Zubing Zhang

Background: This study evaluated the effects of dietary Moringa oleifera ethanolic extract (MOE) on growth performance, intestinal health, antioxidant status, cecal microbiota, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in Chahua chickens. Methods: A total of 192 healthy 14-day-old female Chahua chickens were randomly assigned to four groups (CK, C2, C3, and C4), with six replicate pens per group and eight chickens per pen. The control group received purified water, while the experimental groups received 20.0 (C2), 30.0 (C3), and 40.0 (C4) mL/L MOE in drinking water until 8 weeks of age. Results: MOE significantly decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) ( P <; 0.05), with group C3 showing the most favorable final body weight and feed conversion efficiency. Semi-eviscerated and total eviscerated yields were significantly increased in all treatment groups ( P < 0.05), whereas live weight and dressing percentage were unaffected. MOE supplementation was associated with improved small intestinal villus morphology and elevated lipase and trypsin activities ( P < 0.05). Serum AST, TG, and LDH levels were significantly reduced, while ALP activity was increased ( P < 0.05). In the C2 and C3 groups, SOD and GSH-Px activities were significantly increased, and MDA content was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Microbial analysis showed that group C2 had the highest cecal microbial abundance, with significant differences in microbial community structure among groups ( P = 0.001). Group C3 was enriched with potentially beneficial SCFA-producing bacteria, including Lachnospiraceae, Methanobrevibacter , and the Ruminococcus_torques_group , and cecal butyric, propionic, and valeric acid concentrations were significantly increased ( P < 0.001), while isobutyric and isovaleric acid concentrations were significantly decreased ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: In summary, under the present experimental conditions, 30.0 mL/L MOE provided the most favorable overall balance across growth performance, intestinal health, antioxidant status, and cecal fermentation in Chahua chickens, and should be considered the optimal supplemented concentration within this study.

Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae) is a tropical tree whose leaves and stems have long been used in South Asian and African traditional medicine for infectious and inflammatory disorders. These tissues contain a diverse array of secondary metabolites, chiefly flavonoids, phenolic acids, isothiocyanates, sterols, and peptides, and exhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains. Their anti-inflammatory effects have been attributed to the suppression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling and activation of the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) antioxidant axis. This review synthesizes the phytochemistry of Moringa leaves and stems and critically evaluates current evidence for their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, molecular targets, and potential crosstalk between the two. We further discuss extraction methods, structure–activity relationships, pharmacokinetics, safety, and applications spanning medicine, animal production, food preservation, and cosmetics. The evidence base is heterogeneous owing to variation in plant origin, extraction protocols, bacterial strains, and assay design; mechanistic and dosing data specific to leaves and stems remain preliminary. Across reports, leaf and stem extracts inhibit common Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens at MICs mostly in the approximate 0.2–4 mg/mL range, and isolated flavonoids and glucosinolate isothiocyanates act on bacterial membranes and quorum sensing and on host NF-κB/Nrf2 signaling; however, no study has formally quantified antibacterial–anti-inflammatory synergy within one assay system. Key gaps include standardized preparations, direct tests of antibacterial–anti-inflammatory synergy, systematic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic and long-term safety studies, and high-quality clinical trials.

Background: The overuse of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry farming has raised global concerns about antimicrobial resistance and food safety, prompting the search for effective natural alternatives. Moringa is rich in bioactive compounds with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties; however, its effects on the cecal microbiota and metabolome of broiler chickens when administered via drinking water remain unclear. Methods: This study employed 16S rDNA sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics to evaluate the effects of Moringa oleifera ethanol extract (MOE) and the broad-spectrum antibiotic bacitracin zinc (BZ) on the cecal microbiota, metabolite profiles, and their correlations in broiler chickens. Results: The findings demonstrated MOE did not significantly affect α-diversity but altered β-diversity, resulting in a clear separation from the control and BZ groups. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis identified Lachnospiraceae and Methanobacteriaceae as key differential biomarkers in the MOE group, whereas Deferribacterales was selectively enriched in the BZ group. At the phylum level, MOE enriched the Euryarchaeota, while BZ increased the abundance of potentially pathogenic phyla, including the Desulfobacterota and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, MOE promoted the growth of beneficial genera such as Faecalibacterium, Lachnoclostridium , and Alistipes , whereas BZ exhibited a bidirectional effect, increasing both pathogenic and beneficial groups. Metabolomic analysis revealed that MOE significantly regulated the metabolism of sphingolipids, tryptophan, and polyamines, as well as that of vitamin D3 and nicotinamide, whereas BZ primarily activated lipid metabolism and inhibited arginine-related antioxidant pathways. Correlation analysis further established genus-metabolite networks centered on Lachnoclostridium and Lactobacillus in the MOE group, and Alistipes and Collinsella in the BZ group. Conclusion: Overall, MOE is associated with alterations in cecal microbiota and host metabolism by enriching butyrate-producing bacteria and methanogenic archaea, accompanied by extensive metabolic reprogramming involving immune-related and antioxidant pathways.

Moringa, a versatile tree species, has seen an increasing diversification of breeding objectives due to its rich nutritional value and potential applications in ecological restoration. The emergence and integration of multi-omics technologies have provided a revolutionary systems-level research framework for elucidating the fundamental biological mechanisms underlying Moringa’s agronomic traits and nutritional characteristics. This review systematically analyzes the application prospects and omics significance of Moringa based on research trends, and explores in depth the progress made in various omics studies of Moringa: the fourth iteration of the genome has identified specific genes encoding heat shock proteins (HSPs) in Moringa; phenomics reveals differential expression of Moringa under different environmental conditions; and the transcriptomics and metabolomics elucidate differential regulatory networks across different tissues and environments. In the future, multi-omics technologies can be integrated: genomics can further identify rare alleles and localize genetic loci for key agronomic traits; transcriptomics combined with epigenomics can elucidate the spatial regulation of gene expression and epigenetic mechanisms; and proteomics and metabolomics can be integrated to validate pathways and provide targets for improvement. Throughout the process, a high-throughput phenotyping platform utilizing drones will be introduced to dynamically monitor agronomic traits, enabling efficient breeding and accelerating genetic improvement.

Moringa oleifera stem and leaf (MOSL) represent a cost-effective unconventional feed resource, characterized by abundant crude protein, balanced amino acid profile, functional dietary fiber, and various bioactive substances, with a metabolizable energy level suitable for poultry feeding. This study systematically evaluated the nutritional value of MOSL and its feeding effects and underlying mechanisms in growing meat ducks. In Trial 1, the metabolizable energy and amino acid digestibility of MOSL in Muscovy ducks were determined using the force-feeding method. The results showed that the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and true metabolizable energy (TME) of MOSL were 10.45 MJ/kg and 10.98 MJ/kg, respectively, with the true digestibility of methionine, lysine, and threonine reaching 79.80%, 79.98%, and 78.83%, respectively. For the 49-day feeding trial (Trial 2), a total of 150 clinically healthy 21 d male Muscovy ducks with uniform initial body weight (491.11 ± 30.41 g) were selected and randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatment groups, with 6 replicates per group and 5 ducks in each replicate. Ducks in each group were fed a basal diet supplemented with graded levels of MOSL at 0 (control, CON), 3%, 6%, 9% and 12%, respectively. The results showed that MOSL supplementation had no significant effect on the average daily feed intake (ADFI; P = 0.133) of ducks. However, dietary 6% and 9% MOSL inclusion significantly increased average daily gain (ADG; P = 0.041), reduced feed-to-gain ratio (F/G; P = 0.024). Relative to the control group, ducks in the 6% and 9% MOSL groups exhibited significantly higher apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP; P = 0.019) and crude fiber (CF; P = 0.007), notably enhanced digestive enzyme activities in both the pancreas and jejunum (P < 0.05), significantly reduced jejunal crypt depth (CD; P = 0.003), and elevated the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (VH/CD; P < 0.001). MOSL supplementation significantly increased serum total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity (P = 0.025), decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P = 0.015). 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that 9% MOSL significantly enriched fiber-degrading bacteria, including Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, Prevotellaceae, and Butyricicoccaceae, while inhibiting the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. Untargeted metabolomics analysis indicated that 9% MOSL supplementation reduced the accumulation of free amino acids and peptides in the intestine, upregulated bioactive compounds. In summary, this study is the first to systematically construct a nutritional value system for MOSL in meat ducks. MOSL enhances front-end nutrient digestion and absorption by increasing digestive enzyme activity and optimizing intestinal morphology, while strengthening hindgut crude fiber utilization by regulating gut microbiota and metabolic profiles. These synergistic effects comprehensively improve energy and protein utilization efficiency, enhance antioxidant capacity and metabolic homeostasis, and thus systematically improve the growth performance of meat ducks. The optimal dietary inclusion level of MOSL for growing meat ducks is 9%, which provides a scientific basis for the commercial application of MOSL in duck production

A combined approach of fingerprint, chemometric analysis, and network pharmacology based on available studies was employed to identify quality markers (Q‐markers) in Moringa oleifera leaves (MOLs) for hyperglycemia. Subsequently, we conducted a quantitative analysis of these Q‐markers to provide a scientific basis for quality control and clinical application of MOLs. High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to establish the fingerprint of MOLs, and similarity evaluation and common peak identification were conducted. Chemometric methods were applied to screen differential biomarkers of MOLs from different batches. Based on the findings from network pharmacology, a “component–target–pathway” network was constructed using the identified key targets and pathways to predict the potential hypoglycemic Q‐markers of MOLs. Moreover, 12 batches of MOLs were used as research objects to determine the content of Q‐markers. Four compounds associated with therapeutic efficacy were identified as Q‐markers through fingerprint analysis and a series of chemometric methods. Network pharmacology analysis was performed based on the chosen Q‐markers to elaborate the potential pharmacodynamic mechanisms. More importantly, it will provide a reference for further research on the quality control and pharmacological substance basis of MOLs, as well as data support for the rational utilization of MOLs medicinal materials.

Cassava fiber (CF) is a novel dietary fiber extracted from cassava by-products. To investigate its anti-obesity mechanism, obesity was induced in mice through a high-fat diet (HFD). Dietary supplementation with 10% CF significantly reduced body weight, body fat, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose in mice. CF effectively ameliorated hepatic steatosis and adipocyte hypertrophy, increased the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, enhanced mucus secretion by intestinal goblet cells, down-regulated the expression of ileal lipid absorption-related genes (NPC1L1, CD36, and FABP2), and up-regulated the short-chain fatty acid receptor GPR43, collectively improving intestinal health. Compared to HFD mice, CF altered the gut microbiota: it increased beneficial Actinobacteria (including Bifidobacterium and Blautia) and decreased Proteobacteria (including Desulfovibrio) (p < 0.05). Functional analysis showed that the HFD mice microbiota was enriched in genes linked to disease (e.g., lipid metabolism disorders, cancer, antibiotic resistance), whereas CF-enriched microbiota had genes for energy, carbohydrate, and pyruvate metabolism. Compared to microcrystalline cellulose, CF and MCC both alleviated HFD-induced obesity. In summary, cassava fiber helped prevent obesity in mice by modulating gut microbes, strengthening the gut barrier, and improving host metabolic balance.

With the global population growth and shortage of food, the competition between humans and animal for food will become increasingly fierce. Therefore, the development of unconventional energy feed cassava feed is of great significance. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of cassava root meal (CRM) on the growth performance, apparent digestibility, and organ and intestinal indices of broiler chickens. A total of 140 one-day-old chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatment groups [control diet (CT), 15% CRM (CRM15), 30% CRM (CRM30), and 45% CRM (CRM45)] with five replicates of seven birds per replicate. The results showed that the body weight of broiler chickens fed diets containing CRM were significantly lower than that in the CT group at 21 and 42 days of age, the average daily gain and average daily feed intake in the CRM group were significantly lower than those in the CT group from 1 to 21 days of age. However, from days 22 to 42, there were no significant differences between CRM15 and CT birds regarding average daily gain and average daily feed intake. but there was no difference in feed conversion rate between the CRM15 and CT groups. At 42 days of age, there were no significant differences between CRM15 and CT birds in in body measurements, the slaughter performance and the percentage of semi-eviscerated yield. The addition of CRM reduced the proportion of breast and thigh muscles during the feeding period, although we detected no significant difference between CRM15 and CT regarding the apparent digestibility of nutrients. Collectively, our findings indicate that 15% cassava was the optimal proportion for supplementing diets for broiler chicken production.

Moringa oleifera, commonly known as moringa, “drumstick tree” or “horseradish tree”, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Moringa in the family Moringaceae. It is used in human and animal nutrition as well as in traditional medicine. In July 2016, seed pod rot symptoms were observed on M. oleifera in Jinghong city, Yunnan Province, China. Disease incidences ranged from 10% to 50% among 200 pods from 3 different plots. Initially, pods developed water-soaked, brown to dark-green lesions, resulting in rapid rotting of the whole pod. Finally, white mycelia colonized rotten pods and numerous monosporous sporangiola appeared on the lesion surfaces. Tissues from 8 symptomatic pods were excised, and aseptically transferred to PDA plates and incubated at 26℃ with a 12:12 h light/dark cycle. White and pale yellowish-brown fungal colonies initiated after 2 days of incubation. Monosporous sporangiophores were smooth, hyaline, aseptate, and bearing monosporous sporangiola at their ends. Monosporous sporangiola were brown to brownish-black, elliptic, fusiform or oval, with striations visible at high magnification, and 8.2 to 17.2 × 15.6 to 22.8 μm (n=50) in size. Sporangia were dark brown, globose to subglobose (77.7 to 122.2 μm in length, n=30) and multispored. Sporangiospores from sporangia were fusiform or oval, brown to brownish-black, and 7.5 to 13.4 × 48.0 to 69.5 μm (n=30) in size. The morphological and cultural characteristics were found similar to those of Choanephora cucurbitarum (Kagiwada et al. 2010; Gogoi et al. 2016). DNA was extracted from one pure culture isolate (YJiH-1) using a DNA extraction kit (OMEGA, USA). The ITS region was amplified with primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and the approximately 600 bp amplicon was cloned and sequenced. Isolate YJiH-1 (Accession No. KY618842) showed 99% identity with that of C. cucurbitarum isolate KUS-F27540 (Accession No. KM200034). Suspension of monosporous sporangiola (approximately 2.78×106 conidia/mL, 50μL) from YJiH-1 isolate was used to inoculate 6 healthy M. oleifera pods by pin-prick inoculation method (Jiang et al. 2008). Distilled water was inoculated onto another 3 healthy M. oleifera pods as control. Typical soft rot symptoms appeared on the inoculated pods after 7 days of inoculation, similar to those naturally occurring in the field, while the control pods remained symptomless. Koch’s postulates were fulfilled by re-isolating the pathogen from the lesions on rotting pods. Both the pathogenicity test and molecular identification results confirmed C. cucurbitarum as the causal agent of seed pod rot of M. oleifera. C. cucurbitarum has been reported on many plants such as peach, cabbage, ice plant, cucurbits, beans, papaya, pepper, potato, sweet potato, cauliflower, okra, and Crotalaria spectabilis (Kagiwada et al. 2010; Park et al. 2014; Gogoi et al. 2016). However, to our knowledge, this is the first report of C. cucurbitarum infecting M. oleifera in the world.