Both the jejunum and colon release cytokines that interact with intestinal microbiota. However, it is largely unclear which cytokines and microbial populations are involved in the homeostasis of the intestinal ecosystem for sheep health. To address this, we collected contents for isolating microbiota and tissues for determining cytokines from the jejunum and colon of 7-month-old Altay sheep. We used the techniques of 16S rRNA sequencing and ELISA to detect microbial population and cytokine level, respectively. Correlations between microbial population and cytokines were analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficient. The correlation analysis revealed higher populations of Bacteroides, Fibrobacteres and Spirochetes in the colon than in the jejunum, and IL-6 and IL-12 levels were higher in the jejunum than in the colon. Association analysis further revealed a positive association between IL-10 level and both Ruminococcus_2 and norank_f_Bifidobacteriaceae population in the jejunum. The analysis also revealed positive associations between IL-6 level and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013 population, IL-10 and Prevotellaceae_UCG-004, as well as TNF-α and Prevotellaceae_UCG-003 in the colon. These results indicate a potential interaction between the intestinal microbiota and the host immune system that needs to be further clarified for considering dietary formulations to maintain animal health and disease prevention.

Objectives: The Taihe Black-Boned Silky Fowl (TBSF) is a unique indigenous chicken breed in China, characterized by widespread melanin deposition throughout its body. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) such as enrofloxacin can persist in TBSF for an extended period exceeding 100 days. The aim of this study was to examine the current status and development trends of FQ resistance within the TBSF breeding environment. Methods: Whole-genome sequencing was utilized to identify the molecular presence of quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) mutations and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes in Escherichia coli isolates obtained from TBSF farms. Network inference based on strong Spearman correlations (ρ > 0.5) and statistically significant associations (p-value < 0.05) was applied to investigate the co-occurrence patterns among FQ residues, resistance phenotypes, and antibiotic resistance genes. Results: The results showed that FQ residues were identified as the primary contributor to FQ resistance in E. coli isolates. Mutations at QRDR sites were the predominant factor driving FQ resistance, rather than PMQR determinants. This study also reported the first identification of GyrA-S83Q mutation being associated with FQ resistance. Conclusions: It was concluded that E. coli strains in TBSF environments, where chickens have a long-term residual metabolic cycle of antimicrobials, may develop and evolve new mechanisms to adapt to this environment. Further research is warranted to investigate the evolution of FQ resistance in E. coli strains within TBSF environments.

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Suanzaoren decoction on stress response of horses in transportation. A total of six male Ili horses were equally divided into Suanzaoren decoction treatment group (n = 3; basal diet supplemented with Suanzaoren decoction, three times/day) and control group (n = 3; basal diet, three times/day). After feeding for five days, all horses were transported for 8 h to simulate stress. Blood and serum samples were obtained before transport [...] ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Suanzaoren decoction on stress response of horses in transportation. A total of six male Ili horses were equally divided into Suanzaoren decoction treatment group (n = 3; basal diet supplemented with Suanzaoren decoction, three times/day) and control group (n = 3; basal diet, three times/day). After feeding for five days, all horses were transported for 8 h to simulate stress. Blood and serum samples were obtained before transport

Black-bone fowls are rich in melanin and regarded as being rich in nutritional value. However, the metabolism of antibiotics in black-bone fowls remains poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the tissue residue depletion kinetics of Sulfamonomethoxine (SMM) or Doxycycline in Taihe black-bone silky fowls. The tissue residue experiments involved a total of two hundred and forty Taihe black-boned silky fowls. The birds were raised to 100 days old in the same laboratory conditions and divided into a control group, SMM group, and Doxycycline group (80 birds for each group). The control group was provided normal drinking water. The SMM group was oral-administered SMM at concentrations of 50 mg/kg bw per day, and the Doxycycline group was oral-administered Doxycycline at concentrations of 40 mg/kg bw for 5 days, respectively. After the last dose, liver, kidney, muscle, and skin/fat were collected at various time points (0.16, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 20, 30, and 40 days, eight birds for each time point). Concentrations of SMM or Doxycycline were analyzed using the UPLC–MS/MS method. The terminal elimination half-lives of SMM in muscle, skin/fat, liver, and kidney were 1.82 ± 1.24, 15.3 ± 4.97, 4.36 ± 1.49, and 5.42 ± 3.46 days, respectively, and 8.62 ± 2.82, 6.88 ± 2.06, 4.12 ± 1.28, and 1.53 ± 0.28 days for Doxycycline. The estimated withdrawal times (WDIs) of SMM were 4, 27, 10, and 12 days, while the estimated WDIs of Doxycycline were 18, 15, 4, and 6 days for muscle, skin/fat, liver, and kidney, respectively. The SMM or Doxycycline bioaccumulate in the skin/fat and may cause antimicrobial residues to be absorbed by human when the skin/fat is used in the diet. Doxycycline persists in muscle for a longer duration compared to SMM. This highlights the significance of muscle and skin/fat as a target organ for future food safety research.

Salmonella Pullorum (S. Pullorum) incurs high mortality in chicks and disrupts intestinal health, and poses a severe threat to poultry industry and human health. However, in Chinese Taihe Black-Bone Silky Fowls (TBSF), the jejunum biomarker and molecular mechanism responding to S. Pullorum inoculation remain elusive. This study aims to characterize the jejunum proteome changes of TBSF affected by S. Pullorum. Using a data-independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics method, jejunum samples were collected from chicks and analyzed. These samples corresponded to the following treatment groups: the blank control group (TBSF with PBS treatment), and groups challenged with Salmonella Pullorum at doses of 1.39 × 10⁸ CFU/mL (L), 2.78 × 10⁸ CFU/mL (M), and 5.56 × 10⁸ CFU/mL (H). Meanwhile, the LD group (challenged with 1.39 × 10⁸ CFU/mL S. Pullorum and administered 0.1g/kg bw 20% florfenicol powder) was used as experimental validation. A total of 8977 proteins were identified. Compared with the blank group, the numbers of differentially abundant proteins were 976 in the L group, 536 in the LD group, 635 in the M group, 673 in the H group, respectively. KEGG analysis showed that proteins affected by S. Pullorum were mainly associated with the signal transduction and infectious disease. EggNOG annotation of proteins showed that regulated proteins were significantly involved in intracellular trafficking, secretion, and vesicular transport, as well as post-translational modification, protein turnover, and chaperones. The results indicate that the alterations in jejunal protein profiles following S. Pullorum challenge are primarily driven by the host's active defense mechanisms against infection. Notably, the protein abundance of FABP6 and ACE2 was significantly higher in the Blank control group compared to all infected groups. This differential expression was further corroborated by RT-PCR analysis, which showed a corresponding increase in FABP6 mRNA levels in the Blank group, confirming FABP6 as a host gene responsive to S. Pullorum. Collectively, this study proposes potential protein biomarkers for the diagnosis of S. Pullorum infection, identifies promising targets for therapeutic development, and provides enhanced mechanistic insight into host-pathogen interactions. that changes of jejunum proteins in response to S. Pullorum are driven by the host's intensified efforts to counteract the infection. The protein abundance of FABP6 and ACE2 was significantly higher in the blank group than in the S. Pullorum-challenged groups. This observation was further validated at the transcriptional level, as RT-PCR analysis confirmed that FABP6 mRNA expression was also elevated in the blank group. These consistent results establish FABP6 as a host gene responsive to S. Pullorum infection. Consequently, this study not only identifies potential protein biomarkers for diagnosing S. Pullorum infection but also proposes novel targets for therapeutic development, thereby enhancing our understanding of the underlying host-pathogen interactions.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element, and host intestinal microecology bidirectionally regulates Se metabolism and bioavailability. How the cecal microbiota of Taihe Black-Boned Silky Fowl (TBSF)—a breed with extensive melanin deposition and distinctive metabolic traits—responds to different Se chemical forms remains unelucidated. Here, metagenomic sequencing characterized the cecal microbiome of TBSF supplemented with sodium selenite (YS), selenomethionine (DS), and Se-enriched yeast (JS) at recommended levels, together with a control group (CK, no Se) (n = 6 per group). All three Se sources modulated community structure with ANOSIM separation increasing from phylum (R = 0.468, p = 0.001) to genus (R = 0.771, p = 0.001) and species (R = 0.818, p = 0.001). The relative abundances of several Lactobacillus and Limosilactobacillus species were significantly higher in the Se-supplemented groups than in the CK group, particularly in the YS group (Kruskal–Wallis test, FDR-adjusted p < 0.05). Genes encoding Se-metabolism enzymes (e.g., iscS, glnA, ASMT, and PSTK) differed among groups, and Se supplementation enriched functions related to translation, ribosome biogenesis and structure, as well as recombination and DNA repair (Kruskal–Wallis test, FDR-adjusted p < 0.05). Se sources enriched distinct classes of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs): multidrug in the CK group; glycopeptides and fluoroquinolones in the JS group; polypeptide in the YS group; and tetracycline in the DS group (LEfSe, LDA > 2, p < 0.05). Co-occurrence network topology further indicated that these functional profiles are strongly correlated with shifts in the relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa (|r| ≥ 0.8, p < 0.05). Collectively, distinct Se sources differentially shape poultry cecal microbiota composition and function, with host microbes actively mediating Se metabolism and absorption. Whether optimizing Se supplementation strategies, such as co-administering lactic acid bacteria with sodium selenite, could yield synergistic benefits warrants further investigation.