Search Results (2)

This study investigated the effects of ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation on the blackness traits of Xichou Black-boned Chickens and their underlying molecular mechanisms through combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. A total of 240 one-day-old Xichou Black-boned Chickens were randomly divided into four groups and exposed to different durations of UVA radiation at an intensity of 47 μW/cm². Skin blackness was measured at 1, 22, and 45 days of age, and blood and pectoral skin samples were collected at 45 days for analysis. The results showed that an exposure time of 1 h per day at 47 μW/cm² was ideal for enhancing the blackness traits of the chickens, while exposure times exceeding 3 h led to a significant increase in mortality. Omics studies revealed that the mTOR pathway and tryptophan metabolism pathway are potentially involved in the biological processes by which UVA radiation affects the blackness traits of Xichou Black-boned Chickens, with the FZD3 gene being a candidate gene for these effects. These findings provide theoretical foundations and references for understanding the molecular regulation of blackness traits in these chickens and the potential application of UVA radiation in their production. Full article

Unlike other chicken breeds, Xichuan Black Bone (XBB) chickens are an established breed in China with excellent production performance and unique characteristics, including black meat, beaks, skin, bones, and legs, and they produce blue-shelled eggs. The Tengchong Snow (TS) chicken breed has relatively lower growth performance than commercial breeds but is considered one of the main genetic treasures of black meat in China. To improve the production and meat quality traits of the TS chickens by hybridization, the current study aimed to investigate the growth performance, carcass indices, meat quality physical properties, and muscle fiber traits of fiber traits of F1 crosses of TS with XBB chickens. Three groups of crossbreeding combinations were produced: (1) XT group (XBB × TS ), (2) TX group (TS × XBB ), and (3) TT group (TS × TS ), with the TT group used as a control. A total of 725 healthy chicks (XT group: 247, TX group: 180, TT group: 298) were reared up to 20 weeks of age to estimate the growth performance and associated meat parameters. The results showed that the XT and TX groups had higher body weight and body size compared with the TT group (p < 0.05). Similarly, breast width, breast length, width of body, and carcass weights were also greater (p < 0.05) in the XT and TX groups compared with the TT group. Meat physical properties, including color, water-holding capacity, and tenderness, were improved (p < 0.05) for the XT and TX group compared to the TT group. The XT group had the better color of the leg muscles with the unique orientation of muscle fibers. Based on the results, the XT group is more in line with the future breeding direction as they have greater body weight, larger size, and lower abdominal fat. This study is a baseline technical reference for the protection, evaluation, and utilization of germplasm resources of Tengchong Snow chicken for screening the best matching lines and combinations with local chickens. Full article