Cysteamine (CS) is a biological compound produced in the gastrointestinal tract and hypothalamus of animals, which is involved in coenzyme A and taurine metabolism. The sulfhydryl group of CS can specifically bind to somatostatin, indirectly regulate the secretion of growth hormone, and can also act as a cellular antioxidant. In ruminant production, CS can promote animal growth, relieve stress, enhance antioxidant performance, and reduce rumen methane production. It is a green, safe and efficient ruminant feed additive. In the context of green and healthy breeding, the application of CS in ruminant production has received extensive attention. This paper summarized the metabolic pathways and physiological functions of CS, and combined with ruminant production, elaborated the influence of CS on the main production performance of ruminants and its application prospects.

Due to the incomplete development of the gastrointestinal tract and immune system, piglets are highly susceptible to various stress factors, leading to weaning stress syndrome and problems such as diarrhea. One of the main phenotypes is water absorption disorder. The absorption and secretion of intestinal fluid are mainly mediated by the paracellular and transcellular pathways of intestinal epithelial cells, among which the transcellular pathway is mainly regulated by water channel proteins on the cell membrane. Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of transmembrane proteins widely present in the body, responsible for the transmembrane transport of water molecules, small solutes, gases and ions, and play a key role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Abnormal expression of AQPs can disrupt disorders in the transport of fluid and electrolytes in the intestinal lumen, thereby causing diarrhea. In addition, abnormal expression of AQPs is also associated with diseases such as edema and cancer. Although the role and regulatory mechanism of AQPs in diarrhea and intestinal diseases are not yet clear, studies have shown that nutritional regulation of AQPs can alleviate various gastrointestinal diseases and has the potential for AQPs-targeted therapy. This review systematically synthesizes recent advances in the role of AQPs in diarrhea and intestinal diseases, and their nutritional regulation, providing a reference for the development of nutritional regulation measures for preventing piglet diarrhea through targeting AQPs in the post-antibiotic era.

With the continuous improvement of living standards, consumer demand for both the quantity and quality of beef has been steadily increasing. Chinese yellow cattle are highly favored by consumers due to their superior eating quality. However, their low meat production performance has hindered the development of the industry. This paper systematically reviews the main factors influencing the fattening performance of Chinese yellow cattle, including breed and region, nutritional levels and feeding methods. It further compares carcass trait changes within the same breed across different growth periods. Finally, the molecular mechanisms underlying fattening performance are explored. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis for the conservation of Chinese yellow cattle genetic resources, efficient breeding practices, and genetic selection programs.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that have garnered widespread attention in eukaryotes in recent years, owing to their pivotal roles in regulating gene expression and cellular functions. Current research demonstrates that circRNAs can influence the expression of genes involved in milk fat metabolism within mammary cells by acting as microRNA (miRNA) “sponges,” thereby modulating milk fat synthesis pathways. Alterations in circRNA expression levels or structures can consequently impact downstream gene expression, affecting the overall milk fat synthesis process. Hence, circRNAs offer potential as novel molecular targets for regulating milk fat synthesis in ruminants. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the regulatory roles and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in controlling milk fat synthesis in ruminant mammary tissues. This work provides a theoretical basis for future investigations into the use of circRNAs as modulatory tools for ruminant milk fat synthesis.

Taurine is a free amino acid with a high content in mammalian tissues and has a wide range of biological functions such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. As a feed additive, taurine has been progressively demonstrated to improve livestock and poultry production performance, enhance intestinal health, and upgrade product quality. However, its full potential in animal production remains underexplored, particularly regarding its modulation of rumen microbiota in ruminants and synergistic interactions with probiotics; the underlying mechanisms of these effects require further investigation. This paper reviewed the biological functions and mechanisms of action of taurine, summarized its advancements in animal production applications, and synthesized factors influencing its efficacy, aiming to provide references for the efficient utilization of taurine.

As a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Astragalus membranaceus has important application value in the field of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine due to its characteristics of multi-target and low residue. In recent years, with the in-depth analysis of its active components and the continuous exploration of its mechanism of action, its regulatory effects on poultry physiology and production performance have been further revealed. This paper systematically reviews the multi-dimensional effects of Astragalus membranaceus and its active components on poultry (laying hens, broilers, ducks and geese) in the past five years, including the regulatory effects on digestive system health, immune function, antioxidant capacity and intestinal flora structure, as well as the improvement effects on production performance (egg production rate, average daily gain, and feed-to-gain ratio), reproductive performance (hatching rate and fertilization rate) and slaughter performance (carcass quality and organ index). It is expected to provide a reference for the green transformation and efficient and healthy development of poultry breeding.

Roughage is the primary feed source for ruminants. With the rapid development of large-scale ruminant farming in China, the shortage of high-quality roughage has increasingly constrained the sustainable growth of the livestock industry. Non-conventional roughage resources such as straw and dregs are widely distributed and abundant in China, yet they are plagued by issues including poor palatability, inconsistent nutrient composition, and low digestibility. Microbial fermentation of non-conventional roughages can effectively improve feed palatability, nutritional value, and digestibility, offering significant potential for enhancing ruminant growth performance, regulating rumen microbiota, and reducing production costs. This review systematically evaluates the nutritional characteristics and production processes of fermented non-conventional roughages, examines their effects on ruminant performance, livestock product quality, immune function, and rumen microbiota, analyzes current technical bottlenecks in practical applications, and proposes future research directions, aiming to provide references for the efficient utilization of non-conventional roughage resources.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture (SYC) is a product derived from the fermentation, concentration and drying of plant proteins using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the starter culture, it rich in functional components such as yeast metabolites, cell wall polysaccharides and microbial proteins, and exhibits probiotic effects, including improved growth performance, regulated immune function and maintained gut microbial balance in animals. The development and application of SYC can effectively solve the bottleneck problems in the cattle industry, such as high feed costs and low feed utilization efficiency. This article reviews the regulatory effects of SYC on growth and development, rumen health, immune function and meat quality of bovine, as well as the networked synergistic mechanisms among signaling pathways, to provide theoretical reference for the application of SYC in bovine breeding production practices.

Microbial fermented feed plays a significant role in promoting the healthy production of livestock and poultry and the sustainable development of animal husbandry. Among them, compound microbial fermentation, which has advantages that single-strain fermentation cannot replace, has rapidly become a research hotspot, and its application effectiveness in the animal production have attracted much attention. This paper reviewed the production process, influencing factors and characteristics of compound microbial fermented feed, and its application effects in animal production, with the aim of providing references for the further research, development, and application of biological fermented feed.

Artemisia annua L. extracts are natural bioactive substances rich in sesquiterpenes, polysaccharides, flavonoids, volatile oils, and coumarins. They possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, immune-modulating, blood sugar-regulating and lipid-regulating properties. These extracts exhibit significant immunostimulatory activity on cells. When applied in animal production, they can enhance performance, improve product quality, boost immune and antioxidant functions, and regulate the intestinal barrier. As natural feed additives, they hold great promise for widespread application. The paper reviewed the biological functions of Artemisia annua L. extracts and their research progress in the application of animal production, with the aim of providing a reference for the further development and utilization of Artemisia annua L. extracts in animal husbandry.

As a natural organic acid, L-malate (L-MA) has attracted considerable attention due to its multiple physiological functions. Recent studies have shown that L-MA can regulate mitochondrial energy metabolism, enhance the body's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities, maintain intestinal homeostasis, promote the conversion of muscle fibre types, improve meat quality, and has no toxic side effects. Therefore, L-MA can be used as a feed additive to improve animal health and production performance, showing broad application prospects in animal production. This paper summarizes the physicochemical properties, preparation methods, and physiological functions of L-MA and reviews its application effects in animal production, aiming to deepen the understanding of the physiological functions of L-MA and provide references for its application in animal production.

Lipopeptides are a class of bioactive substances synthesized by microorganisms of the Bacillus, exhibiting a wide range of biological activities, including broad-spectrum antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor and anti-inflammatory effects. Lipopeptides have demonstrated considerable potential as antibiotic alternatives in livestock, poultry and aquaculture husbandry. This review systematically summarizes the structural characteristics, biological activities, mechanisms of action and recent advances in the application of lipopeptide, particularly surfactin, special pay attention to improving growth performance, enhancing immune function and promoting intestinal health in animals. Moreover, this paper assesses the challenges associated with the application of lipopeptide, such as high production costs, limited stability and regulatory constraints, and discusses the strategies aimed at improving production efficiency and enhancing physicochemical stability. Finally, the paper future perspectives on the role of lipopeptides in promoting environmentally friendly, efficient and sustainable animal farming, with the objective of providing both theoretical support and practical guidance for their industrial application as novel feed additives.

As an important component of meat, amino acids usually exist in free form or as building blocks of proteins and perform multiple functions. Studies have shown that amino acids significantly affect the formation of meat flavor through pathways such as direct flavor contribution, participation in Strecker degradation, and Maillard reaction. Meanwhile, factors such as the characteristics of raw meat and processing methods can change the composition and content of amino acids in muscle, thereby influencing their role in flavor formation. This paper reviews the role of amino acids in meat flavor formation and analyzes the relevant influencing factors, aiming to provide a reference for the improvement and regulation of meat flavor quality and meet consumers' demand for high-quality meat products.

Flavor is a core indicator of ruminant product quality and the primary sensory characteristic for consumers to assess the quality of animal-derived products, and its formation is closely related to volatile flavor substances and taste presenting substances. Improving the flavor of ruminant meat can create differentiated flavor profiles to meet diversified consumer demands. This paper reviewed the key volatile compounds and taste presenting substances in ruminant meat, and explored the molecular interactions among nutrients, active substances and volatile components in forage on the synthesis of flavor precursors, fat oxidation regulation and microbial metabolism, with a view to providing theoretical basis for the efficient use of forage and production of high-quality animal-derived products, and to promote the efficient conversion and utilization of forage resources and the synergistic development of the flavor industry under the combined mode of planting and raising.

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of dietary sweetener on growth performance, reproductive performance of sows and serum hormone indices of sows and piglets, to provide a theoretical basis for the application of sweetener in sow feeding. A total of 100 healthy “Landrace×Large White” crossed second born sows with similar body weight were randomly divided into 2 group with 10 replicates in each group and 5 sows in each replicate. Sows in the control group was fed a basal diet, and sows in the sweetener group were fed a basal diet supplemented with 500 g/t sweetener on the 7 days before delivery. The experimental period was from 7 days before delivery to 23 days after delivery. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the control group, the total feed intake of sows in the sweetener group was extremely significant increased (P<0.01), and the average daily feed intake was significant increased (P<0.05). 2) Compared with the control group, the weaning litter weight of piglets in the sweetener group was extremely significant increased (P<0.01). 3) On 23 days after delivery of sows, compared with the control group, the contents of agouti-related protein (AgRP), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and ghrelin (Ghrelin) in serum of sows in the sweetener group were significant increased (P<0.05), and the contents of cortisol (COR) and leptin (LEP) in serum of sows were significant decreased (P<0.05). 4) On the day of weaning of piglets, compared with the control group, the content of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in serum of piglets in the sweetener group was significant increased (P<0.05), the contents of NPY and Ghrelin in serum of piglets were extremely significant increased (P<0.01), and the content of COR in serum of piglets was significant decreased (P<0.05). In conclusion, dietary 500 g/t sweetener can improve the growth performance and reproductive performance of sows, promote the secretion of gastrointestinal hormone that stimulate appetite, reduce the release of gastrointestinal hormone that inhibit appetite, increase the appetite and feed intake of sows, improve the blood glucose related hormone contents, and increase the contents of growth-related hormone in serum.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different concentrations of Lactobacillus plantarum ZHR8 postbiotics on growth performance, intestinal inflammation, and colonic microorganism in weaned piglets. A total of 120 “Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire” weaned piglets (half male and half female) with an initial body weight of (10.46±0.22) kg were randomly allocated into 4 groups (3 replicates per group, 10 piglets per replicate): CON group (basic diet), 0.05% ZHR8 group (basic diet+0.05% ZHR8 postbiotic), 0.10% ZHR8 group (basic diet+0.10% ZHR8 postbiotic), 0.20% ZHR8 group (basic diet+0.20% ZHR8 postbiotic), and the trial period was 29 days. The results showed that: 1) compared to the CON group, the average daily gain of weaned piglets in the 0.10% ZHR8 group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and that in the 0.20% ZHR8 group was extremely significantly increased (P<0.01); the final weight of weaned piglets in the 0.20% ZHR8 group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the feed to gain ratio was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 2) Compared to the CON group, the villus height of the jejunum in the 0.20% ZHR8 group of weaned piglets were increased extremely significantly (P<0.01); the villus/crypt ratio of the jejunum in the 0.10% ZHR8 and 0.2 % ZHR8 groups of weaned piglets was significantly increased (P<0.05). 3) Compared with the CON group, the relative mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in the colonic mucosa of weaned piglets in the 0.10% ZHR8 group were significantly decreased (P<0.05); in the 0.20% ZHR8 group, the relative mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IL-8 were significantly decreased (P<0.05), while the relative mRNA expression level of anti-inflammatory factor interleukin-10 (IL-10) was significantly increased (P<0.05). 4) Compared to the CON group, the content of valeric acid in the colonic contents of weaned piglets in the 0.10% ZHR8 group was extremely significantly increased (P<0.01); The contents of valeric acid and isovaleric acid in the 0.20% ZHR8 group was extremely significantly increased (P<0.01). 5) The results of 16S rRNA showed that at the genus level, the relative abundance of colon Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group in the 0.10% ZHR8 and 0.20% ZHR8 groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05), the relative abundance of Alloprevotella was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the relative abundance of Prevotellaceae_UCG-003 in the 0.10% ZHR8 group was significantly increased (P<0.05). Adding 0.10% to 0.20% Lactobacillus plantarum ZHR8 postbiotics to the basal diet can improve the growth performance of weaned piglets, reduce intestinal inflammation, increase the content of volatile fatty acids in intestinal contents, and improve intestinal microbial structure, thereby enhancing the intestinal health of weaned piglets.

This study aimed to investigate the role of aquaporin 3 (AQP3) in the occurrence of diarrhea in piglets and the regulatory effect of vitamin A on AQP3 expression. Experiment 1: fourteen 21-day-old “Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire” crossbred weaned piglets with similar body weight [(7.27±0.23) kg] were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 7 replicates per group and 1 piglet per replicate. The experimental period was 30 days. During the experiment, both groups were fed the same basal diet. From days 24 to 28 of the experiment, piglets in the diarrhea model group (CPT group) were intraperitoneally injected with irinotecan (CPT-11) at a dose of 15 mg/kg BW daily, while piglets in the control group (CON group) were intraperitoneally injected with an equal volume of normal saline. All piglets were slaughtered for sample collection on day 30 of the experiment. Experiment 2: fourteen 21-day-old “Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire” crossbred weaned piglets with similar body weight [(7.32±0.20) kg] were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 7 replicates per group and 1 piglet per replicate. Piglets in the control group (CPT-CON group) were fed the basal diet, while those in the experimental group (CPT-VA group) were fed the basal diet supplemented with high-level vitamin A (72 000 IU/kg). The experimental period was 30 days. From days 24 to 28 of the experiment, all piglets were intraperitoneally injected with CPT-11 at a dose of 15 mg/kg BW daily. All piglets were slaughtered for sample collection on day 30 of the experiment. Cellular experiment: porcine intestinal epithelial cell (IPEC-J2 cell) were treated with different concentrations of retinoic acid, with 3 replicates set for each concentration. The cell proliferation activity, cytotoxicity, apoptosis and the mRNA and protein expression levels of aquaporins (AQPs) were detected. The results showed as follows: 1) CPT-11 induction extremely significantly increased the diarrhea index of piglets (P<0.01), significantly or extremely significantly increased the mRNA relative expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in jejunum, ileum and colon (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and extremely significantly decreased the mRNA relative expression level of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in jejunum and ileum (P<0.01). 2) Compared with the 0 nmol/L retinoic acid group, the 100 nmol/L retinoic acid group extremely significantly increased the IPEC-J2 cell proliferation activity (P<0.01) and significantly reduced the percentage of apoptotic cells (P<0.05); the mRNA relative expression levels of AQP3, aquaporin 4 (AQP4), and aquaporin 11 (AQP11) were significantly or extremely significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the protein relative expression level of AQP3 was significantly increased (P<0.05). 3) Compared with the CPT-CON group, the CPT-VA group significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of piglets (P<0.05), and significantly decreased the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) and diarrhea index (P<0.05); the mRNA relative expression levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ in jejunum, ileum and colon were significantly or extremely significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the mRNA relative expression level of IL-10 in ileum was significantly increased (P<0.05); the protein relative expression level of AQP3 in jejunum, ileum and colon was significantly or extremely significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In conclusion, AQP3 can mediate the occurrence of diarrhea in piglets, and vitamin A and its active metabolite (retinoic acid) can regulate AQP3 expression, alleviate intestinal inflammation, and relieve diarrhea in piglets.

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) level on growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, immune function and gut microbiota of Langya chickens. A total of 1 800 one-day-old Langya chickens (half males and half females) were randomly divided into 10 groups with 6 replicates per group and 30 chickens per replicate according to a 2 (sex)×5 (dietary CP level) two-factor experimental design. The dietary CP levels were 18%, 19%, 20%, 21% and 22%, respectively. The experiment lasted for 42 days. The results showed as follows: 1) the average daily gain of 20% CP level group was significantly higher than that of other CP level groups (P<0.05), and the feed to gain ratio was significantly lower than that of other CP level groups (P<0.05). The average daily feed intake, average daily gain and feed to gain ratio of males were significantly higher than those of females (P<0.05). 2) The activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum of 20% CP level group were significantly lower than those of 18% and 22% CP level groups (P<0.05), and the serum urea nitrogen (UN) content of 18% and 19% CP level groups was significantly lower than that of 21% CP level group (P<0.05). The serum AST activity and UN content of males were significantly higher than those of females (P<0.05). 3) The bursa of Fabricius index of 20% and 21% CP level groups was significantly higher than that of 18% CP level group (P<0.05), and the thymus index of 20% CP level group was significantly higher than that of 18%, 21% and 22% CP level groups (P<0.05). The bursa of Fabricius index and thymus index of males were significantly higher than those of females (P<0.05). 4) The serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) content of 20% CP level group was significantly higher than that of 18%, 19% and 22% CP level groups (P<0.05), and the serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) content of 21% CP level group was significantly higher than that of other CP level groups (P<0.05). The contents of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG in serum of males were significantly higher than those of females (P<0.05). 5) For males, the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus in ileum of 20% CP level group were significantly higher than those of 18% and 22% CP level groups (P<0.05). For females, the relative abundances of Bacteroidota and Lactobacillus in ileum of 20% CP level group were significantly higher than those of 18% and 22% CP level groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, the dietary appropriate CP level can improve the growth performance of Langya chickens, enhance the body immune function, and improve the gut microbiota. Under the conditions of this experiment, the dietary appropriate CP levels for male and female Langya chickens during 1 to 42 days of age are 19% to 21%.

This experiment was aimed to study the effects of dietary isoleucine level on growth performance, plasma biochemical indices, carcass traits, meat quality, jejunal amino acid transport and liver lipid metabolism related gene expression of medium-growing yellow-feathered chickens aged 61 to 80 days, and determined the optimal dietary isoleucine level at this stage. A total of one thousand and eighty 61-day-old female partridge chickens with an initial body weight of 1 581.67 g were randomly allocated to 6 groups with dietary isoleucine levels of 0.46%, 0.54%, 0.62%, 0.70%, 0.78% and 0.86%, respectively, and each of which included 6 replicates of 30 chickens per replicate. The experiment lasted for 20 days. The results showed as follows, with the increasing of dietary isoleucine levels: 1) the ratio of feed to gain of yellow-feathered chickens had linear and quadratic changes (P<0.05); 2) the glucose content in plasma of yellow-feathered chickens was significantly increased (P<0.05), the triglyceride content in plasma was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the activities of alanine aminotransferase and creatine kinase had linear and quadratic changes (P<0.05); 3) the abdominal fat rate of yellow-feathered chickens was linearly decreased (P<0.05); 4) the breast muscle brightness (L^*) value of yellow-feathered chickens was significantly decreased at 24 h after slaughter (P<0.05), the breast muscle redness (a^*) value had linear and quadratic changes at 24 h after slaughter (P<0.05), and the shear force of breast muscle was linearly decreased (P<0.05); 5) the excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3) gene expression in jejunum of yellow-feathered chickens had linear and quadratic changes (P<0.05); 6) the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMGCR) gene expression in liver of yellow-feathered chickens was significantly decreased (P<0.05), meanwhile, the silence information regulatory factor 1 (SIRT1) gene expression in liver was significantly increased (P<0.05). In conclusion, an appropriate dietary level of isoleucine can improve the growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of medium-growing female yellow-feathered chickens aged 61 to 80 days, while regulating plasma glucose and lipid contents as well as the expression of jejunal excitatory amino acid transporter gene and liver lipid metabolism related genes. According to the estimation of the quadratic regression model, the dietary isoleucine level for medium-growing female yellow-feathered chickens aged 61 to 80 days to achieve the best growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality is 0.68% to 0.90%. Among them, taking the ratio of feed to gain as the main evaluation index, and the optimal dietary isoleucine level is 0.74%, with a daily requirement of 742 mg.

This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with carboxymethyl pachymaran (CMP) on growth performance, antioxidant capacity and immune function of broilers. A total of 300 one-day-old male 817 broiler chicks were randomly divided into 5 groups with 6 replicates per group and 10 chicks per replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet, while the experimental groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 100 (CMP100 group), 200 (CMP200 group), 400 (CMP400 group) and 800 mg/kg (CMP800 group) of CMP, respectively. The experimental period lasted for 49 days, which was divided into two phases: 1 to 21 days of age and 22 to 49 days of age. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the control group, during the 1 to 21 days of age phase, the average daily gain (ADG) in the CMP100 group and CMP200 group was significantly increased (P<0.05); during the 21 to 49 days of age phase, the ADG in the CMP200 group was significantly increased (P<0.05); throughout the entire 1 to 49 days of age period, the ADG in the CMP100 group and CMP200 group was significantly increased (P<0.05). 2) Compared with the control group, at 21 days of age, the serum alanine transaminase (ALT) activity in the CMP400 group and CMP800 group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the serum albumin (ALB) content in the CMP200 group was significantly increased (P<0.05); at 49 days of age, the serum ALT activity in the CMP100 group and CMP200 group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 3) Compared with the control group, at 21 days of age, the serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the CMP200 group was significantly increased (P<0.05); at 49 days of age, the serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in the CMP100 group, CMP200 group and CMP400 group was significantly increased (P<0.05), the serum catalase (CAT) activity in the CMP800 group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content in all experimental groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 4) Compared with the control group, at 49 days of age, the bursa of Fabricius index in all experimental groups was significantly increased (P<0.05). 5) Compared with the control group, at 21 days of age, the serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) content in the CMP400 group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) content in the CMP200 group and CMP400 group was significantly decreased (P<0.05); at 49 days of age, the serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) content in the CMP400 group was significantly increased (P<0.05), the serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) content in the CMP200 group was significantly increased (P<0.05), the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) content in the CMP100 group, CMP200 group and CMP400 group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the serum IL-1β content in all experimental groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with CMP can improve the serum biochemical indices, enhance the antioxidant capacity and immune function of broilers, thereby improving their growth performance. Under the conditions of this experiment, the optimal dietary supplementation level of CMP is 200 mg/kg.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) on the growth performance, slaughter performance, intestinal morphology and antioxidant capacity of broilers. A total of 400 Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated into four groups, and each group consisted of 10 replicates, with 10 broilers per replicate. Broilers in the four groups were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control group), 0.1%,0.2% and 0.3% MCFAs products (containing 42% MCFAs) based on a basal diet for 42 days. The results showed as follows: the feed-to-gain ratio of broilers in the 0.3% group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 22 to 42 days of age (P<0.05); for broilers in the 0.3% MCFAs group at 1 to 42 days of age, the average daily gain was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the feed-to-gain ratio was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). At 21 days of age, the apparent metabolic rates of crude protein and organic matter of broilers in the 0.2% and 0.3% groups was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). At 42 days of age, the apparent metabolic rates of crude protein and calcium of broilers in the 0.2% and 0.3% groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the apparent metabolic rate of ether extract of broilers in the 0.1% and 0.3% groups was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). In addition, at 42 days of age, compared with the control group, the ileal villus height and villus height/crypt depth ratio of broilers were significantly increased (P<0.05), the chest muscle rate and the crude protein content in chest muscle of broilers were significantly increased (P<0.05), the content of malondialdehyde in liver and serum was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the activity of superoxide dismutase in serum was significantly increased in the 0.3% group (P<0.05). In conclusion, the addition of MCFAs to the diet can improve the growth performance and slaughter performance of broilers, improve the intestinal morphology, and enhance the antioxidant capacity. Under the conditions of this experiment, the recommended additive amount of MCFAs products in broiler diets is 0.3% (the effective additive amount of MCFAs is 0.126%).

The purpose of this study was to study the effects of astaxanthin-rich maize on growth performance, slaughter performance, blood indexes and tissue astaxanthin contents of white-feathered broilers, and to evaluate the safety of astaxanthin-rich corn as a feed raw material for broilers. A total of 432 one-day-old male white-feathered broilers were randomly divided into 2 groups with 12 replicates in each group and 18 chickens in each replicate. Broilers in the control group was fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet containing non-genetically modified parental maize, and others in the test group was fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet containing astaxanthin-rich maize. The experimental period was 42 days. The results showed as follows: 1) there were no significant differences in average daily feed intake, average daily gain and feed to gain ratio between 2 groups (P>0.05). 2) There were no significant differences in slaughter performance and organ indexes between 2 groups (P>0.05). 3) Compared with the control group, the blood mean corpuscular volume of the test group tended to decrease (P=0.093), and other blood routine indexes were no significant differences (P>0.05). 4) There were no significant differences in serum biochemical indexes between 2 groups (P>0.05). 5) Compared with the control group, the serum superoxide dismutase activity (P=0.073) and total antioxidant capacity (P=0.052) of the test group tended to increase, and the serum malondialdehyde content tended to decrease (P=0.084). 6) After feeding astaxanthin-rich corn, astaxanthin can be enriched in serum and heart, liver and pectoral muscle tissues, the serum astaxanthin content in the test group was 10.29 μg/mL, and the contents of astaxanthin in heart, liver and pectoral muscle tissues were 0.07, 0.17 and 0.05 μg/g, respectively. In summary, the astaxanthin-rich maize will not affect the growth and health of white-feathered broilers, and it can be used as a raw material for broilers.

This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of different addition levels of fermented distillers' grains on meat quality, amino acid composition, volatile flavor compounds, and fatty acid composition of white feather broilers. A total of 720 healthy 1-day-old white feather broilers were selected and randomly divided into 6 groups with 6 replicates in each group and 20 broilers in each replicate (half male and half female). The addition levels of fermented distillers' grains in the 6 groups were 0 (F0 group), 2.5% (F2.5 group), 5.0% (F5 group), 10.0% (F10 group), 15.0% (F15 group), and 20.0% (F20 group) (air-dry basis). The experimental period was 42 days, divided into the early stage (1 to 21 days of age) and the late stage (22 to 42 days of age). The results showed that: 1) compared with the F0 group, at the 1 to 21 days of age, the average daily gain of the F20 group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the feed-to-gain ratio was significantly increased (P<0.05); at the 22 to 42 days of age, the feed-to-gain ratio of the F2.5 group was significantly lower than that of the F20 group (P<0.05); at the 1 to 42 days of age, the feed-to-gain ratio of the F20 group was significantly higher than that of the F0 group, F2.5 group, and F5 group (P<0.05). The regression equation between the addition level of fermented distillers' grains and the average daily gain of white feather broilers at 1 to 21 days of age was Y=-0.003X²-0.101X+35.032, and the regression equation with the feed-to-gain ratio was Y=0.000 4X²-0.001X+1.181; the regression equation between the addition level of fermented distillers' grains and the feed-to-gain ratio of white feather broilers at 22 to 42 days of age was Y=0.000 47X²-0.002X+1.476. From the regression equations, the optimal feed-to-gain ratio for white feather broilers at 1 to 21 days of age was when the addition level of fermented distillers' grains was 1.25%; and at 1 to 42 days of age, the optimal addition level was 2.13%. 2) Compared with the F0 group, the drip loss of breast muscle in the F20 group was significantly increased (P<0.05). 3) Compared with the F0 group, the tyrosine content in breast muscle of the F10 group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the phenylalanine content in the F2.5 group, F5 group, F10 group, and F15 group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 4) The relative content of aldehydes in breast muscle of the F15 group was the highest, and the relative content of alcohols in the F10 group was the most, with nonanal being the key flavor substance. 5) Compared with the F0 group, the contents of pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, arachidic acid, heneicosanoic acid, and docosanoic acid in breast muscle of other groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the total amount of monounsaturated fatty acids in breast muscle among groups (P>0.05), but the contents of cis-13-docosenoic acid and cis-15-tetracosenoic acid in the F0 group were significantly higher than those in other groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast muscle among groups (P>0.05), but the content of cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid in the F0 group was significantly higher than that in other groups (P<0.05), and the F20 group was significantly lower than the F0 group, F2.5 group, and F5 group (P<0.05). The total amount of saturated fatty acids in breast muscle of the F0 group was significantly higher than that in other groups (P<0.05), while the relative content of unsaturated fatty acids in the F10 group was the highest. In conclusion, at 1 to 21 days of age, the appropriate addition level of fermented distillers' grains is 1.25%, and at 1 to 42 days of age, it is 2.13%; meanwhile, when the addition level of fermented distillers' grains is 20%, the growth performance of white feather broilers is significantly reduced. However, when the addition level is 10% to 15%, it can significantly improve the volatile flavor substances and fatty acid composition of muscle, thus enhancing the meat quality of white feather broilers.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of 18 amino acids (AA) in 10 cottonseed meals from different sources for broilers at different days of ages, to provide reference data for rational formulation of diets in broiler production. A total of 858 one-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were selected, a completely randomized design was adopted, and the experiment was divided into two stages. During 10 to 13 days of age stage, a total of 528 broilers were randomly divided into 11 groups with 6 replicates per group and 8 broilers per replicate, broilers in 11 groups were fed 10 different sources of cottonseed meal diet and 1 nitrogen-free diet, respectively. During 25 to 28 days of age stage, a total of 330 broilers were randomly divided into 11 groups with 6 replicates per group and 5 broilers per replicate, broilers in 11 groups were fed 10 different sources of cottonseed meal diet and 1 nitrogen-free diet, respectively. The results showed as follows: 1) the cottonseed meal source and day of age had significant interaction effects on methionine and proline AID (P<0.05). Except for methionine, isoleucine, arginine, cysteine and glycine AID, the cottonseed meal source had significant effects on other amino acids AID (P<0.05). Except for cystine AID, the day of age had significant effects on other amino acids AID (P<0.05), and the amino acids AID at 13 days of age were significantly higher than those at 28 days of age (P<0.05). 2) The cottonseed meal source and day of age had significant interaction effects on tyrosine and proline SID (P<0.05). The cottonseed meal source had significant effects on amino acids SID (P<0.05). The day of age had significant effects on other amino acids SID (P<0.05), and the amino acids SID at 13 days of age were significantly higher than those at 28 days of age (P<0.05). In conclusion, the cottonseed meal source and day of age have significant interaction effects on methionine, proline AID and tyrosine, proline SID, there are differences in amino acids AID and SID of cottonseed meal from different sources, and the most amino acids AID and SID of cottonseed meal are decrease with day of age increase.

This experiment aimed to investigate the alleviating effects of chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) on liver injury in heat-stressed broilers. A total of 144 male 28-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) broilers with similar body weight were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups, with 6 replicates in each group and 8 broilers in each replicate. The broilers in the control group (CON group) were raised in a chicken house at (24±1) ℃, and those in the heat stress group (HS group) and the heat stress+200 mg/kg COS group (HSC₂₀₀ group) were raised in chicken houses with a temperature of (34±1) ℃ from 08:00 to 18:00 and (24±1) ℃ at the other time. Meanwhile, the broilers in CON group and HS group were fed basal diets, while those in HSC₂₀₀ group were fed the basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg COS. The experiment lasted for 14 days. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with CON group, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in HS group was significantly increased (P<0.05); compared with HS group, the serum ALT activity in HSC₂₀₀ group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 2) The histopathological analysis of liver tissues showed that compared with CON group, the hepatocytes in HS group were damaged, with certain bleeding, the cytoplasm was loose and transparent, with severe vacuolation, and some cells had inflammatory infiltration; compared with HS group, the swelling, bleeding and inflammatory infiltration of hepatocytes in HSC₂₀₀ group were improved. 3) Compared with CON group, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in liver in HS group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the activities of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) as well as the mRNA relative expression levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and catalase (CAT) in liver were significantly decreased (P<0.05); compared with HS group, the MDA content in liver in HSC₂₀₀ group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the activities of T-SOD and GSH-Px as well as the mRNA relative expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1 and CAT in liver were significantly increased (P<0.05). 4) Compared with CON group, the mRNA relative expression levels of nuclear factor-κB p65 subunit (NF-κB p65) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in liver in HS group were significantly increased (P<0.05); compared with HS group, the NF-κB p65 mRNA relative expression level in liver in HSC₂₀₀ group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 5) Compared with CON group, the apoptosis rate of hepatocytes in HS group was significantly increased (P<0.05), the mRNA relative expression levels of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), Caspase9 and B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein (Bax) were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the ratio of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) mRNA relative expression level to Bax mRNA relative expression level (Bcl-2/Bax) was significantly decreased (P<0.05); compared with HS group, the apoptosis rate of hepatocytes in HSC₂₀₀ group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the mRNA relative expression levels of HSP90 and Caspase9 in liver were significantly decreased (P<0.05). In conclusion, dietary 200 mg/kg COS can alleviate the liver oxidative damage and inflammatory response in broilers induced by heat stress, reduce the apoptosis rate of hepatocytes, and thereby alleviate the histopathological damage of the liver.

This experiment aimed to explore the effects of different supplementation levels of Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed cake in diets on performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity and cecal microbiota of laying hens. Two hundred and forty 42-week-old Lohmann pink laying hens with laying rate>90% were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups, with 10 replicates in each group and 6 hens in each replicate. Hens in the control group (CON group) were fed a basal diet, while those in the experimental groups were fed diets supplemented with 1% (ZBS1 group), 2% (ZBS2 group), and 3% Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed cake (ZBS3 group) in equal amounts to replace the wheat bran in the basal diet, respectively. The pre-experiment was 2 weeks, and the formal experiment was 8 weeks. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with CON group, the laying rate in ZBS2 and ZBS3 groups at each stage was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the feed to egg ratio in weeks 1 to 4 and weeks 1 to 8 was significantly decreased (P<0.05); the egg breakage rate in ZBS3 group was significantly decreased in weeks 1 to 8 (P<0.05). 2) Compared with CON group, the eggshell color brightness (L^*) value in ZBS3 group was significantly decreased (P<0.05); with the increase of dietary Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed cake supplementation level, the L^* value and the redness (a^*) value of eggshell color were decreased linearly (P<0.05). 3) Compared with CON group, different supplementation levels of Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed cake in diets had no significant effects on the egg yolk taste (P>0.05). 4) Compared with CON group, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity in serum as well as the T-AOC in liver in ZBS2 and ZBS3 groups were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in serum was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 5) At the genus level, compared with CON group, the relative abundances of Olsenella and [Eubacterium]_brachy_group in cecum in ZBS2 group were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the Christensenellaceae_R-7_group relative abundance in cecum was significantly decreased (P<0.05); the relative abundances of Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-004 and Pseudoflavonifractor in cecum in ZBS3 group were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the relative abundances of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group and norank_f_Peptococcaceae in cecum were significantly decreased (P<0.05). In conclusion, an appropriate supplementation level of Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed cake in diet to replace wheat bran can enhance the performance and antioxidant capacity of laying hens, and improve the cecal microbiota structure. It is advisable to supplement with 3%.

This experiment was conducted to analyze the amino acids apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of 10 wheat middlings from different sources in laying hens during late laying period, and to establish prediction equations of amino acids SID based on physical characteristic and chemical component contents of wheat middlings. A single-factor experimental design was adopted, a total of 396 healthy 75-week-old Roman pink laying hens during late laying period with similar body weight and egg production rate were selected and randomly divided into 11 groups with 6 replicates per group and 6 hens per replicate. Each group was fed one type of nitrogen-free diet or 10 semi-purified experimental diets formulated with different sources of wheat middlings. All nitrogen-free and experimental diets were supplemented with 0.50% titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as an exogenous indicator, and the experimental period was 3 days. After the experiment, all hens were stunned with carbon dioxide gas and slaughtered. Ileal digesta were collected to determine amino acids and TiO₂ contents, and calculate amino acids SID. The results showed as follows: 1) under the air-dry basis, the average contents of crude protein (CP), dry matter (DM), crude ash (Ash), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), gross energy (GE), calcium (Ca), total phosphorus (TP) and total starch (TS) of 10 wheat middlings from different sources were 16.26% (14.16% to 17.96%), 88.56% (86.86% to 89.37%), 3.24% (2.28% to 4.52%), 3.49% (2.54% to 4.97%), 4.61% (2.43% to 10.68%), 5.53% (2.65% to 12.65%), 21.93% (13.50% to 36.30%), 12.92 MJ/kg (12.08 to 13.92 MJ/kg), 0.08% (0.06% to 0.10%), 0.61% (0.44% to 0.75%) and 29.48% (18.21% to 40.53%), respectively; the average bulk density (BD) was 487.94 g/L (429.72 to 563.09 g/L). Among amino acids of wheat middlings, methionine had the lowest content with an average of 0.23% (0.21% to 0.26%), while glutamic acid had the highest content with an average of 3.17% (2.94% to 3.55%), and the average total amino acid content was 13.59% (12.23% to 14.43%). 2) The average amino acids SID of wheat middlings in laying hens during late laying period ranged from 67.36% to 90.19%; the coefficient of variation (CV) of methionine SID was the largest (22.70%), and the CV of SID for other amino acids did not exceed 15%. 3) In this experiment, prediction equations for SID of 9 essential amino acids (except tryptophan) were established. The coefficients of determination (R²) of prediction equations for SID of lysine, methionine, leucine, histidine and phenylalanine were all higher than 0.900. Among them, the prediction equation for lysine SID (Lys SID=-36.50-9.91ADF+5.83NDF+1.23TS) had the highest fitting degree (R²=0.965, P<0.01). The relative deviation between predicted and measured values of amino acid SID prediction equations ranged from 0.10% to 3.60%. In conclusion, the chemical composition contents of 10 wheat middlings from different sources vary greatly. The established prediction equations of amino acid SID based on physical characteristic and chemical composition of wheat middlings have good fitting degrees, among which the lysine SID prediction equation performs the best.

This study aimed to explore the differences in growth performance, meat quality, muscle protein and gut microbiota of Linwu ducks reared in free-range farming system (FRS) and cage farming system (CFS) using proteomics and microbial genomics. Three thousand and one hundred 28-day-old female Linwu ducks were selected for the experiment, in which 3 000 were farmed in FRS with 10 replicates of each with 300 ducks and 100 were farmed in CFS with 10 replicates of each with 10 ducks. The farming density was 4 ducks/m² for both farming systems. The farming period was 42 d. The results showed as follows: 1) comparing to FRS, CFS ducks had significantly higher final body weight (P=0.014), average daily weight gain (P=0.016), breast muscle rate (P=0.012) and abdominal fat rate (P<0.001), but had significantly lower carcass rate (P=0.011) and thigh muscle rate (P<0.001). 2) Comparing to FRS, CFS ducks had significantly higher brightness value (P<0.001), yellowness value (P<0.001) and drip loss (P=0.021), but had significantly lower redness value (P=0.034) and shear force (P<0.001) in breast muscle. 3) Comparing to FRS, CFS ducks had significantly lower activities of superoxide dismutase (P=0.002), catalase (P<0.001) and glutathione peroxidase (P<0.001), as well as total antioxidant capacity (P=0.001) in breast muscle. 4) The proteomic analysis revealed 646 differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) in breast muscle samples between two farming systems, which were involved in metabolic pathways of glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, as well as cysteine and methionine metabolism and so on. 5) The microbial genomic analysis identified 46 differential microbial genera in cecal chyme samples between two farming systems. 6) The correlation analysis showed that bisphosphoglycerate mutase (BPGM), phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), phosphoserine phosphatase (PSPH), lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), enolase phosphatase 1 (ENOPH1) and branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) were significantly correlated with the meat color and antioxidant enzyme activities in breast muscle of Linwu ducks (P<0.05); and 40 differential microbial genera were significantly correlated to the meat color, shear force, drip loss, or antioxidant enzymes activities in breast muscle (P<0.05). In conclusion, comparing to CFS, FRS can decrease the growth performance and breast muscle yield of Linwu ducks, but improve the meat quality of breast muscle; the farming system alters the breast muscle protein and gut microbiota profile of Linwu ducks, which could be key factors to the meat quality changes.

This study aimed to explore the effects of phytosterols on the growth performance, serum biochemical indices and hepatic transcriptome and metabolome of meat pigeons. A total of 120 healthy 28-day-old weaned silver king pigeons were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates per group and of 5 pigeons per replicate. The control group (group A) was fed a basal diet, and the experimental groups (groups B, C and D) were fed basal diets supplemented with 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg phytosterols, respectively. The pre-experimental period lasted for 7 days, and the experimental period lasted for 30 days. The results showed as follows: 1) compared to group A, the average daily feed intake and average daily gain of groups B, C and D were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the feed to gain ratio of groups C and D were significantly decreased (P<0.05). 2) Compared to group A, the contents of total protein, albumin and globulin in serum of groups C and D were significantly increased (P<0.05). 3) The hepatic transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that compared to group A, the number of differentially expressed genes in liver of groups B, C and D was higher, and primarily involved in fatty acid degradation, fatty acid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways. 4) The hepatic metabolome sequencing analysis showed that phytosterol supplementation could change the contents of multiple lipid metabolites in liver, the contents of cholesterol and triacylglycerols et al showed a decreasing trend, while the contents of sulfated hexosylceramides and oleic acid methyl ester et al showed an increasing trend. 5) The correlation analysis between hepatic differentially expressed genes and lipid metabolites showed that the ATP binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (ABCA1) and phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) genes significantly influenced the lipid metabolism, and were strongly associated with multiple lipid metabolic pathways (P<0.01). In conclusion, diet supplemented with 40 mg/kg phytosterols can improve the growth performance and serum biochemical indices of meat pigeons, regulate the liver gene expression and lipid metabolism; the phytosterols can regulate the ABCA1 and PLTP genes expression, then affect the lipid metabolism, reduce the accumulation of lipids such as cholesterol, and promote the generation and accumulation of certain lipid metabolites through, thereby improve the lipid metabolism and health status of meat pigeons.

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of rumen-protected methionine (RPMet) supplementation in low-protein diets on milk performance, serum biochemical indices, nutrient apparent digestibility and rumen microbial protein contents of dairy cows. Forty Holstein cows with similar parity [(2.20±0.11) fetuses], lactation days [(141.50±7.95) days], milk yield [(39.07±0.29) kg] and body weight [(645.06±7.79) kg] were randomly divided into 5 groups with 10 cows in each group. The HC group was fed a conventional diet with crude protein level of 17.16%, the LC group was fed a low-protein diet with crude protein level of 14.88%, and the LL and LH groups were was fed the low-protein diets supplemented with 0.034% and 0.102% RPMet, respectively. The pre-experimental period lasted for 15 days, and the experimental period lasted for 42 days. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the HC group, the milk yield, milk protein rate and milk protein yield of the LC group were significantly decreased (P<0.05); compared with the LC group, the milk yield, milk protein rate and milk protein yield of the LH group were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the HC group, the milk urea nitrogen content of the LL and LH groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 2) Compared with the HC group, the serum urea nitrogen content of the LH group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 3) Compared with the HC and LC groups, the crude protein apparent digestibility of the LH group was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the LC group, the neutral detergent fiber apparent digestibility of the LL and LH groups was significantly increased (P<0.05). 4) Compared with the LC group, the rumen microbial protein content of the LH group was significantly increased (P<0.05). 5) Compared with the HC group, it could make an additional profit of 0.75 CNY/(d·head) of the LH group. Compared with the LC group, it could make an additional profit of 2.83 and 8.03 CNY/(d·head) of the LL and LH groups. In conclusion, the supplementation of 0.102% RPMet in low-protein diet has no negative effect on the milk performance of dairy cows, but can reduce the content of urea nitrogen in milk and serum, improve the apparent digestibility of crude protein and neutral detergent fiber, rumen microbial protein content and the economic benefits.

This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of dietary allicin on passive immune transfer in heat-stressed dry dairy cows and serum indices of calves, providing a basis for alleviating heat stress in dry dairy cows and improving the health of calves. Sixty multiparous Holstein cows with parities of (2.25±0.43) and body weight of (650±43) kg were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups, with 15 replicates in each group and 1 cow in each replicate. Cows in the control group (CON group) were fed a basal diet, while those in the experimental groups were fed the basal diets supplemented with 3 (ALL3 group), 6 (ALL6 group), and 9 g/d (ALL9 group) of allicin, respectively. The pre-trial period was 14 days, and the formal trial period was 60 days (from 60 days before delivery to the day of delivery). The results showed as follows: 1) during the experiment, the average value of temperature-humidity index (THI) in the cowshed was 78.1, which was higher than the heat tolerance threshold of dairy cows; meanwhile, dietary allicin had no significant effect on the rectal temperature of dairy cows (P>0.05), indicating that the dairy cows were in a state of heat stress. 2) Compared with CON group, the immunoglobulin M content in colostrum in ALL3 group were significantly increased (P<0.05); with the increase of allicin addition in the diet, the immunoglobulin G content in serum of calves showed a quadratic change of first increasing and then decreasing (P<0.05); dietary allicin had no significant effect on the birth weight and weaning weight of calves (P>0.05). 3) Compared with CON group, the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in serum of calves in ALL3 group were significantly increased (P<0.05); with the increase of allicin addition in the diet, the interleukin-6 content, alanine aminotransferase activity and non-esterified fatty acid content in serum of calves showed a quadratic change of first decreasing and then increasing (P<0.05). 4) The serum metabolome analysis indicated that allicin significantly upregulated the contents of bile acid-related metabolites (such as 3-oxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid) in serum of cows (P<0.05), and significantly enriched the metabolites in bile secretion, tyrosine metabolism, and inflammation-related pathways (P<0.05). In conclusion, under the condition of heat stress, although adding 3 g/d allicin to the diet for dry dairy cows does not alleviate the heat stress state, it can increase the colostrum immunoglobulin content by influencing the blood metabolic pathways of cows, enhance the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities of calves, and improve passive immune transfer.

This experiment aimed to explore the effects of different processed corn straws on greenhouse gas emission of Angus cattle, providing references for the utilization of straw as feed, healthy breeding of beef cattle, and energy conservation and emission reduction. Eighteen healthy and well-in condition (16±1) month-old Angus bulls were selected for the experiment. According to the principle of consistent body weight [(499.06±44.21) kg], they were randomly divided into 3 groups, with 6 replicates in each group and 1 cattle in each replicate. The experimental cattle in each group were fed the same concentrate supplement, and were fed roughages composed of shredded corn straw (shredded group), yellow silage of corn straw (yellow silage group), and steam-exploded corn straw (steam-exploded group), respectively. The pre-experiment was 10 days and the formal experiment was 160 days. After the experimental cattle were fed for four months, two cattle were randomly selected from each batch and group, and the greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide and methane) emissions were detected through the “six-row large animal respiratory calorimeter equipment”, for a total of three batches. The results showed as follows: 1) the average daily gain of beef cattle in the steam-exploded group was significantly higher than that in the shredded group (P<0.05); meanwhile, the apparent digestibilities of crude fiber and acid detergent fiber in the steam-exploded group were significantly higher than those in the shredded group (P<0.05). 2) The rumen pH in the yellow silage group and the shredded group was significantly lower than that in the steam-exploded group (P<0.05). The rumen ammonia nitrogen content in the yellow silage group was significantly higher than that in the shredded group and the steam-exploded group (P<0.05). 3) Compared with the shredded group, the daily carbon dioxide emission in the yellow silage group and the steam-exploded group was decreased by 8.70% and 12.03% (P>0.05), the carbon dioxide emission per kg of dry matter intake was decreased by 24.93% and 28.66% (0.05≤P<0.10), and the carbon dioxide emissions per kg of gain was decreased by 29.21% and 57.40% (P<0.05), respectively; the daily methane emission in the yellow silage group and the steam-exploded group was decreased by 14.52% and 3.98% (P>0.05), the methane emission per kg of dry matter intake was decreased by 29.29% and 21.74% (0.05≤P<0.10), and the methane emissions per kg of gain was decreased by 35.79% and 54.73% (P<0.05), respectively. In conclusion, adding a certain proportion of yellow silage or steam-exploded corn straw to the diet for beef cattle can reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane to a certain extent, achieving healthy beef cattle breeding and energy conservation and emission reduction.

This study aimed to compare the differences in growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, blood physiological and biochemical indices, as well as serum immune and antioxidant indices of different breeds of beef cattle. A single-factor experimental design was adopted. Ten healthy 10-month-old bulls each of Chinese Simmental cattle, Charolais cattle, Jinnan cattle and Taihang Yun cattle with an average body weight of (410.73±52.13) kg were selected and divided into 4 groups according to breed, with 10 replicates per group and 1 cattle per replicate. The total experimental period was 130 days, including a 10-day pre-test period and a 120-day formal test period. During the experiment, all groups were provided with the same diet and kept under consistent feeding and management conditions. The results showed as follows: 1) the average daily gain (ADG) of Chinese Simmental cattle, Taihang Yun cattle and Charolais cattle was significantly higher than that of Jinnan cattle (P<0.05), while the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) of Chinese Simmental cattle and Taihang Yun cattle was significantly lower than that of Jinnan cattle (P<0.05). 2) There were no significant differences in the apparent digestibility of various nutrients among the four beef cattle breeds under the same feeding conditions (P>0.05). 3) The blood white blood cell count (WBC) of Taihang Yun cattle was significantly higher than that of Chinese Simmental cattle and Charolais cattle (P<0.05). The blood hematocrit (HCT), platelet count (PLT), plateletcrit (PCT), plasma urea (UREA) content and acid phosphatase (ACP) activity of Jinnan cattle were significantly higher than those of the other three breeds (P<0.05). 4) The serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) content of Chinese Simmental cattle, Taihang Yun cattle and Charolais cattle was significantly higher than that of Jinnan cattle (P<0.05). The serum activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) of Taihang Yun cattle were significantly higher than those of Charolais cattle and Jinnan cattle (P<0.05), while the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content of Jinnan cattle was significantly higher than that of Taihang Yun cattle and Charolais cattle (P<0.05). In conclusion, Taihang Yun cattle exhibits excellent performance in terms of growth performance, serum immune function and antioxidant capacity, making it a preferred breed for beef cattle breeding in Shanxi Province. For Jinnan cattle, it is necessary to carry out germplasm resource innovation to address the issues of low ADG and high F/G, thereby enhancing the breed's competitiveness.

In order to provide a reference for improving the utilization of bamboo shoot shells (BSS) as feed, this experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of wheat bran and silage additives on the nutrient content, fermentation quality, aerobic stability of BSS wrapped silage, as well as on the growth performance and digestion and metabolism of Hu sheep, through wrapped silage trial and Hu sheep feeding trial. The BSS wrapped silage trial adopted a two-factor experimental design. Factor A was the wheat bran addition level, with three levels: 0 (A0), 5% (A5), and 10% (A10). Factor B was the silage additives, with four levels: no silage additives control (B0), 0.02% cellulase (B1), 1% composite bacterial solution (B2), and 0.02% cellulase+1% composite bacterial solution (B3). According to the experimental design, 12 groups were established: groups A0B0, A0B1, A0B2, A0B3, A5B0, A5B1, A5B2, A5B3, A10B0, A10B1, A10B2, and A10B3. Twelve bags of BSS wrapped silage were produced for each group. After 45 days of ensiling, three bags were randomly selected from each group for unsealing to determine fermentation quality and aerobic stability. The remaining BSS wrapped silage were used for the Hu sheep feeding trial. A total of 72 healthy Hu sheep aged approximately 5 months were selected and randomly divided into 12 groups, with 6 sheep per group (half male and half female). Each sheep was housed individually in a digestion metabolism cage as a single replicate. During the trial, the sheep were supplemented with 200 g of concentrate daily and allowed ad libitum access to BSS wrapped silage processed differently according to their respective groups. The experiment lasted 25 days, including a 10-day adaptation period and a 15-day formal trial period. During the last 5 days of the formal trial, a digestion and metabolism trial was conducted using the total collection method of feces and urine. The results showed as follows: 1) with the increase of wheat bran addition level, the dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) contents of BSS wrapped silage significantly increased (P<0.05), while the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents significantly decreased (P<0.05). In contrast, silage additives had no significant effects on the above nutrient contents (P>0.05). The dry matter recovery (DMR), crude protein recovery (CPR), and acid detergent fiber recovery (ADFR) of the BSS wrapped silage significantly improved with increasing wheat bran addition level (P<0.05). Silage additives significantly affected DMR, neutral detergent fiber recovery (NDFR), and ADFR (P<0.05), with the addition of 0.02% cellulase showing the optimum effect. 2) With the increase of wheat bran addition level, the pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) and butyric acid contents of the BSS wrapped silage significantly decreased (P<0.05), while the lactic acid and acetic acid contents significantly increased (P<0.05); however, the aerobic stability time was significantly reduced (P<0.05). Silage additives only significantly affected the ammonia nitrogen and propionic acid content of the BSS wrapped silage (P<0.05). 3) As the wheat bran addition level increased, the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of Hu sheep for the BSS wrapped silage significantly increased (P<0.05), and both nitrogen intake and nitrogen retention also significantly increased (P<0.05). Silage additives significantly affected the ADFI of BSS wrapped silage, nitrogen intake, and nitrogen retention of Hu sheep (P<0.05). The addition of 0.02% cellulase resulted in relatively higher ADFI, nitrogen intake, and nitrogen retention of Hu sheep. In summary, the addition of wheat bran and silage additives during the ensiling of BSS can improve the fermentation quality of the BSS wrapped silage and promote the feed intake of Hu sheep. The improvement in nutritional quality and fermentation quality of the BSS wrapped silage are more pronounced with wheat bran addition than with silage additives. Adding 10% wheat bran can obtain high-quality BSS wrapped silage, and the further addition of 0.02% cellulase can enhance its feeding value for Hu sheep.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of vitamin B complex supplementation in high-concentrate diet on growth performance, serum biochemical indexes and rumen fermentation of Hu sheep. A single-factor completely randomized design was adopted, and sixty 4-month-old male Hu sheep with good body condition and an initial body weight of (35.0±1.5) kg were randomly divided into 4 groups, with 5 replicates per group and 3 sheep per replicate. The control group was fed a basal high-concentrate diet (concentrate-to-forage ratio of 80∶20), while the experimental groups were fed the basal diets supplemented with 1.10, 2.20 and 4.40 g/d of vitamin B complex, respectively. The experiment lasted for 67 days, including a 7-day pre-test period and a 60-day formal test period. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the control group, the average daily gain, average daily feed intake, feed-to-gain ratio and apparent digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, ether extract and gross energy in the groups supplemented with vitamin B complex did not change significantly (P>0.05). 2) Compared with the control group, the serum contents of total protein, albumin, globulin, urea nitrogen and glucose, as well as the activity of alanine aminotransferase in the groups supplemented with vitamin B complex did not change significantly (P>0.05). 3) The supplemental level of vitamin B complex significantly affected the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in rumen fluid (P<0.05), and showed a tendency to affect the acetate-to-propionate ratio (P=0.082) and cellulase activity (P=0.091) in rumen fluid. With the increase of the supplemental level of vitamin B complex, the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in rumen fluid decreased linearly (P<0.05), the acetate-to-propionate ratio increased linearly (P<0.05), and the cellulase activity showed a tendency of linear change (P=0.082). In conclusion, supplementing 1.10 to 4.40 g/d of vitamin B complex in the high-concentrate diet did not significantly affect the growth performance, serum biochemical indexes or rumen fermentation of Hu sheep. Therefore, in practical production, there is no need to additionally supplement vitamin B complex in the diet if meat sheep are in a normal physiological state.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Macleaya cordata extract (MCE) on growth performance, rumen fermentation parameters, enzyme activities and microbial numbers of fattening male Hu lambs. A total of 48 healthy 4-month-old purebred male Hu lambs with similar body weight [(27.50±1.25) kg] were randomly divided into 4 groups, with 12 lambs per group. The control group was fed a basal diet, while the experimental groups were fed the basal diets supplemented with 300 (300 MCE group), 600 (600 MCE group) and 900 mg/kg (900 MCE group) of MCE, respectively. The experiment lasted for 75 days, including a 15-day preliminary feeding period and a 60-day formal feeding period. The results showed as follows: 1) the final body weight and average daily gain of lambs in the 600 MCE group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), while the feed-to-gain ratio was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). 2) The rumen propionate concentration in the 600 MCE group was significantly higher than that in the control group and 300 MCE group (P<0.05), while the rumen valerate and ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) concentrations were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05); the rumen acetate-to-propionate ratio in the 600 MCE group and 900 MCE group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). 3) The rumen protease activity in the 600 MCE group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the rumen carboxymethyl cellulase activity was significantly higher than that in the control group and 300 MCE group (P<0.05); the rumen α-amylase activity in the 300 MCE group, 600 MCE group and 900 MCE group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); the rumen pectinase activity in the 600 MCE group and 900 MCE group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). 4) The rumen methanogen number in the 600 MCE group was significantly lower than that in the control group and 300 MCE group (P<0.05), and the rumen Ruminococcus flavefaciens number was significantly higher than that in the control group and 300 MCE group (P<0.05); the rumen Ruminobacter amylophilus and Fibrobacter succinogenes numbers in the 600 MCE group and 900 MCE group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), while the rumen Prevotella ruminicola number was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). In conclusion, diet supplemented with MCE can promote rumen fermentation, reduce rumen NH₃-N concentration, alter rumen microbial numbers and enzyme activities of fattening male Hu lambs, thereby improving feed utilization efficiency and promoting lamb growth. Under the conditions of this experiment, the optimal supplementation level of MCE is 600 mg/kg.

The experiment aimed to study the effects of adding Suaeda salsa L. extract (SSE) to the diet on the growth performance, slaughter performance, organ indexes, meat quality, and volatile flavor compounds of Hu Sheep. Thirty-six healthy 4-month-old male Hu sheep lambs with a body weight of (30.27±1.18) kg were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group, with 6 replicates in each group and 3 lambs per replicate. The control group was fed a total mixed ration (TMR), while the experimental group was supplemented with 8.88 g of SSE per sheep per day on the basis of TMR. The pre-test period lasted for 15 days, followed by a trial period of 30 days. The results showed that, compared to the control group: 1) the final body weight and average daily gain (ADG) of the experimental group of Hu sheep were significantly increased (P≤0.05), while the backfat thickness was significantly reduced (P=0.05); 2) the liver weight and liver index of Hu sheep in the experimental group were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01), while the spleen weight, spleen index, and kidney index were significantly increased (P<0.05); 3) the ether extract (EE) content in the muscle of the experimental group was significantly reduced (P<0.05), while the pH_{45 min}, pH_{24 h}, brightness (L^*), redness (a^*) values were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the shear force of the experimental group mutton had a decreasing trend (0.05<P<0.10); 4) the contents of threonine (Thr) and asparagine (Asn) in the muscle of the experimental group were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01), while the contents of histidine (His), glycine (Gly), serine (Ser), ornithine (Orn), glutamic acid (Glu), essential amino acids (EAA), and total amino acids (TAA) were significantly increased (P<0.05), the contents of proline (Pro) and arginine (Arg) both had an increasing trend (0.05<P<0.10); 5) the contents of caproic acid (C6∶0), caprylic acid (C8∶0), and palmitic acid (C16∶0) in the muscle of Hu sheep in the experimental group were extremely significantly reduced (P<0.01), while the contents of pentadecanoic acid (C15∶0), arachidic acid (C20∶0), trans-linoleic acid (C18∶2n6t), and α-linolenic acid (C18∶3n3) were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01). The contents of capric acid (C10∶0) and trans-oleic acid (C18∶1n9t) were significantly reduced (P<0.05), while the contents of heptadecanoic acid (C17∶0), behenic acid (C24∶0), oleic acid (C18∶1n9c), total monounsaturated fatty acids (T-MUFA), linoleic acid (C18∶2n6c), γ-linolenic acid (C18∶3n6), total polyunsaturated fatty acids (T-PUFA), and PUFA/SFA were significantly increased (P<0.05), the contents of tridecanoic acid (C13∶0), eicosadienoic acid (C20∶2) and MUFA/SFA all had an increasing trend (0.05<P<0.10); 6) the contents of 2,6-dimethyl-2-octene and (E)-2-heptenal in the mutton of the experimental group were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01), while the content of 2-aminophenol was extremely significantly reduced (P<0.01). The contents of 3,7,7-trimethylbicycloheptane, 2-propyl-2-heptanal, 1-ethylpyrrole-2,5-dione, heptyl 2-formate, methyl 2-heptenoate, pentyl 2-hydroxypropanoate, 1-piperidine ethanol, 4-methylisothiazole, and anethole were significantly increased (P<0.05). The contents of 3(2H)-pyridazinone, cyclohexylpropanol, 2-benzylamino-1-propanol, 2-methylbutyric anhydride, and caprylic acid were significantly decreased (P<0.05). In conclusion, adding 0.6% SSE to the diet can improve the growth performance and slaughter performance of Hu sheep, enhance the organ indexes, optimize the composition of amino acids and fatty acids, and improve meat quality, thereby positively impacting the quality and volatile flavor compounds of mutton.

This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of adding different proportions of grape stems (GS) to diets on the growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility and serum indexes of sheep. Fouty 4- to 6-month-old male Kazakh sheep with an average body weight of (33.76±4.27) kg were randomly divided into 4 groups, with 10 replicates in each group and 1 sheep in each replicate. Four experimental diets were supplemented with 0 (CK group), 5% (group A), 10% (group B) and 20% (group C) of GS. The whole experiment lasted for 56 days, including a 7-day pre-trial period, a 42-day formal trial period and a 7-day digestion and metabolism trial period (days 50 to 56 of experiment). The results showed as follows: 1) the final weight, average daily gain (ADG) and dry matter intake (DMI) of group B were the highest, which were 8.40% (P<0.05), 30.00% (P<0.05) and 17.78% (P<0.05) higher than those of group C, respectively, and 4.04% (P>0.05), 11.34% (P>0.05) and 11.58% (P>0.05) higher than those of the CK group, respectively. 2) The apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP) in group C was significantly lower than that in the CK group, group A and group B (P<0.05), and the apparent digestibility of ether extract (EE) was significantly lower than that in the CK group, group A and group B (P<0.05). 3) The serum total protein (TP) content in group A, group B and group C was 4.30% (P>0.05), 3.64% (P>0.05) and 5.01% (P<0.05) higher than that in the CK group, respectively, and the serum urea nitrogen (UN) content was 4.90% (P>0.05), 12.87% (P>0.05) and 22.08% (P<0.05) higher than that in the CK group, respectively. The serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) content in group A, group B and group C was extremely significantly higher than that in the CK group (P<0.01), and the serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) content was significantly higher than that in the CK group (P<0.05); the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) content in group B and group C was significantly higher than that in the CK group (P<0.05). With the increase of the proportion of GS in the diet, the serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01), and the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content was extremely significantly decreased (P<0.01). Under the conditions of this experiment, adding GS to the diet can improve the immunity and antioxidant capacity of sheep, but a too high proportion will reduce the growth performance and apparent digestibility of nutrients of sheep. The appropriate proportion of GS in the diet for sheep is 5% to 10%.

This experiment aimed to explore the effects of diets with different energy and protein levels on growth performance and serum biochemical, antioxidant, immune and hormone indices of polytocous ewes in late-pregnancy. Ninety healthy Donghanhu hybrid ewes (East Friesian sheep×small-tailed Han sheep×Hu sheep) with similar body weight of (72.49±3.69) kg and carrying 2 or 3 fetuses (detected by B-mode ultrasound) at (75±5) days of gestation were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups with 6 replicates in each group and 5 ewes in each replicate. Ewes in the three groups were fed a low-energy and low-protein level diet [LELP group, with metabolic energy (ME) of 8.31 MJ/kg and crude protein (CP) of 11.25%], a medium-energy and medium-protein level diet (MEMP group, with ME of 8.65 MJ/kg and CP of 12.15%), and a high-energy and high-protein level diet (HEHP group, with ME of 9.00 MJ/kg and CP of 13.12%), respectively. The experiment lasted for 60 days after 15-day adaptation. The results showed as follows: 1) the body weight of ewes in LELP group on day 150 of gestation was significantly lower than that in the other two groups (P<0.05); the average daily feed intake in MEMP group was extremely significantly higher than that in the other two groups (P<0.01); the feed to gain ratio in HEHP group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups (P<0.05). 2) On day 150 of gestation, the contents of total protein and total cholesterol and the aspartate aminotransferase activity in serum in HEHP group were extremely significantly higher than those in the other two groups (P<0.01). 3) On day 120 of gestation, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in serum in LELP group were extremely significantly higher than those in the other two groups (P<0.01), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in serum were extremely significantly higher than those in MEMP group (P<0.01). On day 150 of gestation, the T-AOC and SOD activity in serum in LELP group were extremely significantly higher than those in the other two groups (P<0.01), the activities of GSH-Px and CAT in serum were extremely significantly higher than those in MEMP group (P<0.01), and the malondialdehyde content in serum was extremely significantly lower than that in the other two groups (P<0.01). 4) On day 120 of gestation, the contents of immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in serum in LELP group were significantly or extremely significantly higher than those in MEMP group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). On day 150 of gestation, the contents of immunoglobulin M, IgG and IL-10 in serum in LELP group were significantly or extremely significantly higher than those in MEMP group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). 5) On day 120 of gestation, the contents of estradiol (E2) and prolactin (PRL) in serum in LELP group were extremely significantly higher than those in the other two groups (P<0.01), and the progesterone content in serum in LELP group and HEHP group was extremely significantly higher than that in MEMP group (P<0.01). On day 150 of gestation, the PRL content in serum in LELP group and HEHP group was extremely significantly higher than that in MEMP group (P<0.01). In conclusion, the growth performance of ewes in HEHP group is better; the low-energy and low-protein level diet can enhance the immune function, antioxidant capacity, and contents of E2 and PRL in serum of ewes, which is beneficial for fetal development and lactation, and more suitable as the diet for Donghanhu hybrid ewes in late-pregnancy.

This experiment aimed to explore the effects of different energy and protein levels in late-pregnancy diets on colostrum components of polytocous ewes and body condition and serum biochemical, antioxidant and immune indices of lambs. A total of 90 healthy Donghanhu hybrid (East Friesian sheep×small-tailed Han sheep×Hu sheep) ewes with an average body weight of (72.49±3.69) kg and carrying 2 or 3 fetuses (detected by B-mode ultrasound) at (75±5) days of gestation were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups with 6 replicates in each group and 5 ewes in each replicate. Ewes in the three groups were fed a low-energy and low-protein level diet [LELP group, with metabolic energy (ME) of 8.31 MJ/kg and crude protein (CP) of 11.25%], a medium-energy and medium-protein level diet (MEMP group, with ME of 8.65 MJ/kg and CP of 12.15%), and a high-energy and high-protein level diet (HEHP group, with ME of 9.00 MJ/kg and CP of 13.12%), respectively. The pre-experiment was 15 days, and the formal experiment was 85 days (from 90 days of ewes' gestation to 25 days after delivery). The results showed as follows: 1) the contents of non-fat milk solids, milk protein, milk fat and lactose in colostrum in LELP group were significantly or extremely significantly higher than those in HEHP group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). 2) There were no significant differences in the birth weight, weaning weight, average daily gain and body size indices of lambs among the groups (P>0.05). 3) There was no significant difference in the serum biochemical indices of lambs among the groups (P>0.05). 4) The total antioxidant capacity and catalase activity in serum of lambs in LELP group were significantly or extremely significantly higher than those in MEMP group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). 5) There was no significant difference in the contents of immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M in serum of lambs among the groups (P>0.05). In conclusion, feeding ewes with diets of different energy and protein levels in late-pregnancy has no significant effects on the body condition, serum biochemical and immune indices of lambs, reducing the energy and protein levels of the diets is beneficial to increasing the contents of colostrum components and the antioxidant capacity of lambs.

This experiment was conducted to study the differences in fattening performance, slaughter performance and meat quality between wether lambs and ewe lambs of cashmere goats under grazing with supplementary feeding conditions, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for formulating scientific fattening schemes for cashmere goats. Forty 4-month-old weaned Albas white cashmere goats with similar body condition were selected and divided into wether lamb group and ewe lamb group according to sex, with 20 lambs in each group. The experimental period was 97 days, including a 7-day pre-test period and a 90-day formal test period. The formal test period was divided into early fattening stage (days 1 to 30), mid fattening stage (days 31 to 60) and late fattening stage (days 61 to 90). The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the ewe lamb group, the final body weight and average daily gain of the wether lamb group significantly increased (P<0.05), and there was a tendency to increase in total dry matter intake (P=0.085) and forage dry matter intake (P=0.089). 2) Compared with the ewe lamb group, the live weight before slaughter, eye muscle area, head and hoof weight, heart weight, omasum weight and small intestine weight of the wether lamb group significantly increased (P<0.05); the carcass weight (P=0.086), skin and wool weight (P=0.078) and complex stomach weight (P=0.052) showed a tendency to increase. 3) Compared with the ewe lamb group, the tail fat weight of the wether lamb group significantly increased (P<0.05), and there was a tendency to increase in GR value (P=0.062); no significant differences were observed in perirenal fat weight, omentum majus fat weight and mesentery fat weight (P>0.05). 4) Compared with the ewe lamb group, the eye muscle meat color score of the wether lamb group significantly decreased (P<0.05), with a tendency to decrease in redness (a^*) value (P=0.082) and a tendency to increase in shear force (P=0.086). In conclusion, under grazing supplementary feeding conditions, wether lambs of cashmere goats exhibit better fattening performance, slaughter performance and fat deposition capacity, while ewe lambs show better meat tenderness and brighter meat color.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of rumen microbiota transplantation on intestinal inflammation and barrier function in newborn lambs during the first 15 days of life. In this study, twenty-four Youzhou dark newborn lambs were randomly divided into three groups after receiving colostrum within 48 h from their mothers. Then, 20 mL active rumen fluid (RF group), sterilized rumen fluid (ARF group), and saline (CON group) were inoculated for 5 days from days 3 to 7 and slaughtered on day 16 after birth. The results showed that: 1) compared with the CON group, no diarrhea occurred among the lambs of the RF group and the ARF group. The mucosal structure of the colonic tissue was intact, and only mild neutrophil infiltration and epithelial cell shedding were observed. 2) Compared with the CON group, the contents of serum anti-inflammatory factors interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-2 (IL-2), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the RF group were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the content of pro-inflammatory factor interleukin-22 (IL-22) was significantly decreased (P<0.05). In the ARF group, the content of serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the contents of serum IL-10, IL-2, IgA, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were significantly increased (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the contents of serum interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and immunoglobulin M (IgM) among groups (P>0.05). 3) Compared with the CON group, the relative expression levels of tight junction protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), IL-10, interleukin-20 (IL-20), interleukin-26 (IL-26), IL-22 and its receptors interleukin-22 receptor subunit α1 (IL22RA1) and interleukin-10 receptor β subunit (IL10RB), as well as genes in the tumor necrosis factor/nuclear factor-κB (TNF/NF-κB) signaling pathway were significantly upregulated in the RF group (P<0.05). The relative expression levels of IL-10, IL10RB, TNF and nuclear factor-κB kinase inhibitor β subunit (IKBKB) genes in the ARF group were significantly higher than those in the RF group (P<0.05). Compared with the CON group, although the relative expression levels of colonic tight junction proteins ZO-1, claudin-1 and occludin in the RF and ARF groups were increased, there was no statistical significance (P>0.05). It is worth noting that the relative expression level of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) protein in the ARF group was significantly higher than that in the CON group (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the relative expression level of phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB (p-NF-κB) protein (P>0.05).4) In the RF group, the serum IL-22 content was significantly positively correlated with the relative abundance of potential pathogenic bacteria (such as Fusobacterium, Bergeyella, and Filobacterium) (P<0.05), while it was significantly negatively correlated with the relative abundance of some potential probiotics (e.g., Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group) (P<0.05). Additionally, the contents of anti-inflammatory factors (IL-10, IL-2, IgA) were significantly negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Akkermansia (P<0.05), and significantly positively correlated with the relative abundance of Phascolarctobacterium (P<0.05). In conclusion, rumen microbiota transplantation does not cause diarrhea in lambs. It can optimize the intestinal immune homeostasis of newborn lambs by regulating the composition of intestinal flora, enhancing barrier function, and balancing the pro-/anti-inflammatory network, providing a potential intervention strategy for their early healthy development.

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the differences of plasma lipid metabolites before and after a 5 000 m race in elite Yili horses, and the correlation between plasma differential lipid metabolites and cardiac indices as well as exercise performance. Six Yili horses were selected from the top 8 of the 5 000 m speed races at the national level as the test subjects. The echocardiograms were collected from the resting horses before the 5 000 m speed races using the Myeri M6 veterinary portable color Doppler ultrasound system, and cardiac indexes were measured and calculated. The jugular vein blood was collected from the horses in their resting state before the races and immediately after the races, the plasma was then prepared for lipid metabolism testing. The lipid metabolomics test was performed to screen for metabolites that differed between the pre- and post-race periods in Yili horses and to analyze pathway enrichment. The results showed that among the screened 35 plasma differential lipid metabolites, the contents of sphingomyelin (SM) (d40∶4) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) (36∶3) in post-race period were extremely significantly higher than those in pre-race period (P<0.01), The contents of ceramide (Cer) (d32∶0), phosphatidylcholine (PC) (38∶8) and PC (40∶1) were significantly higher than those in pre-race period (P<0.05), the contents of PC (35∶4e) and PC (40∶6) were extremely significantly lower than those in pre-race period (P<0.01), and the contents of phosphatidic acid (PA) (49∶4), PC (38∶0e), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (34∶2e), PE (34∶3e), PE (37∶1e), PE (37∶4), PE (49∶3), phosphatidylserine (PS) (27:1e), PS (29∶0), PS (30∶1), triglyceride (TG) (50∶2), TG (54∶3), TG (54∶4), TG (54∶6), TG (56∶7), TG (57∶4), TG (58∶8), TG (61∶4), diacylglycerol (DG) (32∶1e), wax ester (WE) (23∶1), and cardiolipin(CL) (74∶5) were significantly lower than those in pre-race period (P<0.05). Among them, twenty-five plasma differential lipid metabolites were significantly correlated with structural indices of the equine heart (P<0.05), and nine plasma differential lipid metabolites were significantly correlated with functional indices of the equine heart (P<0.05). The plasma differential lipid metabolites were mainly annotated and enriched in metabolic pathways, insulin resistance, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor biosynthesis, autophagy-other, autophagy-animal, and glyceride metabolism. In summary, there are changes in a variety of plasma lipid metabolites in elite Yili horses before and after the 5 000 m race, and it finds many plasma differential lipid metabolites were related to the indices of structure and function in heart of horses.

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of plant protein replacing fish meal and adding fermented Hermetia illucens L. in diets on serum biochemical indices, antioxidant capacity and immune function of Litopenaeus vannamei. The soybean meal and peanut meal were used to replace 0, 16.67%, 33.33%and 66.67% fish meal in the basal diets, and the basal diets were supplemented with 0, 4%, 8% and 16% fermented Hermetia illucens L., respectively, to make 4 kinds of iso-nitrogen and iso-lipid experimental diets, which were labeled N0, N4, N8 and N16, respectively. A total of 560 Litopenaeus vannamei with body weight of (2.86±0.01) g were randomly divided into 4 groups (N0, N4, N8 and N16 groups) with 4 replicates per group and 35 shrimps per replicate. The experimental period lasted for 8 weeks. The results showed as follows: 1) the contents of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and cholesterol and activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in serum of N4, N8 and N16 groups were significantly lower than those of N0 group (P<0.05), the contents of total protein and globulin in serum of N4, N8 and N16 groups were significantly higher than those of N0 group (P<0.05), the serum albumin content of N4 and N8 groups was significantly higher than that of N0 group (P<0.05), and the serum triglyceride content of N4 and N8 groups was significantly lower than that of N0 group (P<0.05). 2) The activities of peroxidase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in liver of N4, N8 and N16 groups were significantly higher than those of N0 group (P<0.05), the activities of alkaline phosphatase and lysozyme in liver of N4 and N8 groups were significantly higher than those of N0 group (P<0.05), and the liver acid phosphatase activity of N4 and N8 groups was significantly lower than that of N0 group (P<0.05). 3) The serum malondialdehyde content of N8 and N16 groups was significantly lower than that of N0 group (P<0.05), and the serum SOD activity of N8 group was significantly higher than that of N0 group (P<0.05). 4) The gene relative expression levels of Dorsal-1, Relish, Cru, Pen3, SOD and GSH-Px in liver of N4 and N8 groups were significantly higher than those of N0 group (P<0.05). 5) After challenged with Vibrio parahaemolyticus Ag01, the mortalities of Litopenaeus vannamei in N0, N4, N8 and N16 groups after 7 days were 53.85%, 25.64%, 23.08% and 51.28%, respectively. In conclusion, adding 4% and 8% fermented fermented Hermetia illucens L. in diets can not only alleviate the negative effects of plant protein replacing fish meal on the health of Litopenaeus vannamei, but also enhance its antioxidant capacity and immune function. Under the conditions of this experiment, the level of plant protein replacing fish meal should not exceed 33.33%, and the appropriate supplemental level of fermented Hermetia illucens L. is 4% to 8%。

This experiment was designed to explore the effects of dietary vitamin D₃(VD₃) supplementation under chronic ammonia nitrogen stress on the growth, serum biochemical indexes and antioxidant properties of juvenile yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco). A total of 360 juvenile yellow catfish with an average body weight of (1.23±0.02) g were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups, each with 3 replicates and 30 fish per replicate. The groups were as follows: control group (CON group, without ammonia nitrogen stress, the VD₃ level in the diet was 172 IU/kg), VD₃ group (without ammonia nitrogen stress, the VD₃ level in the diet was 3 950 IU/kg), AM group [under ammonia nitrogen stress, the total ammonia nitrogen (T-AN) content in the water was 25 mg/L and the non-ionic ammonia (NH₃) content was 0.37 mg/L, and the VD₃ level in the diet was 172 IU/kg], and AM+VD₃ group (under ammonia nitrogen stress, the T-AN content in the water was 25 mg/L and the NH₃ content was 0.37 mg/L, and the VD₃ level in the diet was 3 950 IU/kg). A 56-day aquaculture trial was conducted. The results showed that compared with the CON group, the final body weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate of yellow catfish in the VD₃ group were significantly increased (P<0.05); the serum total antioxidant capacity, activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were significantly enhanced (P<0.05), while the serum malondialdehyde content was significantly reduced (P<0.05). In contrast, the AM group showed significantly decreased weight gain rate, specific growth rate, serum total antioxidant capacity, and activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (P<0.05), along with significantly increased feed coefficient, serum malondialdehyde, glucose, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, cholesterol contents, and activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase (P<0.05). Additionally, the AM group exhibited significantly reduced relative expression level of solute carrier family 7 member 5 (SLC7A5) gene and cytoplasmic leucine content (P<0.05), but significantly increased relative expression level of myostatin (MSTN) gene (P<0.05). Compared with the AM group, the AM+VD₃ group showed comprehensive improvement in the adverse effects of ammonia nitrogen stress on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, glycolipid metabolism, and liver function of yellow catfish, with most indicators showing no significant difference from the CON group (P>0.05). In conclusion, dietary VD₃ supplementation can significantly improve the growth, antioxidant capacity, glycolipid metabolism, and liver function of yellow catfish, and can significantly alleviate the negative effects caused by ammonia nitrogen stress.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of shrimp meal freshness on growth performance, antioxidant capacity and hepatopancreas health of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Three experimental diets were formulated by adding shrimp meal with different freshness levels [fresh: total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content of 104 mg/100 g; medium freshness: TVB-N content of 200 mg/100 g; low freshness: TVB-N content of 300 mg/100 g] into the basal diet at a proportion of 9%, resulting in dietary TVB-N contents of 55 mg/100 g (ST55 group, added with fresh shrimp meal), 70 mg/100 g (ST70 group, added with medium freshness shrimp meal) and 78 mg/100 g (ST78 group, added with low-freshness shrimp meal), respectively. A total of 552 healthy Macrobrachium rosenbergii juveniles with uniform size and an initial body weight of (1.07±0.01) g were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups, with 4 replicates per group and 46 juveniles per replicate. The feeding trial lasted for 73 days. The results showed as follows: 1) the final body weight (FBW), survival rate (SR), weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), hepatosomatic index (HSI), and condition factor (CF) of ST70 group and ST78 group were significantly lower than those of ST55 group (P<0.05), while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly higher than that of ST55 group (P<0.05). 2) The activities of lipase (LPS), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in hepatopancreas, as well as the contents of nitric oxide (NO), total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) in serum of ST70 group and ST78 group were significantly lower than those of ST55 group (P<0.05), while the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity was significantly higher than that of ST55 group (P<0.05). 3) The mRNA relative expression levels of Relish, immune deficiency protein (IMD), GPx, copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) in hepatopancreas of ST70 group and ST78 group were significantly lower than those of ST55 group (P<0.05), while the mRNA relative expression levels of cysteine aspartate-specific protease 3 (Caspase3), cysteine aspartate-specific protease 9 (Caspase9), B-cell lymphoma-2 associated ovarian killer protein (Bok), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in hepatopancreas were significantly higher than those of ST55 group (P<0.05). 4) The results of ammonia-nitrogen stress and high-temperature stress tests showed that the cumulative survival rate of Macrobrachium rosenbergii in ST70 group and ST78 group was significantly lower than that in ST55 group (P<0.05). In conclusion, when the dietary TVB-N content exceeds 70 mg/100 g, the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and stress resistance of Macrobrachium rosenbergii are significantly reduced, and hepatopancreas cell apoptosis is induced.

This experiment aimed to explore the effects of vitamin B₆ on gonad growth, texture traits, collagen content and synthesis related gene expression in sea urchin (Mesocentrotus nudus). A total of 180 healthy juvenile sea urchins with an average initial body weight of (3.60±0.03) g were selected for the experiment and randomly divided into 4 groups, with 3 replicates in each group and 15 urchins in each replicate. The control group was fed with fresh kelp; the experimental groups were fed with the experimental diets prepared with gelatin and casein without vitamins as the main protein sources, and 0, 50 and 100 mg/kg of vitamin B₆ were added to the diets, respectively. The experiment lasted for 80 days. The results showed that compared with the control group and the 0 and 100 mg/kg vitamin B₆ groups, the gonad weight and gonad index in the 50 mg/kg vitamin B₆ group were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the contents of moisture and collagen in gonads were significantly increased (P<0.05); the hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness of the gonads in the 50 mg/kg vitamin B₆ group were significantly improved (P<0.05); the mRNA relative expression levels of collagen α1 (colp1α), collagen α2 (colp2α), collagen α3 (colp3α), Smad nuclear interaction protein 1 (snip1), transforming growth factor-β receptor 1 (tgfβr1), transforming growth factor-β receptor 2 (tgfβr2), and prolyl 4-hydroxylase β subunit (p4hβ) in gonads in the 50 mg/kg vitamin B₆ group were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the matrix metalloproteinase 14 (mmp14) mRNA relative expression level in gonads was significantly decreased (P<0.05). It can be seen that adding 50 mg/kg of vitamin B₆ to the diet can promote the gonad growth in sea urchin, increase the collagen content in gonads and improve their texture traits, and this is related to enhancing the expression of collagen synthesis genes and inhibiting the expression of collagen degradation genes.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary glutathione (GSH) supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, energy utilization rates and antioxidant function of growing minks. A total of 60 approximately 2-month-old and growing female minks were selected and randomly divided into 6 groups with 10 replicates per group and 1 mink per replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet, and the experimental groups were fed the basal diets supplemented with 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/kg GSH, respectively. The pre-experimental period lasted for 1 week, and the experimental period lasted for 9 weeks, which was divided into phase Ⅰ (weeks 1 to 4) and phase Ⅱ (weeks 5 to 9). The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the control group, the average daily feed intake (ADFI) during phase Ⅰ and whole phase of 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg GSH groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 2) Compared with the control group, the digestibility of ether extract and crude protein during phase Ⅰ of 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg GSH groups was significantly increased (P<0.05). 3) Compared with the control group, the gross energy during phase Ⅰ of 250 mg/kg GSH group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), the fecal energy during phase Ⅰ of 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/kg GSH groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the gross energy digestibility and utilization rate during phase Ⅰ of 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg GSH groups were significantly increased (P<0.05); the gross energy, digestive energy and metabolic energy during phase Ⅱ of 250 mg/kg GSH group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). 4) Compared with the control group, the serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity of 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg GSH groups was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the liver total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity of 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg GSH groups was significantly increased (P<0.05). In summary, dietary supplementated with 100 to 200 mg/kg GSH can improve the ether extract, crude protein digestibility and gross energy digestibility, utilization rate, and improve the body antioxidant function of growing minks.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of 1,8-cineole(CIN) and α-terpinol (TEP) and their combination from Cinnamomum longepaniculatum on growth performance, immune organ indexes, intestinal tissue morphology and serum antioxidant indexes in meat rabbits. A total of 128 healthy 35-day-old weaned New Zealand white rabbit kits were randomly divided into four groups with eight replicates per group and four rabbits per replicate. Rabbits in control group (CON group) were fed basal diets, and others in CNI group, TEP group, and CNI+TEP group were fed basal diets supplemented with 80 mg/kg CNI,80 mg/kg TEP, and compound oil (40 mg/kg CNI+40 mg/kg TEP). The preparation period was 5 days and formal experiment period was 42 days. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with CON group, the final body weight (FBW) in the TEP groups was significantly increased (P<0.05); the average daily gain (ADG) in the TEP group was significantly increased (P<0.01), while that in the CNI+TEP group was significantly increased (P<0.05). 2) Compared with CON group, the thymus index and spleen index in the TEP group were extremely significantly (P<0.01) and significantly increased (P<0.05), while those in the CNI group were also significantly increased (P<0.05). 3) The serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the TEP and CNI+TEP groups was significantly higher than that in the CON group (P<0.05). Conversely, the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content in TEP and CNI+TEP groups was markedly lower than that in CON group (P<0.05). Additionally, the serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the CNI+TEP group was significantly higher than that in all other groups (P<0.05). 4) Compared with CON group, the villus height(VH)and villus-to-crypt ratio (VCR)values of the jejunum in the CNI+TEP group were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the VCR of the jejunum in the CNI group was significantly increased (P<0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with the of 80 mg/kg CNI and TEP and their combination from Cinnamomum longepaniculatum essential oil in meat rabbits can improve or enhance growth performance, immune function, intestinal tissue morphology, and serum antioxidant indexes to varying degrees. Under the present experimental conditions, dietary supplementation with 80 mg/kg TEP demonstrates superior overall efficacy in meat rabbits when compared to an equimolar concentration of CNI.

This study aimed to investigated the effects of quercetin (Que) on the hepatocyte injury, iron ion deposition, and ferroptosis signaling pathway of deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced piglets. A total of 24 healthy weaned piglets (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire) [average body weight: (6.9±0.8) kg] at the age of 28 days were selected. According to body weight, they were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates per group, and 1 pig per replicate. A 2×2 factorial design was adopted, with the 4 groups being: control group, Que group, DON group, and Que+DON group. The control group was fed a basal diet, while the Que, DON, and Que+DON groups were supplemented with 100 mg/kg Que, 4 mg/kg DON, and 100 mg/kg Que+4 mg/kg DON based on the basal diet, respectively. After 21 days of feeding, piglets were slaughtered, and liver samples were collected for analysis. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the control group, the DON group exhibited disorganized hepatocyte cords around the central vein and significant inflammatory cell infiltration, and hepatocytes exhibited atrophy accompanied by characteristic cellular damage, including nuclear pyknosis, karyolysis, and cytoplasmic vacuolization. Compared with the DON group, the Que+DON group showed markedly alleviated hepatocellular morphology and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. 2) Compared with the control group, the DON group exhibited increased patchy blue granules and enhanced iron deposition in the liver. In contrast, the Que+DON group showed varying degrees of reduction in blue-stained granules and iron deposition relative to the DON group. 3) Compared with the control group, the DON group showed a significant increase in the mRNA relative expression of key ferroptosis-related genes, including ferroportin 1 (FPN1), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), transferrin (TF), and transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) (P<0.05), and exhibited a significant decrease in the mRNA relative expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) (P<0.05). Compared with the DON group, the Que+DON group showed significantly reduced mRNA expression of SLC7A11, TF, and TFR1 (P<0.05). In conclusion, under the conditions of this experiment, Que can inhibit the activation of the ferroptosis signaling pathway induced by DON, thereby alleviating hepatocyte injury and iron ion deposition in piglets.

This study aimed to establish a heat stress model in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) and investigate physiological changes and stress responses under thermal challenges. A completely randomized single-factor experimental design was employed, with BMECs divided into seven groups. After being exposed to 43 ℃ for 0 (control group), 1, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours, respectively, the cell proliferation rate and the expression of relevant genes in the cells were measured. Compared with the control group, the cell proliferation rates were significantly reduced to 65.86%, 59.44% and 55.67% after 4, 6 and 8 hours of heat treatment, respectively (P<0.05). The expression of heat shock protein-related genes, such as heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1), heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), was significantly upregulated after 4 hours of heat treatment compared with the control group (P<0.05), showing an initial increase followed by a decrease as the heat treatment duration extended. Compared with the control group, the expression of genes related to the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway, such as Nrf2, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), was significantly upregulated after 1 and 4 hours of heat treatment (P<0.05). Additionally, after 4 hours of heat treatment, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) decreased significantly (P<0.05), while the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, after 4 hours of heat treatment, the expression of genes related to the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway—NF-κB p65 and NF-κB p50 was significantly upregulated (P<0.05), and the contents of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were significantly increased (P<0.05). Additionally, heat treatment for 4 hours significantly downregulated the expression of milk protein synthesis-related genes, including mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), tyrosine-protein kinase 2 (JAK2), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) (P<0.05), while significantly increased the content of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). It is concluded that 43 ℃ exposure for 4 hours effectively establishes a heat stress model in BMECs.

This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of gut microbiota metabolite trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) on lipid metabolism and peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor α (PPARα) signaling pathway in dairy cows' hepatocytes. The experiment was divided into control group (CON group) and TMAO intervention group (FLD group), the optimal induction time was determined by measuring cell viability at different induction times using the CCK-8 assay. The oil red O staining and lipid quantification were performed to evaluate lipid droplet deposition in dairy cows' hepatocytes, and the contents of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TCHO), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) and apolipoprotein-B100 (Apo-B100) in hepatocytes and culture medium were measured. The real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of key genes in the PPARα signaling pathway, and the Western Blot was used to detect the expression of key proteins in the PPARα pathway. The results showed as follows: 1) the cell viability induced by 400 μmol/L TMAO at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 24 h showed a gradually decreasing trend, and the cell viability was significantly decreased to 71.05% at 15 h (P<0.05). 2) Compared with the CON group, the contents of TG and TCHO in hepatocytes of FLD group were significantly increased (P<0.05), the LDL-C content was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the MTTP and Apo-B100 contents were extremely significantly decreased (P<0.01); the contents of TG, TCHO, LDL-C, HDL-C and Apo-B100 in culture medium of FLD group were extremely significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the MTTP content was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 3) Compared with the CON group, the mRNA relative expression levels of fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthetase 1 (HMGCS1), long-chain acyl coenzyme A synthetases 1 (ACSL1) and PPARα in hepatocytes of FLD group were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01), and the mRNA relative expression levels of cytochrome P450 family 27 subfamily member 1 (CYP27A1) and solute carrier family 27 member 1 (SLC27A1) were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the protein relative expression levels of FADS2 and HMGCS1 were significantly increased (P<0.05). In conclusion, the gut microbiota metabolite TMAO can cause lipid metabolism disorders in dairy cows' hepatocytes, and affect the expression of key genes and proteins in the PPARα signaling pathway.

This study aimed to investigate the expression profile characteristics of microRNA (miRNA) in rumen tissue of Hulunbuir sheep at different growth stages, as well as the potential correlations between the miRNA expression patterns and their associated growth and development phenotypic indicators, in order to provide scientific support for understanding the miRNA molecular regulatory mechanism of rumen epithelial development and optimizing feeding management strategies. Twenty-four healthy male Holunbuir sheep with the similar weight (18.70±1.30) kg and at 90 days of age were randomly divided into 4 groups (6 sheep in each group). Body weight was measured at 90 (3 months of age, designated as M3), 150 (5 months of age, M5), 180 (6 months of age, M6), and 240 days of age (8 months of age, M8). On the same days, jugular vein blood samples were collected to determine indicators such as free amino acid and immunoglobulin contents. After slaughter, rumen tissue was collected to extract total RNA, construct a miRNA library, and perform Illumina sequencing. The results showed as follows: 1) a total of 1 698 microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified in the rumen tissue. There were 568 differentially expressed miRNAs among the groups (accounting for 33.5%). Compared with the stage M3, the number of differentially expressed miRNAs in the stages M5, M6 and M8 was 118, 100 and 111, respectively. 2) Among the 26 differentially expressed miRNAs co-existing in the stages M5, M6, and M8 compared with the stage M3, the expression levels of all miRNAs were significantly downregulated (P<0.05), with the expression levels of miR-1490 and miR-846, which showed significant upregulation (P<0.05). 3) Compared with the stage M3, the differentially expressed miRNAs at the stages M5, M6 and M8 mainly enriched the FcγR-mediated phagocytosis signaling pathway; compared with the stage M5, the differentially expressed miRNAs at the stages M6 and M8 mainly enriched the Notch signaling pathway; compared with the stage M6, the differentially expressed miRNAs at the stage M8 mainly enriched the endogenous cannabinoid signaling pathway. 4) The identified miRNA could be divided into 13 co-expression modules. Among them, the blue module containing 175 miRNAs with miR-1185-3p as the representative was significantly positively correlated with the glycine (Gly) content in peripheral blood (r=0.52, P=0.011), the black module containing 53 miRNAs with miR-1024 as the representative was significantly positively correlated with the immunoglobulin A (IgA) content in peripheral blood (r=0.49, P=0.016), and the brown module containing 269 miRNAs with miR-10b as the representative was significantly negatively correlated with the methionine (Met) (r=-0.47,P=0.015) and growth hormone (GH) contents (r=-0.47, P=0.018) in peripheral blood. In summary, the expression profile of miRNA in rumen tissue of Hulunbuir sheep at different growth stages are different. The differentially expressed miRNAs are involved in regulating signaling pathways such as FcγR phagocytosis, Notch signalling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor signalling pathways. The miRNAs in rumen tissue indirectly participate in regulating the growth and development of Hulunbuir sheep by influencing the secretion of Gly, IgA, Met and GH in the blood.

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which quercetin modulates intestinal inflammation in broilers using network pharmacology and molecular docking. The potential targets of quercetin were searched in the TCMSP database, and verify the obtained targets using the UniProt database. The targets related to intestinal inflammation in broilers were acquired from the GeneCards and OMIM databases, respectively, and the acquired target data were integrated and de-duplicated. Intersection analysis was conducted on potential targets of quercetin and those targets related to intestinal inflammation. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, GO functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were carried out on the common targets obtained. Finally, core targets were screened and verified by molecular docking. The results showed as follows: 1) a total of 48 quercetin-potential targets and 1 261 intestinal inflammation-related targets were obtained, including 9 core targets, they were interleukin 6 (IL6), transforming growth factor β1 (TGFB1), myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (MYC), collagen type Ⅲ α1 chain (COL3A1), B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF1A), and cyclin D1 (CCND1). 2) Molecular docking showed that quercetin had strong binding affinity for the core targets (all binding energies <-25 kJ/mol). 3) GO functional annotation analysis identified 69 items in biological process (BP), 8 items in cellular component (CC), and 16 items in molecular function (MF). 4) KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed 24 signaling pathways, including focal adhesion, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and C-type lectin receptor signaling pathways. It is concluded that quercetin may alleviate intestinal inflammation in broilers by acting on multiple targets and pathways. This provides a theoretical basis for its use in broiler production.

This study aimed to construct and evaluate a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) prediction model for starch content in total mixed rations (TMR) using machine learning algorithms. From February 2022 to June 2024, a total of 778 TMR samples were collected from 160 large-scale dairy farms across 18 provinces and cities in China. Combining NIRS technology with machine learning algorithms, the study assessed the effects of different spectral preprocessing methods, different calibration set data sizes and 10 machine learning algorithms on TMR starch content prediction model. The results showed as follows: 1) the principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS) models built using raw near-infrared spectral data achieved the best prediction performance, with root mean squared prediction error (RMSPE) of 6.53% and 6.55%, respectively. 2) When using PCR and PLS methods for modeling, the NIRS models established exhibited high prediction accuracy (RMSPE of 6.93% and 7.05%, respectively) when the calibration set data size reached or exceeded 396 samples. 3) The prediction accuracy [RMSPE≥8.38% and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC)<0.80] of models constructed based on algorithms such as support vector machine with linear kernel, support vector machine with radial basis function kernel, decision tree, random forest, multiple linear regression, ridge regression, Lasso regression and elastic net regression was slightly lower than that of the PCR and PLS models (RMSPE<7.00% and CCC=0.88). In conclusion, the optimal modeling strategy determined in this study is raw spectral data+PLS/PCR algorithms. Based on this strategy, NIRS data can be obtained in actual farm production by scanning fresh TMR samples to predict starch content, thereby enabling rapid, real-time and accurate monitoring of dietary starch content.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different particle sizes on the quality of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) prediction models for starch content in whole-plant corn under a hammer mill grinding mode. A total of 180 representative whole-plant corn samples from diverse regions in China were collected. After air-drying, each sample was subjected to four processing methods: grinding to 1.0 mm using a cyclone mill (control), and grinding to 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 mm using a hammer mill. NIRS scanning was performed on each processed sample, followed by wet chemical analysis of starch content to evaluate the impact of grinding particle size on the construction effect of the prediction models. The results demonstrated that the NIRS prediction model for starch content established under the hammer mill grinding to 2.0 mm treatment had the best performance, with the key evaluation indicators as root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP)=1.208, standard error of prediction (SEP)=1.207, slope=1.026, determination coefficient of prediction ( R_{\mathrm{p}}^2)=0.969, average deviation between the measured value and the predicted value (Bias)=-0.048, relative percent deviation (RPD)=3.843, and SEP/standard error of cross-validation (SECV)=0.807, respectively, which was superior to hammer mill grinding to 3.0 mm (RMSEP=1.277, SEP=1.277, slope=0.999, R_{\mathrm{p}}^2=0.965, Bias=0.008, RPD=3.635, and SEP/SECV=0.807) and hammer mill grinding to 4.0 mm (RMSEP=1.907, SEP=1.896, slope=1.118, R_{\mathrm{p}}^2=0.927, Bias=-0.198, RPD=2.324, and SEP/SECV=1.023). It can be seen from this that in the hammer mill grinding mode, choosing a particle size of 2.0 mm for sample pretreatment can effectively improve the quantitative analysis accuracy of the starch content in whole-plant corn by NIRS technology, and has a good application prospect.

As important mediators of intercellular communication, exosomes are involved in various physiological and pathological processes of the body. Establishing an efficient isolation system is crucial for exploring their functions. In this study, ultra-high-speed centrifugation, and pretreatment of sheep milk with acetic acid and sodium citrate were used. Transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and determination of RNA and protein concentrations were combined to compare the morphological structure and purification efficiency of exosomes in different pretreatment groups. The results showed that the exosomes obtained by the three pretreatment methods all had a typical “teacup” structure, and the particle size distribution was 50 to 150 nm. Among them, the exosome particle number in the sodium citrate pretreatment group was the highest (6.3×10⁷ particles/mL), the RNA concentration [(15.47±0.96) μg/μL] was extremely significantly higher than that in the ultra-high-speed centrifugation group (P<0.01), and the protein concentration [(1 903.0±36.3) μg/mL] was extremely significantly higher than that in the acetic acid pretreatment group (P<0.01). In conclusion, sodium citrate can selectively remove casein micelles in sheep milk by chelating calcium ions, and the purification effect is the best.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different removal technologies on tea saponin content and nutritional values of camellia seed meal before and after treatment, with the aim of obtaining the best technology and optimizing the combination of strains and the co-fermentation process of bacteria and enzymes. Firstly, the effects of different hot water extraction time, material to water ratios and extraction temperatures on the removal of tea saponin were explored, and the optimal hot water extraction conditions were screened out; secondly, taking the removal rate of tea saponin as an indicator, the best combination of fermentation strains and the best process were screened out, and taking the degradation rate of crude fiber as an indicator, the best ratio of enzyme preparations was screened out; finally, taking the removal rate of tea saponin as an indicator, the best co-fermentation process of bacteria and enzymes was screened out. The results showed as follows: 1) the optimal hot water extraction conditions obtained through screening were extraction time of 4 hours, material to water ratio of 1∶11, and extraction temperature of 80 ℃. The removal rate of tea saponin was 72.75%. However, after extraction, the contents of crude protein, total sugar and reducing sugar in camellia seed meal were significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the crude fiber content was significantly increased (P<0.05). 2) Three strains of tea saponin-degrading bacteria were screened out, which were Saccharomyces CJM27, Bacillus subtilis CYB41 and Aspergillus niger CMCC. 3) The optimal process for the co-fermentation of bacteria and enzymes involved: first, 150 U/g cellulase, 50 U/g xylanase and 100 U/g β-glucanase were added, and enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out for 2 days under the condition of material to water ratio of 1.0∶0.4; then 1×10⁶ CFU/mL Lactobacillus casei A20170701, 1×10⁶ CFU/mL Saccharomyces CJM27, 1×10⁸ CFU/mL Bacillus subtilis CYB41 and 1×10⁷ CFU/mL Aspergillus niger CMCC were inoculated, and the material to water ratio was adjusted to 1.00∶0.50; after fermentation in a constant temperature incubator at 32 ℃ for 84 hours, the removal rate of tea saponin reached 61.64%. After the co-fermentation of bacteria and enzymes, the contents of crude protein, reducing sugar and total amino acids in camellia seed meal were increased by 7.80%, 168.32% and 7.97% (P<0.05), while the contents of crude fiber and total phenol were decreased by 13.70% and 11.64% (P<0.05), respectively. In conclusion, the co-fermentation of bacteria and enzymes can effectively reduce the tea saponin content in camellia seed meal and enhance its nutritional values. The effect is superior to that of hot water extraction, which provides effective technical support for the development and utilization of camellia seed meal.

In order to improve the comprehensive utilization of seaweed resources, this study used seaweed residue-a byproduct of seaweed processing-as raw material to produce fermented seaweed feed through synergistic fermentation with cellulase and EM complex bacteria, and optimized the fermentation process. A single-factor experiment was first conducted to investigate the effects of material moisture content, EM complex bacteria addition amount, cellulase addition amount, fermentation temperature, and fermentation time on the crude fiber and crude protein contents of the fermented seaweed feed. Subsequently, based on the results of the single-factor experiment, response surface method was used to optimize the EM complex bacteria addition amount, cellulase addition amount, fermentation temperature, and fermentation time, so as to determine the optimal fermentation process for producing fermented seaweed feed from seaweed residue. Finally, the quality of the fermented seaweed feed produced under the optimal process conditions was evaluated. The results showed that the optimal process of seaweed feed was as follows: material moisture content 50%, EM complex bacteria addition amount 14%, cellulase addition amount 4%, fermentation temperature 36 ℃, and fermentation time 7 days. The fermented seaweed feed prepared under these optimal conditions exhibited typical fermented sour aroma, loose and uniform structure, slight discoloration, and was free of off-odors or impurities; the contents of crude fiber and crude protein of the fermented seaweed feed fermented under the optimal process conditions were 14.28% and 16.17%, respectively; all microbial indicators, including total colony count and E. coli count, complied with the Hygienical Standard for Feed (GB 13078—2017). In conclusion, the process parameters for producing fermented seaweed feed from seaweed residue through synergistic fermentation using EM complex bacteria and cellulase by combining single-factor experiment with response surface method are optimized in this study. Consequently, an efficient fermentation process model was established with crude fiber and crude protein contents as the core evaluation indicators.

This study aimed to analyze the probiotic characteristics and safety and whole-genome analysis of Lactobacillus reuteri SBC5-3 derived from Saba pigs, to provide theoretical support for its development as a candidate strain for livestock microbial agents. The phenotypic tests were conducted to evaluate the adhesion ability, antimicrobial activity against major intestinal pathogens, antioxidant activity, hemolytic activity and biogenic amine synthesis ability, the whole-genome sequencing was performed using PacBio Sequel Ⅱ and Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platforms, combined with various bioinformatics tools to analyze genomic functional characteristics, and elucidated its probiotic characteristics and safety from both phenotypic and genetic dimensions. The results showed that the strain SBC5-3 exhibited strong hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation ability and adhesion index of IPEC-J2 cells, inhibitory growth ability of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 49521, Escherichia coli K88 and Salmonella choleraesuis CVCC 3383, producting superoxide dismutaseion and scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and hydroxyl radical ability, with no hemolytic activity and biogenic amine synthesis. The whole-genome of strain SBC5-3 existed secondary metabolite gene clusters encoding type Ⅲ polyketide synthase (T3PKS) and class Ⅲ bacteriocin nterolysin A (EnlA) synthesis related gene clusters, and multiple stress resistance and probiotic genes related to acid resistant, bile salt resistant, cold and heat stress resistant, adhesion, organic acid production, antioxidant and essential vitamin biosynthesis, while no virulence genes were identified. In conclusion, the L. reuteri SBC5-3 derived from Saba pigs demonstrates favorable probiotic characteristics and safety at both phenotypic and genomic levels, making it a potential candidate strain for novel microbial agents in livestock.

The objective of this study was to isolate and identify canine-derived canine-derived Lactobacillus plantarum (CLP) with good cholesterol-reducing ability, and to explore their probiotics and safety. The strains were isolated, purified and identified from the feces of Beagle dogs, and the Lactobacillus plantarum was screened out for the determination of bile salt dissociation ability and cholesterol removal rate in vitro, and the canine-derived Lactobacillus plantarum 51 (CLP51) with the best cholesterol-reducing ability in vitro was selected. The probiotics and safety of the CLP51 were explored by biochemical identification, the growth curve, acid production curve, free radical scavenging ability, tolerance, hydrophobicity, self-cohesion, antibacterial property, antibiotics sensitivity and safety were measured. In mice safety test, 48 Kunming white mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (12 mice per group), and they were given 0.2 mL of normal saline (CON group), 1×10⁹ (L group), 1×10¹⁰ (M group) and 1×10¹¹ CFU/mL (H group) bacterial solution every day for 28 days. The results showed as follows: 1) the 4 strains of Lactobacillus plantarum were screened out with bile salt dissociation ability, CLP51 had the best performance, and the cholesterol removal rate was 24.34% at 24 h. 2) CLP51 entered the growth stability period after 15 h, and the pH of the bacterial solution was stable at about 3.9 after 18 h. 3) The free radical scavenging rate of CLP51 was higher, the number of viable bacteria was 1.35×10⁸ CFU/mL after 60 ℃ treatment, the survival rate was more than 90% in the environment of pH=3 and different concentrations of bile salts, the survival rates in artificial gastric juice, intestinal juice and gastrointestinal fluid were 41.63%, 100.21% and 46.19%, respectively, and showed high hydrophobic and good self-coagulation, γ-hemolytic, bacterial suspension and cell-free supernatant could inhibit the growth and proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. 4) CLP51 had no significant effects on body weight, average daily gain, average daily feed intake and organ indexes of mice (P>0.05), and the serum glutathione peroxidase activity in H group was significantly higher than that in CON group, L group and M group (P<0.05). In summary, CLP51 has good cholesterol-reducing ability in vitro, probiotics and safety, and can be used as a candidate for canine-derived probiotics.

This experiment aimed to explore the effects of different additives and fermentation time on fermentation quality, in vitro digestibility and long-chain fatty acid contents of high-moisture corn silage. The experiment used crushed high-moisture corn as raw material and designed a total of 5 groups with 3 replicates in each group. Among them, the acetic acid group (AA group) was added with 0.04% acetic acid (based on fresh samples, the same as below), the Lactobacillus buchneri group (LB group) was added with 1×10⁶ CFU/g Lactobacillus buchneri, the potassium sorbate group (PS group) was added with 0.2% potassium sorbate, and the Lactobacillus buchneri+potassium sorbate group (LBPS group) was added with 1×10⁶ CFU/g Lactobacillus buchneri+0.2% potassium sorbate. All the additives were dissolved in 30 mL of sterile water and evenly added to the high-moisture corn raw material. The control group (CON group) was added with the same volume of phosphate buffered saline. The mixture was sealed and fermented for 45 days, and samples were taken for analysis on days 3, 7, 20 and 45 of fermentation, respectively. The results showed as follows: 1) the interaction between additive and fermentation time had significant effects on the pH of high-moisture corn silage and the contents of lactic acid and ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) (P<0.05). Compared with CON group, the pH in LBPS group was significantly decreased on day 45 of fermentation (P<0.05). The lactic acid content in LBPS group on days 20 and 45 of fermentation was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P<0.05). The NH₃-N content on day 45 of fermentation was significantly higher than that at the other fermentation time (P<0.05), and the NH₃-N content in LB group on day 45 of fermentation was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P<0.05). 2) The in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) in LB group and LBPS group was significantly higher than that in the other groups and raw material (P<0.05). 3) Compared with CON group, the contents of α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in LB group were significantly increased (P<0.05). 4) Compared with CON group, the zein content in each additive group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). In conclusion, fermentation for 45 days and the addition of Lactobacillus buchneri+potassium sorbate can improve the fermentation quality of high-moisture corn silage better.

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and chemical salts additives on the fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and microbial community of forage mulberry silage, aiming to provide references for the development, utilization, and storage of forage mulberry. A total of 300 g forage mulberry ensiled with 5×10⁶ CFU/g fresh matter (FM) Lactobacillus acidophilus (LAB treatment) and 2 g/kg FM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA, EDTA treatment), respectively. The additives were dissolved in 2 mL of sterile distilled water and added to the ensiled raw materials. The same amount of sterile distilled water was added as a control (CK treatment). Then, the samples were packed in polyethylene bags and vacuum-sealed. Samples were collected after 60 days of ensiling and subsequent aerobic exposure for 2, 4 and 7 days to evaluate fermentation quality, nutrient contents, bacterial and fungal community composition, and to evaluate the aerobic deterioration of forage mulberry. The results demonstrated that the pH of the LAB treatment was consistently significantly lower than that of the EDTA and CK treatments (P<0.05). The addition of LAB and EDTA significantly increased lactic acid (LA) content (P<0.05), and butyric acid was not detected in these treatments before 2 days of aerobic exposure. The ratio of ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen (NH₃-N/TN) increased with prolonged aerobic exposure time, however, the LAB treatment remained at the lowest level, showing significant differences compared with the other treatments (P<0.05). The core temperature of each treatment varied but did not exceed the ambient temperature by more than 2 ℃. Compared with the 0 day of aerobic exposure, only the pH of CK treatment increased over 0.6 after 7 days of aerobic exposure. At the bacterial phylum level, the dominant phylum of the fresh sample of forage mulberry was the Proteobacteria, while the relative abundance of the Firmicutes increased after silage; at the bacterial genus level, the relative abundance of Lactiplantibacillus in the CK treatment increased with prolonged aerobic exposure time, while the other two treatments decreased. At the bacterial species level, the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria increased in the LAB treatment, and a higher relative abundance of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus was found. At the fungal genus level, the addition of LAB effectively reduced the diversity and relative abundance of harmful fungi. In conclusion, the addition of Lactobacillus acidophilus can improve the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and microbial community structure of forage mulberry silage, while the addition of EDTA can enhance its aerobic stability.