Crude protein (CP) is commonly used to characterize dietary nitrogen supply, but it does not account for ingredient-to-ingredient differences in protein digestibility and the importance of non-essential amino acids; thus, dietary standardized ileal digestible (SID) CP may provide a more precise basis for protein nutrition. Four independent experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of different SID CP levels on male Arbor Acres broilers at different growth stages (Exp. 1, 0-10 d; Exp. 2, 10-21 d; Exp. 3, 21-32 d; Exp. 4, 32-42 d). In each experiment, 175 one-d-old chicks were allotted to 5 graded SID CP levels with 7 replicates (5 broilers/replicate); SID CP level ranged from 17.5 to 21.5% during 0-21 d and 16.5-21.0% during 21-42 d, with other nutrients meeting NRC (1994) recommendations. Data were analyzed using general linear model (GLM) with each cage as the experimental unit, and dose responses were evaluated using orthogonal polynomial contrasts; the optimal SID CP level estimates were derived by regression when responses were significant. Increasing SID CP improved ADG and feed efficiency during 0-21 d with linear responses (P < 0.01). During 21-42 d, ADG responded quadratically to SID CP (P < 0.05), with optimal SID CP estimates of 19.00% (21-32 d; R² = 0.92) and 19.40% (32-42 d; R² = 0.99). Nutrient utilization (dry matter and crude protein) during 21-32 d exhibited significant linear and quadratic responses to SID CP (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). Serum non-esterified fatty acids and pyruvic acid increased as SID CP increased (P < 0.01), whereas most other serum indices were unaffected. Carcass traits and key meat quality parameters were generally not compromised across SID CP levels. Cecal microbiota analysis revealed no significant differences in overall community diversity among treatment groups; however, SID CP altered the relative abundances of several specific genera and the composition of the microbial community. Specifically, as the SID CP level decreased from 21% to 18.75%, the abundance of Ligilactobacillus increased, and when the SID CP level was further reduced to 16.5%, the abundance of Ruminococcus decreased. Overall, SID CP levels of 19.0-19.4% optimize broiler of 21-42 d growth and nutrient utilization; higher SID CP offers no extra benefit but raises certain serum metabolites, whereas lower SID CP alters cecal microbiota without harming meat quality.
The objective of the current study was to determine the impact of a diet supplemented with herbal mixture powder (HMP) as a natural antioxidant and growth promoter on growth performance, carcass traits, blood indices, antioxidant gene expression, meat quality, and intestinal microbial load in Arbor Acres broiler chickens. The herbal mixture consists of 200 g cardamom seeds, 200 g black pepper, 300 g turmeric, and 300 g cinnamon. A total of 280 broiler chicks, one-day-old, were allotted to four experimental groups in a completely randomized design experiment. Each group was subdivided into five replicates, each of fourteen sexed chicks (7 males and 7 females). The treatments were as follows: control group without additives (basal diet); HMP1, HMP2 and HMP3: basal diet + 1, 2 and 3 g herbal mix powder/kg diet, respectively. The results revealed that HMP supplementation significantly affected body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and performance index (P ≤ 0.05), with optimal responses at 2 and 3 g/kg. Carcass yield and abdominal fat percentage reduction were also significant (P ≤ 0.05). Blood biochemical test results showed improvement in liver and kidney function, increases in total protein, albumin, and globulin, and a lipid profile with reduced cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL, and increased HDL (P ≤ 0.001). The activities of the enzymes GPx and GST were increased, enabling synchronous measurements of antioxidant status and resulting in significant reductions in MDA. Elevated levels of immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) indicate increased immune system responsiveness. The results further indicate that HMP modulates gut microbiota by decreasing total bacterial numbers and simultaneously increasing the number of beneficial bacteria. In addition, the expression of antioxidant-related genes (CAT, SOD, and GPX) was significantly increased. Overall, HMP is likely to have a beneficial effect on broiler production, due in part to its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory effects; therefore, it should be considered a natural feeding enhancer to improve the productive efficiency of broilers and serve as an AGP substitute.
In this study, we used lactic acid bacteria to ferment the byproduct of Arundo donax papermaking, Arundo donax juice (ADJ), to obtain fermented Arundo donax juice (FADJ). We aimed to investigate the effects of FADJ on the growth performance, immunocompetence, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal digestive enzyme activity of broilers. For the experiment, 288 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were selected and randomly divided into four groups (A+, A, B, and CK), with six replicates per group and 72 chickens per group. The control group (CK) was fed a basal diet, while groups A and A+ were supplemented with 3% and 6% FADJ A fermented with ADJ as the substrate, respectively, and group B was supplemented with 3% FADJ B fermented with ADJ supplemented with a small amount of lysine as the substrate. The trial period lasted 42 days. Compared with the control diet, supplementation with 6% FADJ A significantly increased the final body weight, average daily feed intake (ADFI), and average daily gain (ADG) of broilers, with no significant difference in the feed conversion ratio (FCR). The serum levels of T-AOC, GSH-Px, and SOD in broilers on days 21 and 42 were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in all experimental groups, with the highest levels observed in group B. The concentrations of IgM, IgA, and IgG in broilers increased significantly (P < 0.05) across all experimental groups, with the highest concentrations found in group B. The addition of FADJ significantly increased the activities of intestinal lipase and trypsin in broilers (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that FADJ feed can improve the growth performance of broilers and increase their immunocompetence, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal digestive enzyme activity.
This study compared the efficacy of a Panax ginseng polysaccharide (GPS) and Houttuynia cordata essential oil (HCEO) complex with antibiotics in Arbor Acres broilers. Three hundred 1-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to five groups: a blank control group (C), an antibiotic group (A), and three groups administered the GPS-HCEO complex via drinking water at 0.1 (M1), 0.3 (M2), or 0.6 mL/L (M3). Compared with Group C, FCR was significantly decreased in Groups M1, M2, and M3 during the early phase (P < 0.05). During the late phase and the overall experimental period, FCR was significantly lower in Groups A, M1, and M3 than in Group C (P < 0.05). For slaughter performance, the four treatment groups showed no significant differences in slaughter rate, semi-eviscerated rate, eviscerated rate, breast muscle rate, leg muscle rate, lean meat rate, or wing rate compared with Group C (P > 0.05), whereas Group A had a significantly lower abdominal fat rate than Group C and the three GPS-HCEO groups (P < 0.05). Serum analysis showed that IgG, IgM, IgA, IL-1, and IL-10 levels remained unchanged compared with Group C (P > 0.05), whereas serum triglyceride levels were increased in all treatment groups (P < 0.05). Antibiotic supplementation impaired duodenal morphology and reduced cecal microbial diversity, as reflected by the Simpson index, as well as the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Tenericutes. Supplementation with 0.6 mL/L GPS-HCEO complex achieved a feed conversion efficiency comparable to that of antibiotics. Unlike antibiotics, the GPS-HCEO complex improved jejunal and ileal morphology, as indicated by increased VH and V/C ratio, without disrupting the core microbial structure. It also promoted the enrichment of the beneficial genera Aerococcus and Jeotgalicoccus in the cecum. These findings suggest that the GPS-HCEO complex has potential as a feed additive for reducing antibiotic use in broiler production.
It is well-established that the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in skeletal muscle development and homeostasis. However, the contribution of the gut microbiome to the distinct meat quality phenotypes observed between fast-growing commercial broilers and slow-growing local chicken breeds remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate how the gut microbiota modulates pectoral muscle development by comparing muscle growth phenotypes and gut microbiome dynamics across these breeds. Using the fast-growing commercial Arbor Acres (AA) broiler and the slow-growing local breed Taoyuan (TY) chicken as models, we investigated how breed-specific gut microbiota modulate pectoral muscle fiber composition. AA broilers exhibited faster muscle growth but lower oxidative type I fiber proportion than TY chickens. While small intestinal microbiota succession was similar, cecal communities diverged markedly between breeds. Integrated metagenomic sequencing and metabolomics revealed that cecal Phocaeicola dorei abundance was strongly correlated with serum taurolithocholic acid (TLCA) levels and type I fiber content, especially in TY chickens, which prompted the selection of TLCA for functional validation. Reciprocal intestinal microbiota transplantation (IMT) shifted recipient muscle fiber phenotypes toward those of donors, confirming a causal role of the cecal microbiota. Furthermore, in vitro assays using AA-derived myoblasts demonstrated that TLCA promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and type I fiber formation by enhancing p38 MAPK phosphorylation and PGC-1α activation; this effect was abolished by the p38 inhibitor SB203580. Our study demonstrated that gut microbiota-derived TLCA modulates muscle fiber type transformation via the p38 MAPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway. This finding reveals an intricate mechanism whereby the gut microbiota regulates host muscle development through a metabolite-signaling axis, providing critical insights into the gut microbe-myofiber relationship.
This study evaluated the effects of genotype, dietary ginger supplementation, and genotype × treatment interactions on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, liver and kidney function markers, and oxidative status of broiler chickens. A total of 200 day-old broiler chicks comprising 100 Abor Acres and 100 Cobb 500 were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments containing 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% ginger powder in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement within a completely randomized design. Each treatment consisted of 24 birds with three replicates of eight birds, and the trial lasted 56 days. Genotype significantly affected performance, renal markers, and antioxidant status (p ≤ 0.05), with Cobb 500 generally exhibiting superior values, whereas Abor Acres showed significantly higher serum biochemical and liver enzyme values. Dietary ginger supplementation also significantly influenced performance, serum biochemical parameters, renal markers, and antioxidant status (p ≤ 0.05). Significant genotype × treatment interactions (p ≤ 0.05) were observed for feed intake at week 3, total protein, albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea, creatinine, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Feed intake at week 3 showed parallel interaction patterns, with Cobb 500 maintaining higher values than Abor Acres. Total protein was optimized at 1.0-1.5% ginger inclusion in both strains, while albumin responses indicated optimum values at 1.0% in Cobb 500 and 1.5% in Abor Acres. Cholesterol reduction was greatest at 1.0% ginger inclusion in Cobb 500 and 1.5% in Abor Acres. Triglycerides declined markedly at 0.5% inclusion in Abor Acres and 1.0% in Cobb 500. HDL concentrations were lowest at 1.0% inclusion in Cobb 500 and 1.5% inclusion in Abor Acres (19.5 mg/dL), whereas LDL was minimized at 0.5% and 1.5% inclusion levels in Cobb 500 and Abor Acres, respectively. ALT values were lowest at 1.5% inclusion in both strains. Peak ALP, urea, creatinine, and GPx responses occurred at different inclusion levels between strains, indicating genotype-dependent metabolic, hepatic, renal, and antioxidant responses. These findings highlight the importance of genotype-specific dietary ginger supplementation strategies in broiler production.
Health communication efforts often focus on message content while neglecting channel and source factors crucial for community engagement and sustainable health promotion. Evaluate a community-based communication strategy developed for place-based cancer prevention initiative in a historic neighborhood. Acres Homes, a historically Black neighborhood in Houston, Texas. Community leaders and residents of Acres Homes working in partnership with academic researchers and health communication specialists. The Acres Homes Cancer Prevention Collaboration is a research initiative which seeks to test strategies for improving health behavior in the context of place-based interventions and foster stronger collaborations between communities and researchers. The initiative implements a comprehensive communication strategy. Evaluate the communication strategy of the Acres Homes Cancer Prevention Collaboration using website analytics, community engagement metrics, material distribution records, focus groups, and Community Advisory Board feedback. Analysis showed 50% increase in unique website visitors, 60% increase in page views, reduced bounce rate (67%-53%), and increased time on site (3:59-7:32 minutes). Community advisors distributed 21 212 materials and recorded more than 21 000 resident contacts across 228 community events. Thematic analysis of focus groups showed residents value source credibility, channel integration, cultural relevance, and transparency in health communication. This study demonstrates that strategic investment in community-based communication channels yields measurable improvements in message exposure and engagement.
In 2022, the National Cancer Institute funded five centers nationally to prevent cancer in persistent poverty areas, including one in Houston, TX reducing obesity-related cancers in Acres Homes. This paper describes the design and framework of one of the center's research projects, a cluster-randomized controlled trial (CRCT) evaluating the impact of Brighter Bites (BB) nutrition intervention on child vegetable intake, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and obesity among children in grades 1-3 from the Acres Homes region. In this CRCT, 12 schools serving under-resourced children in Acres Homes were recruited and randomized into intervention and wait-list control groups across two waves during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. In Wave 1 (2024-2025), six elementary schools were randomized (3 intervention, 3 wait-list), enrolling eligible 1st-3rd graders (n = 360). Children in the intervention schools are followed for two school years, while children in wait-list schools are followed for one school year. Grounded in the Social Cognitive Theory, the BB intervention includes 16 bi-weekly distributions of 20-25 pounds of fresh produce, recipe tastings, and nutrition education for children and parents. Outcome evaluation included in-person assessment of child metabolic markers, height, weight, and skin carotenoid levels, as well as parent self-report surveys. Primary outcomes are child HbA1c and vegetable intake. Secondary outcomes included anthropometric and metabolic measures, household food security status, parent and child dietary behaviors, and home access/availability of fruit and vegetables. This study will inform the implementation and evaluation of a school-based nutrition intervention to improve child nutrition and metabolic health outcomes. The clinical trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06570707) before the start of recruitment.
Substrate availability and microbial accessibility are critical determinants in the conversion of okara into animal feed through solid-state fermentation (SSF). This study comprised two experiments to (1) optimize Lactobacillus SSF of okara using rice bran for moisture adjustment and (2) evaluate the feasibility of the resulting okara and rice bran fermented product (ORFP) for broiler feeding. Both experiments were interpreted using microbiota and metabolomic analyses. In Experiment 1, okara and rice bran were inoculated with three homofermentative Lactobacillus species (Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. delbrueckii, and L. salivarius) and fermented at four moisture levels (45, 50, 55, and 60%) for 0, 48, 60, and 72 h. The optimal SSF condition was identified at 60% moisture and 72 h, as indicated by increased lactic acid production and degradation of major soybean storage proteins. Fermentation reduced the abundance of Proteobacteria-associated genera (Pantoea, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter) and increased Lactobacillus and Streptococcus, accompanied by changes in metabolites related to nucleotide, amino acid, and plant-derived compound metabolism. In Experiment 2, 112 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were assigned to a basal diet or diets containing 1.25, 2.5, or 5.0% ORFP. Broilers fed 2.5% ORFP maintained feed conversion ratio and increased ileal villus height. Ileal microbiota analysis revealed an increased abundance of the carbohydrate-utilizing bacterium Romboutsia timonensis in the 1.25 and 2.5% ORFP groups. Functional prediction indicated enhanced substrate utilization at these inclusion levels, with broader metabolic enrichment observed at 2.5% ORFP, whereas fewer functional pathways were observed in the 5.0% ORFP group. Further metabolomic analysis indicated enrichment of amino acid- and sulfur-related pathways in the 1.25 and 2.5% ORFP groups. These changes were associated with mucosal-associated metabolism, as shown by the positive association between R. timonensis and glucosamine-6-sulfate. Overall, these results indicate that Lactobacillus SSF combined with rice bran modulates substrate availability and microbial accessibility of okara, with 2.5% ORFP associated with improved intestinal morphology and changes in microbiota and metabolite profiles in broilers.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of fermented palm kernel cake (FPKC) on growth performance, intestinal health, cecal microbiota, nitrogen metabolism, and ammonia emission reduction of broiler chickens. A total of 900 healthy 21-d-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments with 6 replicates per treatment: a basal diet (control (CON) group) and diets containing 4% (T1 group), 8% (T2 group), 12% (T3 group), or 16% (T4 group) FPKC for a 21-d feeding period. The results showed that compared with the CON group, T1, T2 and T3 groups had no adverse effects on growth performance (P > 0.05), whereas T4 group significantly increased feed-to-gain ratio (P < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, T2 and T3 groups significantly increased villus height, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, and digestive enzyme activities in the duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.05). Moreover, the T2 and T3 groups showed significantly lower serum d-lactate, diamine oxidase, endotoxin, fecal pH, and ammonia emissions than the CON group (P < 0.05). In contrast, compared with the CON group, T4 group impaired intestinal morphology, disrupted nitrogen metabolism, and reduced serum total protein (P < 0.05). 16S rRNA sequencing showed that FPKC inclusion altered the cecal microbiota composition by increasing Faecalibacterium, Shuttleworthia, Erysipelatoclostridium, Flavonifractor and reducing Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Eubacterium, and Bifidobacterium abundance (at genus level), which are mainly associated with the production of short-chain fatty acids and protein fermentation. Collectively, FPKC can be included in broiler diets at levels up to 12% to improve intestinal health and reduce ammonia emission without compromising growth performance.
The Ptah Oil Field, located along the northwestern margin of the Shushan Basin in Egypt's Western Desert, hosts structurally complex clastic reservoirs whose hydrocarbon distribution is strongly fault controlled. This study applies an integrated seismic-petrophysical-petrographic workflow to characterize reservoir architecture and trapping mechanisms within the Bahariya, Lower Cretaceous Alam El Bueib (AEB-3D/3E) and Paleozoic Shiffah B sandstone intervals. Interpretation of 20 two-dimensional (2D) seismic lines extracted from 3D seismic cube, calibrated with well logs and core from six wells, reveals an extensional fault framework dominated by NW-SE and E-W normal faults forming horst-graben geometries and three-way dip closures that govern reservoir preservation and compartmentalization. Petrophysical analysis indicates moderate reservoir quality with significant lateral variability in reservoir properties. The net pay thickness varies across the study area and reached to 13, 38 and 129 ft. for Bahariya, Alam El Bueib and Paleozoic Shiffah B Sandstone reservoirs. Effective porosity derived from well logs ranges approximately between 7-12%, while core measurements indicate porosity values reaching 21%. Permeability values obtained from core analysis vary widely between 0.02 and 839 mD, reflecting heterogeneous pore systems within the sandstone reservoirs. Structural mapping identifies several fault-bounded closures with aerial extents ranging from approximately 273 to 4500 acres across the studied stratigraphic intervals, these structural configurations may represent promising exploration targets, particularly where fault sealing and reservoir quality are favorable. Petrographic observations confirm that diagenetic clay distribution further controls pore structure and permeability. Integrated results demonstrate that hydrocarbon accumulation is primarily dictated by the interaction of fault architecture, stratigraphic preservation, and diagenetic modification rather than reservoir properties alone. This framework refines reservoir delineation, reduces exploration uncertainty, and identifies structurally favorable targets, providing a transferable methodology for evaluating fault-controlled clastic reservoirs in extensional basin settings.
The abundance and affordability of cassava root, a carbohydrate-dense tuber, in tropical regions have drawn attention to it as a possible substitute of conventional energy source in poultry ration. This study investigated the impact of substituting maize meal with varying amounts of cassava root meal on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, hemato-biochemical parameters, meat composition and sensory properties of broiler chickens. In this study, 400 broiler chicks (Arbor Acres) were assigned to four treatment groups: T1 (0%, diet without cassava root meal; CRM) and T2, T3 and T4 containing 10%, 20%, and 30% cassava root meal, respectively. Each group had five replicates consisting of 20 birds each, and trial ran for 35 days. The results indicated that broilers in the T2 group had significantly higher body weight, feed intake and feed efficiency ratio, with a lower feed conversion ratio (FCR). T2 also showed exceptional carcass characteristics without adversely affecting meat quality and blood parameters of broilers. The proximate composition of breast and thigh muscles showed significant changes (p < 0.05). In breast muscle, crude protein (CP), ash, and metabolizable energy (ME) increased with higher cassava root meal (CRM) inclusion, peaking in T4. In thigh muscle, crude protein (CP) significantly improved in all CRM-based diets compared to the control (15.30%), reaching a maximum in T3 (20.28%). The diet having 10% cassava root meal (CRM) had the highest amount of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and DPPH scavenging activity along with the best overall acceptability. The results indicate that cassava root meal can be used as a substitute for maize grains in broiler diets, without any adverse effects on the broiler's growth performance and general health status. It is suggested that maize can be replaced by 10% cassava root meal (CRM) for promoting the growth, meat quality and healthy blood profile of broilers.
Heat stress (HS) causes organ damage and has detrimental impacts on the welfare and production in broilers. As a crucial immune organ, the spleen exerts a key role in immune homeostasis of broilers. Fucoidan (FUC) is a marine functional substance and extracted from seaweeds with multiple biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. This experiment attempted to investigate the protective effect of fucoidan on HS-induced spleen injury in broilers. A total of 240 male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers at 21 d of age were randomly assigned to five groups: control (CON) group, HS group, and HS group supplemented with 200 (HS+FUC200), 400 (HS+FUC400) and 800 (HS+FUC800) mg/kg FUC. The feeding trial lasted 21 d. The results showed that HS reduced the spleen index, impaired antioxidant capacity, and induced pathological damage in the spleens of broilers. Dietary supplementation with 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg FUC alleviated these injuries. Specifically, 800 mg/kg FUC improved the spleen index, antioxidant indicators and the splenic histomorphological pathology in broilers under HS. Therefore, 800 mg/kg of FUC was identified as the effective dosage for mitigating HS-induced splenic injury in broilers. Accordingly, this study further investigated the molecular mechanism of the beneficial effects of 800 mg/kg FUC. FUC800 upregulated the expression of antioxidant genes (NQO1, CAT, SOD1, SOD2, GCLC, GCLM, GSTA3, HO-1) and ferroptosis-related genes (GPX4, SLC7A11, Fpn1, FTH1), while downregulating the expression of inflammatory genes (IL-1β, IL-4, TNF-α, NF-κB) in the spleen of heat-stressed broilers. Besides, FUC800 reduced the protein expression of total P65 and p-P65, and enhanced the protein expression of total Nrf2 and p-Nrf2 in the spleen of heat-stressed broilers. The findings demonstrated that dietary supplementation of 800 mg/kg FUC alleviates HS-induced spleen damage in broilers by reducing the oxidative stress, ferroptosis and inflammation, and the protective role of FUC is related to the activation of Nrf2 signaling and the suppression of NF-κB signaling. This study offers theoretical support for applying FUC in improving the spleen health of broilers under HS conditions.
Marek's disease (MD) is a highly contagious and oncogenic viral disease that causes immunosuppression in chickens. A molecular epidemiological investigation of Marek's disease virus (MDV) was conducted in chicken flocks in China during 2022 and 2023. Real-time PCR was used to detect MDV serotype 1 (MDV-1) in 544 clinical tissue samples. MDV-positive samples were subsequently tested for reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), avian leukosis virus subgroups A and B (ALV-A/B), avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J), and chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV). Full-length sequencing of the meq and pp38 genes was performed on 18 selected MDV-positive samples. The results revealed an MDV positive rate of 19.67% (107/544), with 73.83% (79/107) of these samples showing co-infection, predominantly MDV and CIAV (54.21%, 58/107). The MDV positive rates were higher in native chickens (28.43%, 29/102) and Hy-Line layers (27.62%, 29/105), whereas the co-infection rate of MDV with other avian immunosuppressive pathogens was highest in Arbor Acres broilers (91.67%, 22/24). Molecular analysis of the meq gene from circulating field MDV strains revealed typical amino acid substitutions associated with Chinese MDV isolates, including K77E, D80Y, V115A, T139A, P176R, and P217A. Notably, two additional novel substitutions, A88T and Q93R, were identified in 16 of the 18 isolates. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the 16 isolates clustered with virulent MDV isolates from Guangdong Province (2018), whereas the remaining two grouped with virulent MDV strains circulating one decade earlier. These findings suggest that MDV infection was prevalent in chicken flocks across some regions of China during 2022 and 2023, frequently co-occurring with other avian immunosuppressive pathogens, and that virulent MDV strains with novel molecular characteristics are currently circulating in chicken populations.
Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) infection in broilers threatens food security and public health, and antibiotic overuse causes serious side effects. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects and mechanism of Lactobacillus plantarum (LW) isolated from Tibetan chickens against ST infection in broilers. Eighty 1-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into four groups (n = 20 per group): control (CC), LW supplementation (LW), ST infection (ST), and ST + LW treatment (PR). Broilers in LW and PR groups were orally administered 1 × 10⁸ CFU mL-1 LW from day 4 to day 21, and those in ST and PR groups were challenged with 1 × 10⁸ CFU mL-1 ST from day 15 to day 18. Results showed that LW significantly alleviated ST-induced growth retardation, oxidative stress and intestinal histological injury. Meanwhile, LW inhibited NF-κB pathway to reduce intestinal inflammation, upregulated tight junction proteins to enhance intestinal barrier function, increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and Bacilli to optimize gut microbiota, and maintained taurine levels to regulate taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. LW effectively protects broilers from ST infection via regulating intestinal immunity, barrier function, gut microbiota and metabolism. LW can be used as a safe and effective probiotic to prevent ST infection in poultry, thus reducing food safety risks and ensuring public health.
Chronic heat stress (CHS) disrupts broiler breast muscle physiology homeostasis, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, 144 male Arbor Acres broilers (28 d old) were randomly allocated into 3 treatment groups: the normal control (NC) group (22 °C, ad libitum), the heat stress (HS) group (22 °C, ad libitum), the pair-fed (PF) group (22 °C, feed matched to HS). After two weeks of CHS, the HS group exhibited elevated ROS production, increased antioxidant enzyme activities (GSH-Px, CAT, SOD), and higher MDA and carbonyl levels, accompanied by pronounced ultrastructural damage in mitochondria and myofibrils. Metabolic analyses revealed enhanced glycolysis, suppressed lipolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, and reduced ATP and ADP levels, indicating impaired energy homeostasis. CircRNA sequencing identified 61 differentially expressed circRNAs independent of feed intake, which were associated with metabolic regulation, oxidative stress response, and cell growth and apoptosis. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of parental and target genes implicated key pathways, including peroxisome, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, HIF-1 signaling, and apoptosis. ceRNA network analysis revealed critical circRNA-miRNA-mRNA axes regulating ROS generation and metabolic adaptation under CHS, such as novel_circ_004536/gga-miR-10c-5p/CYP1C1 and novel_circ_003382/gga-miR-34a-5p/UQCRB. These findings highlight the regulatory role of circRNAs in CHS-induced oxidative stress and metabolic dysregulation in broiler breast muscle, providing potential molecular targets to mitigate heat-induced muscle damage and improve meat quality in poultry.
This study aimed to investigate the effects of stevia extract (SE) on growth performance and meat quality of broilers and reveal possibly mechanisms. Four hundred Arbor Acres male broilers (1 d old, 40 ± 1 g) were randomly assigned to 5 treatments with 8 replicates of 10 broilers per replicate. Broilers in the control (CON) group were fed the basal diet, while broilers in the other 4 treatment groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg SE, respectively. Dietary supplementation with SE effectively improved breast meat quality and tended to increase average daily gain (ADG) in broilers. Compared with the CON group, 150 mg/kg SE reduced 48 h drip loss and peak shear force of breast muscle (P < 0.05). Both 150 and 200 mg/kg SE decreased total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) contents, while 100 and 150 mg/kg SE reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in breast muscle (P < 0.05). SE altered fatty acid (FA) composition: 150 mg/kg SE decreased the proportion of C24:0, and 200 mg/kg SE decreased C22:6n3 (P < 0.05). Linear regression analysis identified 150 mg/kg as the optimal SE level for meat quality improvement, which also downregulated FASN and ACACA mRNA expression (P < 0.05). Untargeted metabolomics revealed that 150 mg/kg SE modulated glycerophospholipid metabolism. Further validation confirmed that 150 mg/kg SE increased phospholipid (PL) content in breast muscle and improved endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondrial (MT) homeostasis. These changes were accompanied by reduced mRNA and protein expression of ER stress biomarkers (GRP78, PERK, IRE1, XBP1) and the MT chaperone HSP60 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, SE improves broiler breast meat quality via regulating the glycerophospholipid metabolism and enhancing endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial homeostasis. Regression analysis in this study indicates that the optimal SE supplementation amount for broilers is 150 mg/kg.
This study tested the hypothesis that krabok oil (KO), a medium-chain saturated fatty acid (MCT)-rich fat source, would mimic the growth and carcass fat reducing effects of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich soybean oil (SBO) in broiler chickens. Forty-five 7-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments tallow (T), SBO, and KO with 15 birds per treatment (n = 15) serving as individual replicates. Each iso-energetic diet was supplemented with 3.00 % of the respective fat source for 21-days (day 7 to day 28 of age). The results showed that KO-fed broilers achieved significantly greater final body weight (839.47 g vs. 750.60 g; P < 0.05) and average daily gain (32.84 g/d vs. 28.60 g/d; P < 0.05) compared to SBO-fed birds. However, the hypothesis was only partially supported; KO did not reduce abdominal fat (1.58 % vs. 1.04 % for SBO; P < 0.05), which was associated with the highest body energy retention in the KO group (37.33 % of intake). SBO significantly increased energy expenditure (44.97 % vs. 33.31 % of intake; P < 0.01) via enhanced PUFA-induced thermogenesis, whereas KO improved the digestibility of medium-chain fatty acids (e.g., lauric acid: 94.94 %; P < 0.01) without lowering total fat retention, likely due to its high saturated fatty acid (SFA) content favoring energy storage. Serum triglyceride concentrations were significantly lower in both SBO- and KO-fed birds (P < 0.01) compared to the tallow group, indicating active lipid catabolism. In conclusion, while KO serves as a potent growth promoter through efficient MCT utilization, it does not metabolically mimic the fat-reducing effects of SBO due to the interaction between chain length and saturation, which priorities energy partitioning toward retention rather than expenditure. These findings offer KO as a stable lipid alternative for optimizing broiler performance while clarifying the distinct metabolic roles of different fatty acid profiles.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a common mycotoxin present in animal feed. This study systematically examined the protective effects of the novel aflatoxin oxidase CotA in alleviating the adverse impacts of AFB1 on broilers. A total of 432 one-day-old Arbor Acres Plus broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four experimental groups. Experimental diets consisted of a control (CON) group fed the basal diet, an AFB1 group supplemented with 200 μg/kg aflatoxin B1, a CotA group supplemented with 5 U/kg aflatoxin oxidase CotA laccase, and a CotA+ AFB1 group supplemented with both 200 μg/kg aflatoxin B1 and 5 U/kg aflatoxin oxidase CotA. Compared with the control group, broilers exposed to AFB1 exhibited a 10.8 % reduction in 42-day body weight and a 13.2 % increase in the F/G ratio from 22 to 42 d (P < 0.05). Furthermore, AFB1 exposure significantly compromised meat quality, as evidenced by a 25.4 % increase in drip loss and an 18.4 % increase in cooking loss in the breast muscle (P < 0.05). However, these adverse effects were effectively mitigated by aflatoxin oxidase CotA supplementation, which restored the 42-day body weight to 2298.45 g and reduced the drip loss and cooking loss to 1.59 % and 35.48 %, respectively. Notably, the architectural integrity of hepatocytes in the livers of broilers fed AFB1-contaminated feed was compromised, characterized by pronounced vacuolar degeneration and infiltration of inflammatory cells. The liver index in the AFB1 group was also significantly higher, accompanied by marked increases in serum activities of aminotransferases (ALT and AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (P < 0.05). The incorporation of aflatoxin oxidase CotA into AFB1-contaminated feed effectively mitigated growth retardation and enhanced meat quality. Furthermore, compared with the AFB1 group, aflatoxin oxidase CotA significantly improved the hepatic activities of antioxidant enzymes, including total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) (P < 0.05). Simultaneously, dietary aflatoxin oxidase CotA supplementation effectively alleviated AFB1-induced hepatic oxidative stress and ferroptosis in broilers. Mechanistically, aflatoxin oxidase CotA activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway, as demonstrated by the upregulated mRNA expression of Nrf2, NQO1, and HO-1 (P < 0.05). Regarding ferroptosis inhibition, aflatoxin oxidase CotA treatment significantly reversed AFB1-induced iron overload by downregulating the expression of iron-acquisition genes (TFR1, DMT1, and STEAP3) and reduced Fe2+ content (P < 0.05). Furthermore, aflatoxin oxidase CotA suppressed ACSL4/LPCAT3-mediated lipid peroxidation and enhanced the antioxidant system by upregulating the key ferroptosis defense genes GPX4, SLC7A11, and FSP1, leading to increased GSH levels and decreased MDA content (P < 0.05). In comparison to the AFB1 group, the addition of aflatoxin oxidase CotA markedly decreased the accumulation of AFB1, AFBO residues, and AFB1-DNA adducts in the liver (P < 0.05). Concurrently, dietary supplementation with aflatoxin oxidase CotA effectively alleviated AFB1-induced intestinal villi disruption and significantly enhanced the villus height-to-crypt depth (V/C) ratio by approximately 25 % in both the jejunum and ileum (P < 0.05). Notably, aflatoxin oxidase CotA significantly preserved mucosal barrier integrity through the 1.5 to 2-fold upregulation of essential tight junction proteins. These results suggest that aflatoxin oxidase CotA holds potential as a novel feed additive to counteract the harmful impacts of AFB1 in broilers.
Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant with high bioaccumulation potential, primarily targeting the kidney by inducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of lycopene (LYC) against Cd-induced nephrotoxicity in broilers. In this study, Arbor Acres broilers were administered Cd-containing diets with or without LYC supplementation for 42 days and then assessed growth performance, serum biochemistry, and renal morphology. The results showed that LYC significantly reversed Cd-induced growth inhibition and renal histopathological damage. Further analysis revealed that the alleviating effect of LYC on Cd-driven renal impairment was linked to the regulation of the mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitophagy. These results suggested that LYC mitigated Cd-induced nephrotoxicity in broilers were associated with the regulating of mitochondrial quality control-related factors and the restoration of mitochondrial homeostasis. Thereby, this study further demonstrates the mechanism by which LYC alleviates Cd-induced nephrotoxicity.