This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary curcumin supplementation on growth performance, anticoccidial index, antioxidant capacity, intestinal inflammation, and cecum microbiota in broilers infected with Eimeria tenella. A total of 234 one-day-old broilers were categorized into three treatments, with six replicates per treatment containing 13 broilers each. The three treatments included the control group, Eimeria tenella group, and Eimeria tenella + curcumin (200 mg/kg) group. The feeding trial lasted for 42 days, during which the broilers were orally administered with 0.9% saline or 5 × 10⁴ Eimeria tenella oocysts on day 14 of the study. On day 17 and day 21, one bird per replicate was selected for slaughtering. Results indicated an increased survival rate and anticoccidial index and improved productive performance in coccidia-infected broilers with curcumin supplementation. Furthermore, curcumin enhanced the serum antioxidant capacity in Eimeria tenella-infected broilers, evidenced by increased serum catalase activity (3d, 7d), as well as decreased malondialdehyde level (3d, 7d) and nitric oxide synthase activity (7d) (p < 0.05). Curcumin also improved intestinal inflammation and barrier function, evidenced by the downregulation of interleukin (IL)-1β (3d, 7d), TNF-alpha (TNF-α) (3d, 7d), and IL-2 (7d) and the up-regulated mRNA levels of claudin-1 (7d), zonula occludens (ZO-1; 3d, 7d), and occludin (3d, 7d) in the ceca of infected broilers (p < 0.05). Eimeria tenella infection significantly disrupted cecum microbial balance, but curcumin did not alleviate cecum microbial disorder in broilers infected with Eimeria tenella. Collectively, curcumin supplementation enhanced growth performance and anticoccidial index in Eimeria tenella-infected broilers via improving antioxidant ability and cecum inflammation without affecting cecum microbiota.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) plays a vital role in normal eukaryotic organism development and homeostatic metabolism under the influence of internal and external factors such as endogenous hormone changes and exogenous stimuli. Over the last few decades, comprehensive studies have revealed the key role of FGF21 in regulating many fundamental metabolic pathways, including the muscle stress response, insulin signaling transmission, and muscle development. By coordinating these metabolic pathways, FGF21 is thought to contribute to acclimating to a stressful environment and the subsequent recovery of cell and tissue homeostasis. With the emphasis on FGF21, we extensively reviewed the research findings on the production and regulation of FGF21 and its role in muscle metabolism. We also emphasize how the FGF21 metabolic networks mediate mitochondrial dysfunction, glycogen consumption, and myogenic development and investigate prospective directions for the functional exploitation of FGF21 and its downstream effectors, such as the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR).

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-induced mastitis poses a severe threat to the global dairy industry and raw milk safety. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of lytic phage JXAU-SA-P1, recently isolated in our laboratory, against S. aureus-induced mastitis in mice and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. A total of 42 lactating BALB/c mice (7–10 days postpartum) were allocated into seven groups (n = 6) to assess bacterial reduction, tissue pathology, and host immune responses following intramammary S. aureus challenge. The results showed that JXAU-SA-P1 significantly reduced S. aureus burdens and alleviated mammary histopathological damage, with better efficacy than antibiotic therapy. Safety assessments showed that JXAU-SA-P1 was steadily cleared in the absence of host bacteria without triggering inflammation response. Transcriptomic profiling identified 448 overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) modulated by high-dose phage administration. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that phage administration suppressed major pro-inflammatory pathways, including the TNF, NF-kappa B, and IL-17 signaling pathways. Core regulatory hub genes, including IL-1β, Ptprc, Itgam, Fcgr3, and Itgb2, were identified through protein–protein interaction network analysis. Subsequent ELISA confirmed significant reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β), the neutrophil infiltration marker myeloperoxidase (MPO), and serum immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgG). In conclusion, phage JXAU-SA-P1 effectively alleviated mastitis through direct pathogen lysis and subsequent alleviation of the host inflammatory response, providing a strong experimental foundation for the development of phage-based products as safe, antibiotic-free biocontrol agents for dairy production.