Here, we examined the effects of crossbreeding and sex on growth performance, slaughter performance, and meat quality in Xingguo gray (XG) goose, using transcriptomic and metabolomic techniques. The experiment was conducted using 400 goslings (1-day old) of 2 genotypes: the XG breed and its ternary hybrids [F₂ geese; (XG Goose♂ × Yangzhou Goose♀)♀ × Shitou Goose♂]. The goslings were divided into 4 groups: female XG, male XG, female F₂ geese, and male F₂ geese, and growth parameters were examined at 70 d of age, using 30 birds from each group. Following slaughter, samples of breast and thigh muscles were collected from each group for chemical, metabolome, and transcriptome analyses. Growth rate, live body and slaughter weights, meat chemical composition, and muscle fiber diameter were affected by crossbreeding and sex. Crossbreeding significantly improved the dressing percentage, semieviscerated rate, eviscerated yield, and abdominal fat yield of XG geese. To clarify the potential regulatory network affected by crossbreeding and sex, we used RNA-seq and nontargeted metabolomics to detect changes in male and female goose breast muscle. The transcriptome results showed that there were 534, 323, 297, and 492 differently expressed genes (DEGs) among the 4 comparison groups (XG-Female vs. F₂-Female, XG-Male vs. F₂-Male, F₂-Male vs. F₂-Female, and XG-Male vs. XG-Female, respectively) that were mainly related to muscle growth and development and fatty acid metabolism pathways. A total of 141 significantly differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were enriched in serine and threonine, propionate, and pyruvate metabolism. Finally, we comprehensively analyzed the metabolome and transcriptome data and found that many DEGs and DAMs played crucial roles in lipid metabolism and muscle growth and development. In summary, crossbreeding can improve XG goose production performance and affect breast muscle gene expression and metabolites in both female and male geese.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of dietary supplementation with Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, meat quality, and cecum microbiota of Ningdu yellow chickens. A total of 300 78-day-old Ningdu yellow chickens with similar initial body weights were randomly distributed into five treatments consisting of six replicates of 10 birds. The control group (M0) was fed a basal diet, and the experimental groups were fed diets supplemented with 0.5% (M0.5), 1% (M1), 2% (M2), and 4% (M4) of MOLP, respectively. Our results showed that dietary supplementation with 2% MOLP significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the feed to gain (F/G) and showed a quadratic (p < 0.05) decrease with the level of MOLP. Dietary supplementation with 1~4% MOLP resulted in a significant increase (p < 0.05) in serum total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC). Furthermore, both serum T-SOD and T-AOC exhibited linear and quadratic increases (p < 0.01) in response to the supplementation with MOLP in the diets. Dietary supplementation with 1~4% MOLP significantly (p < 0.05) decreased serum uric acid (UA) level. Additionally, 4% MOLP significantly (p < 0.05) decreased triglycerides (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, and showed linear and quadratic effects. The activity of lipase in the duodenum showed a linear decreasing trend (p < 0.05) with the level of MOLP, while the activities of α-amylase (both in duodenum and jejunum) showed a linear and quadratic increasing trend (p < 0.05). In addition, there was a linear decrease response in abdominal fat (p < 0.05) to MOLP supplementation levels in the diets. In terms of meat quality, dietary supplementation with 4% MOLP significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the L*45 min and L*24 h values of the breast muscle, and drip loss had a linear decreasing trend (p < 0.05). In terms of cecum microbiota, dietary supplementation with 1~4% MOLP significantly increased the Bacteroidota abundance but decreased the Firmicutes abundance (p < 0.05). Overall, dietary supplementation with MOLP improved the growth performance and meat quality of Ningdu yellow chickens through improving the antioxidant function, intestinal digestive enzyme activity, and the cecal microbial structure. The optimum level of MOLP in the diet of Nindu yellow chicken is recommended to be 2.59%.

Turpiniae folium extract (TFE) has shown anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in broilers. However, its mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which TFE influences growth performance, jejunal morphology, immune function, antioxidant capacity and barrier integrity in broilers challenged with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 240 one-day-old female broilers were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates of ten birds each. A 2 × 2 factorial design with TFE (basal diets supplemented with 0 or 500 mg/kg TFE) and LPS challenge (intraperitoneal injection of 1 mg/kg body weight of sterile saline or LPS at 21, 23 and 25 days of age). The trial lasted for 26 days. The results showed that: Prior to the LPS challenge, dietary supplementation with TFE for 21 days increased both average daily gain (ADG) (P = 0.037) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) (P = 0.045) in broilers. During the LPS challenge period, LPS challenge led to a decline in growth performance and a negative impact on intestinal morphology, while TFE supplementation significantly reversed these adverse effects, as evidenced by increases in ADG (P = 0.004), ADFI (P = 0.046), jejunal villus height (VH) (P = 0.035), the villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) (P = 0.007) and decreases in the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) (P = 0.025), jejunal crypt depth (CD) (P = 0.049). LPS induced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in the jejunum, leading to a significant upregulation of pro-inflammatory factor gene and protein expression, and a marked downregulation of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant gene and protein expression. TFE supplementation mitigated these effects by yielding completely opposite results except for the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) protein (P = 0.916). LPS negatively regulates the expression of genes and proteins involved in intestinal mucosal barrier function. In contrast, TFE supplementation significantly upregulated the expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) (P < 0.001) gene and ZO-1 (P < 0.001), occludin (OCLN) (P < 0.001), claudin (CLDN) (P < 0.001) proteins. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with TFE effectively counteracts the intestinal immune and oxidative stress induced by LPS challenge in broilers, improves intestinal mucosal barrier integrity and tissue morphology, and ultimately mitigates the negative impact of LPS on broiler growth performance. This effect may involve the modulation of the Nrf2 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways.

In order to cope with the limited supply of feed for global animal production, there is a pressing need to explore alternative feed resources. Orange pulp, a by-product of agriculture and industry, has shown potential to positively or neutrally impact pig productive performance when included in their diet. However, there is a lack of research on the effects of fermented navel orange pulp (FNOP) on pig growth and productive performance. This study aimed to investigate the effects of FNOP as a dry matter substitute on pig’s growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, meat nutritional value, and serum biochemical indicators. The experiment involved 128 finishing Tibetan pigs, divided into four feed treatment groups, with varying levels (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) of FNOP replacing dry matter in the basal diet. The results indicate that substituting 5% to 15% FNOP had no adverse effects on pig growth performance. However, at a 15% substitution rate, there was a decrease in serum growth hormone and IGF-1 levels, along with an increase in the feed-to-gain ratio. A 10% FNOP replacement notably increased the loin-eye muscle area of pigs. Additionally, 5% and 10% FNOP substitutions reduced the drip loss of pork. The study also found that substituting 5% to 15% FNOP increased unsaturated fatty acids and umami nucleotide contents in pork and raised serum total protein and uric acid (nucleotide-metabolism-related product) levels. These findings suggest that moderate FNOP substitution might improve meat quality, nutritional value, and maintain growth and productive performance in Tibetan pigs by improving protein synthesis and nucleotide metabolism, while also reducing feed costs. The optimal substitution ratio identified was 10%.

Postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery is a severe eye infection that can lead to irreversible blindness in the affected eye. The characteristics, treatment and prognosis of this disease vary because of its association with different pathogens. Here, we report what is possibly the first case of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery to be associated with the rare pathogen Earliella scabrosa. A 56-year-old man from Hainan Island (China) with a history of phacoemulsification and type II diabetes mellitus underwent intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. He later presented with progressive endophthalmitis in his right eye. IOL explantation with capsular bag removal and a 23G pars plana vitrectomy combined with a silicone oil tamponade was performed. The infection was cleared without recurrence, and the patient’s visual acuity improved from light perception to 20/200 in the right eye. An in vitro culture determined that the causative pathogen was Earliella scabrosa, and this result was confirmed by an internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis. Earliella scabrosa has never been reported as an infectious agent in human eyes, and its clinical significance remains unknown. Here, we report a rare case of Earliella scabrosa-associated endophthalmitis after cataract surgery. The fungal infection presented as an acute attack and was successfully treated with vitrectomy.