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Antioxidants
Volume 14
Issue 9
10.3390/antiox14091056
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Integrated Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Regulatory Effects of Fermented Chinese Chive on Early Testicular Development in Piglets

by
Yupeng Xie
1,
Suthar Teerath Kumar
2,
Hong Zou
1,
Ting-Ting Luo
1,
Yunpeng Zhang
2,
Qi Zhang
2,3,
Yang Li
1,
Kai-Min Niu
4,
Zhenya Zhai
4,
ChunFeng Wang
1,
Wu-Sheng Sun
1,* and
Shu-Min Zhang
2,*
1
College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Provincial Engineering Research Center of Animal Probiotics, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Microecology and Healthy Breeding, Engineering Research Center of Microecological Vaccines (Drugs) for Major Animal Diseases, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
2
College of Animal Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
3
Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 136100, China
4
Institute of Biological Resource, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang 330029, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Antioxidants 2025, 14(9), 1056; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091056
Submission received: 19 July 2025 / Revised: 25 August 2025 / Accepted: 26 August 2025 / Published: 28 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oxidative Stress in Animal Reproduction and Nutrition)
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Abstract

Early testicular development is vital for adult male fertility but remains highly vulnerable to stress during the suckling stage. Fermented Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) is known for its antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, yet its role in testicular development remains unclear. In this study, Songliao Black piglets received 3% fermented Chinese chive (LK group) mixed with starter feed and compared to a control (OD group). Testicular samples at weaning (28 days) underwent transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. Although no significant differences were observed in gross testicular morphology, the LK group significantly increased individual (13.85%) and litter (15.11%) weaning weights (p < 0.05), with elevated serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and a 32.2% rise in IgG levels (p < 0.05). Integrated analysis identified 76 shared pathways, including ferroptosis, insulin resistance, PI3K-Akt, MAPK, and cAMP signaling. Upregulated genes in the LK group were mainly related to energy metabolism, antioxidant defense, immune regulation, steroidogenesis, and neuroendocrine signaling, suggesting improved metabolic activity, reduced oxidative stress, and accelerated reproductive maturation. Molecular docking indicated that kaempferol and isorhamnetin from Chinese chive bind strongly to proteins involved in testicular development. Overall, fermented Chinese chive supplementation enhances early testicular development in suckling piglets via integrated modulation of metabolic, immune, and signaling pathways, providing a nutritional strategy to optimize reproductive potential in breeding boars.
Keywords: transcriptomics; metabolomics; fermented Chinese chive; suckling piglets; testis; bioinformatics transcriptomics; metabolomics; fermented Chinese chive; suckling piglets; testis; bioinformatics
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MDPI and ACS Style

Xie, Y.; Kumar, S.T.; Zou, H.; Luo, T.-T.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, Q.; Li, Y.; Niu, K.-M.; Zhai, Z.; Wang, C.; et al. Integrated Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Regulatory Effects of Fermented Chinese Chive on Early Testicular Development in Piglets. Antioxidants 2025, 14, 1056. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091056

AMA Style

Xie Y, Kumar ST, Zou H, Luo T-T, Zhang Y, Zhang Q, Li Y, Niu K-M, Zhai Z, Wang C, et al. Integrated Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Regulatory Effects of Fermented Chinese Chive on Early Testicular Development in Piglets. Antioxidants. 2025; 14(9):1056. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091056

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xie, Yupeng, Suthar Teerath Kumar, Hong Zou, Ting-Ting Luo, Yunpeng Zhang, Qi Zhang, Yang Li, Kai-Min Niu, Zhenya Zhai, ChunFeng Wang, and et al. 2025. "Integrated Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Regulatory Effects of Fermented Chinese Chive on Early Testicular Development in Piglets" Antioxidants 14, no. 9: 1056. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091056

APA Style

Xie, Y., Kumar, S. T., Zou, H., Luo, T.-T., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Q., Li, Y., Niu, K.-M., Zhai, Z., Wang, C., Sun, W.-S., & Zhang, S.-M. (2025). Integrated Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Regulatory Effects of Fermented Chinese Chive on Early Testicular Development in Piglets. Antioxidants, 14(9), 1056. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14091056

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