The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) borders eight countries and has a complex geographic environment. There are almost 45.696 million herded sheep in Xinjiang, which occupies 13.80% of China’s sheep farming industry. However, there is a scarcity of reports investigating the role of sheep or ticks in Xinjiang in transmitting tick-borne diseases (TBDs). A total of 894 ticks (298 tick pools) were collected from sheep in southern Xinjiang. Out of the 298 tick pools investigated in this study, Rhipicephalus turanicus (Rh. turanicus) and Hyalomma anatolicum (H. anatolicum) were identified through morphological and molecular sequencing. In the southern part of Xinjiang, 142 (47.65%), 86 (28.86%), and 60 (20.13%) tick pools were positive for Rickettsia spp., Theileria spp., and Anaplasma spp., respectively. Interestingly, the infection rate of Rickettsia spp. (73%, 35.10%, and 28.56–41.64%) was higher in Rh. turanicus pools than in H. anatolicum pools (4%, 4.44%, and 0.10–8.79%) in this study. Fifty-one tick pools were found to harbor two pathogens, while nineteen tick pools were detected to have the three pathogens. Our findings indicate the presence of Rickettsia spp., Theileria spp., and Anaplasma spp. potentially transmitted by H. anatolicum and Rh. turanicus in sheep in southern Xinjiang, China.

Theileria annulata, a globally significant blood parasite in livestock, causes substantial economic losses in resource-limited regions by compromising animal health and hindering the development of the livestock industry. To address this, a rapid, reliable, and sensitive diagnostic assay integrating enzymatic recombinase amplification (ERA) with CRISPR/Cas12a technology was developed. This assay enables visual interpretation through multiple detection modalities, including UV and blue light illumination. Among three primer pairs and two CRISPR RNA (crRNA) candidates screened, the F3/R3 primer set combined with crRNA1 demonstrated the best performance. The optimized ERA protocol achieved complete amplification within 20 min at 37°C. This assay exhibited high specificity for T. annulata detection, with a sensitivity limit of 10 copies/μL, a 100-fold greater sensitivity than conventional PCR, while completing detection within 40 min. Validation of 51 bovine blood samples from a farm in Turpan, Xinjiang, revealed that PCR detected 12 positive cases (23.5% prevalence), whereas the ERA-CRISPR/Cas12a system identified 15 positive cases (29.4% prevalence). The enhanced detection capability of this integrated method provides crucial technical support for field applications in resource-limited settings, effectively addressing the urgent need for rapid and accurate diagnosis of bovine theileriosis.

Alternaria mycotoxins are a class of important, agriculture-related hazardous materials, and their contamination in ruminant feeds and products might bring severe toxic effects to animals and even human beings. To control these hazardous compounds, a reliable and sensitive LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry) method was established for simultaneous determination of six target Alternaria mycotoxins in ruminant feeds, including ALT (Altenuene), AME (Alternariol Monomethyl Ether), AOH (Alternariol), ATX-Ι (Altertoxins I), TeA (Tenuazonic Acid), and TEN (Tentoxin). This developed analytical method was used for the determination of the presence of these substances in cattle and sheep feeds in Xinjiang Province, China. The results revealed that Alternaria mycotoxins are ubiquitously detected in feed samples. Especially, AME, AOH, TeA, and TEN are the most frequently found mycotoxins with a positive rate over 40% and a concentration range of 4~551 µg/kg. The proposed method could be applied for exposure investigation of Alternaria mycotoxins in ruminant feeds and for the reduction in the health risk to animals and even consumers.

This study explored the inhibitory effect of pomegranate flower polysaccharide (PFPS) on mastitis through in vitro and in vivo models. PFPS is a new type of polysaccharide isolated and extracted from pomegranate flowers. The result revealed that PFPS consists of GalA, Ara, and Gal, and the residues consist of 1,4-GalpA, 1,4-Galp, and 1,3,6-Galp, which contain HG-type and RG-I-type pectin structural domains. In vitro studies showed that PFPS could inhibit LPS-enhanced phagocytosis of RAW 264.7 cells and the release of IL-1β, IL-10, and TNF-α. In vivo, studies showed that PFPS improved xylene-induced mouse ear swelling and carrageenan-induced mouse paw edema by inhibiting inflammatory factors. In the mouse mastitis model, PFPS significantly improved LPS-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in mammary tissue. Intestinal flora sequencing results showed that PFPS could effectively regulate the intestinal flora of mice, reduce the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria Oscillospira and AF12, and increase the probiotics Blautia, Parabacteroides, Allobaculum, and Clostridiaceae_Clostridium. Therefore, PFPS ultimately played a role in preventing mastitis by regulating the intestinal flora and further improving the blood-milk barrier. This study provides a scientific basis for PFPS as a potential candidate drug for the treatment of mastitis.

The CYP450 enzyme is a superfamily enzyme ubiquitously found in nearly all organisms, playing a vital role in the metabolism of both endogenous and exogenous compounds, and in biosynthesis. Unfortunately, an understanding of its classification, functions, expression characteristics, and other biological traits in Hyalomma asiaticum, a vector for Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, as well as of the genes implicated in its natural product metabolism, is lacking. Towards this end, this study has identified 120 H. asiaticum CYP450 genes via transcriptome data in the face of a joint genome threat from terpinolene. The proteins these genes encode are of higher molecular weight, devoid of a signal peptide, and composed of unstable hydrophobic proteins principally containing 1–3 variable transmembrane regions. Phylogenetic evolution classifies these H. asiaticum CYP450 genes into four subfamilies. These genes all encompass complete CYP450 conserved domains, and five specific conserved motifs, albeit with different expression levels. GO and KEGG annotation findings suggest a widespread distribution of these CYP450 genes in many physiological systems, predominantly facilitating lipid metabolism, terpenoid compound metabolism, and polyketone compound metabolism, as well as cofactor and vitamin metabolism at a cellular level. Molecular docking results reveal a hydrophobic interaction between the ARG-103, ARG-104, LEU-106, PHE-109, and ILE-119 amino acid residues in CYP3A8, which is primarily expressed in the fat body, and terpinolene, with a notably up-regulated expression, with affinity = −5.6 kcal/mol. The conservation of these five key amino acid residues varies across 12 tick species, implying differences in terpinolene metabolism efficacy among various tick species. This study thereby fills an existing knowledge gap regarding the biological characteristics of H. asiaticum CYP450 genes and paves the way for further research into the functions of these particular genes.

Ticks serve as major vectors of zoonotic pathogens, posing significant threats to public health and livestock. However, morphological similarity among closely related species complicates accurate identification. This study employed an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological and molecular methods to delineate five medically important tick species in Xinjiang, China. From April to July 2024, a total of 1,128 ticks were collected from livestock across four ecological regions (Ürümqi, Turpan, Jimsar, and Aksu). Morphological features—including basis capituli, scutum, and genital aperture—were analyzed via stereomicroscopy, while molecular characterization targeted mitochondrial (16S rDNA, COI) and nuclear (ITS2) markers. Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using the maximum likelihood method. Morphological identification confirmed five species: Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma asiaticum, Hyalomma dromedarii, Rhipicephalus turanicus, and Dermacentor marginatus, supported by high-resolution imaging. Molecular data revealed notable interregional genetic affinities: H. anatolicum from Turpan shared COI similarity with strains from Kazakhstan; H. asiaticum from Turpan clustered with Iranian populations; H. dromedarii from Jimsar showed 16S rDNA similarity to Saudi Arabian lineages; R. turanicus from Aksu grouped with Egyptian COI sequences; and D. marginatus from Jimsar aligned with populations from Alashankou, China. Notably, single-gene phylogenies posed taxonomic limitations—for example, ITS2 misclassified R. turanicus as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto. These issues were mitigated through morphological diagnostics such as scutal enamel spots in D. marginatus and the distinctive genital plates in H. dromedarii. The integrative approach improved taxonomic resolution, with 16S rDNA providing genus-level insight, COI enabling species-level discrimination, and ITS2 offering strain-level resolution. Additionally, high-resolution morphological imaging addressed gaps in existing reference databases. Overall, multi-locus strategies combined with morphological validation are essential for accurate tick identification, improving our capacity to monitor vector-borne pathogen transmission and contributing to One Health surveillance frameworks.