feed conversion ratio (FCR; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.014), while XG tended to improve it (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.079). From d 21–35, XG increased WG (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001) and improved FCR (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.006) regardless of wDDGS level. From d 0–35, XG increased WG (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001) and tended to improve FCR regardless of wDDGS level (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.097). Medium and high wDDGS diets raised ileal viscosity at d 21 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.020) and high wDDGS at d 35 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.002). XG lowered ileal viscosity at d 21 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.006) and d 35 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001). Medium and high wDDGS diets resulted in higher ileal flow of soluble NSP constituent sugars, including soluble arabinose, mannose, and glucose (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001) vs. the control. XG reduced soluble arabinose (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.012) and total soluble NSP constituent sugars (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.007). Dietary XG and wDDGS interacted for ileal soluble xylose concentration within the NSP fraction (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.018), where XG reduced soluble xylose in broilers fed medium and high wDDGS diets but not the control (no wDDGS). High wDDGS diets increased the ileal flow of insoluble NSP constituent sugars (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001) vs. the control diet with no wDDGS. XG supplementation did not affect ileal insoluble NSP constituent sugars (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> > 0.05), but tended to elevate xylose in the free oligosaccharide fraction in the ileum (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.053). XG increased caecal propionic acid (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.004) and tended to increase caecal short-chain fatty acids (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.060). In conclusion, XG supplementation enhanced broiler performance in maize-based diets with wDDGS by reducing soluble NSP and small intestinal viscosity while promoting ","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"109 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147393540","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-07DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.11.012
Mengzhu Wang, Shemil Macelline, Sonia Y. Liu
Although nutrient digestibility (dig) is traditionally assessed in the DI, the majority of starch and protein digestion and absorption occurs in the jejunum. Increasing attention has been directed toward the synchronization of starch and protein and their impact on growth performance and feed efficiency. The objective of this meta-analysis is to validate the relevance of starch and protein digestive dynamics on growth performance and to evaluate the validity of jejunal dig of nutrients as the indicator for digestion rate. A total of 260 data points extracted from 32 published papers were included in the analysis, covering a wide range of broiler ages and dietary compositions. A multiple-level meta-analysis was employed, which accounts for both between-study and within-study variations. The results indicate that the nutrient dig exhibits greater variation in the proximal jejunum (PJ) compared to more distal sections of the intestine. Both ileal and jejunal dig of starch and protein impacted on body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). When ileal digestible nutrients are not limiting, optimizing proximal jejunal starch and distal jejunal protein dig would benefit BWG and FCR. Synchrony of starch and protein utilisation is essential for BWG where the maximal BWG is predicted to be 1703 g/bird when the ratio of digestible starch and protein in the PJ equals to 4.01. In conclusion, when digestion rate data is difficult to generate, proximal jejunal digestible starch and distal digestible protein can be reliable indicators of the rate of digestion to predict growth performance in broiler chickens.
{"title":"The relevance of starch and protein digestive dynamics on broiler performance: A meta-analysis","authors":"Mengzhu Wang, Shemil Macelline, Sonia Y. Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.11.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.11.012","url":null,"abstract":"Although nutrient digestibility (dig) is traditionally assessed in the DI, the majority of starch and protein digestion and absorption occurs in the jejunum. Increasing attention has been directed toward the synchronization of starch and protein and their impact on growth performance and feed efficiency. The objective of this meta-analysis is to validate the relevance of starch and protein digestive dynamics on growth performance and to evaluate the validity of jejunal dig of nutrients as the indicator for digestion rate. A total of 260 data points extracted from 32 published papers were included in the analysis, covering a wide range of broiler ages and dietary compositions. A multiple-level meta-analysis was employed, which accounts for both between-study and within-study variations. The results indicate that the nutrient dig exhibits greater variation in the proximal jejunum (PJ) compared to more distal sections of the intestine. Both ileal and jejunal dig of starch and protein impacted on body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). When ileal digestible nutrients are not limiting, optimizing proximal jejunal starch and distal jejunal protein dig would benefit BWG and FCR. Synchrony of starch and protein utilisation is essential for BWG where the maximal BWG is predicted to be 1703 g/bird when the ratio of digestible starch and protein in the PJ equals to 4.01. In conclusion, when digestion rate data is difficult to generate, proximal jejunal digestible starch and distal digestible protein can be reliable indicators of the rate of digestion to predict growth performance in broiler chickens.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147393541","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-07DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.09.018
Mahmoud M. Abdelsattar, Dingkun Fan, Wenzhang Zhou, Naifeng Zhang, Yan Tu, Qiyu Diao, Yanliang Bi, Yu Hou
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) dietary supplementation on growth performance, rumen fermentation, diarrhea frequency, and serum biochemical metabolites of pre-weaned Holstein dairy calves. Forty-five Holstein female calves (37.86 ± 2.38 kg of body weight [BW]; 1 d of age) were randomly assigned into 1 of the 3 treatments: a control group (Q0; without CoQ supplementation) and CoQ supplementation at low dose (Q50; 50 mg/kg dry matter [DM] of CoQ) or high dose (Q100; 100 mg/kg of CoQ) (n = 15). All experimental calves were fed pasteurized whole milk twice daily (06:30 and 17:00) starting from d 2 of age. From d 61 to 70, the calves were gradually weaned following a step-down approach. Calves had free access to clean water and the starter diet, which was introduced from d 7 onward. The study terminated on d 70. The results showed that calves supplemented with both low and high doses of CoQ had significantly higher average daily gain (linear, P = 0.007) and dry matter intake (DMI, linear, P < 0.001) compared with the Q0 group. There was a treatment by age interaction for BW (P < 0.001), where BW at 10 weeks of age was greater at Q50 and Q100 groups than at the Q0 group. Diarrhea frequency from 1 to 5 weeks of age was significantly affected by treatment (P = 0.026), with Q100 calves showing the lowest values. At 10 weeks of age, the Q100 calves showed higher serum total antioxidant capacity (linear, P = 0.012), superoxide dismutase (linear, P = 0.018), glutathione peroxidase (linear, P = 0.012), and β-hydroxybutyrate (linear, P = 0.006) compared with the Q0 group. The serum malondialdehyde was lower in Q100 calves than Q0 calves (linear, P = 0.015). Compared with the Q50 and Q0 groups, serum contents of insulin, growth hormone, and non-esterified fatty acids increased in calves receiving high CoQ dose (linear, P = 0.006, 0.012, 0.006, respectively). Conversely, the Q50 calves showed higher serum glucose compared with the other treatments (quadratic, P = 0.003). The results of the present study suggest that the supplementation of CoQ to milk may promote growth performance, health status, blood metabolites, and hormones, and improve the antioxidant capacity of the Holstein dairy calves. The use of CoQ may be an alternative to feeding antibiotics at 100 mg/kg DM to improve calf health and decrease diarrhea frequency.
{"title":"Effects of coenzyme Q10 on growth performance, rumen fermentation, blood metabolites, antioxidant status, and immune responses of pre-weaned Holstein dairy calves","authors":"Mahmoud M. Abdelsattar, Dingkun Fan, Wenzhang Zhou, Naifeng Zhang, Yan Tu, Qiyu Diao, Yanliang Bi, Yu Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.09.018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.09.018","url":null,"abstract":"This study was conducted to investigate the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) dietary supplementation on growth performance, rumen fermentation, diarrhea frequency, and serum biochemical metabolites of pre-weaned Holstein dairy calves. Forty-five Holstein female calves (37.86 ± 2.38 kg of body weight [BW]; 1 d of age) were randomly assigned into 1 of the 3 treatments: a control group (Q0; without CoQ supplementation) and CoQ supplementation at low dose (Q50; 50 mg/kg dry matter [DM] of CoQ) or high dose (Q100; 100 mg/kg of CoQ) (<ce:italic>n</ce:italic> = 15). All experimental calves were fed pasteurized whole milk twice daily (06:30 and 17:00) starting from d 2 of age. From d 61 to 70, the calves were gradually weaned following a step-down approach. Calves had free access to clean water and the starter diet, which was introduced from d 7 onward. The study terminated on d 70. The results showed that calves supplemented with both low and high doses of CoQ had significantly higher average daily gain (linear, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.007) and dry matter intake (DMI, linear, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001) compared with the Q0 group. There was a treatment by age interaction for BW (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001), where BW at 10 weeks of age was greater at Q50 and Q100 groups than at the Q0 group. Diarrhea frequency from 1 to 5 weeks of age was significantly affected by treatment (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.026), with Q100 calves showing the lowest values. At 10 weeks of age, the Q100 calves showed higher serum total antioxidant capacity (linear, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.012), superoxide dismutase (linear, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.018), glutathione peroxidase (linear, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.012), and β-hydroxybutyrate (linear, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.006) compared with the Q0 group. The serum malondialdehyde was lower in Q100 calves than Q0 calves (linear, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.015). Compared with the Q50 and Q0 groups, serum contents of insulin, growth hormone, and non-esterified fatty acids increased in calves receiving high CoQ dose (linear, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.006, 0.012, 0.006, respectively). Conversely, the Q50 calves showed higher serum glucose compared with the other treatments (quadratic, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.003). The results of the present study suggest that the supplementation of CoQ to milk may promote growth performance, health status, blood metabolites, and hormones, and improve the antioxidant capacity of the Holstein dairy calves. The use of CoQ may be an alternative to feeding antibiotics at 100 mg/kg DM to improve calf health and decrease diarrhea frequency.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"76 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147393539","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-07DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.08.016
Yangyang Wei, Yajun Wei, Chunyan Liu, Yiyi He, Shihui Ruan, Yanna Huang, Li Wang, Xi Yang, Hongbo Yi
This experiment aimed to study the effects of dietary supplementation with biosynthetic reuterin (RT) from Escherichia coli cells on the growth performance and intestinal health of pigs. A total of 72 pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 21 d old, 5.7 ± 0.3 kg weight) were randomly divided into basal diet group (CON), basal diet supplemented with 5 × 1010 colony-forming unit (CFU)/kg Lactobacillus reuteri group (LR), and basal diet supplemented with 50 mg/kg reuterin group (RT) with 6 pens (4 pigs per pen) per group for a 14-d period. One piglet was randomly selected from each pen on the 15th d for sampling. The results showed that the addition of RT to the diet significantly improved the growth performance of piglets, specifically increasing average daily gain (ADG; P= 0.004), and reduced diarrhea rate (P = 0.012), improved the intestinal morphology by significantly increasing villus height and the villus height to crypt depth ratio (P < 0.05), and enhanced intestinal barrier and immune functions by upregulating the expression of related genes (ZO1, MUC1, pBD2, and PR39, P < 0.05). Simultaneously, RT upregulated TLR gene expression and activated the MAPK signaling pathway (P < 0.05). Combined analysis of microbiome and non-targeted metabolomics showed that RT improved metabolism by affecting the relative abundance of Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens YIT12067 (known for succinate production and impacting energy metabolism) and Holdemanella (implicated in carbohydrate metabolism and immune modulation) in pigs (P < 0.05). In addition, RT significantly reduced the deposition of intestinal collagen (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that biosynthetic RT effectively improved the growth and intestinal health of pigs, which may provide some theoretical basis for the RT production as a feed additive.
{"title":"Biosynthetic reuterin improved the intestinal health in pigs","authors":"Yangyang Wei, Yajun Wei, Chunyan Liu, Yiyi He, Shihui Ruan, Yanna Huang, Li Wang, Xi Yang, Hongbo Yi","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.08.016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.08.016","url":null,"abstract":"This experiment aimed to study the effects of dietary supplementation with biosynthetic reuterin (RT) from <ce:italic>Escherichia coli</ce:italic> cells on the growth performance and intestinal health of pigs. A total of 72 pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 21 d old, 5.7 ± 0.3 kg weight) were randomly divided into basal diet group (CON), basal diet supplemented with 5 × 10<ce:sup loc=\"post\">10</ce:sup> colony-forming unit (CFU)/kg <ce:italic>Lactobacillus reuteri</ce:italic> group (LR), and basal diet supplemented with 50 mg/kg reuterin group (RT) with 6 pens (4 pigs per pen) per group for a 14-d period. One piglet was randomly selected from each pen on the 15th d for sampling. The results showed that the addition of RT to the diet significantly improved the growth performance of piglets, specifically increasing average daily gain (ADG; <ce:italic>P</ce:italic>= 0.004), and reduced diarrhea rate (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.012), improved the intestinal morphology by significantly increasing villus height and the villus height to crypt depth ratio (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), and enhanced intestinal barrier and immune functions by upregulating the expression of related genes (<ce:italic>ZO1</ce:italic>, <ce:italic>MUC1</ce:italic>, <ce:italic>pBD2</ce:italic>, and <ce:italic>PR39</ce:italic>, <ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Simultaneously, RT upregulated <ce:italic>TLR</ce:italic> gene expression and activated the MAPK signaling pathway (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Combined analysis of microbiome and non-targeted metabolomics showed that RT improved metabolism by affecting the relative abundance of <ce:italic>Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens</ce:italic> YIT12067 (known for succinate production and impacting energy metabolism) and <ce:italic>Holdemanella</ce:italic> (implicated in carbohydrate metabolism and immune modulation) in pigs (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). In addition, RT significantly reduced the deposition of intestinal collagen (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that biosynthetic RT effectively improved the growth and intestinal health of pigs, which may provide some theoretical basis for the RT production as a feed additive.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147393542","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}
The effects of berberine (BBR) on intestinal health suffering from soybean meal-induced enteritis (SBMIE) in hybrid yellow catfish (<ce:italic>Pelteobagrus fulvidraco</ce:italic> ♀ × <ce:italic>Pelteobagrus vachelli</ce:italic> ♂) were investigated in this study, focusing specifically on oxidant-antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, microbiota homeostasis and tryptophan catabolites. A total of 270 individuals with the initial body weight (IBW) of 23.27 ± 0.60 g were randomly divided into 9 tanks at the density of 30 fish per tank. Three diets, the SBM diet (75% of fish meal substituted by SBM, SBM), BBR1 (75 mg/kg BBR was added to the SBM diet, BBR1) and BBR2 diet (150 mg/kg BBR was added to the SBM diet, BBR2), were used to feed fish for 42 days. The results indicated that the final body weight (FBW), weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were all significantly increased in BBR2 group compared with SBM group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Intestinal barrier proteins and genes (ZO-1 and occludin) expression (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05) and intestinal inflammation content (IL-10) (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001) were all greatly improved with BBR administration, especially in the BBR2 group. The apoptosis related genes (caspase3 and caspase9) (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05) of intestinal epithelium cells were also significantly reduced by dietary BBR compared with SBM group. Comparative analysis of intestinal microbial composition and tryptophan catabolites between the SBM group and BBR2 group revealed that BBR significantly ameliorated the imbalance of intestinal microbiota and improved the intestinal tryptophan catabolites, especially reflected in the relative abundance of <ce:italic>Romboutsia</ce:italic> and the levels of L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and kynurenine (KYN) in intestinal contents (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). As a result, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling was then activated. Correlation analyses showed that the relative abundance of <ce:italic>Romboutsia</ce:italic> was positively correlated with IAA and KYN levels in the intestinal contents (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), and negatively correlated with interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in hindgut (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.01). The levels of L-5-HTP, IAA, and KYN in intestinal contents were positively correlated with key factors of hindgut AhR signaling pathway, tight junctions (TJs) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) functional prediction results showed that the intestinal microbial functions were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, including amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. In conclusion, BBR ameliorated SBMIE in hybrid yellow catfish by reducing oxidative stress, enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
{"title":"Berberine alleviates soybean meal-induced enteritis in hybrid yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco ♀ × Pelteobagrus vachelli ♂) by regulating intestinal microbiota and tryptophan metabolism","authors":"Zihao Zhang, Jiale Hong, Meina Zhang, Yuqing Liu, Chengjia Wu, Xiaocheng Huang, Pengsheng Dong, Zhenjiang Yang, Guojun Guo, Shouqi Xie, Guozhao Wu, Guoxi Li, Ming Li, Guangqing Yu, Bianzhi Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.11.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.11.007","url":null,"abstract":"The effects of berberine (BBR) on intestinal health suffering from soybean meal-induced enteritis (SBMIE) in hybrid yellow catfish (<ce:italic>Pelteobagrus fulvidraco</ce:italic> ♀ × <ce:italic>Pelteobagrus vachelli</ce:italic> ♂) were investigated in this study, focusing specifically on oxidant-antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, microbiota homeostasis and tryptophan catabolites. A total of 270 individuals with the initial body weight (IBW) of 23.27 ± 0.60 g were randomly divided into 9 tanks at the density of 30 fish per tank. Three diets, the SBM diet (75% of fish meal substituted by SBM, SBM), BBR1 (75 mg/kg BBR was added to the SBM diet, BBR1) and BBR2 diet (150 mg/kg BBR was added to the SBM diet, BBR2), were used to feed fish for 42 days. The results indicated that the final body weight (FBW), weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were all significantly increased in BBR2 group compared with SBM group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Intestinal barrier proteins and genes (ZO-1 and occludin) expression (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05) and intestinal inflammation content (IL-10) (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001) were all greatly improved with BBR administration, especially in the BBR2 group. The apoptosis related genes (caspase3 and caspase9) (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05) of intestinal epithelium cells were also significantly reduced by dietary BBR compared with SBM group. Comparative analysis of intestinal microbial composition and tryptophan catabolites between the SBM group and BBR2 group revealed that BBR significantly ameliorated the imbalance of intestinal microbiota and improved the intestinal tryptophan catabolites, especially reflected in the relative abundance of <ce:italic>Romboutsia</ce:italic> and the levels of L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and kynurenine (KYN) in intestinal contents (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). As a result, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling was then activated. Correlation analyses showed that the relative abundance of <ce:italic>Romboutsia</ce:italic> was positively correlated with IAA and KYN levels in the intestinal contents (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), and negatively correlated with interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in hindgut (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.01). The levels of L-5-HTP, IAA, and KYN in intestinal contents were positively correlated with key factors of hindgut AhR signaling pathway, tight junctions (TJs) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) functional prediction results showed that the intestinal microbial functions were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, including amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. In conclusion, BBR ameliorated SBMIE in hybrid yellow catfish by reducing oxidative stress, enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147393188","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-06DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.11.009
Chao Yuan, Xiaomin Wu, Yang Yang, Yong Han, Chaozhi Su, Pramote Paengkoum, Xin Wang, Jiafu Zhao, Shengyong Lu, Haolin Chen, Defeng Wang, Wen Xiao, Yong Long
This study aimed to reveal the effects of allicin on nutrient digestion, gastrointestinal enzyme activity, rumen fermentation parameters, gastrointestinal morphology, intestinal barrier function, and gastrointestinal microbial ecology of Guizhou black goats. Thirty-two male Guizhou black goats, each aged five months, with an initial body weight of 18.28 ± 0.41 kg, were divided into one of four groups in a completely randomized design: control (CON, without allicin), low allicin (L, 0.5 g/d per head), medium allicin (M, 0.75 g/d per head), and high allicin (H, 1 g/d per head), respectively. Each group consisted of eight replicates with one growing goat per replicate. The experiment lasted for 75 d, including a 15 d acclimation period and a 60 d experimental period. The results showed that the apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP), dry matter (DM), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was highest in the M group, being significantly higher than those in the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Moreover, ruminal cellulase and cellobiase activities, jejunal trypsin activity, cecal cellulase activity, ruminal total volatile fatty acids (TVFA), acetate, propionate, and butyrate concentrations were all highest in the M group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). In contrast, ruminal ammoniacal nitrogen (NH<ce:inf loc="post">3</ce:inf>-N) concentration was the opposite (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.015). As allicin inclusion increased, the jejunal trypsin activity and ruminal butyrate concentration exhibited linear responses (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), while the apparent digestibility of DM and NDF, rumen TVFA, acetate, and propionate concentrations, as well as cellulase and cellobiase activities were affected quadratically (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). In the jejunal mucosa, the protein expression levels and the relative mRNA expression levels of claudin 1, claudin 4, and ZO-1 were higher in the M group than in the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). As allicin supplementation increased, claudin 1, claudin 4, and ZO-1 protein expressions exhibited both linear and quadratic responses (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001), whereas the relative mRNA expression levels were modulated solely by the quadratic term (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Moreover, the L and M groups had significantly greater papillae height and muscle layer thickness than the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), and papillae width increased in a quadratic manner (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.029). However, the M group showed increased villus density compared with the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.026), with significant quadratic effects on papillae density and villus height (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Importantly, allicin also improved the gastrointestinal microecological balance by reconstructing the gastrointestinal microbial composition. In conclusion, allicin improves gastrointestinal health by regulat
{"title":"Effects of dietary allicin supplementation on nutrient digestion and gastrointestinal health of Guizhou black goats","authors":"Chao Yuan, Xiaomin Wu, Yang Yang, Yong Han, Chaozhi Su, Pramote Paengkoum, Xin Wang, Jiafu Zhao, Shengyong Lu, Haolin Chen, Defeng Wang, Wen Xiao, Yong Long","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.11.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.11.009","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to reveal the effects of allicin on nutrient digestion, gastrointestinal enzyme activity, rumen fermentation parameters, gastrointestinal morphology, intestinal barrier function, and gastrointestinal microbial ecology of Guizhou black goats. Thirty-two male Guizhou black goats, each aged five months, with an initial body weight of 18.28 ± 0.41 kg, were divided into one of four groups in a completely randomized design: control (CON, without allicin), low allicin (L, 0.5 g/d per head), medium allicin (M, 0.75 g/d per head), and high allicin (H, 1 g/d per head), respectively. Each group consisted of eight replicates with one growing goat per replicate. The experiment lasted for 75 d, including a 15 d acclimation period and a 60 d experimental period. The results showed that the apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP), dry matter (DM), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was highest in the M group, being significantly higher than those in the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Moreover, ruminal cellulase and cellobiase activities, jejunal trypsin activity, cecal cellulase activity, ruminal total volatile fatty acids (TVFA), acetate, propionate, and butyrate concentrations were all highest in the M group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). In contrast, ruminal ammoniacal nitrogen (NH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>-N) concentration was the opposite (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.015). As allicin inclusion increased, the jejunal trypsin activity and ruminal butyrate concentration exhibited linear responses (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), while the apparent digestibility of DM and NDF, rumen TVFA, acetate, and propionate concentrations, as well as cellulase and cellobiase activities were affected quadratically (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). In the jejunal mucosa, the protein expression levels and the relative mRNA expression levels of claudin 1, claudin 4, and ZO-1 were higher in the M group than in the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). As allicin supplementation increased, claudin 1, claudin 4, and ZO-1 protein expressions exhibited both linear and quadratic responses (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001), whereas the relative mRNA expression levels were modulated solely by the quadratic term (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Moreover, the L and M groups had significantly greater papillae height and muscle layer thickness than the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), and papillae width increased in a quadratic manner (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.029). However, the M group showed increased villus density compared with the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.026), with significant quadratic effects on papillae density and villus height (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Importantly, allicin also improved the gastrointestinal microecological balance by reconstructing the gastrointestinal microbial composition. In conclusion, allicin improves gastrointestinal health by regulat","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147393186","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-06DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.10.013
Xuan Wang, Yueting Pan, Kaili Xie, Tianhai Yan, Fujiang Hou
A rational stocking rate balances grassland ecosystems and improves livestock productivity. This study examined how stocking rates affect Simmental cattle in saline meadow through analyses of grazing behavior, nitrogen (N) and energy metabolism, and greenhouse gas emissions, to inform targeted livestock management. A total of 24 male Simmental cattle (3-month-old, 104.72 ± 1.78 kg) were selected and assigned to stocking rates of 0.66, 1.33, and 2.66 cattle/ha (8 cattle/treatment). The experiment adopted a rotational grazing system, with three paddocks as replicates for each stocking rate, and lasted for 90 d. Each paddock was grazed for 10 d and rested for 20 d. The rumination rate (P = 0.002), chews per bolus (P = 0.017), and average daily gain (P < 0.001) were lower in the 2.66 cattle/ha than in the 0.66 and 1.33 cattle/ha. The stocking rate of 1.33 cattle/ha increased (P < 0.001) crude protein digestibility, retention N, retention energy, N and energy utilization, decreased urinary energy (P = 0.012), CO2 emission and intensity (P < 0.001), CH4 energy/digestible energy (P = 0.001), and CH4 energy/metabolizable energy (P = 0.001), and resulted in the lowest CH4 energy output. At this stocking rate, the CO2 or CH4 intensities increased by 0.390 or 0.018 g/kg metabolic body weight (BW0.75) per d, respectively, with an increase of 1 g/kg BW0.75 per d of dry matter intake (P < 0.001). The metabolizable energy requirement for maintenance (MEm) was 0.98% and 2.40% lower (P < 0.001), while the metabolizable energy maintenance utilization efficiency (Km) was 1.08% and 0.96% higher for 1.33 cattle/ha compared to 0.66 and 2.66 cattle/ha, respectively. Therefore, a stocking rate of 1.33 cattle/ha is optimal for saline meadow in arid regions, as it increases utilization of N or energy and Km, while decreases CO2 emissions and CH4 energy losses.
{"title":"Effects of stocking rate on grazing behavior, nitrogen and energy metabolism, and greenhouse gas emissions of Simmental cattle in saline meadow","authors":"Xuan Wang, Yueting Pan, Kaili Xie, Tianhai Yan, Fujiang Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.10.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.10.013","url":null,"abstract":"A rational stocking rate balances grassland ecosystems and improves livestock productivity. This study examined how stocking rates affect Simmental cattle in saline meadow through analyses of grazing behavior, nitrogen (N) and energy metabolism, and greenhouse gas emissions, to inform targeted livestock management. A total of 24 male Simmental cattle (3-month-old, 104.72 ± 1.78 kg) were selected and assigned to stocking rates of 0.66, 1.33, and 2.66 cattle/ha (8 cattle/treatment). The experiment adopted a rotational grazing system, with three paddocks as replicates for each stocking rate, and lasted for 90 d. Each paddock was grazed for 10 d and rested for 20 d. The rumination rate (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.002), chews per bolus (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.017), and average daily gain (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001) were lower in the 2.66 cattle/ha than in the 0.66 and 1.33 cattle/ha. The stocking rate of 1.33 cattle/ha increased (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001) crude protein digestibility, retention N, retention energy, N and energy utilization, decreased urinary energy (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.012), CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> emission and intensity (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001), CH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> energy/digestible energy (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001), and CH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> energy/metabolizable energy (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001), and resulted in the lowest CH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> energy output. At this stocking rate, the CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> or CH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> intensities increased by 0.390 or 0.018 g/kg metabolic body weight (BW<ce:sup loc=\"post\">0.75</ce:sup>) per d, respectively, with an increase of 1 g/kg BW<ce:sup loc=\"post\">0.75</ce:sup> per d of dry matter intake (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001). The metabolizable energy requirement for maintenance (ME<ce:inf loc=\"post\">m</ce:inf>) was 0.98% and 2.40% lower (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001), while the metabolizable energy maintenance utilization efficiency (K<ce:inf loc=\"post\">m</ce:inf>) was 1.08% and 0.96% higher for 1.33 cattle/ha compared to 0.66 and 2.66 cattle/ha, respectively. Therefore, a stocking rate of 1.33 cattle/ha is optimal for saline meadow in arid regions, as it increases utilization of N or energy and K<ce:inf loc=\"post\">m</ce:inf>, while decreases CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> emissions and CH<ce:inf loc=\"post\">4</ce:inf> energy losses.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147393543","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}
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