Carcasses (n = 115) from steers resulting from the mating of four Limousin × Angus sires heterozygous for the F94L myostatin mutation to Jersey, Jersey × Holstein, and Holstein dams were utilized to evaluate the effects of one copy of the F94L allele on strip loin dimensionality, Warner-Bratzler shear force and slice shear force, and sensory panel ratings. In Phase I of a two-phase study, 57 carcasses

Fresh pork tenderness contributes to consumer satisfaction with the eating experience. Postmortem proteolysis of proteins within and between myofibrils has been closely linked with pork tenderness development. A clear understanding of the molecular features associated with pork tenderness development will provide additional targets and open the door to new solutions to improve and make pork tenderness

The concentration of Ca in plant feed ingredients is low compared with the requirement for pigs and most Ca in diets for pigs is provided by limestone and calcium phosphate. To determine digestibility values for Ca that are additive in mixed diets, the standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of Ca needs to be calculated and the STTD of Ca by growing pigs in most Ca-containing ingredients has

Producer live performance data and carcasses from steers (n=116) resulting from the mating of four Limousin/Angus sires heterozygous for the F94L myostatin mutation to Jersey/Holstein dams were utilized to evaluate the effects of one copy of the F94L allele on live performance, carcass traits and USDA grades, and boxed beef and retail yields. Slaughter data were collected at time of harvest and carcass

Kefir is a fermented dairy beverage that has been consumed by humans for centuries, but poorly studied in pets. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of commercial or traditional kefir supplementation on apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility (ATTD) and fecal characteristics, microbiota populations, and metabolite and immunoglobulin (Ig) A concentrations of healthy adult

Feed efficiency is an important indicator in the sheep production process, which plays an important role in improving economic benefits and strengthening energy conservation and emission reduction. Compared with the rumen, the fermentation of the hindgut microorganisms can also provide part of the energy for the host, and the composition of the hindgut microorganisms will affect the feed efficiency

Feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NutriTek®, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) during periods of metabolic stress is beneficial to the health of dairy cows partially through its effect on the gut microbiota. Whether SCFP alters the ileal microbiota in lactating cows during intestinal challenges induced by feed restriction (FR) is not known. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to assess

The mammalian G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (TGR5) is involved in the inflammatory response. However, the functions of TGR5 in the immune response of fish remain unclear. In this study, the full-length sequence of tgr5 from hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × E. lanceolatus♂) was cloned and the function of TGR5 in the immune response was explored. The results showed that the ORF of

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of increasing dietary omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation on plasma and follicular fluid resolvin D1 (RvD1) concentration and the mRNA expression of genes related to RvD1 production, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, hormone receptors and production, and free fatty acid receptors in the granulosa cells of ewes

Commercial raw or minimally processed diets, often referred to holistically as raw-meat based diets (RMBD) represent a small portion of the pet food market, but the growth of this sector has been significant in recent years. While traditionally, high-moisture, frozen options were the standard format of commercially available raw diets, freeze-dried raw diets have become more prevalent as of late. Despite

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether prolactin (PRL) regulates the proliferation of pigeon crop epithelium through the Hippo signaling pathway during the breeding cycle. 24 pairs of adult pigeons were allotted to four groups by different breeding stages, and their crops and serum were sampled. 18 pairs of young pigeons were selected and divided into three groups for the injection experiments

The objective was to evaluate the effects of dietary forage inclusion during finishing on growth performance, feeding behavior, and ruminal fermentation in steers at risk for acidosis. Angus × Simmental steers (n = 240; body weight = 350 ± 58 kg) were blocked by body weight and allotted into 18 pens. Feeding behavior was collected and analyzed from the initial 45 d steers were fed a high-moisture corn-based

Chronic heat stress (HS) is a major concern affecting pig growth performance and metabolism, with potential consequences on carcass and meat quality traits. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of prenatal (PE) and growing (GE) thermal environments, and their combination, on muscle metabolism, carcass characteristics, and pork quality. From 6 to 109 d of gestation, 12 sows (1 per

Antioxidants such as vitamin C (VC) and green tea extract (GTE) have been reported to have various antioxidants functions and are used as one of the nutritional approaches to alleviate heat stress (HS) in chicken. However, studies on the feeding timing that can produce optimal effects have not been reported. In this study, the stress relieving effect of VC and GTE addition timing was investigated in

The high-fertility Meishan pig is currently categorized into medium-sized (MMS) and small-sized (SMS) based on body size. To identify causal genes responsible for the variation in body size within the two categories, we sequenced individuals representing the entire consanguinity of the existing Meishan pig. This enabled us to conduct genome selective signal analysis. Our findings revealed the genomes

A total of 297 pigs (DNA 241 × 600; initially 8.64 ±0.181 kg) were used in a 21d trial to determine the efficacy of a novel phytase derived from Citrobacter braakii and expressed in Aspergillis oryzae (HiPhorius; DSM Nutritional Products, Animal Nutrition & Health, Parsippany, NJ) on pig growth and bone mineralization indicators. Pens of pigs were assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments in a randomized

Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) can be used as an indicator of susceptibility to pulmonary hypertension and subsequent potential to develop right-sided heart failure (RHF). Previously reported heritability estimates of PAP have been moderate to high. Based on these estimates, selection for the indicator trait, PAP, could reduce the incidence of RHF due to hypoxia. Previous studies have also speculated

Autophagy can inhibit ovarian senescence induced by oxidative stress and regulate follicle development and atresia, but its mechanism is still unclear. Exogenous spermidine can induce autophagy and scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this experiment, oxidative stress in Sichuan white geese ovaries and follicular granulosa cells (GCs) were caused by 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) and spermidine

While satellite cells play a key role in the hypertrophy, repair, and regeneration of skeletal muscles, their response to heat exposure remains poorly understood, particularly in beef cattle. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the transcriptome, proteome, and proliferation capability of bovine satellite cells in response to different levels of heat stress (HS) and exposure times. Satellite

The objective of the present study was to verify the effect of handling in corrals on the stress of beef cattle of Nelore, Caracu, and Guzerá breeds through the analysis of the relationship between behavioral traits, growth, and blood parameters. A total of 778 records of entry scores, chute scores, exit scores, flight speed, cortisol, glucose, lactate, live weight, and body condition scores were collected

s Lysolecithin is widely used as emulsifier to improve the digestibility and retention of fat. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary lysolecithin supplementation on growth performance, nutrients absorption, lipid metabolism and redox status of weaned pigs. A total of 60 weaned piglets were assigned into two dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design, receiving

Physicochemical characteristics of dietary fibers may modulate digesta transit behavior. The present study was conducted to clarify the effect of level and particle size (PS) of insoluble fibers on digesta mean retention time (MRT) in the proximal gastrointestinal tract (mouth-ileocecal junction). Six ileal-cannulated pigs (26.8 ± 2.08 kg) were assigned to three dietary treatments in a 3 x 3 replicated

Piglets with low birth weight present low vitality after farrowing, often leading to impaired weight gain during lactation. A recessive missense variant (C>T) for increased appetite and fatness in the porcine leptin receptor gene (rs709596309) causes a negative maternal effect on the weight of piglets at weaning. However, it is not known whether this variant already exerts an effect on the birth weight

Most of the research addressing feed efficiency and the microbiota has been conducted in cattle fed grain diets although cattle evolved to consume forage diets. Our hypothesis was that the bacteria in the rumen and cecum differed in cattle that have a common feed intake but had different average daily body weight gains (ADG) on a forage diet. Heifers (n = 134) were 606 ± 1 d of age and weighed 476

Efficient ovarian follicle development, maturation, and ovulation are critical for egg production performance. Previous research has underscored the importance of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in regulating development and folliculogenesis in chicken ovarians. However, the molecular mechanism is not fully understood, especially in the late period of the laying cycle. In the present study, ovarian tissues

Low protein diets supplemented with essential amino acids (EAA) fed to pigs reduce the excess supply of EAA and nitrogen (N). However, low protein diets may become limiting in non-essential amino acids (NEAA) and N, thus affecting the utilization of EAA for N retention. It has been suggested that the EAA-N:total N (E:T) ratio can give an indication of dietary N sufficiency. An N-balance study was conducted

Determination of digestibility and passage rate is important for further understanding of nutrient utilization and thereby aids in improving nutrient utilization efficiency. Titanium dioxide and chromium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid are commonly used as indigestible markers for determining passage rates of diets to aid in determination of digestibility. Analyzing Ti and Cr involves the use of procedures

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) have served as a nutritional strategy to reduce fat deposition in adipose tissues of pigs. However, the effects of CLAs on lipid profiles in serum and how these lipid molecules regulate fat deposition are still unclear. In this study, we explored the effects of CLAs on regulating lipid deposition in adipose tissues in terms of lipid molecules and microbiota based on

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of feeding increasing dietary concentrations of ergot alkaloids from cereal grains (EA; 0, 0.75, 1.5, 3.0 mg/kg of dietary DM) to feedlot cattle over backgrounding (BG) and finishing (FS) phases on health, welfare, and growth performance. Two hundred and forty commercial steers (280 ± 32 kg BW) were stratified by weight and randomly allocated to 16 pens

We hypothesized that media long chain fatty acids (LCFA) would more greatly depress cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), glycerol, and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations in subcutaneous (s.c.) adipose tissue than in intramuscular (i.m.) adipose tissue via G protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120). The GPR120 receptor binds to long chain fatty acids, which reduces cAMP production, thereby causing

Protein hydrolysate has become a choice of alternative protein source in canine diets as it showed greater digestibility, lower allergenic responses, and various functional properties when compared with intact proteins. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of hydrolyzed protein inclusion on amino acid digestibility and protein quality in extruded canine diets when compared with a

Goat milk is enriched in fatty acids which beneficial to human health. Previous research has revealed that 98% of milk fat is composed of triglycerides. However, the mechanisms regulating of milk fat composition remain unclear. Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) is a crucial regulatory factor involved in lipid metabolism across various cell types. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP)--seq data)

Neutering is a significant risk factor for obesity in dogs. Changes in gut microbiota and its metabolites have been identified as a key player during obesity progression. But the mechanisms that promote neuter-associated weight gain are not well understood. Therefore, in this study, sixteen clinically healthy Beagle dogs (6 male and 10 female, mean age = 8.22 ± 0.25 months old) were neutered. Body

Stressors such as lack of access to feed, hot temperatures, transportation, and pen changes can cause impairment of ruminal and intestinal barrier function, also known as "leaky gut". Despite the known benefits of some nutritional approaches during periods of stress, little is understood regarding the underlying mechanisms, especially in dairy cows. We evaluated the effect of feeding a Saccharomyces

The growing concern of consumers with the welfare of production animals searches welfare in a production system extremely important; thus, the study of animal temperament is necessary to select less excitable temperament animals resulting in healthy development and fewer accidents. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for traits related to animal temperament and growth traits

Weaning is a critical period for pigs. Some plant extracts showing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or anti-bacterial properties, provided to piglets and/or their dam, may improve piglets’ robustness at weaning, thus reducing the need for antobiotics. This study investigated the effects of a maternal and/or a direct supplementation of piglets with a combination of plant extracts on sow and piglet performance

Bile acids play an important role in the regulation of lipid metabolic homeostasis, but little is known about their metabolism in dairy cows fed a high grain (HG) diet. In the present study, we examined the bacterial community, bile acid profile, and the FXR/FGF19 signaling pathway in the ileum and liver to investigate the gut microbe-BA metabolism interactions response to HG diet and the changes in

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element that has physiological and nutritional functions. However, excessive use of Zn can lead to waste of resources. In this study, we compared the effects of inorganic (ZnSO4) and organic Zn glycine chelate (Zn-Gly) on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, immune function, barrier integrity, and gut microbiome of Cherry Valley ducks. We randomly divided 180

A 2 × 2 factorial randomized design was utilized to investigate the effects of fat level (8% or 16% fat on a fed basis) and starch source (pea starch or corn starch) on body weight, glycolipid metabolism, hematology and fecal microbiota in cats. The study lasted for 28 days and included a low-fat and pea starch diet (LFPS), a high-fat and pea starch diet (HFPS), a low-fat and corn starch diet (LFCS)

Each suckling pig should receive ≥200 g of colostrum within the first 24 h of life, but with increased litter size this is now difficult to achieve. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of split-suckling and post-partum meloxicam provision to sows as means of ensuring adequate colostrum intake, on growth and health in pigs pre- and post-weaning. One hundred and four sows (Large White × Landrace)

The inclusion of yeast in pet food can provide health benefits and increase palatability. Corn fermented protein is a co-product from ethanol production which contains approximately 20-25% yeast. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the yeast in CFP on diet production and utilization when fed to healthy adult cats. The four experimental diets included a control with 15% soybean

A beef cattle population (n=2,343) was used to assess the impact of variants identified from imputed low-pass sequence (LPS) on the estimation of variance components and genetic parameters of birth weight (BWT) and post-weaning gain (PWG). Variants were selected based on functional impact and were partitioned into four groups (Low, Modifier, Moderate, High) based on predicted functional impact and

Historical data collection for genetic evaluation purposes is a common practice in animal populations; however, the larger the dataset, the higher the computing power needed to perform the analyses. Also, fitting the same model to historical and recent data may be inappropriate. Data truncation can reduce the number of equations to solve, consequently decreasing computing costs; however, the large

Managing replacement gilts to reach optimal body weight and growth rate for boar stimulation and first breeding is a key component for sow reproductive longevity and producer profitability. Failure to display pubertal estrus remains a major reason that gilts are culled from the herd. Puberty is metabolically gated so evaluating phenotypic and genetic relationships between birth weight and growth traits

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of a second injection of iron dextran administered at d 6-8 of age. A total of 144 crossbred pigs (equal barrows and gilts; initial age 6-8 d; initial BW = 2.86 ± 0.01 kg) were assigned to either the control (CON) or an added-injection treatment (+Fe). Pigs were paired by sex and bodyweight within a litter and randomly assigned to the iron treatment

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3), play a vital role in nutrient metabolism, inflammatory response and gene regulation. microRNAs (miRNA), which can potentially degrade targeted messenger RNAs (mRNA) and/or inhibit their translation, might play a relevant role in PUFA-related changes in gene expression. Although differential expression analyses can provide

The present study aimed to characterize the performance of suckling piglets from high prolific sows and investigate the impact of milk composition on piglet growth during a four-week lactation period. Piglet performance included weight gain (WG), milk intake, nutrients and energy in milk, and piglet energy metabolism in weeks 1 through week 4 of lactation. Data from six previous experiments were used

Technology that facilitates estimations of individual animal dry matter intake rates in group-housed settings will improve production and management efficiencies. Estimating dry matter intake in pasture settings or facilities where feed intake cannot be monitored may benefit from predictive algorithms that use other variables as proxies. This study examined the relationships between dry matter intake

This study was conducted to determine the effect of animal protein inclusion rate and grain-free or grain-inclusive diets on macronutrient digestibility, fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota in mixed-breed hounds and Beagles. Four experimental extruded kibble diets were made with varying amounts of animal protein and carbohydrates: 1) high animal protein, grain-inclusive (HA-GI), 2) low

This study proposes a strategy to manipulate the fatty acid (FA) content in slow-growing Korat chicken (KRC) meat using tuna oil (TO). To determine the optimal level and feeding period of TO supplementation, we conducted a study investigating the effects of dietary TO levels and feeding periods on meat quality, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) composition, and gene expression related to

Caustic paste disbudding (CPD) is widely utilized for calves, which has been known to result in adverse effects on the calves and ethical concerns related to animal welfare, despite the use of local anesthetics. The administration of meloxicam has been demonstrated to provide benefits in alleviating pain and inflammation in juvenile calves under nine days old and subjected to CPD. Nonetheless, there

This study evaluated the growth and immune response of beef calves born from Bos indicus-influenced beef heifers provided pre- and post-partum heat abatement on pasture. At 83 ± 4 d prepartum (day 0), 64 Brangus crossbred beef heifers (~¼ Bos indicus) were stratified by body weight (BW; 454 ± 37 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 6.3 ± 0.28; scale 1 to 9), and then allocated into 1 of 16 bahiagrass

This study was conducted to determine and compare the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in extruded full fat soybean (EFSB) fed to non-gestating, mid-gestating, late-gestating, and lactating sows. Six EFSB samples were collected from different sources. Fourteen non-gestating sows (Landrace × Yorkshire; parity 3 to

A total of 1,170 pigs (PIC 800 x PIC, initially 38.6 kg) were used in a 98-d grow-finish study to determine the performance response of pigs fed increasing levels standardized ileal digestible (SID) Trp:Lys ratio in diets containing 40% dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). Five dietary treatments were fed and consisted of a corn-soybean meal (SBM) diet or diets containing 40% DDGS with a SID

Iron is routinely supplemented in broiler diets intending to prevent dietary deficiencies. The present research was conducted with the objective of assessing Fe requirements of broilers when fed supplemental phytase. A total of 1,280 one-day-old male Cobb x Cobb 500 were distributed in a 2 X 5 factorial arrangement (phytase supplemented diets x 5 graded increases of supplemental Fe) in 80 battery cages

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary linoleic acid level and the ratio of linoleic acid:linolenic acid (LA:ALA) on the growth performance, expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism and inflammatory status of grow-finish pigs. A total of 300 growing pigs (BW = 41.1 ±6.3 kg) were randomly assigned to either a high (30 g/kg; HLA) or low (15 g/kg; LLA) dietary

Two experiments were conducted to determine digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), as well as the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in 10 sorghum samples fed to pigs. In Exp. 1, twenty-two crossbred barrows (Duroc × Yorkshire × Landrace, Initial BW: 70.0±1.8 kg) were selected and allotted to a replicated 11×3 incomplete Latin square design

The objective of this study was to determine the fermentable fiber (FF) content of several common fibrous ingredients fed to nursery pigs, and then evaluate the effect of dietary FF level on growth performance and fecal microbial composition. In Exp. 1, 54 nursery pigs were randomly allotted to be fed 9 diets with six replicate pigs per diet. Dietary treatments included a corn-soybean meal basal diet

Melatonin has been reported to play crucial roles in regulating meat quality, improving reproductive properties and maintaining intestinal health in animal production, but whether it regulates skeletal muscle development in weaned piglet is rarely studied. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of melatonin on growth performance, skeletal muscle development and lipid metabolism in animals

Variations in the dietary Ca concentration may affect inositol phosphate (InsP) degradation, and thereby, P digestibility in pigs. This study assessed the effects of dietary Ca concentration and exogenous phytase on InsP degradation, nutrient digestion and retention, blood metabolites, and microbiota composition in growing pigs with ileal cannulation. In a completely randomized row-column design with