A strategy to mitigate the negative effects of stress on animals is to enhance their ability to beneficially respond to stressful conditions. This study aimed to assess whether prenatal ambient temperature influences the response of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) chicks to environmental challenges during growth. The experiment was conducted in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: two temperature conditions for the mothers (thermoneutral and heat stress by continuous exposure to 32 °C) and two offspring ambient temperature conditions (thermoneutral and heat stress by intermittent exposure to 34 °C for 6 h/day from 15 to 35 days of age). Heat stress in mothers led to lower laying rate, egg mass, expression of methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MSRA) gene, and antioxidant capacity as well as higher chick mortality rate (1–15 days of age). Maternal heat stress led to lower weight gain and total antioxidant capacity and higher feed conversion ratio. Maternal temperature × Offspring temperature interaction effects were observed on carbonylated protein content and HSP70, GSS, and MSRA gene expression. It was observed that, for chicks hatched from heat-stressed mothers, exposure to heat stress led to higher carbonylated protein content and HSP70 expression than exposure to thermoneutral conditions. Maternal heat stress was also responsible for increasing GSS expression in chicks grown under thermoneutral conditions. Chicks hatched from non-stressed mothers and subjected to heat stress had higher MSRA expression compared to chicks maintained in a thermoneutral environment. Our results show that, although maternal heat stress had no negative effects on performance or oxidative metabolism of offspring grown under thermoneutral conditions, it was associated with lower performance and higher protein oxidation in offspring exposed to heat stress during growth. These results could be due in part to alterations in the expression of genes related to antioxidant capacity.

This study examined the effects of dietary levels of methionine on lipid and intestinal metabolism in Japanese quail hens and their progeny. The experiment was conducted according to a 3 × 3 factorial design, with three maternal and three progeny diets, as follows: low‐methionine (LMET), recommended methionine (MET), and high‐methionine (HMET). Methionine supplementation improved reproductive performance during laying ( p < 0.05). Intestinal morphometry revealed that MET and HMET diets increased duodenal villus width and crypt depth in hens ( p < 0.05). Hens fed the HMET diet showed higher expression of amino acid transport and barrier function genes. Hens fed LMET produced offspring with lower body weight at 15 days of age and lower weight gain (1–15 days of age) than hens fed MET and HMET ( p = 0.0002). During the grower phase, chicks fed LMET diet had lower body weight at 15 ( p < 0.0001) and 35 ( p < 0.0001) days and worse feed conversion ratio ( p = 0.0006) than chicks fed MET and HMET. Progeny from MET or HMET hens had improved intestinal histomorphometry. Overall, methionine supplementation of quail diets enhances intestinal function and reproductive performance in hens, improving chick performance in the starter and grower phases.

Genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) is a strain of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) developed for improved production and commercial parameters. Skin color, one of the characteristics distinguishing tilapia varieties, is an important phenotypic trait associated with qualitative and productive performance. This study aimed to assess fillet and skin characteristics in GIFT Nile tilapia with black and red skin phenotypes. For this, 24 GIFT Nile tilapia from the same spawning stock were divided into two groups based on skin color, namely a black variety (dark skin) and a red variety (reddish skin). There were no significant differences in biometric parameters between varieties. Fish of the red variety had higher 2 h post-slaughter pH and muscle antioxidant capacity and lower yellow-blue axis value (b*), luminosity (L*), thawing loss, cooking loss, and conjugated diene content (P < 0.05). The skin of black tilapia exhibited higher force in the progressive tear test tear, and higher strength, tensile strength, deformation, and elongation in the traction and stretching test than that of red tilapia. Black tilapia skin had higher collagen and hydroxyproline contents. The skin of the red variety exhibited higher expression levels of alpha 1, 2, and 3 type I collagen genes, lower expression levels of the vimentin gene, and higher antioxidant capacity. The results suggest that skin color phenotype may be linked to important metabolic pathways influencing fish fillet and skin traits. These findings can support future research aimed at identifying optimal varieties of Nile tilapia for specific purposes and optimizing the utilization of filleting waste.

The maternal diet and egg incubation temperature are some of the factors that can influence the embryonic development and performance of the newly chicks at 15 d of age. This study evaluated the effects of adding a blend of organic acids, essential oils, curcumin, tannins, vitamin E, and zinc microencapsulated in to the diet of female quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) on their productive, reproductive performance and redox parameters of their eggs and the interaction of maternal diet × incubation temperature on embryo (E16 and E18) and chicks development. At 98 d of age, 64 female quails with a mean body weight of 150 g ± 0.5 were distributed into two treatments: a Basal diet or a diet supplemented with blend (Sannimix). The eggs from each female were incubated at 37.5°C (Control) and 38.5°C (High Temperature) throughout the incubation period. After hatching, chicks were distributed in a 2 (maternal diet) × 2 (incubation temperature) factorial design. Female quails supplemented with Sannimix showed better productive and reproductive performance and produced higher-quality embryos. Their offspring had greater weight at hatch and at 15 d of age. The eggs and offspring of supplemented with Sannimix female quails showed better oxidative stability. At E16 and E18, High Temperature increased yolk sac utilization and gene expression of the growth hormone receptor (GHR). At E16, embryos from supplemented with Sannimix female quail had higher expression of insulin-like growth factor type I (IGFI) and heat shock protein 70 kDa genes. At 15 d of age, highest expression of the GHR and IGFI genes was observed in chicks from female quails fed the Sannimix diet, regardless of incubation temperature. Regarding the maternal diet × incubation temperature an improved result was observed for chicks from female quails fed with Sannimix even when eggs are exposed to High Temperature during the incubation. The supplementation of quail diets with blend Sannimix improves productive and reproductive performance, egg quality and their embryos, as well as their offspring quality.

Embryogenesis is a critical programming window in birds, during which environmental factors can reshape gene expression and influence adaptive capacity after hatching. However, little is known about how embryonic thermal manipulation modulates intestinal immune and metabolic responses to inflammatory challenge later in life. This study evaluated the effects of embryonic thermal manipulation on the intestinal transcriptomic response of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A 2 × 2 factorial design was applied, including two incubation temperatures (control - 37.5°C; high - 39°C) and two challenge conditions (LPS and saline solution). At 25 days post-hatch, jejunum samples were collected after inoculation and subjected to RNA-seq analysis. High incubation temperature significantly reduced (p<0.05) hatchability but did not affect embryo morphology. Under control temperature, LPS induced differential expression of 41 genes (adjusted-p<0.05), including IL1R2, IL18BP, and S100A12, associated with inflammatory modulation and mucosal integrity. In contrast, high-temperature incubation triggered a broad transcriptomic reprogramming in response to LPS, with activation of inflammatory pathways, metabolic processes (glycolysis, Krebs cycle, pentose metabolism), lipid homeostasis, and vesicular trafficking, while simultaneously suppressing genes involved in adaptive immunity, angiogenesis, cell differentiation, and epigenetic regulation. A conserved set of inflammatory genes, including MMP7, PI3, and SLC6A14, was regulated under both thermal conditions, suggesting activation of central defense mechanisms. In conclusion, embryonic thermal manipulation did not change gross embryonic phenotype but markedly altered the magnitude and direction of intestinal gene expression responses to LPS, indicating a shift toward an innate inflammatory-metabolic profile at the expense of adaptive immune-related pathways.