Characterization of miRNA and their target gene during chicken embryo skeletal muscle development Characterization of miRNA and their target gene during chicken embryo skeletal muscle development

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with a multi-strain probiotic (MSP) product containing of Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus casei, Streptococcus faecalis, and Bacillus cerevisiae on growth, health, and fecal bacterial composition of dairy calves during the first month of life.Methods: Forty Holstein calves (24 female and 16 male) at 2 d of age were grouped by sex and date of birth then randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: milk replacer supplementation with 0 g (0MSP), 2 g (2MSP), 4 g (4MSP), and 6 g (6MSP) MSP per calf per day.Results: Supplementation of MSP did not result in any significant differences in parameters of body measurements of calves during the 30 d period. As the dosage of MSP increased, the average daily gain (p = 0.025) and total dry matter intake (p = 0.020) of calves showed a linear increase. The fecal consistency index of the 2MSP, 4MSP, and 6MSP group calves were lower than that of the 0MSP group calves (p = 0.003). As the dosage of MSP increased, the concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.068) and aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.081) in serum tended to decrease, whereas the concentration of total cholesterol increased quadratically (p = 0.021). The relative abundance of Dorea in feces was lower (p = 0.011) in the 2MSP, 4MSP, and 6MSP group calves than that in the 0MSP group calves. The relative abundance of Dorea (p = 0.001), Faecalibacterium (p = 0.050), and Mitsuokella (p = 0.030) decreased linearly, whereas the relative abundance of Prevotella tended to increase linearly as the dosage of MSP increased (p = 0.058).Conclusion: The MSP product can be used to reduce the diarrhea, improve the performance, and alter the composition of the fecal bacteria in neonatal dairy calves under the commercial conditions.

Stress exposure is a potential threat to humans who live or work in extreme environments, often leading to oxidative stress, inflammatory response, intestinal dysbiosis, and metabolic disorders. Gallnut tannic acid (TA), a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound, has become a compelling source due to its favorable anti-diarrheal, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial activities. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the anti-stress effects of gallnut TA on the stress-induced inflammatory response, dysbiotic gut microbiota, and alterations of serum metabolic profile using beagle models. A total of 13 beagle dogs were randomly divided into the stress (ST) and ST + TA groups. Dietary supplementation with TA at 2.5 g/kg was individually fed to each dog in the ST + TA group for 14 consecutive days. On day 7, all dogs were transported for 3 h from a stressful environment (days 1–7) to a livable site (days 8–14). In our results, TA relieved environmental stress-induced diarrheal symptoms in dogs and were shown to protect from myocardial injury and help improve immunity by serum biochemistry and hematology analysis. Also, TA inhibited the secretion of serum hormones [cortisol (COR), glucocorticoid (GC), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)] and the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 to protect dogs from stress-induced injury, thereby relieving oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Fecal 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that TA stimulated the growth of beneficial bacteria (Allobaculum, Dubosiella, Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002, and Faecalibaculum) and suppressed the growth of pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia-Shigella and Streptococcus), thereby increasing fecal butyrate levels. Serum metabolomics further showed that phytosphingosine, indoleacetic acid, arachidonic acid, and biotin, related to the metabolism of sphingolipid, tryptophan, arachidonic acid, and biotin, respectively, could serve as potential biomarkers of stress exposure. Furthermore, Spearman’s correlation analysis showed strong relationships between the four potential serum biomarkers and differential bacteria. Overall, gallnut TA may be a potential prebiotic for the prevention and treatment of stress-induced metabolic disorders by targeting intestinal microbiota.

Identification and utilization of sheep major fecundity genes offer opportunities for the increase in litter size, as well as the improvement of production efficiency in livestock industry. BMPR-IB gene belongs to the TGF-β superfamily, and is also considered as a regulator for sheep reproductive performance due to its involvement in the mammalian gametogenesis pathway. This study aimed to detect the variations of BMPR-IB gene in Hu sheep (N = 934) and to evaluate their effects on the litter size trait. qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA expression level of BMPR-IB in kidney was the highest. And in the tissues of ovary and pituitary, the expression levels of prolific group were significantly higher than that of non-prolific group (p < 0.05). Through DNA sequencing and PCR-RFLP, three SNPs were identified in the genomic region of BMPR-IB gene; the individuals with CC in g.29362047T > C, AA in g.29427689G > A and GG in FecB had better fecundity characterization. Additionally, association analysis indicated that two diplotypes of Hap2/2 and Hap2/4 showed larger litter size. Overall, our results verified several useful markers which would contribute to further development of sheep breeding strategies.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the oat hay feeding method and compound probiotics (CMP) on the growth, health, serum antioxidant and immune indicators, rumen fermentation, and bacteria community of dairy calves from 3 to 5 months of age. Forty-eight female Holstein calves (80 ± 7 days of age, 93.71 ± 5.33 kg BW) were selected and randomly divided into four groups. A 2 × 2 factorial design was adopted for the experiment, with the factors of the oat hay feeding method (fed as free-choice or 16.7% in the diet) and compound probiotics (CMP) inclusion (0.15% or 0%) in the pelleted starter. The results showed that, compared with giving oat hay as free-choice, feeding a diet of 16.7% oat hay increased the pelleted starter intake at 1–84 d (p < 0.05), with an average daily gain (ADG) at 61–84 d (p = 0.02); adding CMP to the pelleted starter did not significantly affect body weight, and reduced the fecal index (p < 0.05). Feeding 16.7% oat hay increased the concentration of IgA, IgG, and IgM (p < 0.01), while adding CMP increased the catalase (p < 0.01) and decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde (p < 0.01) in serum. Feeding 16.7% oat hay increased the ruminal concentration of propionic acid (p < 0.05) and isobutyric acid (p = 0.08), and decreased the ruminal pH (p = 0.08), the concentration of acetic acid (p < 0.05), and the ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid (p < 0.01). Feeding 16.7% oat hay reduced the relative abundance of ruminal Firmicutes, Unidentified-Bacteria, Actinobacteria, Prevotella, NK4A214-group, Olsenella, and Actinobacteriota (p < 0.05); adding CMP increased the relative abundance of ruminal Prevotella, Rikenellaceae-RC9-gut-group, Ruminococcus, NK4A214-group, and Ruminococcus (p < 0.05), and decreased the abundance of Desulfobacterora, Prevotella-7, and Erysipelotricaceae-UCG-002 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, feeding a diet of 16.7% oat hay increased the pelleted starter intake and average daily gain, while slightly reducing the ruminal pH values; adding CMP to the pelleted starter resulted in reduced diarrhea incidence, increased serum antioxidant capacity and immunity, as well as ruminal richness and diversity of microorganisms in dairy calves from 3 to 5 months of age.