(1) Background: This study aimed to detect whether alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation could reduce lead (Pb)-induced testicular toxicity in roosters. (2) Methods: A total of 48 roosters, aged 20 weeks, were selected and randomly allocated to six treatment groups: basic diet (CON); CON + 150 mg/kg (CH₃OO)₂Pb (LPB); CON + 300 mg/kg (CH₃OO)₂Pb (HPB); CON + 300 mg/kg ALA (ALA); LPB + 300 mg/kg ALA (ALP); and HPB + 300 mg/kg ALA (AHP). (3) Results: The testicular Pb content was obviously higher in the LPB and HPB groups than in the CON group, while ALA supplementation reduced the testicular Pb content (p < 0.05). Roosters showed a significant increase in serum testosterone, sperm viability, sperm concentration, and testicular score in the AHP group compared with the HPB group. Pb exposure caused a remarkable increase in sperm abnormality and testicular malondialdehyde level, which were down-regulated by ALA supplementation (p < 0.05). RNA sequencing identified 227 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the HPB and CON groups and 220 DEGs between the HPB and AHP groups. (4) Conclusions: ALA supplementation mitigated Pb-induced testicular damage, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for Pb toxicity in birds and potentially other species.

This study explores the effects of fermented bamboo powder (FBP) on the growth performance, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, and expression of nutrient transporter genes in broiler chickens. Two groups were formed from 600 healthy 1-day-old chicks; each group included 30 chicks, repeated 10 times. The control group was fed a basal diet and supplemented the experimental group’s diet with 1.0 g/kg FBP during phase I (days 1–22) and 2.0 g/kg FBP during phase II (days 23–45). The findings revealed a significant enhancement in the growth performance for the group that received fermented bamboo powder in contrast to the control group (p < 0.05). The levels of triglycerides exhibited a significant reduction (p < 0.05), alongside a significant decrease in urea and creatinine levels (p < 0.05). The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of oxidative stress, exhibited a significant reduction in the FBP group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). It was found that the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) worked much better in the FBP group than in the control group (p < 0.01). On the other hand, fermented bamboo powder greatly increased the surface area that could absorb nutrients in the intestines (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) by increasing the villus height, intestinal lumen depth, and villus area (p < 0.01). Compared to the control, FBP increased the expression levels of genes involved in the transport of nutrients from the intestinal regions (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum), including GLUT1, GLUT2, CAT1, CAT2, PEPT1, PEPT2, and LAT1. The upregulation of nutrient transporter genes further facilitated nutrient absorption, contributing to the observed improvements in growth and body weight. These findings endorse FBP as a viable feed additive in broiler diets to enhance health and performance.

Ginger powder (GP) has antioxidant properties and can be a suitable alternative to antibiotics in laying hen diets; however, research on its effects remains limited. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the impact of dietary GP supplementation on production performance during the pre-peak production stage. A total of 270 hens, 18 weeks old and averaging 1.83 ± 0.03 kg, were divided into three groups: control (CN, basal diet), CN + 5 g/kg GP (T1), and CN + 10 g/kg GP (T2), with six replicates of 15 hens each, in a 10-week feeding trial. Dietary GP had no significant effect on feed intake (p > 0.05), but it dose-dependently improved laying rate, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05). Egg quality parameters, including albumen height, Haugh unit, eggshell thickness, and strength, were also linearly improved with GP supplementation (p < 0.05). Dietary GP linearly enhanced the antioxidant status of hens (p < 0.01) and reduced malondialdehyde activity (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, 10 g/kg GP supplementation slightly improved gizzard index and liver morphology, and it linearly enhanced intestinal morphology (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that 10 g/kg GP supplementation can improve the productivity and health of laying hens.

LncRNA (long non-coding RNA) has been confirmed to be associated with growth, development, cell proliferation, and other biological processes. This study explored the potential role and dynamic change process of lncRNAs and related ceRNA (competitive endogenous RNA) networks in skeletal muscle development of the Yangtze River Delta White (YDW) goat, and to analyze the differences in muscle fiber characteristics and meat quality levels of goats at different growth stages. In this study, we compared the expression profiles of lncRNAs in the M. Longissimus dorsi of the YDW goats at different stages of growth and development by RNA sequencing. The results revealed that, in terms of muscle fiber characteristics, muscle fiber diameter and muscle fiber area were significantly larger in 6-month-old and 10-month-old goats than those in 2-month-old goats (p < 0.01). In terms of muscle quality, a* and b* values of 6-month-old goats were significantly higher than those of 2-month-old goats (p < 0.01). Additionally, the a*, b*, and L* values of 6-month-old goats were significantly higher than those of 10-month-old goats (p < 0.01). The pH at 45 min post-mortem (pH_45min) in 10-month-old goats was significantly higher than that in 2-month-old goats (p = 0.006). However, the pH at 24 h post-mortem (pH_24h) in 10-month-old goats was significantly lower than that in both 2-month-old and 6-month-old goats (p < 0.01). Shear force increased gradually with age (p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in drip loss among the different age groups (p > 0.05). Among the identified lncRNA expression profiles, a total of 3073 lncRNAs were found, including 2676 known lncRNAs and 397 novel lncRNAs. Of these, 110, 93, and 99 lncRNAs were specifically expressed in 2-month-old, 6-month-old, and 10-month-old goats, respectively. The lncRNA target gene enrichment analysis showed that they were mainly involved in actin binding, the actin cytoskeleton, the myocardin complex, as well as the AMPK, FoxO, and GnRH signaling pathways. When constructing the lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA ceRNA network, it was found that the ceRNA networks centered on chi-miR-758 and chi-miR-127-5p were involved in muscle development across all three periods, suggesting that they may play an important role in goat muscle growth and development.

Differential fecundity in goats is a complex trait governed by coordinated molecular regulation across reproductive and endocrine tissues. In this study, we performed integrated metabolomic profiling of follicular fluid, serum, thyroid tissue, and uterine luminal fluid together with transcriptomic sequencing of follicular, thyroid, and uterine horn tissues from high-fecundity (HF) and low-fecundity (LF) Yangtze River Delta White goats. In addition, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying differential litter size. High-fecundity goats exhibited enhanced follicular steroidogenesis, superior corpus luteum function, and more stable hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis activity, accompanied by increased uterine gland density and greater myometrial thickness. Metabolomic profiling identified 6640 metabolites displaying tissue-specific differential abundance patterns. Pathway enrichment analysis highlighted steroid hormone biosynthesis and energy metabolism in follicular fluid, PPAR signaling and tyrosine metabolism in thyroid tissue, and glycerophospholipid and one-carbon metabolism in uterine luminal fluid as major pathways associated with fecundity. Transcriptomic analysis identified 1596 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 20 genes shared across all examined tissues, constituting a systemic molecular signature associated with fecundity. WGCNA further revealed three functional tissue axes associated with follicular development (ELOVL4, INHA, NR5A2), thyroid endocrine regulation (GRHL2, NAPRT), and uterine receptivity (RSPO1, AGTR2, PTGER3). Low-fecundity-associated modules were predominantly concentrated in follicular and thyroid tissues, whereas the high-fecundity-specific module was mainly enriched in uterine horn. These findings provide a multi-tissue molecular framework underlying differential fecundity in goats and identify candidate hub genes and metabolites that may serve as candidate biomarkers for fecundity assessment and selective breeding programs.