The continuous growth of global agribusiness stimulates the search for alternatives that can enhance the performance and quality of life of production animals. In swine production systems, multiple challenges arise during the post-weaning phase when piglets face substantial transitions, including diet changes, environmental shifts, and maternal separation. These stressors often lead to reduced feed intake and inadequate nutrient consumption, resulting in impaired growth and increased susceptibility to diseases, even mortality in extreme cases. To counter these challenges, the use of palatability enhancers has emerged as an essential strategy to stimulate feed consumption, ensuring sufficient nutrient intake and promoting the health and welfare of piglets. Considering the crucial role of taste perception and dietary preferences in pigs, this review explores the mechanisms behind taste perception, the impact of various palatability additives on feed intake, and highlights current advances in strategies designed to optimize the feeding of newly weaned piglets.

The present study aimed to determine whether rubber seed oil (RSO) could simultaneously increase antioxidant capacity and enrich n-3 PUFAs in Pekin ducks by evaluating growth performance, fatty acid profile, and antioxidant capacity. A total of 192 male Pekin ducks (1 day old, 51.9 ± 0.3 g) were randomly allocated to four treatment groups, each consisting of four replicates with 12 ducklings per replicate. Ducks were fed with experimental diets supplemented with 0 (Control), 1% (RSO1), 2% (RSO2), and 3% (RSO3) RSO, respectively, for 42 days. Dietary RSO supplementation improved weight gain (p < 0.05), decreased feed/gain (p < 0.05), and reduced the yield of abdominal fat and liver (p < 0.05) of Pekin ducks. Total cholesterol and triglyceride contents were decreased (p < 0.05), whereas the contents of n-3 PUFAs in plasma, liver, and breast meat increased in Pekin ducks with increasing dietary RSO levels (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, the antioxidant activities in plasma, liver, and breast meat were enhanced in Pekin ducks after feeding RSO diets (p < 0.05). Additionally, dietary RSO increased the mRNA expression levels related to cholesterol transport (p < 0.05) and decreased the mRNA expression levels related to lipid synthesis in the liver of Pekin ducks (p < 0.05). In summary, dietary RSO supplementation improved growth performance, enriched n-3 PUFAs, and enhanced antioxidant capacity in Pekin ducks. These findings suggest that RSO could serve as a novel source of n-3 PUFAs and an antioxidant for Pekin ducks, with the potential to contribute to the generation of animal functional foods.

This study aimed to elucidate the promoting effect of baicalin (BAI) on the growth performance of nonpathological piglets and its potential mechanism of improving intestinal barrier function. In this experiment, 240 21-day-old weaned piglets were randomly divided into four treatment groups, consisting of a control group (CON) and groups supplemented with 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.15% BAI. Compared with the CON group, BAI significantly decreased the ratio of average daily feed intake to average daily gain (F/G ratio) on days 0–7 and 7–14 (p < 0.05) and reduced the diarrhea rate in piglets. Additionally, the 0.10% and 0.15% BAI groups had significantly higher villus height (VH; p < 0.01), and the 0.10% BAI group had a significantly higher Villus height to crypt depth ratio (VCR; p < 0.05), indicating an enhanced intestinal absorption capacity. BAI supplementation significantly increased the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins and antioxidant enzymes, the number of goblet cells, and mucin2 (MUC2) expression (p < 0.05); reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory factors; and improved the intestinal microbiota structure. Specifically, adding 0.10% BAI significantly increased the abundance of beneficial microorganisms such as Eubacterium and Blautia (p < 0.05), while reducing the composition of harmful microorganisms such as Proteobacteria and Spirochetes. Metabolomic results revealed that BAI supplementation significantly increased the concentrations of beneficial metabolites for gut health, such as taurine and rosmarinic acid (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this experiment elucidated the potential ability and intrinsic mechanism of BAI in protecting the intestinal health of piglets and ameliorating the problem of weaning stress.

The gut microbiome and its metabolites are vitally important for host dietary digestion, nutrient absorption, and energy metabolism. Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), a large warm-blooded fish that sustains continuous high-speed swimming, demonstrates higher energy demands than other fish. However, there are no relevant reports on the functional contribution of specialized gut microbiota to energy homeostasis of tuna. To bridge this knowledge gap, we characterized the function of a new bacterial strain, Acinetobacter seifertii YFT067, derived from the intestine of wild yellowfin tuna. According to whole genome sequencing, YFT067 exhibited the probiotic potential with a high ability in nutrient metabolism. In vitro test demonstrated that YFT067 is tolerant to the simulated gastroenteric juice and strong in adhesion. The six-week zebrafish feeding trial with 10⁸ CFU/g YFT067 strain supplementation significantly enhanced body growth, feed conversion, and digestive enzyme activity of the host as well as the intestinal health, including enhanced goblet cells number and short-chain fatty acids (propionate, butyrate, and valerate) contents. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the digestive system and metabolism process were significantly up-regulated with fabp, fatp4, mgat3a, acat1, apoa1b, and apoa4a enriched in the fat digestive and absorption pathway and pltp, cetp, and nceh1a enriched in the cholesterol metabolism pathway. These findings indicated A. seifertii YFT067 as a promising probiotic candidate for enhancing tuna farming production through improving metabolic efficiency and intestinal health. Our study provides foundational evidence for developing YFT067-based probiotic formulations to optimize growth performance and cultivation sustainability in tuna aquaculture.

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a causative agent of vesicular disease in pigs and has gained global attention in recent years. SVA infection leads to vesicular lesions and hoof deformities in pigs, posing a significant threat to the swine industry. The VP4 protein is a crucial component of the SVA capsid, located on the inner surface of the virus particle, and plays a key role in the viral life cycle. However, its exact function and immunological characteristics remain poorly understood. Additionally, the VP4 protein of picornaviruses is known to form antigenic epitopes during viral infection, providing potential targets for antibody development and vaccine design. Nevertheless, due to the unique location of VP4, these epitopes remain largely unexplored. In this study, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) 4E4 was successfully generated by immunizing mice with purified SVA VP4 protein. The mAb 4E4 specifically recognizes recombinant VP4 protein and the SVA-infected cells. Further epitope mapping using truncated VP4 proteins detected with Western blotting defined a key B-cell epitope, ⁷SKDNFD¹², which is exposed on the surface of VP4 protein and is highly conserved among different SVA strains. Additionally, mAb 4E4 showed neutralizing activity against SVA. This study provides the first identification of a conserved antigenic epitope on the SVA VP4 protein. This finding provides valuable tools for further investigation of VP4 protein function and lays the foundation for developing novel diagnostic and vaccine strategies.

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly pressing global concern, with one of its contributing factors being the use of subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics in animal production for zootechnical purposes. Halquinol (HA) remains one of the few compounds still permitted in certain regions; however, the development of alternative solutions is imperative. This study evaluated the in vitro effects of a formulation composed of essential oils and organic acids against Salmonella and Escherichia coli as well as its interaction with HA. The formulation demonstrated both inhibitory and bactericidal activity against the bacteria, with effective concentrations ranging from 2.0 to 8.0 mL/L. In contrast, HA exhibited solely bacteriostatic effects, with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 37.5 to 300 μg/mL. When used in combination, the compounds predominantly resulted in additive or indifferent interactions: 51.35% of the assays showed additive effects, 43.24% exhibited no interaction, and only 5.41% demonstrated antagonistic interactions. Importantly, the formulation did not induce bacterial resistance or adaptation following sublethal exposure. Conversely, sublethal exposure to HA led to an approximately tenfold increase in its bacteriostatic dose. Moreover, the formulation showed potential to mitigate resistance induced by sublethal HA exposure. In a simulated swine digestion, the combination of the formulation with HA was particularly effective against E. coli, with the co-administration reducing the required concentrations of the individual compounds to achieve sustained bacterial suppression throughout the digestive process. Based on these findings, the tested formulation demonstrates promising potential for bacterial control and may be used in combination with HA to reduce its required dosage.

This study evaluated the effects of restricted nursing (RN) and the administration of a bovine appeasing substance (BAS) given 8 days before (d-8) and on the day of weaning (d0) as a strategy to mitigate stress and optimize the post-weaning growth performance of beef calves, with emphasis on behavior and response to vaccination. Forty male Nelore calves were randomly assigned to four treatments with ten replicates: control (CON)—topical administration of 5 mL of saline solution on d0; BAS-8—topical administration of 5 mL of BAS on d-8; BAS0—topical administration of 5 mL of BAS on d0; and RN—calves allowed to nurse only one hour/day from d-8 to d0. Calves in the CON treatment group showed lower average daily gain compared to the other treatments (p < 0.05). There was a trend (p = 0.09) for BAS-8 and BAS0 to result in lower temperament scores when calves entered the restraint chute. BAS0 calves had greater (p = 0.05) serum titer concentrations against rabies compared to the other treatments. The RN and BAS administration eight days before and on the day of weaning was effective in improving growth performance in beef calves.

Woody breast (WB) condition impairs the texture and appearance of chicken breast meat causing major losses for the industry each year. Recent studies showed that mineral supplementations improve WB indicating that gut health may play a role. Ribonucleotide reductase, subunit RRM2, is involved in mitochondrial function, and downregulating it increases gastrointestinal disturbances and liver toxicity. This study attempted to investigate links between RRM2 and gut health in broilers with WB. Tissues were collected from 15 severe WB and 15 normal birds. Results indicated that WB increased pH, drip loss, compression force, redness, and hemorrhages in breast meat. RRM2 expression was reduced, and several oxidative damage factors including thiobarbituric acid increased in the duodenum and liver of WB broilers. Expression of genes related to mitochondrial function and gut barrier function in the duodenum and liver were reduced in WB broilers. WB broilers had shorter villi length and thicker crypt resulting in lowered villi/crypt ratio. Digestive enzyme activities and ATP concentrations were altered in the duodenum and liver of WB broilers. Overall, reduced RRM2 expression impaired mitochondrial function leading to increased inflammation and altered gut morphology and enzyme activities, suggesting that RRM2 may play an essential role in gut health and WB myopathy development.

Because of the global shortage of maize resources, the identification of environmentally sustainable and economically viable maize substitutes is imperative for the sustainable intensification of the livestock sector. This study evaluated the effects of dietary replacement of maize with Lycium barbarum residue (LBR) on the growth performance and fecal microbiota of crossbred Simmental cattle. A total of 20 male crossbred Simmental cattle (6 months old, 601.90 ± 34.33 kg) were randomly divided into 2 groups: control group (CON), fed basic diet; LBR group, fed 1.80% LBR replacing maize for 45 days. Results showed that growth performance and anti-inflammatory capacity were significantly enhanced in the LBR group (p < 0.05). In addition, LBR maintained serum redox homeostasis. Through 16S rRNA genome sequencing, LBR significantly increased the abundance of Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and Oscillospiraceae_UCG_005 in feces (p < 0.05). Moreover, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group exhibited positive correlation with average daily gain (p < 0.05). PICRUSt functional prediction analysis showed that LBR significantly changed the fatty acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism pathways. In conclusion, LBR as a dietary maize substitute can effectively improve the growth performance of crossbred Simmental cattle, which may be due to its regulating anti-inflammatory ability, redox homeostasis, and fecal microbiota.

Cloning via somatic cell nuclear transfer and establishing inducible pluripotent stem cells is critical for the conservation of the cherished germplasm resource. The wild boar population would be altered due to human activities and climate change. Recently, we have successfully generated cloned wild boars via interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer using wild boar fibroblast cells as donor cells, domestic porcine oocytes as recipients, and Bama pigs as surrogate sows. We have also harvested wild boar inducible pluripotent stem cells free of selection genes utilizing the piggyBac transposon system. This study sheds light on preserving the genetic resource of wild boar and provides a reference for protecting other wildlife.