Small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV), also called ovine progressive pneumonia virus or maedi-visna, is present in 24% of US sheep. Like human immunodeficiency virus, SRLV is a macrophage-tropic lentivirus that causes lifelong infection. The production impacts from SRLV are due to a range of disease symptoms, including pneumonia, arthritis, mastitis, body condition wasting and encephalitis. There is no cure and no effective vaccine for preventing SRLV infection. However, breed differences in prevalence and proviral concentration indicate a genetic basis for susceptibility to SRLV. Animals with high blood proviral concentration show increased tissue lesion severity, so proviral concentration represents a live animal test for control post-infection in terms of proviral replication and disease severity. Recently, it was found that sheep with two copies of TMEM154 haplotype 1 (encoding lysine at position 35) had lower odds of SRLV infection. In this study, we examined the relationship between SRLV control post-infection and variants in two genes, TMEM154 and CCR5, in four flocks containing 1403 SRLV-positive sheep. We found two copies of TMEM154 haplotype 1 were associated with lower SRLV proviral concentration in one flock (P < 0.02). This identified the same favorable diplotype for SRLV control post-infection as for odds of infection. However, frequencies of haplotypes 2 and 3 were too low in the other three flocks to test. The CCR5 promoter deletion did not have consistent association with SRLV proviral concentration. Future work in flocks with more balanced allele frequencies is needed to confirm or refute TMEM154 association with control of SRLV post-infection.

Lead (Pb) is a common pollutant that is not biodegradable and gravely endangers the environment and human health. Annona squamosa fruit has a wide range of medicinal uses owing to its phytochemical constituents. This study evaluated the effect of treatment with A. squamosa fruit extract (ASFE) on testicular toxicity induced in male rats by lead acetate. The metal-chelating capacity and phytochemical composition of ASFE were determined. The LD₅₀ of ASFE was evaluated by probit analysis. Molecular docking simulations were performed using Auto Dock Vina. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were equally divided into the following groups: Gp1, a negative control group; Gp2, given ASFE (350 mg/kg body weight (b. wt.)) (1/10 of LD₅₀); Gp3, given lead acetate (PbAc) solution (100 mg/kg b. wt.); and Gp4, given PbAc as in Gp3 and ASFE as in Gp2. All treatments were given by oro-gastric intubation daily for 30 days. Body weight changes, spermatological parameters, reproductive hormone levels, oxidative stress parameters, and inflammatory biomarkers were evaluated, and molecular and histopathological investigations were performed. The results showed that ASFE had promising metal-chelating activity and phytochemical composition. The LD₅₀ of ASFE was 3500 mg/kg b. wt. The docking analysis showed that quercetin demonstrated a high binding affinity for JAK-1 and STAT-3 proteins, and this could make it a more promising candidate for targeting the JAK-1/STAT-3 pathway than others. The rats given lead acetate had defective testicular tissues, with altered molecular, biochemical, and histological features, as well as impaired spermatological characteristics. Treatment with ASFE led to a significant mitigation of these dysfunctions and modulated the JAK-1/STAT-3/SOCS-1 axis in the rats.

Dromedary camels possess unique anatomical, physiological, and metabolic adaptations that enable survival in arid environments; however, these same adaptations make them highly sensitive to nutritional imbalance under modern feeding conditions. This review synthesizes current knowledge on nutritional pathologies and metabolic disorders in camels, emphasizing the links between diet composition, foregut fermentation, mineral status, and systemic health. Imbalances in energy and carbohydrates predispose camels to subacute and acute acidosis, negative energy balance, and ketosis-like syndromes, particularly when rapidly fermentable feeds are introduced without adequate fiber or water. Protein and nitrogen disorders, including ammonia toxicity and impaired urea recycling, arise from mismatches between degradable protein, fermentable energy, hydration, and mineral availability. Widespread deficiencies of phosphorus, copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium, and vitamins A and E remain major constraints, leading to pica, poor microbial fermentation, oxidative stress, immunosuppression, reproductive failure, and skeletal disorders. Nutritional disturbances frequently extend beyond the gastrointestinal tract, forming a gut–liver–kidney metabolic axis characterized by hepatic dysfunction, renal compromise, and systemic oxidative stress. The review also addresses gastrointestinal impaction, foreign-body ingestion, toxic plant consumption, and feeding on human food waste as emerging nutritional challenges, particularly in peri-urban systems. Advances in diagnostic ultrasonography, feed evaluation techniques, probiotics, mineral–vitamin supplementation, and omics-based approaches are discussed as tools for improving early diagnosis and precision nutrition. Despite growing research interest, the lack of camel-specific feeding standards and reliance on cattle-based recommendations remain critical gaps. This review highlights the need for species-specific nutrient requirement models, sustainable rangeland management, and integrative research to support the health, resilience, and productivity of camels under changing environmental and production systems.

The effect of feeding on diets supplemented with Silybum marianum L. dry seeds (SMS) on growth performance, mortality percentage, biochemical parameters, the expression profile of related genes, and genotoxic effect in Muscovy ducklings was evaluated during a brooding period of 4 weeks. Two hundred and forty one-day-old Muscovy ducks were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (60 ducklings/group), the first group fed on basal diet with no additives (control), and the second (4 g kg⁻¹), third (8 g kg⁻¹), and fourth (12 g kg⁻¹) groups fed the basal diet supplemented with 0, 4, 8, and 12 g kg⁻¹ diet SMS, respectively. A substantial improvement in live body weight (LBW), body weight gain (BWG), and growth rate (GR), and a decrease in feed conversion ratios (FCR) and mortality rate were shown in ducks fed a diet supplemented with either 8 g kg⁻¹ or 12 g kg⁻¹ SMS compared to the other groups. Relevant improvements in liver function, oxidative stress markers, purinergic cell energy, and brain appetite were recorded on ducklings fed diets supplemented with SMS. Moreover, diets which included 8 or 12 g kg⁻¹ SMS positively upregulated the expression of growth hormone gene (GH) and antioxidant genes (SOD1, SOD2, and CAT). These results are consistent with the increase in liver activity SOD and CAT enzymes, resulting in less DNA fragmentation. Consequently, all the aforementioned improvements in biochemical parameters and gene expression profiling may explain the superiority of the treated ducklings compared with the control group. Conclusively, the SMS could be used as a natural feed additive to promote health status and improve the growth performance of small grower ducks during the brooding period.

Photoperiod, the cyclical exposure to light and darkness, is a master regulator of neuroendocrine function in poultry, primarily via the pineal-melatonin axis. The pineal gland translates photic cues into rhythmic melatonin secretion, which synchronizes circadian and seasonal biological processes, linking environmental signals to systemic homeostasis. This review systematically explores pineal-melatonin signaling network, highlighting its pivotal role in regulating reproduction, growth, metabolic homeostasis, immune competence, and stress resilience. Mechanistically, melatonin modulates core clock genes (BMAL1, PER, CRY), interacts with hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and adrenal axes, and activates antioxidant, metabolic and epigenetic pathways, thereby integrating environmental cues with physiological adaptation. Photoperiodic manipulation leverages this axis to enhance energy allocation, feed efficiency, and adaptability to environmental fluctuations. Recent advances reveal that melatonin-mediated effects extend to nutrigenomic regulation and epigenetic reprogramming, offering precision strategies for optimizing poultry productivity, welfare, and health. Moreover, controlled light regimes enhance melatonin-dependent benefits, including improved egg production, enhanced meat quality, and overall welfare promotion. By integrating molecular, cellular, and applied perspectives, this review provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how the pineal-melatonin axis translates temporal environmental information into adaptive physiological outcomes, informing sustainable light management strategies in both commercial and experimental poultry systems.

Mycotoxins, secondary toxic metabolites produced by filamentous fungi, pose significant health risks through contamination of food commodities such as grains. Major mycotoxins, including T-2 toxin, aflatoxins, and ochratoxin, are associated with a range of adverse health effects, particularly gastrointestinal disorders and hepatotoxicity. Increasing attention has been directed toward the gut–liver axis, which plays a critical role in mediating the systemic impact of these toxins, alongside growing interest in natural products as potential therapeutic agents. Natural compounds, including probiotics and antioxidants, have demonstrated the ability to mitigate mycotoxin toxicity through multiple mechanisms, such as toxin binding, inhibition of intestinal absorption, and biotransformation, mediated by pathways including Nrf2–ARE signaling and modulation of antioxidant enzyme activities. This review highlights the complex molecular mechanisms and signaling networks involved in mycotoxin toxicity, with particular emphasis on the gut–liver–hypothalamus axis. Disruption of gut microbiota homeostasis is recognized as a key initial event that compromises intestinal barrier integrity, facilitating toxin translocation to the liver and subsequent effects on hepatic function and hypothalamic hormonal regulation. Emerging evidence supports the potential of natural products as promising therapeutic strategies for restoring the balance of the gut–liver–hypothalamus axis and improving overall health outcomes; however, further research is needed to better elucidate their mechanisms of action and expand their application in the prevention and management of mycotoxin-related diseases.