Yanfeng Liu

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of Lentinus edodes chaff on the growth performance, apparent digestibility of nutrients and serum biochemical indicators of male Altay lambs. Forty lambs, weighing 29.9 ± 3.8 kg and approximately 4 months old, were randomly assigned to four treatments, each consisting of ten replicates. The first group was used as a control group and was fed only the basal diet. The other three groups, which were used for comparison, were fed the basal diet, which was supplemented with Lentinus edodes chaff at 10, 20, or 30% of the dry matter, respectively. Compared to the control group, adding Lentinus edodes chaff to the sheep’s diet resulted in a 20% increase in ADG and FI ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, a noticeably lower F/G ratio was observed in the 20% group. The Apparent DM digestibility declined in 30% ( p < 0.05), whereas CP digestibility rose in 20% ( p < 0.05) and fell in 30% ( p < 0.01). NDF digestibility was elevated in both 20% and 30% ( p < 0.01). In terms of rumen fermentation parameters, the total VFA concentration was higher in the 20% group ( p < 0.01). In comparison, the 10% group exhibited lower levels of GLB, ALT, LDH and CK ( p < 0.05). In contrast, the levels of IgG and IgA in the 10% group were found to be significantly higher than those in the control ( p < 0.05). Concurrently, the levels of LDL, IgG and IgA in the 20% group exhibited higher values in comparison ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, the levels of HDL, LDL, IgG and IgA in the 30% group were higher than the levels in the control group ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, a substantial increase was observed in the levels of NO, SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC in the three experimental groups ( p < 0.01). whereas IL-2 levels were significantly decreased ( p < 0.05), concurrently with a decrease in MDA ( p < 0.01). The 20% dietary inclusion level may improve growth, protein utilisation and systemic antioxidant status in growing Altay sheep. The optimal level of Lentinus edodes chaff is 20%.

Background: Peganum harmala L. stem ethanolic extract (PHL) has been scarcely evaluated as a ruminant feed component. We evaluated its effects on serum inflammatory and antioxidant biomarkers and duodenal and hepatic molecular responses in Hu sheep. Methods: Twelve male Hu sheep, approximately 120 days old, were randomly assigned to a control group or a PHL treatment group (n = 6 per group). After a 7-day adaptation period, the PHL group received 3 g/head/day of PHL (total flavonoid content: 65.7 mg rutin equivalents (RE)/g; approximately 197.1 mg RE/head/day) for 50 days. Serum markers, duodenal untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) metabolomics, liver RNA sequencing, and alternative splicing were analyzed. Results: Serum interleukin-6 and malondialdehyde were lower, whereas interleukin-4 and glutathione peroxidase were higher, in the PHL group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Using variable importance in projection ≥ 1, fold change ≥ 1.2 or ≤0.83, and unadjusted p < 0.05 as screening criteria, 479 LC–MS features met these nominal screening criteria, of which 81 had database annotations. Following Benjamini–Hochberg correction, only two features remained significant (q < 0.05); however, only one was successfully annotated, rendering the pathway analysis exploratory. Liver RNA sequencing identified 279 differentially expressed genes (absolute log₂FC ≥ 1 and q ≤ 0.001) and 104 skipped-exon events (false discovery rate < 0.05). Functional enrichment analysis highlighted annotations related to bile secretion, ATP-binding cassette transport, nutrient metabolism, and glutathione metabolism. Conclusions: PHL supplementation was associated with selective changes in serum inflammatory and antioxidant biomarkers, accompanied by hepatic molecular responses. The duodenal metabolomic findings remain exploratory, and dose–response studies incorporating alkaloid quantification and targeted molecular validation are required before practical application can be considered.

The gestational period is a critical developmental window where maternal nutrition programs offspring growth and long-term health. This study evaluated dietary rumen-protected glutamine (RP-Gln) supplementation during late gestation on lamb growth performance, and its regulatory effects on metabolic, immune, and microbial parameters in ewes and offspring. Compared with controls, moderate RP-Gln significantly improved lamb growth, increasing birth weight, 15-day body weight, and average daily gain (p < 0.01). In ewes, RP-Gln elevated serum GGT activity (p < 0.05), improved lipid metabolism, and reduced offspring muscular stress. Antioxidant capacity was enhanced in both ewes and lambs, with higher antioxidant enzyme activities and lower MDA levels (p < 0.05). RP-Gln also remodeled gut microbiota by promoting beneficial genera like Lactobacillus and Faecalibacterium, and reinforcing dam–offspring microbial transmission. Metabolomics revealed elevated polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C, and tyrosine derivatives in ewes, and enhanced aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in lambs. In summary, glutamine supplementation in late-gestation ewes enhances maternal antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity, optimizes gut microbiota, and stimulates n-3 PUFA synthesis. These benefits are transmitted to the fetus, improving offspring antioxidant function, immune regulation, and intestinal health. Glutamine also promotes aromatic amino acid synthesis while inhibiting the tryptophan–kynurenine pathway, collectively supporting lamb growth and health.

The optimal timing for initiating starter feeding in lambs remains controversial, warranting a systematic evaluation of its effects across multiple indicators. This study investigated the effects of initiating starter feeding at 7, 14, or 21 days of age on growth performance, rumen fermentation, serum immunity, gastrointestinal development, and microbiota in Hu lambs. Forty-five newborn lambs were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 15 per group) and fed starter until slaughter at weaning (60 days). The 14-day group exhibited significantly higher body weight (BW) at 49 and 60 days compared with the 7-day group (p < 0.05), and greater average daily gain (ADG) during 28–35 days than the 21-day group. Rumen ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), acetate, propionate, valerate, and total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were higher in the 7-day and 14-day groups than in the 21-day group (p < 0.05). The 14-day group showed lower pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α) and higher immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-4) (p < 0.05). This group also displayed improved rumen papilla width, jejunal villus dimensions, and reduced crypt depth. Beneficial microbes such as Christensenellaceae_R-7_group and Butyrivibrio were enriched in the 14-day and 21-day groups. In conclusion, initiating starter feeding at 14 days of age optimizes growth, rumen function, immune response, and colonization of beneficial microbiota in Hu lambs.

This experiment aimed to examine the impact of Salicornia europaea L. extract on sheep growth performance, rumen fermentation variables, nutrient apparent digestibility, and gastrointestinal microbial diversity. Forty-eight male Altay sheep, weighing 32.5 ± 2.8 kg and approximately 3.5 months old, were chosen. Four dietary treatments, each consisting of four replicates and three sheep per replicate, were distributed randomly to the sheep. The pelleted total mixed ration containing Salicornia europaea L. extract at 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6% DM was freely available to the sheep in the four treatment groups. The 56-day experiment consisted of 45 days of measurements followed by 11 days of adaptation. The growth performance was not affected by nutrition Salicornia europaea L. extract (p ≤ 0.05), but the feed-to-gain ratio was reduced when the extract was given at 0.4% DM (p ≤ 0.05). Compared to the 0 and 0.2% treatments, the apparent digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, and ADF was substantially greater in the 0.4, and 0.6% treatments. Furthermore, compared to sheep in the 0 and 0.2% groups, sheep in the 0.6% group had a noticeably higher apparent digestibility of CP. As the amount of Salicornia europaea L. extract added to the rumen fluid rose, the molar ratio of acetic acid increased. In contrast, the molar ratio of propionic acid gradually decreased, and the total volatile fatty acid content gradually reduced. Thus, adding a suitable quantity of Salicornia europaea L. extract to the sheep ration is natural and secure, which may improve the environmental sustainability of small ruminant production systems.

Weaning is one of the most stressful periods in yak growth. However, the impact of weaning on microbial diversity, structure, and potential function of yak feces is not clear. In this study, 12 Xinjiang yaks aged 3, 4, 5, and 6 months old were selected to collect fresh feces before and after weaning. Through 16S rRNA and ITS high‐throughput sequencing, the dynamic distribution and potential function of yak fecal, bacterial, and fungal communities in each month were revealed. The study found that the richness of fungi had a significant impact on weaning. At the phylum level, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota, and at the genus level, 5-7N15, Oscillospira, Roseburia, Dorea, Preussia, Neoascochyta, Naganishia, and Sporormiella were enriched in yak feces of different months old. The abundance and proportion of bacteria Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, 5-7N15, and fungi Mucoromyceta changed significantly before and after weaning. With the increase of months, Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia have shown a downward trend. Through the prediction and analysis of fecal microbial function, it was found that at the level of primary pathways, weaning has a significant impact on cellular processes, environmental information processing, genetic information processing, metabolism, and organismal systems. At the level of secondary metabolic pathways, weaning has a significant impact on cell motility, signal transduction, folding, sorting and degradation, translation, amino acid metabolism, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides, and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism. In addition, by analyzing the differences in functional pathways and microbial composition between sample groups of different months, it was found that the differences in functional pathways were related to the abundance differences of some microorganisms. In general, the changes in the composition and structure of yak fecal microflora may reflect the adaptability of the intestinal microbiota.