Search Results (6)

The study aimed to investigate the effects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TL106 (TL106) on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and intestinal microbiota in Danzhou chickens. A total of 384 healthy female Danzhou chicks were randomly assigned to a control group (CON) and three experimental groups (Ba1, Ba2, Ba3), receiving basal diets supplemented with TL106 at 5 × 10⁷, 5 × 10⁸, and 5 × 10⁹ CFU/kg, respectively, for 55 d (divided into early [1–35 d] and later [36–55 d] phases). While no significant growth improvement was observed in the early phase, average daily feed intake (ADFI) and final body weight (BW) increased, and the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) during the later phase in Ba2 and Ba3, especially in Ba3. At d 55, TL106 supplementation significantly elevated serum IgM content (p < 0.001) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity (p < 0.05), reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content (p < 0.01), and enhanced albumin (ALB) levels (p < 0.05). The Ba3 group also improved the villus height-to-crypt depth ratios (VH/CD) of the ileum and duodenum (p < 0.05). Microbial analysis indicated that abundances of Bacteroidota and Firmicutes increased while Proteobacteria and butyrate-producing Faecalibacterium were enriched in the TL106 groups compared to CON. Cecal butyrate concentrations rose dose-dependently (p < 0.05), with most of the key parameters—including final BW, ADFI, F/G, serum ALB, IgM, T-SOD, GSH-Px, MDA (d 55), duodenal and ileal VH/CD, and cecal butyric, propionic, and valeric acids—showing significant quadratic responses (p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that TL106 in diets enhanced growth performance and intestinal health in Danzhou chickens by modulating immunity, antioxidant responses, and microbiota, with 5.0 × 10⁸ CFU/kg appearing to be the most effective dose among those tested under the conditions of this study. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with N-Carbamylglutamate (NCG) on growth performance, immune function, intestinal metabolites, and microbiota in Danzhou chickens. In a 35-day feeding trial, a total of 480 one-day-old female chicks were randomly assigned to a control group (basal diet) and three experimental groups supplemented with 400, 800, or 1200 mg/kg NCG, with 120 chicks in each group (n = 120). The results demonstrated that NCG, particularly at 400 mg/kg, significantly improved growth parameters, including average daily gain and feed conversion ratio, while enhancing immune function by increasing serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgY) and malate dehydrogenase (p < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis revealed that NCG modulated key pathways such as sphingolipid metabolism and mTOR signaling pathway, leading to significant changes in metabolites including L-arginine, ceramide, and docosahexaenoic acid (p < 0.05). 16S rDNA sequencing indicated that NCG induced structural shifts in the gut microbiota, primarily affecting Bacteroidota and Firmicutes, with several bacterial genera showing strong correlations with the observed metabolic changes (p < 0.05). Mechanistically, NCG promotes growth by facilitating arginine synthesis via the urea cycle and activating the mTOR signaling pathway, while its regulation of sphingolipid metabolism enhances immunomodulatory capacity. In conclusion, NCG enhances feed efficiency and immune competence by orchestrating the gut microbiota-metabolite network, demonstrating its potential for poultry production. Full article

To investigate the effects of Bacillus coagulans (BC) and tributyrin (TB) on Danzhou chickens, a 2 × 2 factorial design was adopted. A total of 480 chickens were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, consisting of two BC levels (0 and 1.5 g/kg) and two TB levels (0 and 1.0 g/kg), for a 35-day trial. The results showed that supplementation with BC or TB alone significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG), serum immune parameters (immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4 and interleukin-10), total antioxidant capacity, and catalase activity, while reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and the feed-to-gain ratio (p < 0.05). In addition, individual supplementation with BC or TB also enhanced digestive enzyme activities in the intestine, increased villus height in the small intestine, and optimized the structure of the cecal microbiota (p < 0.05). More importantly, significant synergistic interactions between BC and TB were observed across multiple parameters (p < 0.05). Combined supplementation further increased ADG, serum immunoglobulin M levels, superoxide dismutase activity, lipase activity in the ileum, and villus height in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the combined supplementation also significantly elevated the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides, Eubacterium_brachy_group, and Negativibacillus. In conclusion, supplementation with BC or TB effectively improved the growth performance, antioxidant status, immune function, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota composition of Danzhou chickens, and the combined supplementation demonstrated superior effects compared to individual supplementation. Full article

In order to better constrain the specific depositional age and provenance of the Danzhou Group and understand the geological evolution of the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt, we conducted a combined U-Pb and Hf-isotope analysis of detrital zircons from the Gongdong and Hetong formations of the Danzhou Group in the Longsheng area of the Western Jiangnan Orogenic Belt. Detrital zircons from the Gongdong Formation yield three age populations of 2658–2517 Ma, 2427–1678 Ma and 891–781 Ma, and the youngest ages suggest that the sedimentation began after ca. 783 Ma. U-Pb ages of detrital zircons from the Hetong Formation yield major populations at 2769–2502 Ma, 2492–2100 Ma, and 991–731 Ma, and the youngest ages redefine the maximum depositional age of this unit is 760 Ma, much younger than previously considered. Thus, the upper part of the Hetong Formation in the Longsheng area is newly subdivided into the Sanmenjie Formation, which is characterized by a large amount of 765–761 Ma volcanic rocks. The dominant 991–731 Ma detrital zircons for all samples were likely sourced from the Neoproterozoic igneous rocks of the southeast margin of the Yangtze Block. The subordinate 2494–1678 Ma detrital zircons were probably sourced from the Cathaysia Block. Minor amounts of 2769–2502 Ma detrital zircons may have been sourced from the Yangtze Block. Detrital zircons from the Gongdong Formation have mainly negative εHf (t) values (−1.1 to 21.8, 90%), suggesting that the detritus of the Gongdong Formation is dominated by the recycling of old crustal materials. The εHf (t) values of detrital zircons from the Hetong Formation have a large spread of −22.2 to +9.7, indicating that the source material of the Hetong Formation includes both the juvenile crustal materials and the recycled ancient crustal materials. The above age populations and Hf isotopic characteristics are consistent with the magmatic rocks in the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt and the Southeast Yangtze Block. Taking into account the lithostratigraphic features, provenances, and depositional ages, the Danzhou Group in the Western Jiangnan Orogenic Belt was deposited in a back-arc basin. Full article

We conducted a study to examine the growth and physiological changes in 12 different ecotypes of Sesuvium portulacastrum collected from Hainan Island in China. These ecotypes were subjected to different concentrations (0, 200, 400, and 600 mmol/L) of sodium chloride (NaCl) salt stress for 14 days. We also analyzed the expression of metabolic genes related to stress response. Under low salt stress, indicators such as plant height in region K (0 mmol/L: 45% and highest at 200 mmol/L: 80%), internode length (0 mmol/L: 0.38, 200 mmol/L: 0.87, 400 mmol/L: 0.25, and 600 mmol/L: 1.35), as well as leaf area, relative water content, fresh weight, and dry weight exhibited an overall increasing trend with the increase in salt concentration. However, as the salt concentration increased, these indicators showed a decreasing trend. Proline and malondialdehyde contents increased with higher salt concentrations. When the NaCl concentration was 400 mmol/L, MDA content in the leaves was highest in the regions E (196.23%), F (94.28%), J (170.10%), and K (136.08%) as compared to the control group, respectively. Most materials demonstrated a significant decrease in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll content compared to the control group. Furthermore, the ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b (Rab) varied among different materials. Using principal component analysis, we identified three ecotypes (L from Xinglong Village, Danzhou City; B from Shuigoupo Village, Lingshui County; and J from Haidongfang Park, Dongfang City) that represented high, medium, and low salt tolerance levels, respectively, based on the above growth and physiological indexes. To further investigate the expression changes of related genes at the transcriptional level, we employed qRT-PCR. The results showed that the relative expression of SpP5CS1, SpLOX1, and SpLOX1 genes increased with higher salt concentrations, which corresponded to the accumulation of proline and malondialdehyde content, respectively. However, the relative expression of SpCHL1a and SpCHL1b did not exhibit a consistent pattern. This study contributes to our understanding of the salt tolerance mechanism in the true halophyte S. portulacastrum, providing a solid theoretical foundation for further research in this field. Full article

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of indole-3-acetate sodium (IAA-Na) inclusion in diets on the egg production performance, egg quality, intestinal tissue morphology, serum hormone levels and biochemical parameters of Danzhou chickens to preliminarily explore the efficacy of IAA-Na as a feed additive. A total of 192 Danzhou chickens (50 weeks old) were randomly assigned to 2 groups of 96. The diets for the treatment group consisted of the basal diets, supplemented with IAA-Na (200 mg/kg). The formal feeding trial lasted for four weeks. The results showed that the feed supplemented with IAA-Na not only increased the laying rate (p < 0.05) and egg yolk ratio (0.05 < p < 0.1), but also significantly reduced the feed:egg ratio (p < 0.05). In addition, the dietary supplementation of IAA-Na significantly increased the serum estradiol levels (p < 0.05) and decreased serum alkaline phosphatase activity (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the addition of IAA-Na to the diet had no significant effect on the intestinal tissue morphology or serum antioxidant capacity of Danzhou chickens. This study preliminarily provides evidence that dietary IAA-Na can improve laying performance, indicating that IAA-Na is a potentially effective feed additive for laying hens, but further studies are required before arriving at definite conclusions. Full article