Sun Hanxue, Hu Zhengyu, Li Ziqing, Xiong Xihuai, Gu Tiantian, Xu Wenwu, Chen Li, Tian Yong, Li Guoqin, Zeng Tao, Lu Lizhi, Shi Fangxiong
College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China; State Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Resources (Poultry) Evaluation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
State Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Resources (Poultry) Evaluation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, PR China; College of Animal Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
Poult Sci. 2025 Jul 11;104(10):105558. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.105558.
Eggshell quality plays a critical role in the poultry industry, influencing both biological and economic outcomes. However, the factors determining eggshell strength in egg-laying ducks remain poorly understood. This study sought to explore phenotypic variations, gut microbiota composition, and serum metabolites in ducks with differing eggshell strengths to identify key microbial and metabolic factors affecting shell integrity. Over four weeks of continuous feeding, 525 eggs were collected over two days and assessed for quality. Ducks were ranked based on shell strength and classified into high eggshell strength (HEG) and low eggshell strength (LEG) groups, with 12 ducks selected from each group (24 total) for analysis of phenotypic traits, gut microbiota, and serum metabolomics. The results revealed that sharp apex thickness, medium zone thickness, and blunt apex thickness were significantly greater in the HEG group than in the LEG group (P < 0.01). Additionally, shell-breaking strength was markedly higher in HEG ducks (P < 0.01). The HEG group also exhibited significantly higher levels of superoxide dismutase (P < 0.01), catalase (P < 0.01), and total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05) compared to the LEG group. Conversely, HEG ducks had significantly lower levels of malondialdehyde (P < 0.01), indicating reduced oxidative stress. Microbiological analysis of cecal contents showed higher Chao1 and Faith_pd indices in the HEG group (P < 0.05), while Goods coverage indices were elevated in the LEG group (P < 0.01). The abundances of Firmicutes_A, Desulfobacterota_I, Phocaeicola_A, and Phascolarctobacterium_A were higher in the HEG group (P < 0.05), whereas Prevotella abundance was greater in the LEG group (P < 0.05). Serum metabolomics revealed 1,099 differentially accumulated metabolites between the groups, with 198 metabolites up-regulated and 131 down-regulated in the LEG group (P < 0.05). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified six metabolites enriched in carbon metabolism and three in cation uptake pathways. These findings suggest that differences in eggshell quality and serum antioxidant capacity in Shanma ducks during peak laying may result from the modulation of gut microbiota and metabolites. This hypothesis is supported by the correlation between Firmicutes_A, Prevotella, and the metabolic pathways related to carbon metabolism and mineral absorption. These results provide a theoretical foundation for future duck breeding and selection efforts.
蛋壳质量在养禽业中起着关键作用，影响着生物学和经济成果。然而，决定产蛋鸭蛋壳强度的因素仍知之甚少。本研究旨在探索蛋壳强度不同的鸭子的表型变异、肠道微生物群组成和血清代谢物，以确定影响蛋壳完整性的关键微生物和代谢因素。在连续四周的饲养过程中，在两天内收集了525枚鸡蛋并评估其质量。根据蛋壳强度对鸭子进行排名，并分为高蛋壳强度（HEG）组和低蛋壳强度（LEG）组，每组选取12只鸭子（共24只）进行表型性状、肠道微生物群和血清代谢组学分析。结果显示，HEG组的尖顶厚度、中间区厚度和钝顶厚度显著大于LEG组（P<0.01）。此外，HEG组鸭子的破壳强度明显更高（P<0.01）。与LEG组相比，HEG组的超氧化物歧化酶（P<0.01）、过氧化氢酶（P<0.01）和总抗氧化能力（P<0.05）水平也显著更高。相反，HEG组鸭子的丙二醛水平显著较低（P<0.01），表明氧化应激降低。盲肠内容物的微生物学分析显示，HEG组的Chao1和Faith_pd指数较高（P<0.05），而LEG组的Goods覆盖指数升高（P<0.01）。HEG组中厚壁菌门_A、脱硫杆菌门_I、福卡埃icola_A和考拉杆菌_A的丰度较高（P<0.05），而LEG组中普雷沃氏菌的丰度较高（P<0.05）。血清代谢组学显示两组之间有1099种差异积累的代谢物，LEG组中有198种代谢物上调，131种代谢物下调（P<0.05）。KEGG通路富集分析确定了六种在碳代谢中富集的代谢物和三种在阳离子摄取通路中富集的代谢物。这些发现表明，产蛋高峰期山麻鸭蛋壳质量和血清抗氧化能力差异可能是由肠道微生物群和代谢物的调节引起 的。厚壁菌门_A、普雷沃氏菌与碳代谢和矿物质吸收相关代谢途径之间的相关性支持了这一假设。这些结果为未来鸭的育种和选择工作提供了理论基础。
