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Metabolites
Special Issues
Metabolic Responses to Feed and Nutrition in Livestock
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Metabolic Responses to Feed and Nutrition in Livestock

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2026 | Viewed by 1113

Editors

Dr. Arda Yıldırım

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, 60250 Tokat, Türkiye
Interests: animal nutrition; feed metabolomics; livestock metabolism; feed ingredients; biochemical characterization of feeds; functional feed additives; metabolic profiling; gut microbiota–host metabolism; precision nutrition
Dr. Baichuan Deng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: animal nutrition; metabolomics; microbiome; companion animals; pet food; dog (canine); cat (feline)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Feed and nutrition are fundamental drivers of metabolic processes in livestock, shaping nutrient utilization, physiological regulation, health status, and production efficiency. Beyond the animal itself, the chemical and biochemical composition of feeds and feed ingredients, particularly processed and functional feed materials, plays a decisive role in determining metabolic outcomes.

This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality original research and review articles that employ metabolomics and complementary biochemical approaches to investigate metabolic responses to feed and nutrition in livestock. In addition to in vivo animal studies, submissions focusing on the chemical, biochemical, and metabolomic characterization of animal feeds, feed additives, and processed feed ingredients are also welcome, provided that their relevance to animal metabolism and nutrition is clearly addressed.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, metabolomic profiling of conventional and alternative feed ingredients, biochemical evaluation of processed feeds, nutritional modulation of energy, protein, and lipid metabolism, functional feed additives, precision nutrition strategies, gut microbiota–host metabolic interactions, and metabolomics-informed approaches for improving feed efficiency, animal health, welfare, and sustainability in livestock production systems.

By integrating feed chemistry, biochemistry, and animal nutrition with metabolomics, this Special Issue seeks to provide mechanistic insights that support evidence-based feeding strategies and contribute to the development of more efficient, safe, and sustainable livestock production systems.

Dr. Arda Yıldırım
Dr. Baichuan Deng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • animal nutrition
  • feed metabolomics
  • livestock metabolism
  • feed ingredients
  • biochemical characterization of feeds
  • functional feed additives
  • metabolic profiling
  • gut microbiota–host metabolism
  • precision nutrition

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 5263 KB  
Article
Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Reveal the Molecular Relationship Between Dietary Crude Protein Level and Liver Metabolism in Fattening Hu Sheep
by Patiguli Abudukeyimu, Fengmei Xie, Yifan Hu, Haiying He, Cheng Hou, Yiming Sulaiman, Huiguo Yang and Gao Gong
Metabolites 2026, 16(6), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16060375 - 29 May 2026
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Abstract
Background: Dietary crude protein (CP) acts as a key nutritional factor that affects the growth performance and liver metabolism of fattening Hu sheep, with metabolizable energy (ME) representing a major confounding factor in CP-related responses. To isolate the specific effects of CP on [...] Read more.
Background: Dietary crude protein (CP) acts as a key nutritional factor that affects the growth performance and liver metabolism of fattening Hu sheep, with metabolizable energy (ME) representing a major confounding factor in CP-related responses. To isolate the specific effects of CP on liver metabolism and minimize energy–protein interactions, we standardized dietary ME at 9.4 MJ/kg dry matter. Methods: We then established three isoenergetic CP concentrations: 11.07%, 13.07%, and 15.11%. A total of ninety 4-month-old male Hu sheep (with an initial body weight of 27.09 ± 1.83 kg) were allocated at random to three dietary treatment groups, each containing 30 animals distributed across three replicate pens, and fed pelleted total mixed rations (PTMRs) for 75 days under pen conditions in southern Xinjiang. Exploratory combined transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling of liver tissue was conducted to characterize how graded CP levels modulate growth traits and hepatic metabolic pathways, thereby identifying the appropriate dietary CP level for efficient and sustainable fattening of Hu sheep in this region. Result: Results indicated that animals fed the 15.11% CP diet showed a significantly higher average daily gain (ADG) and cumulative weight gain compared with those fed 11.07% or 13.07% CP (p < 0.05). Exploratory multi-omics enrichment analysis demonstrated significant overrepresentation (p < 0.05) of differentially expressed genes and metabolites in key biological pathways—including bile secretion, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling, steroid biosynthesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling, and oxidative stress-related and oxidative phosphorylation. Correlation analyses characterized two hub genes—ATP6AP1 and LOC101119853—that were significantly and negatively correlated with ADG (p < 0.05), whereas two metabolites—calcidiol and ADP—displayed significant positive relationships with ADG (p < 0.05). Pathway-level comparisons further demonstrated that both the 13.07% vs. 15.11% CP and the 11.07% vs. 15.11% CP contrasts yielded significant enrichment in AMPK signaling and steroid biosynthesis. Notably, calcidiol and ADP both declined numerically in the 13.07% vs. 15.11% CP comparison, whereas only ADP reached statistical significance in the 11.07% vs. 15.11% CP contrast. Conclusions: Collectively, under an ME level of 9.4 MJ/kg, a dietary CP concentration of 15.11% contributes to favorable growth of 4-month-old fattening Hu sheep housed in pens in southern Xinjiang. This level is associated with improved growth performance and coordinated regulation of central hepatic regulatory networks—particularly those involved in energy homeostasis and steroidogenesis—thereby supporting metabolic stability without compromising animal health or production efficiency. These findings provide a preliminary molecular basis for precision protein nutrition in Hu sheep feeding systems and offer translational insights for optimizing ruminant nutrition under arid and semi-arid environmental constraints. All correlations indicate potential associations, not causal relationships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Responses to Feed and Nutrition in Livestock)
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Review

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26 pages, 11907 KB  
Review
Managing Anti-Nutritional Factors in Plant-Based Feeds: Implications for Herbivore Nutrition and Production
by Mingxia Han, Xiaoyu Liu, Yi Guo, Qingyu Xu, Lin Wei, Jinjin Wei, Muhammad Zahoor Khan, Changfa Wang and Zhenwei Zhang
Metabolites 2026, 16(7), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16070456 - 29 Jun 2026
Viewed by 353
Abstract
Anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) in terrestrial plant feeds constrain efficient herbivore production, an issue intensified by rising feed costs and growing demand for animal products. Unlike previous reviews that focus on single ANFs or feed types, this review provides an integrated, cross-species framework linking [...] Read more.
Anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) in terrestrial plant feeds constrain efficient herbivore production, an issue intensified by rising feed costs and growing demand for animal products. Unlike previous reviews that focus on single ANFs or feed types, this review provides an integrated, cross-species framework linking ANF chemistry, rumen microbial interactions, and mitigation strategies. It examines major ANF classes—tannins, phytates, saponins, oxalates, protease inhibitors, lectins, glucosinolates, and gossypol—and their distribution and biochemical modes of action. Mechanistic pathways are grouped into digestive effects (reduced palatability and enzyme inhibition), microbial effects (altered rumen microbiota and fermentation), metabolic effects (impaired absorption), and mineral interactions (nutrient complexation and chelation). Species-specific responses are evaluated, emphasizing the partial detoxification capacity of the rumen microbiome and the dose-dependent nature of ANF effects. Mitigation strategies—physical, chemical, microbial, enzymatic, probiotic, and genetic—are critically assessed for efficacy, scalability, and sustainability. Emerging metabolomic and metagenomic evidence shows that certain ANFs confer functional benefits at controlled doses; for example, tannins improve nitrogen retention, saponins reduce methane, and phytic acid scavenges free radicals. This synthesis supports strategic management rather than complete elimination, informing safe and sustainable use of terrestrial feeds under evolving food-security and environmental challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Responses to Feed and Nutrition in Livestock)
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