Precision Nutrition: Unraveling the Molecular Physiology of Nutrient–Gut–Health Axis in Livestock and Poultry

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 737

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor

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Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
Interests: vitamin nutrition; liver metabolism; oxidative stress; bone development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
Interests: metabolism; molecular biology; bioinformatics; antioxidant; mineral element nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Meeting global demands for animal protein necessitates optimizing livestock and poultry production sustainably and healthily. Precision nutrition offers a paradigm shift, moving beyond generic dietary formulations towards tailored strategies that account for individual variations and different life stages and environments. Our Special Issue delves into the fundamental biological and physiological mechanisms underpinning this approach. We focus on how essential nutrients, bioactive compounds, and their interactions influence core physiological processes: digestion, nutrient absorption and metabolism; gut microbiome composition and function; immune regulation; metabolic homeostasis; and epigenetic programming. Understanding these intricate pathways—at cellular, molecular, and systemic levels—is crucial for defining how precise nutritional interventions impact animal health, development, productivity, and resilience.

We invite contributions exploring the mechanistic links between targeted nutrient delivery, gut physiology, microbiota dynamics, and systemic health outcomes. Research elucidating nutrient sensing, signaling pathways, gene–nutrient interactions, and the role of the gut as a central integrator of nutrition and health is particularly welcome. This Special Issue aims to advance the foundational science enabling precise nutritional strategies that bridge essential nutrient supply with optimized physiological function in livestock and poultry.

Dr. Shengchen Wang
Dr. Tingting Li
Dr. Xiaoyan Cui
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • livestock
  • poultry
  • animal production
  • essential nutrients
  • bioactive compounds
  • metabolism
  • animal health
  • gut physiology
  • microbiota
  • molecular

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

15 pages, 1345 KB  
Review
Choline-Mediated Regulation of Follicular Growth: Interplay Between Steroid Synthesis, Epigenetics, and Oocyte Development
by Wenfeng Liu, Xucheng Zheng, Haiming Yang and Zhiyue Wang
Biology 2025, 14(9), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14091220 - 8 Sep 2025
Viewed by 517
Abstract
This review article focuses on the role of choline in ovarian follicular development, regulated by nutrient–epigenetic interactions. Choline, a key feed additive, participates in DNA methylation and steroid hormone synthesis via its methyl donor function. However, its role in follicular hierarchy and maturation [...] Read more.
This review article focuses on the role of choline in ovarian follicular development, regulated by nutrient–epigenetic interactions. Choline, a key feed additive, participates in DNA methylation and steroid hormone synthesis via its methyl donor function. However, its role in follicular hierarchy and maturation is unclear. Research lacks an understanding of species-specific choline metabolism, follicular fluid methylation dynamics, and toxicity thresholds. This study combines animal nutrition, epigenetics, and reproductive endocrinology. Using in vitro follicle culture models, metabolomics analysis, and cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1 (CYP19a1) methylation site screening, it reveals that choline regulates follicle hierarchy through the betaine-S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) pathway. Proper dietary choline reduces homocysteine (HCY) and boosts CYP19a1 demethylation, enhancing theca cell estradiol (E2) production and accelerating follicle maturation. In contrast, inadequate or excessive choline causes mesoderm-specific transcript (MEST) gene methylation abnormalities or trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)-mediated β-oxidation inhibition, increasing follicle atresia. A phenomenon of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) methylation has been observed in poultry, showing that choline affects offspring egg-laying persistence by altering the adrenal–ovarian axis DNA methylation imprint. Future research should establish a precise choline supply system based on the HCY/TMAO ratio in follicular fluid and the CYP19a1 methylation map to improve animal reproduction. Full article
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