Lin Yuan

Meat quality is a vital economic trait in geese and is largely determined by embryonic muscle development. Building on previously reported whole‐genome resequencing and breast muscle transcriptome data from Xianghai Flying (XHF) Goose and Zi Goose, two breeds with divergent meat quality, f ib ulin ‐ 1 ( FBLN1 ) was identified as a candidate gene showing both strong selection signals and significant differential expression. FBLN1 was overexpressed and knocked down in primary goose embryonic myoblasts. Because no goose‐specific antibody is commercially available, all readouts were obtained at the mRNA level. FBLN1 was found to promote myoblast proliferation and to accelerate the G1/S cell cycle transition, with increased expression of CCND1 and CDK2 . Apoptosis was concurrently suppressed, accompanied by downregulation of Bax and upregulation of Bcl‐2 , whereas transcript levels of Caspase‐3 and Caspase‐9 remained unaltered. The mRNA levels of the myogenic differentiation markers Myomaker , MYOD1 , and MYF5 were correspondingly affected. Bioinformatic analyses predicted FBLN1 to be an extracellular matrix protein that interacts with proteins implicated in muscle elasticity, tenderness, and juiciness. These findings suggest that FBLN1 plays an important role in embryonic myoblast development and represents a valuable candidate gene for improving goose meat quality, thereby offering new perspectives for poultry molecular breeding.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) are rate-limiting enzymes of the kynurenine pathway, well-characterized in mammals. Unlike all other vertebrates, chickens lack the IDO1 gene and exclusively rely on IDO2/TDO2 for tryptophan (Trp) catabolism; however, their biochemical features and physiological regulatory functions remain poorly defined. Here, we integrated dietary Trp intervention, multi-omics profiling, recombinant enzyme kinetics, and in vitro/inflammatory animal models to characterize chicken IDO2 and TDO2. Supplementary dietary Trp maintained circulating Trp homeostasis while activating hepatic kynurenine metabolism being associated with reduced PPAR signaling and altered lipid and energy balance. Hepatic combined IDO2/TDO2 catalytic activity increased markedly with Trp supplementation; this increase was accompanied by only modest transcriptional upregulation of kynurenine pathway genes (including IDO2, TDO2, and KYNU) and no major changes in their protein abundance, indicating post-translational functional modulation. Recombinant enzyme assays demonstrated optimal activity at chicken physiological pH of 7.2 and temperature of 42 °C; chicken IDO2 displayed measurable catalytic efficiency, which was lower than that of chicken TDO2, whereas its human ortholog showed no detectable activity under the same conditions. Furthermore, LPS and APEC infection significantly suppressed the combined total IDO2/TDO2 activity during inflammatory stress, revealing an avian-specific metabolic–immune regulatory pattern. This work defines the unique biochemical and physiological functions of avian IDO2 and TDO2, offering mechanistic references for poultry nutritional regulation and disease control.

In this study, we aimed to explore the intestinal microbiota structure of Xichuan black-bone chickens (XBCs) and evaluate the effect of fecal microbiota substitute transplantation (FMST) by comparing it with traditional fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Metagenomic sequencing was used to analyze the microbiota composition and diversity of different intestinal segments (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, and rectum) of adult XBCs. Probiotic strains were subsequently isolated and screened from the cecal contents under anaerobic conditions to prepare FMST preparations. In total, 90 1-day-old XBCs were randomly divided into the FMT group, FMST group and control group (CK) for the transplantation experiment. The results revealed that the cecum had the highest species richness among all intestinal segments, with a mean species number of 7593.2. Three probiotic strains, namely, Lactobacillus crispatus, Weissella paramesenteroides and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, were successfully screened and identified. In the transplantation experiment, the FMT group exhibited optimal α diversity of the cecal microbiota, while compared with the FMT group, the FMST group had significantly reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β) and increased expression of intestinal tight junction proteins (claudin-1 and ZO-1). In conclusion, the cecum of XBCs has the most abundant microbial resources. Under the short-term intervention model tested herein, the custom FMST formulation delivers superior intestinal protective effects and shows promising potential as a standardized alternative to conventional FMT, which is highly important for the standardized application of fecal microbiota transplantation in poultry production.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of modified corn straw dietary fiber (MCDF) on growth performance, nutrient metabolism, serum biochemistry, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and hepatic lipid deposition in broilers. A total of 200 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allotted to four groups: the control group was fed basal diet, while three treatment groups supplemented with MCDF at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% of the basal diet, respectively. The results revealed that MCDF reduced ADG (p = 0.008) and increased feed/gain (p = 0.028) in the early stage, with no significant effects on ADG and feed/gain in the later or overall rearing periods (p > 0.05). In the early stage, 1% and 1.5% MCDF reduced ether extract metabolizability (p = 0.001), and 0.5–1.5% MCDF reduced phosphorus metabolizability (p < 0.001). Compared to the control group, 0.5–1.5% MCDF had no significant effects on nutrient metabolism in later stage and slaughter performance, but it reduced the 24 h pH of breast muscle and serum levels of LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, TC, and GLU (p < 0.05). The 1% MCDF decreased L* at 15 min and 24 h of leg muscle (p < 0.05). The 0.5% and 1% MCDF increased serum T-AOC levels and 1% MCDF increased CAT (p < 0.05), whereas 1.5% MCDF decreased SOD (p < 0.05). MCDF increased the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio by reducing crypt depth (p < 0.05) and improved the histomorphology of hepatocytes, accompanied by a reduction in the number of lipid droplets in the liver. Therefore, 0.5–1.5% MCDF can be recommended in broiler diets in the later stage, as it had no negative effects on growth performance, nutrient metabolism, and effectively reduced blood lipids and glucose levels, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and ameliorated hepatic vacuolar degeneration and lipid deposition.

Aflatoxins B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) are the three most prevalent mycotoxins, whose contamination of food and feed is a severe worldwide problem. In order to alleviate the toxic effects of multi-mycotoxins (AFB1 + DON + ZEA, ADZ) on inflammation and apoptosis in swine jejunal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2), three species of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pseudomonas lactis at 1 × 10⁵ CFU/mL, respectively) were mixed together to make compound probiotics (CP), which were further combined with 400 μg/mL of glycyrrhinic acid (GA) to make bioactive materials (CGA). The experiment was divided into four groups, i.e., the control, ADZ, CGA and ADZ + CGA groups. The results showed that ADZ decreased cell viability and induced cytotoxicity, while CGA addition could alleviate ADZ-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, the mRNA expressions of IL-8, TNF-α, NF-Κb, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-1 and ASCT2 genes, and protein expressions of TNF-α and Claudin-1 were significantly upregulated in ADZ group; while the mRNA abundances of IL-8, TNF-α, NF-Κb, Caspase-3, ASCT2 genes, and protein expressions of TNF-α and Claudin-1 were significantly downregulated in the ADZ + CGA group. In addition, the protein expressions of COX-2, ZO-1, and ASCT2 were significantly downregulated in the ADZ group, compared with the control group; whereas CGA co-incubation with ADZ could increase these protein expressions to recover to normal levels. This study indicated that CGA could alleviate cytotoxicity, apoptosis and inflammation in ADZ-induced IPEC-J2 cells and protect intestinal cell integrity from ADZ damages.

The objective of this study was to explore the therapeutic effects of berberine on necrotic enteritis (NE) in broilers caused by Clostridium perfringens. A total of 240 1‐day‐old Arbor Acres chicks were divided into four groups, as negative controls (NC), positive controls (PC), berberine‐ (BER‐) treated, or lincomycin‐ (LMY‐) treated groups. Broilers were challenged with C. perfringens at 15‐21 days of age, followed by BER or LMY supplied in drinking water for 7 days. Experimental results showed that C. perfringens infection significantly decreased growth performance and increased intestinal necrosis index and the number of C. perfringens present to 6.45 Log₁₀CFU/g (P < 0.001). Proinflammatory cytokines in the ileum were significantly increased, but the expression of ileal tight junction proteins occludin and claudin‐1 was significantly reduced. Both BER and LMY ameliorated some of these observations. Compared with the PC group, the number of C. perfringens in the cecum was significantly decreased following treatment (P < 0.001), and growth performance and small intestine morphology were similar to those of the NC group (P > 0.05). IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α levels as well as occludin and claudin‐1 expression were also significantly improved (P < 0.05). BER has the potential to replace antibiotics for NE caused by C. perfringens.

Three hundred one-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross-308) were fed corn-soybean basal diets containing non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) enzyme and different levels of acid protease from 1 to 42 days of age to investigate the effects of exogenous enzymes on growth performance, digestive function, activity of endogenous digestive enzymes in the pancreas and mRNA expression of pancreatic digestive enzymes. For days 1-42, compared to the control chickens, average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG) were significantly enhanced by the addition of NSP enzyme in combination with protease supplementation at 40 or 80 mg/kg (p<0.05). Feed-to-gain ratio (FGR) was significantly improved by supplementation with NSP enzymes or NSP enzyme combined with 40 or 80 mg/kg protease compared to the control diet (p<0.05). Apparent digestibility of crude protein (ADCP) was significantly enhanced by the addition of NSP enzyme or NSP enzyme combined with 40 or 80 mg/kg protease (p<0.05). Cholecystokinin (CCK) level in serum was reduced by 31.39% with NSP enzyme combined with protease supplementation at 160 mg/kg (p<0.05), but the CCK level in serum was increased by 26.51% with NSP enzyme supplementation alone. After 21 days, supplementation with NSP enzyme and NSP enzyme combined with 40 or 80 mg/kg protease increased the activity of pancreatic trypsin by 74.13%, 70.66% and 42.59% (p<0.05), respectively. After 42 days, supplementation with NSP enzyme and NSP enzyme combined with 40 mg/kg protease increased the activity of pancreatic trypsin by 32.45% and 27.41%, respectively (p<0.05). However, supplementation with NSP enzyme and 80 or 160 mg/kg protease decreased the activity of pancreatic trypsin by 10.75% and 25.88%, respectively (p<0.05). The activities of pancreatic lipase and amylase were significantly higher in treated animals than they were in the control group (p<0.05). Supplementation with NSP enzyme, NSP enzyme combined with 40 or 80 mg/kg protease increased pancreatic trypsin mRNA levels by 40%, 44% and 28%, respectively. Supplementation with NSP enzyme and 160 mg/kg protease decreased pancreatic trypsin mRNA levels by 13%. Pancreatic lipase and amylase mRNA expression were significantly elevated in treated animals compared to the control group (p<0.05). These results suggest that the amount of NSP enzyme and acid protease in the diet significantly affects digestive function, endogenous digestive-enzyme activity and mRNA expression in broilers.