Search Results (7,185)

This study evaluated the effects of dietary starch characteristics on intestinal energy metabolism and microbial profiles in Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)-supplemented broiler chickens. A total of 300 Arbor Acres male broilers were assigned to five dietary treatments consisting of a corn–soybean basal diet (NC), EGCG supplementation (500 mg/kg) (PC), or diets in which 20% corn was substituted with purified corn (CS), cassava (TS), or pea starch (PS) in the presence of EGCG (500 mg/kg). Growth performance, starch digestion, intestinal energy status, cecal microbiota, and metabolomic profiles were evaluated. The results showed that broilers fed the corn starch-containing diet under EGCG supplementation showed improved average daily gain and feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05). This treatment also increased intestinal ATP and cAMP concentrations while reducing AMP and the AMP/ATP ratio, accompanied by enhanced activities of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase, citrate synthase, and pyruvate dehydrogenase. Cecal microbiota analysis showed that Lactobacillus abundance was increased in the CS group, whereas Barnesiella was enriched in the PS group. Differential metabolites associated with energy metabolism, including lipoic acid, palmitoylcarnitine, and crotonic acid, were significantly changed among treatments. In conclusion, dietary starch characteristics influenced intestinal energy metabolism-related indicators, microbial profiles, and metabolite patterns in broilers receiving EGCG supplementation. Full article

To investigate the effects of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) on ruminal fermentation characteristics and bacterial community structure, 5-HMF was supplemented at the levels of 0, 7500, and 30,000 mg/kg DM under two dietary concentrate-to-roughage ratios (20:80, T1; 80:20, T2) in in vitro rumen incubation, mainly focusing on gas production, fermentation parameters, nutrient digestibility and bacterial community. The results showed that 24 h gas production (GP₂₄), 72 h gas production (GP₇₂), the gas production rate (c) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) in T2 were higher than those in T1 (p < 0.01). With increasing levels of 5-HMF supplementation, GP₇₂ and asymptotic gas production (B) increased linearly and quadratically (p < 0.05). T2 also had a higher butyrate concentration and a lower acetate/propionate (A/P) ratio than T1 (p < 0.05). With the increase in 5-HMF supplementation level, ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) concentration showed a quadratic response. In contrast, the concentrations of total volatile fatty acids (TVFAs), acetate and isobutyrate decreased linearly. Propionate concentration showed linear and quadratic decreasing trends, while the A/P ratio exhibited linear and quadratic increasing trends (p < 0.05). The supplementation of 5-HMF at 30,000 mg/kg DM reduced propionate and isobutyrate concentrations under both dietary conditions (p < 0.05). No differences were observed in the alpha diversity indices of the bacterial community among different 5-HMF levels or substrates (p > 0.05). PCoA and PERMANOVA revealed that community structure differed between the 7500 mg/kg DM group and the 0 mg/kg DM group in the T1 diet (p = 0.011), whereas no difference was detected among T2 treatments. LEfSe revealed that 6 and 13 differential bacterial taxa were identified in T1 and T2 at the 5-HMF level of 7500 mg/kg DM, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that, in T1, GP₇₂ was positively correlated with Pseudomonadota, and the A/P ratio was positively correlated with fibrolytic taxa including Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group. In T2, c was positively correlated with Fibrobacterota and Fibrobacter, while NH₃-N was positively correlated with Desulfovibrio, indicating diet-specific microbial associations with rumen fermentation (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the high-concentrate diet exhibited stronger rumen fermentation activity. 5-HMF exerted diet-specific effects: In the low-concentrate diet, 5-HMF at 7500 mg/kg DM enriched fibrolytic microbes and shifted fermentation toward an acetate-type pattern. In the high-concentrate diet, it modulated hydrogen-metabolizing bacteria while selectively enriching Pseudomonadota capable of participating in carbohydrate metabolism. The 30,000 mg/kg DM level inhibited rumen fermentation. The findings provide a theoretical reference for the application of 5-HMF in ruminant feeds. However, further in vivo trials are required to validate its effects, and future studies with refined dose gradients based on realistic 5-HMF concentrations in feedstuffs are needed to comprehensively evaluate its efficacy and safety. Full article

Sustained consumption of Western-style diets (WDs), rich in fat and cholesterol, challenges metabolic homeostasis and results in organ-specific alterations, notably hepatic lipid accumulation and adipose tissue dysfunction. Medicinal mushrooms such as Ganoderma lucidum have gained attention for their biological activities; however, the extent to which nutritionally realistic dietary intake of G. lucidum modulates tissue-specific metabolic adaptation under obesogenic conditions remains poorly defined. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate how dietary supplementation with a Ganoderma lucidum extract (GLE) modulates metabolic and organ-specific responses in a WD-fed preclinical mouse model. Forty-seven male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to five groups receiving a control diet (CTR), a cholesterol-enriched WD, or the WD supplemented with increasing concentrations of GLE (0.7%, 1.4%, or 2.8%). Over thirteen weeks, body mass and food and water intake were monitored weekly. Afterwards, mice were euthanized, and tissue and blood samples were collected for further analysis. Fasting glucose was lower in WD+2.8% GLE than in CTR, although no GLE-supplemented group differed significantly from WD and glucose tolerance was unchanged. All GLE-supplemented groups had a lower hepatic genetic damage index than WD. WD+1.4% GLE showed a higher frequency of localized periportal hepatic vacuolar changes than WD, whereas WD+2.8% GLE had lower relative liver weight. GLE supplementation was also associated with depot-specific variation in the occurrence of multilocular adipocytes with a beige-like appearance, without significant changes in final body mass or adiposity. In this preclinical model, subchronic dietary GLE was associated with selected tissue-specific differences, most consistently lower hepatic DNA damage and depot-specific variation in multilocular adipocyte morphology, without consistent systemic metabolic improvements. Full article

Objective: To investigate the effect of milk minerals on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone quality in growing rats and explore the underlying mechanisms related to calcium absorption, bone metabolism, and the gut–bone axis. Methods: Sixty healthy 4-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided to five groups based on their body weight: Low-Calcium Control Group (Control), Low-Dose milk mineral Group (Low), Medium-Dose milk mineral Group (Medium), High-Dose milk mineral Group (High) and Calcium Carbonate Control Group (CaCO₃), which received the same dose level (elemental calcium) as the High group. The milk mineral dosage was set at 5, 10, and 15 times the human recommended intake of elemental calcium. After 12 weeks of intervention, femurs were collected for analysis of BMD, bone microstructure, and bone mechanical strength. Additionally, analyses included calcium levels in the femur, feces, and diet; serum bone metabolism biomarkers; tissue protein expression; as well as gut microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acid content. Result: Milk mineral exhibited non-inferior efficacy to CaCO₃ in increasing femoral calcium content, enhancing BMD, and improving bone microarchitecture. Notably, the Medium group achieved comparable bone-protective effects to the CaCO₃ group despite a 20.8% lower calcium content, which was accompanied by a relatively high calcium absorption rate (90.9% vs. 86.5%). With respect to serum markers, milk mineral maintained bone formation while suppressing bone resorption, resulting in a net anabolic state comparable to that of CaCO₃. Milk mineral significantly upregulated the protein expression of renal CYP27B1 and intestinal calcium ion transporters, and increased serum IGF-I levels. Furthermore, milk mineral promoted the enrichment of certain specific gut microbial genera, which showed a significant positive correlation with IGF-I, bone calcium content and BMD. Conclusions: Milk mineral supplementation appears to promote bone formation and mineralization in growing rats, accompanied by enhanced intestinal calcium absorption, enrichment of characteristic gut microbes and elevated microbial metabolite concentrations. Full article

Goat milk composition is an important determinant of the nutritional, technological, and economic value of dairy products and is influenced by feeding management. This study examined the associations between feeding practices implemented during different lactation stages and goat milk quality, expressed as a latent construct comprising fat, protein, lactose, and solids-not-fat, in semi-intensive dairy goat farms in Northern Greece. Data were collected from 242 commercial farms through milk sampling and a structured questionnaire on feeding management, animal characteristics, and farm practices. Associations between feeding practices and milk quality were evaluated using structural equation modeling. The final model showed satisfactory fit and explained 46.6% of the variance in the latent milk-quality construct. Moderate concentrate supplementation (300–500 g/day) during mid and late lactation showed the strongest positive association with milk quality, followed by grass–legume hay, protein concentrate supplementation, dairy mixes containing vitamins and minerals, pasture intake of 3–4 kg/day, and goat balancer use. Annual milk yield was negatively associated with milk quality, whereas goat age showed a positive association. These findings indicate that lactation-stage-specific feeding management emphasizing moderate concentrate supplementation and high-quality forage is associated with improved milk composition and may help optimize feeding strategies in semi-intensive dairy goat systems. Full article

This study evaluated dietary quercetin supplementation to investigate the effects of increasing inclusion levels on growth performance, diarrhea, serum health-related indicators, and whole-blood gene expression in weaned piglets. In a 28-day feeding trial, 128 piglets received diets formulated to contain 0, 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg quercetin (four pens of eight piglets per treatment; pen as the experimental unit). Final body weight and average daily gain were higher in the 200 and 300 mg/kg groups than in the control, and the 300 mg/kg group had the highest gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) (p < 0.05). Diarrhea rate declined linearly (p < 0.001); the rate in the 300 mg/kg group was lower than in the control and 100 mg/kg groups but did not differ from the 200 mg/kg group. Quercetin reduced serum malondialdehyde, pro-inflammatory cytokines, urea nitrogen, and aspartate aminotransferase, while increasing total protein, albumin, total antioxidant capacity, several antioxidant enzyme activities, and interleukin-10 (p < 0.05). Serum diamine oxidase activity and D-lactate concentration also declined linearly (p < 0.001). Whole-blood expression of PTGS2 decreased; HMOX1, NFE2L2, and NQO1 increased; and SOD1 was unchanged. Overall, within the tested range, increasing dietary quercetin improved growth and feed efficiency, reduced diarrhea, and was accompanied by coordinated changes in serum health-related indicators and whole-blood transcripts. Full article

Puerarin has been suggested to improve ruminant productivity, but its effects on rumen fermentation and rumen microbiota in sheep remain insufficiently understood. In this study, Hu sheep were fed diets supplemented with 0, 50, 100, 200, 400, or 800 mg/kg puerarin for 30 d to evaluate growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, serum biochemical and antioxidant indices, rumen fermentation, and rumen microbial community structure. Puerarin supplementation improved growth performance, with the 100 mg/kg group showing the greatest average daily gain. Acid detergent fiber digestibility was also significantly increased in the 100 mg/kg group. In the rumen, microbial crude protein concentration was significantly increased in the 100 and 400 mg/kg groups, propionate concentration was significantly increased in the 50 and 100 mg/kg groups, and the acetate-to-propionate ratio was significantly decreased in the 100 mg/kg group. In serum, albumin and glucose concentrations were significantly increased at appropriate supplementation levels, whereas malondialdehyde was reduced in the 100 mg/kg group but increased in the 800 mg/kg group. 16S rRNA sequencing showed limited effects on overall bacterial diversity, but changes in specific rumen microbial taxa and predicted microbial functions were observed. Collectively, these findings suggest that dietary puerarin, particularly at 100 mg/kg, may improve growth performance in Hu sheep, at least in part, through improving rumen fermentation. Full article

(1) Background: The global transition away from antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) requires effective, sustainable alternatives to maintain broiler performance and intestinal homeostasis. This study evaluated the effects of dietary wild thyme powder, administered alone or combined with a prebiotic or probiotic, as potential AGP alternatives on growth performance, serum oxidative status, immune response, cecal microbiota composition, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, ileal histomorphometry, and intestinal barrier integrity in broilers. (2) Methods: Five hundred forty-six male Ross 308 chicks were assigned to seven treatments (n = 13 replicates/group) for 28 d: T1 (basal diet); T2 (0.5 g/kg antibiotic Neoxyval); T3 (1.0 g/kg thyme); T4 (0.75 g/kg prebiotic); T5 (0.50 g/kg probiotic); T6 (prebiotic + thyme); and T7 (probiotic + thyme). Growth performance was measured, and one bird from each replicate was randomly sampled at 28 d for multi-endpoint biological analyses. (3) Results: Birds that received T3 to T7 had increased final body weight and weight gain. Cumulative feed conversion ratio was improved in the T3, T5, and T7 groups, with T7 displaying numerical superiority over individual additive groups without reaching statistical synergy. All-natural supplements (T3, T5, T6, T7) lowered serum malondialdehyde and enhanced interferon-γ. Birds receiving T6 showed increased tumor necrosis factor-α, whereas birds receiving T3 and T4 showed reduced levels. Probiotic-inclusive diets (T5 and T7) significantly increased cecal propionic acid, total SCFAs, and ileal villus surface area. Natural additive treatments broadly promoted cecal eubiosis by increasing Lactobacillus spp. while decreasing Clostridium spp. Crucially, combining thyme with prebiotics (T6) or probiotics (T7) synergistically upregulated ileal tissue occludin concentrations. (4) In conclusion, under the conditions of this trial, dietary supplementation with wild thyme powder, a MOS/β-glucan prebiotic, and a Bacillus licheniformis probiotic, particularly the thyme + probiotic combination, was an effective regimen for supporting growth performance, cecal eubiosis, and ileal barrier integrity in healthy broilers. However, these findings are limited to a single dose level (1.0 g/kg thyme), a single plant source, and non-challenged conditions; further research incorporating dose–response evaluations, disease-challenge models, and diverse phytogenic origins is necessary to confirm broader field applicability. Full article

Sex-control technologies that alter offspring sex ratios can markedly improve the economic efficiency of dairy production. Recent studies have demonstrated that treatment with the TLR7/8 agonist R848 enables successful in vitro separation of X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa in mice, cattle, and goats. This is because high-quality semen is essential for successful artificial insemination, especially during chilled storage. In this study, X/Y sperm-specific activation and sorting methods were used to isolate sperm from dairy goats, and the effectiveness of sperm isolation was evaluated using TLR7 immunofluorescence staining. Different concentrations of ginsenoside Rc were added to the semen diluent as a natural preservative, and the lower-layer X-bearing sperm recovered from the sorting system were subjected to chilled storage. The effects of ginsenoside Rc on chilled storage performance were then assessed. Among the tested concentrations, 150 μg/mL of ginsenoside Rc exhibited the most potent protective effect, significantly improving the quality, mitochondrial function, antioxidant capacity and the relative protein abundance of SIRT1, PGC-1α, and Nrf1 of the lower-layer X-bearing sperm after chilled storage for 7 days. In summary, supplementation with ginsenoside Rc in the chilled extender improved the quality of lower-layer X-bearing dairy goat spermatozoa during chilled storage by maintaining mitochondrial function, enhancing antioxidant defense, and reducing oxidative damage, facilitating the application of lower-layer X-bearing sperm-selected sperm in production. Full article

Bamboo fibers are increasingly incorporated into food products as sustainable dietary fiber ingredients, yet their gastrointestinal digestion resistance and fermentative behavior by human gut microbiota remain insufficiently characterized. This study combined an INFOGEST-based in vitro digestion protocol with colonic fermentation using fecal microbiota from three healthy donors as an exploratory donor panel. Bamboo fibers were resistant to salivary, gastric, and intestinal enzymatic hydrolysis, as demonstrated by the absence of structural modifications in FTIR spectra, preserved morphology observed by scanning electron microscopy, and negligible release of reducing sugars (<0.1 g/L across all digestive phases), in contrast to extensively hydrolyzed wheat starch used as a positive control. During in vitro colonic fermentation, microbial responses were strongly dependent on substrate availability. In nutrient-limited minimal medium, bamboo fiber supplementation increased gas production, acidification, and SCFA formation compared with control conditions. Concomitantly, SCFA concentrations increased under minimal-medium conditions, although the magnitude of the response varied among donors, with the strongest changes observed for donor 1 (acetate reaching 5.4 vs. 3.3 g/L and propionate 1.48 vs. 0.76 g/L). These effects were markedly attenuated in nutrient-rich medium, indicating competition with readily fermentable substrates. Beta-diversity analyses and metagenomic profiling revealed that microbial community composition clustered primarily according to donor identity rather than experimental conditions. SEM further showed surface erosion and microbial attachment on fermented fibers, supporting partial structural alteration. Overall, bamboo fibers are resistant to upper gastrointestinal digestion but display context-dependent fermentative activity by human gut microbiota under carbohydrate-limited conditions, highlighting the importance of inter-individual variability, dietary context and substrate availability in determining their fermentative potential. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on growth performance, antioxidant status, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and meat quality in lambs through a meta-analysis. The electronic databases Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were used to identify the articles required for the meta-analysis using the Preferred Reporting Elements for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. The data used in this meta-analysis were obtained from 12 peer-reviewed English-language articles published in the last decade (January 2016 to April 2026). All data were analyzed using random-effects models. Dietary supplementation with GAA decreased the feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05) and increased (p < 0.05) dry matter intake, average daily gain, carcass weight and yield, and Longissimus dorsi muscle area. Dietary supplementation with GAA decreased (p < 0.001) serum malondialdehyde concentration and increased (p ≤ 0.05) serum concentrations of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity. Dietary supplementation with GAA decreased (p < 0.001) ruminal pH and increased (p < 0.05) the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber, as well as the ruminal concentrations of total volatile fatty acids, acetate, and butyrate. Dietary supplementation with GAA decreased (p < 0.001) drip loss in meat and increased (p < 0.001) meat pH and meat protein content. In conclusion, guanidinoacetic acid can be used as a dietary additive to improve growth performance, antioxidant status, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and meat quality in lambs. Full article

Lactic acid bacteria-fermented food materials are promising sources of functional ingredients, but the active components underlying their bioactivity often remain unclear. We localized the macrophage-stimulatory activity of a red pepper-based fermentate prepared with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CJLP243. Compared with the unfermented matrix and a non-fermented matrix supplemented with freeze-dried CJLP243, the fermentate induced greater IL-6 and TNF-α production in J774A.1 macrophages. Activity was reproducibly concentrated in the pellet-derived lysate-insoluble fraction (PDIF) and remained in residual debris after solvent extraction. LTA-directed fractionation and analytical screening did not support lipoteichoic acid as the principal determinant. Lysozyme markedly reduced activity, whereas proteinase K had a partial effect, a pattern consistent with a lysozyme-sensitive, cell wall-associated structure or cell wall–matrix complex, within which peptidoglycan-associated material remains a plausible candidate; contributions from co-associated components cannot be excluded. Targeted metabolomics revealed fermentation-associated changes in pellet-associated amino acid pools, consistent with broader adaptation of amino acid and nitrogen metabolism during fermentation; their biochemical linkage to cell-wall precursor pathways provides metabolic support rather than direct structural evidence. These findings identify a reproducible, process-linked insoluble fraction with macrophage-stimulatory activity and provide a framework for developing and standardizing fermentation-derived functional food ingredients. Full article

Generation time is the principal bottleneck constraining genetic gain in plant breeding. Speed breeding (SB) addresses this by simultaneously managing the photoperiod, light spectrum and intensity, temperature, CO₂ concentration, mineral nutrition, growing substrate volume, and post-harvest seed dormancy, enabling four to seven generations per year in long-day cereals and legumes, and four to five generations in optimised short-day systems. This review evaluates SB against the conventional pedigree framework; synthesises validated environmental parameters and crop-specific protocols; and examines principal SB applications in hybridisation, genomic selection, disease-resistance screening, and allele introgression. A structured comparison of major review and protocol papers identifies broad consensus on core parameters alongside genuine divergence on far-red light supplementation. Critical evaluation addresses genotype-by-environment interaction, incomplete trait coverage, infrastructure costs, and unresolved questions on the biological integrity of rapidly advanced generations. The review further discusses new genomic techniques (NGTs), particularly CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing, in the context of the EU’s June 2026 NGT regulation, under which Category 1 plants carrying only targeted endogenous modifications are exempt from GMO authorisation. When combined with SB, this regulatory shift can compress the interval from gene-editing event to registered variety from decades to a few years. Speed breeding, NGTs, and conventional field-based selection are most productively treated as complementary elements of a unified pipeline. Full article

As the main byproduct of edible mushroom processing, mushroom stems are often discarded due to their rough texture and poor palatability, resulting in resource waste. However, as a ruminant animal, sika deer has good fiber digestion ability, providing the possibility for the resource utilization of mushroom stems. This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with Lentinus edodes stem powder (LESP) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum biochemical parameters, immune responses, and gut microbiota composition in sika deer fawns. A total of 120 weaned fawns (120 ± 10 days old; 35.0 ± 1.0 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, receiving a basal diet supplemented with 0% (control), 2.5% (LE1), 5% (LE2), or 7.5% (LE3) LESP for 35 days. Growth performance did not differ significantly among treatments (p > 0.05). However, apparent digestibility of ether extract and crude protein was significantly higher in the LE1 group (p < 0.05), while LE3 exhibited reduced digestibility of organic matter, ether extract, and crude protein (p < 0.05). Serum total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) levels increased with LESP inclusion, with the highest values observed in LE3 (p < 0.05). Serum glucose (GLU) decreased dose-dependently (p < 0.05). Immunoglobulin A (IgA), G (IgG), and M (IgM) concentrations were significantly elevated in LE2 and LE3 groups (p < 0.05). Gut microbiota analysis revealed that Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla. LE3 supplementation altered beta diversity and reduced microbial evenness. At the genus level, LE2 and LE3 increased the abundance of beneficial taxa such as Planomicrobium and Psychrobacter, while decreasing Ruminococcus and Clostridiaceae_Clostridium. In conclusion, adding 5% LESP to the diet can increase the digestibility of nutrients, enhance humoral immunity, and regulate the composition of the gut microbiota. This study promotes the transformation of mushroom stems from agricultural waste into functional feed additives, which helps reduce breeding costs, improve animal health, and provide a practical path for the coordinated and sustainable development of the edible mushroom industry and animal husbandry. Full article

The transition from a linear to a circular economic model is critical for the sustainability of the Amazonian bioeconomy. Although Amazon nuts (internationally recognized as Brazil nuts, Bertholletia excelsa) represent a major natural bioresource, their production chain faces structural challenges, particularly concerning the underutilization and disposal of agro-industrial residues. This narrative review analyzes the Amazon nut market, processing technologies, and supply chain, with a specific focus on biomass valorization. By evaluating the recent literature across major scientific databases, this study maps the technological readiness and feasibility of integrating a circular economy model. We critically examine alternative technologies for transforming specific residues, particularly the woody fruit pods, hard seed shells, and oil press cakes, into value-added bioproducts. Key valorization routes discussed include protein concentrates and amino acid supplements from the press cake, cellulose nanocrystals and organic panels from the hard seed shell, biosolvents, and bioenergy/biochar generation via pyrolysis. The review concludes that while the current industry remains strictly focused on kernel commerce, transitioning toward a circular model appears technically promising, but its economic feasibility remains unconfirmed for most valorization pathways. However, successful industrial implementation requires overcoming logistical supply chain barriers and advancing the technology readiness levels of these valorization pathways. Full article