Animals

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a key precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), plays a central role in cellular energy metabolism. This study investigated the effect of NMN supplementation on boar sperm quality during liquid storage. Semen samples diluted with Modena extender containing 0 to 80 μM NMN were stored at 17 °C for 7 days. Results demonstrate that supplementation with 20 μM NMN significantly improved sperm motility, acrosome integrity, and mitochondrial activity compared with the control group, accompanied by markedly elevated intracellular NAD⁺ and ATP level (p < 0.05). Also, Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 3 (NMNAT3) in boar sperm. Furthermore, sperm treated with 20 μM NMN exhibited a higher level of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and an increased capacitation rate following storage. Tissue explant assays further revealed a significant increase in the number of sperm attached to oviductal epithelial fragments, indicating enhanced sperm–oviduct interactions. The present findings demonstrate that 20 μM NMN supplementation effectively preserves the metabolic activity and functional competence of boar sperm during liquid storage. It provides a promising strategy for improving boar semen preservation.

Three experiments were conducted to compare different dietary supplements fed to mixed-run White Pekin ducks (n = 48 birds/treatment) reared for 35 d and exposed to ambient temperatures from d 0 to 35 or heat stress (32 °C–35 °C) for 12 h/d on d 20–35. The basal diet (CON) was supplemented with 0.5 kg/MT seaweed extract (SE), 2.0 kg/MT betaine (BET), or 1.25 kg/MT yeast fermentate (YF) in Experiment 1; with 0.25 kg/MT mannanoligosaccharide (MOS), 0.5 kg/MT green tea powder (GT), or 0.55 kg/MT Poultry Star synbiotic (PS) in Experiment 2; or with 0.09 kg/MT Essential Oil #1 (EO1), 0.5 kg/MT Essential Oil #2 (EO2), or 0.5 kg/MT Microsaf probiotic (MS) in Experiment 3. Heat stress reduced body weight and feed consumption (Exp. 1–3) and negatively affected measures of stress (Exp. 1 and 2) and at least one measure of intestinal health (Exp. 1–3). Intestinal morphology was improved in birds that were fed EO1, EO2, and MS, and some measures of stress susceptibility were improved in birds that were fed SE, YF, MOS, GT, BET, or PS. Essential oil supplementation may be best used in combination with another of the supplements tested to optimize health and welfare in Pekin ducks. Further research could clarify which combinations are ideal for supporting both intestinal health and stress susceptibility in ducks.

Avian haemosporidians are globally distributed protozoan parasites transmitted by hematophagous vectors, yet information on their occurrence in the Stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), particularly from the Canary Islands, is scarce. Between 2020 and 2024, 47 Stone-curlews were examined for Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon spp. using nested PCR targeting the cytochrome b gene, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Histopathological examination was performed on formalin-fixed tissues. Leucocytozoon sp. DNA was detected in one individual (case FS415/23), with identical sequences amplified from multiple organs. Phylogenetic analysis placed this isolate within lineage CIAE02, previously reported in raptors and other avian taxa. Microscopic evaluation revealed megalomeronts in the liver, kidney, and skin, consistent with Leucocytozoon infection. Despite concurrent infection with Avipoxvirus and Aspergillus fumigatus, no prominent inflammatory reaction surrounded the haemosporidian tissue states. The only prior haemosporidian reported in Burhinus is Haemoproteus burhinus, described from B. oedicnemus saharae in Iraq, and no Leucocytozoon infections have previously been recorded in this genus. Therefore, this represents the first evidence of Leucocytozoon infection in the Stone-curlew, extending the known host range of lineage CIAE02. These findings highlight the relevance of integrative diagnostic approaches for detecting latent or cryptic haemosporidian infections in non-passerine avian hosts.