The growth of skeletal muscle involves complex developmental processes that play an important part in the determinization of pork quality. The investigation of skeletal muscle mRNA or miRNA profiles is especially important for finding molecular approaches to improve meat quality in pig breeding. Therefore, we studied the transcriptome (mRNA and miRNA) profiles of skeletal muscle with RNA-Seq in three developmental stages of pigs: 65-day embryonic (E65), postnatal 0 days (natal) and 10 months (adult). We found 10,035, 9050 and 4841 differentially expressed (DE) genes for natal vs. E65, adult vs. E65 and adult vs. natal, 55, 101 and 85 DE miRNA for natal vs. E65, adult vs. E65 and adult vs. natal, respectively. In addition, the target genes of DE miRNA that was in a negative correlation with the corresponding miRNA in the same comparison group were selected for enrichment analysis. Gene Ontology terms were mainly classified into developmental processes. Pathway analysis revealed enrichment in the Rap1 signaling pathway, citrate cycle and oxidative phosphorylation and carbon. Finally, RT-PCR was employed for validating the level of expression of 11 DE miRNA and 14 DEGs. The transcriptome profiles of skeletal muscle from the different developmental stages of the Bamei pigs were obtained. From these data, hundreds of DE miRNA and mRNA, and the miRNA–mRNA regulatory network can provide valuable insights into further understanding of key molecular mechanisms and improving the meat quality in pig breeding.

Mycotoxin contamination is a major food safety issue worldwide, posing a serious threat to animal production performance and human health. Lactic acid bacteria are generally regarded as safe fermentation potential probiotics. They have the advantages of low toxicity, small pollution, strong specificity and high safety, and can reduce the contamination of microorganisms and mycotoxins. In this study, we compared the mycotoxin degradation capacity of 15 lactic acid bacteria strains from the rumen of Qinghai yak, through comprehensive analysis, we finally identified the strains as potential probiotics because they have a fast growth speed, strong acid production capacity (pH < 4.5), and they can grow normally in an environment with a pH of 3.5, bile salt concentration of 0.1%, and good self-agglutination and hydrophobicity. It was found that the fermentation group (Pediococcus acidilactici C2, Pediococcus acidilactici E28, Pediococcus pentosaceus A16 and Enterococcus lactis C16) could significantly reduce mycotoxin content, and both the nutritional and fermentation quality of the feed improved after 7 days of fermentation, meaning that the fermentation group can be used as a functional feed additive.

Fermented Chinese herbal medicines (FCHMs) are considered a promising natural feed additive in livestock production. While their potential benefits for growth and health are recognized, the mechanisms underlying their effects on meat quality traits such as flavor, and the mediating role of the gut environment, remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to investigate the multifaceted effects of FCHMs on finishing pigs, with a focus on potential links between growth, cecal microbiota, metabolism, and muscle composition. A compound FCHM was prepared by fermenting 10 traditional herbs using selected lactic acid bacteria and yeast. Eighty Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire pigs (30.0 ± 1.0 kg) were randomly assigned to a control group (CK, basal diet) or groups supplemented with 0.4% (GL), 0.6% (GM), or 0.8% (GH) FCHM. After a 110-day trial, FCHM supplementation was associated with improved growth performance. Pigs receiving FCHM showed significantly higher final body weight and average daily gain compared to the CK group, while the high-dosage group (GH) exhibited a reduced feed-to-gain ratio. Analysis of a subset of animals revealed that FCHM appeared to reshape the cecal microbiota structure, notably decreasing the relative abundance of Alloprevotella , Muribaculaceae , and Prevotella , while promoting genera such as Marvinbryantia , Veillonella , and Tyzzerella . Concomitant shifts in cecal metabolite profiles were observed, including altered levels of compounds like cytosine, hypoxanthine, L-malic acid, and uric acid. Furthermore, analysis of muscle tissue indicated that FCHM supplementation coincided with changes in the profile of fatty acids and volatile organic compounds, which are relevant to flavor. Preliminary integrative analysis suggested potential associations between specific microbial shifts, metabolite changes, and alterations in muscle flavor-related compounds. This exploratory study indicates that dietary FCHM supplementation can enhance the growth performance of finishing pigs and is associated with concurrent modifications in the cecal microbial ecosystem, metabolic profile, and muscle composition. The observed multi-level changes suggest potential associations between gut microbial alterations and muscle characteristics that may contribute to the effects of FCHMs. These findings provide a foundational framework for understanding the complex role of fermented herbs in animal nutrition and warrant further investigation to validate the proposed mechanisms.

The present study investigated the impacts of adding varying proportions of black wolfberry residues to the diet on the production performance, egg quality, and intestinal health of Hy-Line Brown laying hens. A total of 600 healthy 20‑week‑old hens were randomly allocated to three groups (10 replicates/group, 20 hens/replicate) and fed either a basal diet (CK) or a basal diet supplemented with 1.0% (T1) or 1.5% (T2) black wolfberry residues for 60 days. Measurements included growth performance (feed intake, egg production, feed conversion ratio), egg quality (yolk color, Haugh unit, eggshell strength), egg nutrients (amino acids, total cholesterol, minerals Na, P, Ca, Fe, Zn, Se, and vitamins VA, VD₃, VE, VB₂, VB₉), fatty acid profile, and cecal microbiota (16S rRNA sequencing). The results showed that black wolfberry residues significantly increased average daily feed intake (P < 0.01). In the T2 group, yolk color and total amino acid content in eggs significantly increased (P < 0.01), while total cholesterol content significantly decreased (P < 0.01). At 30 days, compared with the CK group, the T1 group increased the contents of P, Ca, Fe, Zn, Se and VB₂, decreased the Na content in eggs (P < 0.01). Meanwhile the T2 group increased the contents of Na, P, K, and Se in eggs (P < 0.01). At 60 days, both test groups had significantly increased Na and K contents (P < 0.01), but significantly decreased P, Ca, Fe, Zn, and VD₃ contents in eggs (P < 0.01). Compared with the CK group, the T1 group showed significantly increased methyl oleate content and decreased levels of palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid in eggs at all measured time points. In contrast, the T2 group elevated both methyl oleate and DHA contents, while reducing the levels of myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidonic acid in eggs. 16S rRNA sequencing analysis indicated that adding black wolfberry residues enhanced the richness of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and reduced the relative abundance of Fusobacteria. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with black wolfberry residues, particularly at 1.5%, improved egg quality by increasing yolk color, total amino acids, DHA, and minerals (Se, Zn) while reducing total cholesterol. These changes suggest enhanced antioxidant capacity and potential nutritional benefits for consumers, such as improved dietary intake of essential micronutrients. Furthermore, modulation of cecal microbiota (increased beneficial Romboutsia, decreased Fusobacterium) may contribute to the observed effects on egg composition.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) serve as first-line immunosuppressive therapy for alopecia areata (AA), yet physiologically suppress hair growth and cycling. The molecular basis of this paradoxical effect remains incompletely understood, hindering optimization of GCs as.effective depilatory agents. Using transcriptomic data and immunofluorescence staining, we detected robust expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR, encoded by NR3C1 ) in caprine dermal papilla cells (DPCs) in vitro. At the cellular level, high-dose (10 ^− 4 M) dexamethasone (Dex), a synthetic GC, reduced metabolic activity and proliferation, increased the proportion of cells displaying apoptotic nuclear morphology, and skewed the cell cycle toward S-phase with concomitant G ₂ decrease. At the transcriptomic level, RNA-seq identified a limited set of 373 Dex-responsive genes, including canonical GR targets (e.g., FKBP5 , PER1 , LEP ), which substantially overlapped with putative conserved targets of GR and/or the NF-κB p65 subunit ( RELA ) identified from cross-species ChIP-Atlas data. Upregulated genes featured inflammatory-response modulators (e.g., IL1R2 , CD163 , PTX3 ) and the entire cholesterol biosynthetic pathway (from HMGCS1 to DHCR24 ), whereas downregulated genes included well-characterized pro-inflammatory mediators (e.g., IL6 , CXCL8 , GROα , HGF ). Functional enrichment analysis identified both inflammatory pathways (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) and cholesterol biosynthesis-related terms as significantly enriched. Notably, directional enrichment confirmed that inflammatory pathways were predominantly represented among downregulated DEGs, while cholesterol biosynthesis-related pathways were exclusively associated with upregulated DEGs. In addition, vascular development-related GO terms were also significantly enriched, with the contributing genes largely comprising the same set of inflammation-associated mediators-a pattern recapitulated in the PPI network, where classic inflammation genes (e.g., CXCL8 , IL6 , IL1R2 , CD163 ) clustered in a single independent network. These findings identify inflammation-associated gene expression as the predominant transcriptional signature in Dex-treated caprine DPCs. The concomitant enrichment of vascular development-related terms, driven by the same inflammation-associated mediators, represents a candidate correlate for future functional investigation. These observations provide a cellular and transcriptomic data-based insight for exploring GCs action in HF and for optimizing GCs-based depilatory strategies.