Shimeng Huang

Mannan oligosaccharides (MOSs) are used as prebiotic feed additives, but their effects on lactating donkeys and their offspring remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of maternal dietary MOS supplementation on milk composition, foal growth and serum biochemical parameters, and the fecal microbiota of Dezhou donkey foals. We randomly allocated 16 healthy lactating Dezhou donkeys and their foals to the control group (OCON) or the mannan-oligosaccharide supplementation group (OMOS; mannan-oligosaccharides were mixed into concentrate at 0.5 g/kg DM), with 8 replicates per group. The experiment lasted for 60 days. Maternal MOS supplementation did not significantly alter milk fat, protein, lactose, somatic cell count, or milk urea nitrogen, although milk fat and protein were numerically higher in the OMOS group; however, milk somatic cell count was significantly reduced in the OMOS group (p = 0.023). Foals from MOS-supplemented jennies tended to show greater total body weight gain and average daily gain. Serum total cholesterol and LDL-C concentrations were significantly lower, whereas HDL-C was significantly higher, in OMOS foals. MOS supplementation was associated with changes in specific bacterial taxa in the fecal microbiota of donkey foals, rather than a generalized alteration of the overall microbial community. Overall, maternal MOS supplementation was associated with favorable changes in foal growth and cholesterol metabolism, a reduction in milk somatic cell count, and selective alterations in fecal bacterial taxa.

This study evaluated the effects of dietary selenium-enriched Bacillus subtilis (HBS) supplementation on laying performance, egg quality, and responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. A total of 120 Jinghong-1 laying hens received a basal or HBS-supplemented diet for 12 weeks. Subsequently, hens within each dietary replicate were allocated to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)- or LPS-injected subgroups, and one hen per subgroup was sampled 12 h after injection, yielding six sampled hens per treatment combination. HBS supplementation reduced the feed-to-egg ratio (1.96 vs. 2.15, p = 0.023) and increased albumen height (7.17 vs. 6.60 mm, p = 0.003) and Haugh unit (83.01 vs. 78.65, p = 0.001). Compared with LPS, HBS+LPS showed lower serum IL-1β concentrations, higher CAT and T-SOD activities, greater jejunal villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, and higher expression of selected antioxidant- and tight-junction-related genes. Jejunal cytokine responses varied among genes. No significant differences in the measured cecal alpha-diversity indices were detected, whereas exploratory LEfSe analysis identified several treatment-associated taxa. Cecal butyrate concentration was higher in HBS than in CON, with no significant difference between HBS+LPS and LPS. Collectively, these findings indicate that HBS supplementation improved feed utilization and albumen quality and was associated with changes in selected antioxidant, inflammatory, and intestinal responses following LPS challenge. The contributions of selenium and B. subtilis could not be distinguished.

Yeast hydrolysate (YH) is a yeast-derived functional feed ingredient containing bioactive peptides, amino acids, nucleotides, β-glucans, and mannan oligosaccharides, which may exert prebiotic-like effects by regulating nutrient metabolism, host health, and intestinal microbial homeostasis. However, its effects on lactating Dezhou jennies remain largely unclear. This study investigated the effects of dietary YH supplementation on body weight change, serum biochemical parameters, serum metabolomic profiles, and fecal microbiota composition in lactating Dezhou jennies. Sixteen healthy lactating Dezhou jennies were randomly assigned to a control group fed a basal diet (MCON, n = 8) or a YH supplementation group fed the basal diet supplemented with YH (MYE, n = 8) for 60 days. Compared with the MCON group, the MYE group showed numerically higher final body weight and body weight change. Serum biochemical analysis showed that YH supplementation significantly decreased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities and increased triglyceride (TG) concentrations, while all measured biochemical parameters remained within physiological reference ranges. Serum metabolomic profiling identified 193 differential metabolites between the two groups, including 55 upregulated and 138 downregulated metabolites in the MYE group. These metabolites were mainly associated with amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, bile acid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, mineral absorption, ABC transporters, and protein digestion and absorption, indicating that YH supplementation reshaped nutrient-related metabolic pathways in lactating Dezhou jennies. Fecal microbiota analysis showed no significant changes in α-diversity or overall community structure; however, the MYE group displayed numerically higher microbial richness indices, more unique ASVs and genera, a lower relative abundance of Bacteroidota, and a higher relative abundance of Bacillota. LEfSe analysis further revealed enrichment of specific bacterial taxa in the MYE group, including Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Anaerovorax, and UCG-related taxa. Collectively, these preliminary findings suggest that dietary YH supplementation may alter selected serum biochemical indices and circulating metabolites and may selectively affect the relative abundance of certain fecal bacterial taxa in lactating Dezhou jennies. However, given the limited sample size, these results should be interpreted cautiously, and larger-scale studies are needed to confirm their reproducibility and practical significance.

Yeast hydrolysate (YH) has attracted increasing interest as a functional feed additive because of its potential benefits for maternal nutrition and offspring development. However, its effects on milk composition and the physiological responses of donkey foals remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of dietary YH supplementation in lactating Dezhou jennies on milk composition, as well as growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and fecal microbiota in their foals. Sixteen healthy jennies and their foals were randomly assigned to a control group (OCON) or a YH-supplemented group (OYE; 0.5 g/kg diet) for 60 days. Maternal dietary YH supplementation significantly increased milk fat and milk protein contents. Foals in the OYE group showed a tendency toward greater back skin thickness, although the difference was not statistically significant, while body weight and neck skin thickness were unaffected. Serum biochemical analysis showed increased HDL-C and total cholesterol concentrations together with decreased triglyceride and LDL-C concentrations in the OYE group. In addition, serum ALT activity was significantly decreased, whereas AST levels were significantly increased. Fecal microbiota analysis indicated that YH supplementation did not significantly affect overall microbial diversity but altered the relative abundance of several bacterial taxa, including Prevotella, Alistipes, and Olsenella. Overall, maternal dietary YH supplementation was associated with changes in milk composition, selected serum biochemical parameters, and the relative abundance of specific fecal bacterial taxa in donkey foals. However, no significant improvement in offspring growth performance was observed, and the underlying mechanisms require further investigation.

Acidifiers are functional feed additives that may improve egg quality by modulating intestinal microbiota and host metabolism. This study investigated the effects of dietary acidifier supplementation on laying performance, yolk fatty acid composition, eggshell ultrastructure, intestinal function, cecal microbiota, serum metabolome, and antioxidant status in laying hens. Sixty 52-week-old Jingfen No. 6 laying hens were randomly assigned to either a control group or an acidifier-supplemented group for 6 weeks. Acidifier supplementation increased laying rate and egg mass while reducing the feed-to-egg ratio. It also increased the concentrations of seven yolk fatty acids, including tetradecanoic acid, myristoleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, cis-vaccenic acid, and arachidic acid. In addition, acidifier supplementation resulted in a denser eggshell microstructure, improved cecal mucosal morphology, and enhanced the activities of lipase, chymotrypsin, amylase, and trypsin. Although cecal microbial alpha diversity remained unchanged, acidifier supplementation altered the overall microbial community structure and enriched several genera, including Slackia_A, Megasphaera_A, Veillonella_A, Merdimonas, and Caccocola. Serum metabolomic analysis identified 395 differential metabolites, primarily associated with lipid, amino acid, energy, and bile acid metabolism. Representative altered metabolites included taurodeoxycholic acid 3-glucuronide, LysoPE (0:0/20:0), 15-HETE, cholic acid, malic acid, and succinic acid. Acidifier supplementation also favorably affected serum HDL-C, LDL-C, and calcium concentrations and enhanced antioxidant capacity. Collectively, these findings indicate that dietary acidifier supplementation improves laying performance, yolk fatty acid deposition, eggshell structure, intestinal function, and antioxidant status, accompanied by alterations in cecal microbiota and serum metabolism. These coordinated changes may contribute to the observed improvements in egg quality.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin that adversely affects directly exposed individuals, yet the intergenerational consequences of paternal ZEN exposure remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of paternal ZEN exposure on hepatic outcomes in F1 offspring, with a focus on the underlying molecular mechanisms. Kunming male mice (F0) were fed a ZEN-supplemented diet (10 mg/kg bw/day) for 5 weeks. Their F1 offspring developed hepatic steatosis, elevated oxidative stress, and a chronic inflammatory state. Proteomic analysis of F1 livers revealed significant dysregulation of immune and inflammatory pathways, including NF-κB and chemokine signaling, with reduced MHC-I and increased MHC-II levels. These findings provide mechanistic insight into how paternal ZEN exposure disrupts hepatic immune-metabolic homeostasis in F1 offspring, highlighting a critical and understudied pathway in intergenerational toxicology.

This study investigated the effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) supplementation on growth performance, serum biochemistry, metabolomic profiles, and fecal microbiota in lactating Dezhou donkeys. Sixteen healthy jennies and their foals were randomly allocated to a control group (MCON), a group receiving no MOS, or an MOS-supplemented group (MMO; 0.5 g/kg diet) for 60 days. Compared with the MCON group, the MMO group showed a mitigation of lactational weight reduction, improved serum protein profiles, and favorable modulation of lipid metabolism. Furthermore, serum metabolomic analysis revealed 102 differentially abundant metabolites, which were enriched in 17 KEGG pathways involved in energy metabolism, bile secretion, and anti-inflammatory signaling. Key metabolites such as L-4-Chlorotryptophan, Gly-Trp, and cholylthreonine indicated enhanced nutrient metabolism and gut barrier function. Moreover, MOS supplementation significantly increased alpha diversity of the gut microbiota, altered community composition, and promoted the abundance of beneficial genera, including Clostridium and Bacteroides. Collectively, these results demonstrate that MOS supplementation improves metabolic health, modulates immune and antioxidant responses, and fosters a beneficial gut microbial ecosystem in lactating donkeys, suggesting its potential as an effective prebiotic in equine nutrition.

The high acidity, alcohol, and mycotoxin levels in distiller’s grains (DGs) limit its application in practical production. To address these issues, a new DG fermentation technique was developed in this research. Firstly, four strains were selected and the fermentation conditions were optimized to ferment the fresh DGs. When the inoculum was set at 8%, the fermentation temperature was maintained at 35 °C, the fermentation time lasted for 48 h, the bacterial mixture ratio (Bacillus subtilis ASAG 216: Lactobacillus acidophilus G1: Saccharomyces cerevisiae ANP 101: Streptococcus thermophilus EFR 046) was 1:1:2:1, and the contents of crude protein in fermented DGs (FDGs) were the highest, so we chose these fermentation conditions to ferment the DGs. In addition, under these fermentation conditions, the amino acids were significantly (p < 0.05) increased while the concentrations of crude fiber and mycotoxins contents were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in FDGs than in DGs. Subsequently, the nutritional value of DGs and FDGs were evaluated using a two-step in vitro digestion method. The digestibility of dry matter, protein, and crude fiber increased by 16.23%, 13.54%, and 64.09%, respectively, in FDGs compared to that in DGs. Finally, laying hens were treated by adding 0%, 1%, 2%, and 4% FDG to the basal diet for 4 weeks. The results demonstrated that addition of 2% FDG in the diet could significantly (p < 0.05) increase the laying rate of hens compared to that fed the control diet, while addition of 4% FDG in the diet could remarkably (p < 0.05) reduce the rate of broken eggs compared to the other groups. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences in other indices. These indicates that FDG has potential as a functional feed additive to enhance animal productivity.