The objectives of this study were to investigate the difference in the mechanism of VFAs production combined with macrogenome technology under different forage-to-concentrate ratios and sampling times. Six ruminally cannulated Holstein cows were used in a randomized complete block design. The high forage (HF) and high concentrate (HC) diets contained 70 and 35% dietary forage, respectively. The results showed that pH was affected by sampling time, at 4 h after feeding had lower value. Excepted for acetate, the VFAs was increased with forage decreased. Propionate formation via the succinic pathway, in which succinate CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.5) and propionyl CoA carboxylase (EC 2.8.3.1) were key enzymes, and significantly higher in HC treatment than in HF treatment, Selenomonas, Ruminobacter, Prevotella, and Clostridium were the main microorganism that encodes these key enzymes. Butyrate formation via the succinic pathway, in which phosphate butyryltransferase (EC 2.3.1.19), butyrate kinase (EC 2.7.2.7) and pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (EC 1.2.7.1) are the important enzymes, Prevotella and Bacteroides played important role in encodes these key enzymes. This research gave a further explanation on the metabolic pathways of VFAs, and microorganisms involved in VFAs production under different F:C ration, which could further reveal integrative information of rumen function.

In order to alleviate the toxic effects of aflatoxins B₁ (AFB₁) on inflammatory responses in the intestine, liver, and kidney of broilers, the aflatoxin B₁-degrading enzyme, montmorillonite, and compound probiotics were selected and combined to make a triple-action compound mycotoxin detoxifier (CMD). The feeding experiment was divided into two stages. In the early feeding stage (1–21 day), a total of 200 one-day-old Ross broilers were randomly divided into four groups; in the later feeding stage (22–42 day), 160 broilers aged at 22 days were assigned to four groups: Group A: basal diet (4.31 μg/kg AFB₁); Group B: basal diet with 40 μg/kg AFB₁; Group C: Group A plus 1.5 g/kg CMD; Group D: Group B plus 1.5 g/kg CMD. After the feeding experiment, the intestine, liver, and kidney tissues of the broilers were selected to investigate the molecular mechanism for CMD to alleviate the tissue damages. Analyses of mRNA abundances and western blotting (WB) of inflammatory factors, as well as immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of intestine, liver, and kidney tissues showed that AFB₁ aggravated the inflammatory responses through NF-κB and TN-α signaling pathways via TLR pattern receptors, while the addition of CMD significantly inhibited the inflammatory responses. Phylogenetic investigation showed that AFB₁ significantly increased interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK-1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities (p < 0.05), which were restored to normal levels by CMD addition, indicating that CMD could alleviate cell inflammatory damages induced by AFB₁.

Aflatoxins B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) are the three most prevalent mycotoxins, whose contamination of food and feed is a severe worldwide problem. In order to alleviate the toxic effects of multi-mycotoxins (AFB1 + DON + ZEA, ADZ) on inflammation and apoptosis in swine jejunal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2), three species of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pseudomonas lactis at 1 × 10⁵ CFU/mL, respectively) were mixed together to make compound probiotics (CP), which were further combined with 400 μg/mL of glycyrrhinic acid (GA) to make bioactive materials (CGA). The experiment was divided into four groups, i.e., the control, ADZ, CGA and ADZ + CGA groups. The results showed that ADZ decreased cell viability and induced cytotoxicity, while CGA addition could alleviate ADZ-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, the mRNA expressions of IL-8, TNF-α, NF-Κb, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-1 and ASCT2 genes, and protein expressions of TNF-α and Claudin-1 were significantly upregulated in ADZ group; while the mRNA abundances of IL-8, TNF-α, NF-Κb, Caspase-3, ASCT2 genes, and protein expressions of TNF-α and Claudin-1 were significantly downregulated in the ADZ + CGA group. In addition, the protein expressions of COX-2, ZO-1, and ASCT2 were significantly downregulated in the ADZ group, compared with the control group; whereas CGA co-incubation with ADZ could increase these protein expressions to recover to normal levels. This study indicated that CGA could alleviate cytotoxicity, apoptosis and inflammation in ADZ-induced IPEC-J2 cells and protect intestinal cell integrity from ADZ damages.

This study aimed to assess how the bacterial–enzyme co-fermentation of corn straw affects fermentation quality, the digestion rate in Hu sheep, and rumen microorganisms. Orthogonal experiments were utilized to establish the optimal fermentation conditions, which were subsequently applied in bacterial–enzyme fermentation trials involving four groups: group A (control), group B (enzyme added), group C (bacteria added), and group D (bacteria + enzyme). The results show that the optimal fermentation conditions were the addition of 2% corn flour, 2% cottonseed meal, and 60% moisture. In comparison with group A, group D demonstrated the most favorable outcomes, notably reducing the pH and cellulose content while enhancing the lactic acid content. The relative abundances of Pantoea and Weissella reduced, whereas those of Lactiplantibacillus and Limosilactobacillus increased, in the fermented corn straw. In the animal experiments, group D exhibited significantly higher digestibility of NDF and ADF; total VFA, acetic acid, and NH₃-N contents; and enzyme activity compared with groups A and B. Additionally, the relative abundances of Prevotella, NK4A214-group, Entodinium, and Polyplastron increased, while those of Dasytricha and Enoploplastron decreased, in group D compared with group A. It can be concluded that Lactobacillus plantarum and cellulase treatments enhance the nutritional value of corn straw by improving ruminal fermentation and regulating the sheep rumen microbiota.

Corn straw is one kind of agricultural by-product containing 70–80% insoluble dietary fiber (IDF). In order to develop corn straw dietary fiber, this study was conducted to increase soluble dietary fiber (SDF) yield and improve the structure, functional and prebiotic properties of IDF and SDF from corn straw treated by alkali oxidation treatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation and the combination of these methods. The results demonstrated that the yield of SDF was significantly increased from 2.64% to 17.15% after corn straw was treated by alkali oxidation treatment + Aspergillus niger fermentation + cellulase hydrolysis, compared with untreated corn straw. The SDF extracted from corn straw treated by alkali oxidation treatment + Aspergillus niger fermentation + cellulase hydrolysis (F-SDF) exhibited a honeycomb structure, low crystallinity (11.97%), good antioxidant capacity and high capacities of water holding, water solubility and cholesterol absorption and promoted short-chain fatty acids production by chicken cecal microbial fermentation in vitro. F-SDF enhanced the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus proliferations of Lactobacillus plantarum when it was used as a substrate for Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation. It could be concluded that the combined treatments could increase SDF yield from corn straw and improve its functional and prebiotic properties.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of ginger ethanol extract (GEE) on the production performance, egg quality, serum biochemistry, antioxidant capacity, and gut microbiota of Dawu Golden Phoenix laying hens. The study included 288 Dawu Golden Phoenix laying hens, aged 44 weeks, which were randomly divided into four groups: CON (basal diet), GEE 200 (basal diet + 200 mg kg⁻¹ GEE), GEE 400 (basal diet + 400 mg kg⁻¹ GEE), and GEE 600 (basal diet + 600 mg kg⁻¹ GEE). The results demonstrated that dietary GEE significantly increased apparent ether extract (EE) digestibility (p < 0.05) compared to the basal diet. Hens that were fed GEE diets exhibited an improved feed-to-egg ratio (FCR) and increased levels of serum total protein (TP) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p < 0.05), along with reduced levels of serum total triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary GEE (600 mg kg⁻¹) significantly increased serum antioxidant capacity and estradiol (E₂) levels (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in alpha and beta diversity across the groups, except for the Chao index (p < 0.05). Bacteroidota and Firmicutes predominated at the phylum level, while Bacteroides emerged as the dominant genus. The Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidota ratio tended to increase in the GEE400 and GEE600 groups. At the genus level, hens that were fed 600 mg kg⁻¹ of GEE showed significantly higher abundances of Faecalibacterium and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, but lower abundances of Bacteroides and unclassified_o_Bacteroidales compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that Lactobacillus and Faecalibacterium were positively correlated with antioxidant capacity, indicating that GEE improved antioxidant status by increasing the relative abundances of beneficial intestinal probiotics. The paper concludes with a discussion that GEE supplementation improved animal production by reducing the FCR value and enhancing apparent EE digestibility, while modulating serum biochemical parameters. It also enhanced the antioxidant function by regulating gut microbiota. Therefore, the optimal addition of GEE as a feed additive for laying hens is 600 mg kg⁻¹.