Association of TGFβ2 gene polymorphism with growth performance and meat quality traits in Kampung Unggul Balitbangtan chickens under multienzyme supplementation

Uncovering genetic markers for growth and fat-tail traits in Kurdi sheep: associations with DGAT1 and PPARGC1B variants

Genome-wide association studies on growth performance trait of Nigerian indigenous Chicken genotypes

Meat from Nigerian indigenous chickens (NICs) has high consumer demands but slow growth rate with high variability in body weight (BW). A study was carried out at T&R farm of FUNAAB identifying chromosomes associated with body weights of NICs in a GWAS study using the chicken 60K Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) Panel for 53313 markers subjected to test. Body weight was taken for 8 week. Blood samples were collected from 42 purebreds and F2 upgrades of NICs to extract DNA and amplify through PCR-RFLP technique to obtain Amplicons used for sequencing. Sequenced molecular analysis involving many Molecular software packages and bioinformatics approach were were done to trim and compare the sequence. The raw phenotypic data which comprised of the sex and body weight (>2 kg as 1 (case)) and <1 kg as 0 (control)) were analyzed using Gen Abel of the R Software Package to carry out quality checks through some filtering techniques on these chickens. The results from Selective sweep analysis identified ten chromosomes and SNPs associated with BWT of the NICs F2 upgrades Nigerian Chickens resource population. However, ten chromosomes with SNPs associated with BWT at the suggestive Bonferroni significant threshold level (p < 0.05) were discovered. These findings made it clear that F2 upgrades had better trait association on chromosomes when compared to those of the Purebreds and should be included as a genetic marker in the breeding programs by breeders for genetic improvement due to the potentialities found in this NICs genotypes studied.

Characterization of IGF1 gene marker as potential genes in improving growth performance of Indonesian goats

Background: Goat farming development begins with the availability of genetically and phenotypically superior livestock to ensure optimal productivity and reproduction. Aim: This study aimed to identify polymorphisms in the IGF1 gene and to evaluate their association with growth performance. Methods: A total of 105 goats were sampled, including 35 individuals from each of three Indonesian goat breeds: Peranakan Etawah (PE), Jawarandu, and Kacang, aged between 12 and 24 months. Growth parameters measured included body weight and morphometric characteristics. Genetic variation of the IGF1 gene was analyzed using Sanger sequencing. Morphometric data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) in R software to explore variation patterns, while associations between IGF1 gene polymorphisms and growth traits were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Sequence analysis revealed significant nucleotide variations at certain positions, indicated by overlapping guanine (G) and thymine (T) chromatogram peaks, indicating a heterozygous genotype (G/T) at this locus. The IGF1 gene has diverse genotypes in all goat breeds, namely GG, GT, and TT. All genotypes were present except in the JW breed, where the TT genotype was absent. IGF1 gene diversity was significantly associated (P<0.05) with morphometric characteristics, including muzzle circumference, head length, ear length, ear width, rump length, and leg circumferenc. The GT genotype had the highest morphometric performance compared to the other genotypes. Conclusion: The IGF1 gene may serve as a potential candidate marker for marker-assisted selection (MAS) to improve the growth performance of Indonesian goats, although further validation is required.

Effects of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Haematological Status, Intestinal Histomorphology, and Estimated Enteric Methane Production in Timor Deer (Cervus timorensis)

Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOL) is a protein-rich functional feed ingredient containing bioactive compounds that may enhance ruminant productivity while mitigating enteric methane emissions. This study evaluated the effects of dietary MOL supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, haematological status, intestinal histomorphology, rumen fermentation, and estimated enteric methane production in Timor deer (Cervus timorensis). Twenty-four clinically healthy male deer (12–14 months old; 28.5 ± 2.3 kg) were assigned to a randomised complete block design and fed a basal diet containing 0, 2, or 4% MOL (dry matter basis) for 90 days. Dietary MOL significantly improved (P < 0.05) productive performance, increasing average daily gain (190 to 245 g/day), hot carcass weight (24.5 to 28.1 kg), and dressing percentage while reducing feed conversion ratio without affecting dry matter intake. Haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, and jejunal villus height increased significantly, indicating improved physiological status and intestinal absorptive capacity. MOL supplementation also shifted rumen fermentation toward greater propionate production and a lower acetate-to-propionate ratio, resulting in a 22–34% reduction in estimated enteric methane production based on volatile fatty acid stoichiometry. These findings demonstrate that dietary inclusion of 2–4% MOL enhances nutrient utilisation, supports animal health, and improves production efficiency while reducing the methanogenic potential of rumen fermentation. Therefore, Moringa oleifera leaf meal represents a promising functional feed ingredient for the sustainable nutrition of captive Timor deer. Because methane emissions were estimated indirectly from ruminal fermentation profiles, future studies should validate these findings using direct methane measurement techniques and rumen microbiome analyses.

The genetic role of TCF21 in regulating growth traits and body composition in ross 308 broilers

The gene TCF21, a subject of growing interest in molecular poultry genetics being an important player in cell differentiation and muscle and adipose tissue growth regulation has been recognized as an emerging regulatory gene. The study aimed to evaluate the potential use of molecular markers in selection, breeding, and improvement programs. This study included 100 samples of ROSS 308 broiler chickens, which were reared for 40 days. Field measurements were taken weekly, including body weight, body length, and chest width every two weeks. At 20 days of age, blood was collected in K3- EDTA tubes for laboratory analysis, including DNA extraction PCR and Sequencing. TCF21 is a member of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of transcription factors and available evidence has suggested that it presents significant biological and molecular features. It’s thought to be involved with regulating the growth of muscle and fat tissue, and has been reported to influence body weight, growth rate, body composition and fat deposition capacity in broilers. On more recent reports, these polymorphisms were associated with several economically important traits, suggesting that TCF21 can be exploited as a molecular marker in contemporary selection programs aimed at improving productive performance and carcass quality in poultry. Combining genomic with phenotype information in genetic-improvement schemes is a big advance toward accurate and efficient commercial broiler production programs. The study aimed to focus on the TCF21 gene because it is one of the most prominent candidates directly related to the efficiency of production and profitability of poultry projects, given its role in regulating muscle formation, fat deposition, and some traits associated with feed conversion efficiency. The results showed the presence of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the TCF21 gene. Fourteen mitochondrial loci were identified, distributed across the two primaries used (seven variants each), reflecting significant genetic diversity in the studied regions. These results confirm the health of TCF21, as it can be one of the candidate combinations that contribute to the regulation of morphology and histogenesis through its effect on the differentiation of muscle and fat cells.

Effects of dietary mulberry anthocyanins on meat quality, antioxidant capacity, gut microbiota, and plasma anthocyanin exposure in North China Chai chickens

Chicken is the second most consumed meat in China after pork and represents an important source of animal protein. Late-laying hens are a major by-product of the egg industry, but their meat quality often declines after prolonged egg production, limiting their economic value. Mulberry (Morus alba L.) is rich in anthocyanins with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects, offering potential application in improving the meat quality of spent hens. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary mulberry anthocyanins(MA) on slaughter performance, serum biochemical indices, antioxidant status, meat quality, cecal microbiota and plasma exposure to major anthocyanins in late-laying North China Chai chickens. A total of 240 healthy 370-day-old chickens were randomized into five groups: a basal diet control (Con) and four diets supplemented with MA at 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg (MA_50, MA_100, MA_200, MA_400) for 30 days. The results showed that dietary MA increased dressing percentage and thigh muscle yield, while decreasing serum TG, ALT and AST levels compared with Con (P < 0.05). Antioxidant indices were improved, with increased T-AOC, T-SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT), accompanied by reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.05). Regarding meat quality, MA reduced cooking loss, crude fat content, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), while increasing redness (a*), crude protein, moisture, myoglobin, and collagen contents (P < 0.05). 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that MA altered cecal microbial community structure and increased the relative abundance of potentially beneficial taxa. In a separate oral gavage experiment (1,500 mg/kg), cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside (C3R) were detectable in plasma at 15 min post-gavage, peaked at approximately 30 min, and declined to undetectable levels by 24 hours. Collectively, dietary MA improved antioxidant status and selected meat quality traits, and modulated gut microbiota in late-laying North China Chai chickens. These findings underscore the potential of MA as a natural feed additive for improving the utilization value of late-laying hens.