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【Objective】The study was conducted to explore the effect of sheep manure biochar on the availability of Pb and Zn in soil polluted by compound heavy metals under flooding conditions, and provides the basis for controlling heavy metal pollution of farmland soil.【Method】Using the polluted farmland soil near a lead-zinc mining area in Yunnan as the research object, static culture experiments were conducted to study the effects of different addition rates of sheep manure biochar (0%, 2.5%, 5.0% and 7.5%) on the pH and availability of Pb and Zn in polluted soil under flooding condition. And the ecological and environmental risks were evaluated by the toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP).【Result】Compared with the control, the soil pH value of sheep manure biochar treatment increased by 0.04-0.11 units, and the mass fractions of soil available Pb and Zn were significantly reduced by 32.01%-58.09% and 6.44%-9.15%, respectively. The soil pH and mass fractions of soil available Pb and Zn showed extremely significant negative correlation and significant negative correlation, respectively. From the perspective of heavy metal occurrence forms, sheep manure biochar significantly promoted the passivation of Pb and Zn. Among them, 5.0% sheep manure biochar treatment had the best passivation effect, promoting the transformation of heavy metal Pb into more stable forms in soil, resulting in the highest mass fractions of oxidizable and residual forms, which were 64.05% and 27.50%, respectively. In the soil, Zn mainly transformed into an oxidizable state, but residual Zn showed a decreasing trend with a relatively small decrease. The mass fractions of Pb and Zn extracted by TCLP significantly decreased with the increase of biochar addition rate, effectively reducing the ecological risk of polluted farmland soil.【Conclusion】For heavy metal contaminated farmland soil near lead-zinc mining areas, the method of flooding combined with applying sheep manure biochar can reduce the availability and ecological risks of Pb and Zn in soil. The addition amount of 5.0% sheep manure biochar has the best passivation effect on soil heavy metals Pb and Zn.

ObjectiveThe monitoring of livestock grazing in natural pastures is a key aspect of the transformation and upgrading of large-scale breeding farms. In order to meet the demand for large-scale farms to achieve accurate real-time detection of a large number of sheep, a high-precision and easy-to-deploy small-target detection model: CSD-YOLOv8s was proposed to realize the real-time detection of small-targeted individual sheep under the high-altitude view of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).MethodsFirstly, a UAV was used to acquire video data of sheep in natural grassland pastures with different backgrounds and lighting conditions, and together with some public datasets downloaded formed the original image data. The sheep detection dataset was generated through data cleaning and labeling. Secondly, in order to solve the difficult problem of sheep detection caused by dense flocks and mutual occlusion, the SPPFCSPC module was constructed with cross-stage local connection based on the you only look once (YOLO)v8 model, which combined the original features with the output features of the fast spatial pyramid pooling network, fully retained the feature information at different stages of the model, and effectively solved the problem of small targets and serious occlusion of the sheep, and improved the detection performance of the model for small sheep targets. In the Neck part of the model, the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) convolutional attention module was introduced to enhance the feature information capture based on both spatial and channel aspects, suppressing the background information spatially and focusing on the sheep target in the channel, enhancing the network's anti-jamming ability from both channel and spatial dimensions, and improving the model's detection performance of multi-scale sheep under complex backgrounds and different illumination conditions. Finally, in order to improve the real-time and deploy ability of the model, the standard convolution of the Neck network was changed to a lightweight convolutional C2f_DS module with a changeable kernel, which was able to adaptively select the corresponding convolutional kernel for feature extraction according to the input features, and solved the problem of input scale change in the process of sheep detection in a more flexible way, and at the same time, the number of parameters of the model was reduced and the speed of the model was improved.Results and DiscussionsThe improved CSD-YOLOv8s model exhibited excellent performance in the sheep detection task. Compared with YOLO, Faster R-CNN and other classical network models, the improved CSD-YOLOv8s model had higher detection accuracy and frames per second (FPS) of 87 f/s in the flock detection task with comparable detection speed and model size. Compared with the YOLOv8s model, Precision was improved from 93.0% to 95.2%, mAP was improved from 91.2% to 93.1%, and it had strong robustness to sheep targets with different degree of occlusion and different scales, which effectively solved the serious problems of missed and misdetection of sheep in the grassland pasture UAV-on-ground sheep detection task due to the small sheep targets, large background noise, and high degree of densification. misdetection serious problems. Validated by the PASCAL VOC 2007 open dataset, the CSD-YOLOv8s model proposed in this study improved the detection accuracy of 20 different objects, including transportation vehicles, animals, etc., especially in sheep detection, the detection accuracy was improved by 9.7%.ConclusionsThis study establishes a sheep dataset based on drone images and proposes a model called CSD-YOLOv8s for detecting grazing sheep in natural grasslands. The model addresses the serious issues of missed detections and false alarms in sheep detection under complex backgrounds and lighting conditions, enabling more accurate detection of grazing livestock in drone images. It achieves precise detection of targets with varying degrees of clustering and occlusion and possesses good real-time performance. This model provides an effective detection method for detecting sheep herds from the perspective of drones in natural pastures and offers technical support for large-scale livestock detection in breeding farms, with wide-ranging potential applications.

In this study, antioxidant peptides derived from sheep hemoglobin were prepared from fresh sheep blood. Sephadex G-25 chromatography, DEAE Sephadex A-50 chromatography, reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to separate, purify, and identify peptides from the hydrolysate of sheep hemoglobin. The antioxidant activity of the obtained peptides was evaluated by their free radical scavenging capacity, stability against simulated gastrointestinal digestion and protective effect on H2O2-induced oxidative injury in Caco-2 cells. The results indicated that three novel antioxidant peptides, Ala-Tyr-Glu-Val-Asp (AYEVD), Phe-His-Thr-Met-Glu (FHTME) and Ser-Phe-Met-Tyr-Glu-Lys (SFMYEK), were purified and identified from the hydrolysate, with molecular masses of 595.60, 663.74 and 803.92 Da, respectively. Among them, AYEVD had the strongest scavenging capacity to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, and AYEVD showed stronger antioxidant activity after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. In addition, AYEVD inhibited H2O2-induced oxidative injury in Caco-2 cells, significantly reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), suppressed early cell apoptosis and the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased the activity of intracellular antioxidant enzymes. Therefore, this study could provide a theoretical basis for the application of novel antioxidant peptides from sheep hemoglobin in functional foods.

In order to clarify the mechanism underlying the regulatory effect of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) on the color stability of Tan sheep meat during postmortem storage, the M. longissimus dorsi of 6-month-old Tan sheep was stored at 4 ℃ after slaughter and evaluated for the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes and the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after 0, 4 and 8 days. Proteomics based on isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) was used to study protein expression in Tan sheep meat at different storage times. The results showed that during 0–8 days of storage, the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes showed a decreasing trend (P < 0.05), and the ROS content significantly increased with storage time (P < 0.05). Eight differentially expressed proteins were identified as the core proteins affecting the color stability of Tan sheep meat, namely ATP synthase F1 subunit alpha (ATP5A1), ATP synthase peripheral stalk subunit OSCP (ATP5O), ATP synthase peripheral stalk subunit D (ATP5H), cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COX2), cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5A (COX5A), succinate dehydrogenase complex iron sulfur subunit B (SDHB), ADP/ATP translocase 1 (SLC25A4), and cytochrome c (CYCS). These proteins affected the color stability of Tan sheep meat mainly through the energy metabolism and redox processes. These results indicated that the loss of the activity of antioxidant enzymes in Tan sheep meat during postmortem storage caused the accumulation of ROS, which led to the destruction of the mitochondrial integrity of muscle cells and aberrant gene expression of complex subunits such as ATP5A1, ATP5O, ATP5H, COX2, COX5A, SDHB, SLC25A4 and CYCS in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway, thus contributing to changes in the structure and function of mitochondrial complexes and blockage of the oxidative phosphorylation process, and ultimately affecting the color stability of Tan sheep meat.

The hindleg meat of Tan sheep was injected postmortem with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 at a concentration of 10 μmol/L and stored at 4 ℃. After 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days, the protein expression of PI3K and protein kinase B (AKT) was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot so as to verify whether the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was effectively inhibited. Meanwhile, we analyzed changes in energy factors, oxidative stress levels, the degree of mitochondrial damage and cysteine aspastic acid-specific protease 3 (caspase-3) activity in order to explore the mechanism by which the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway induces the pathways of cell apoptosis during chilled storage of Tan sheep meat. The results showed that during storage, the protein expression levels of PI3K and AKT showed a decreasing trend, indicating that LY294002 inactivated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Compared with the control group, LY294002 treatment significantly reduced mitochondrial ATP, glycogen content, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and citrate synthase (CS) activity (P < 0.05), gradually increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, elevated the levels of oxidative stress and the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), significantly decreased membrane potential (P < 0.05), and significantly augmented the activity of caspase-3 (P < 0.05), indicating that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway mediates the activation of downstream caspase-3 by promoting the production of ROS to interact with PI3K, damaging the structure and function of mitochondria, leading to the opening of MPTP and decreased membrane potential, and ultimately inducing cell apoptosis.

In order to elucidate the relationship between the oxidative phosphorylation and the color stability of Tan sheep meat during postmortem storage, the changes in the color stability and oxidative phosphorylation of the Longissimus dorsi of 6-month-old Tan sheep were determined after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 days of postmortem storage at 4 ℃. The results showed that L*, a* and b* values increased first and then decreased during 0–8 days of storage (P < 0.05), and so did R630/R580 ratio (P < 0.05). The relative content of metmyoglobin (MetMb) showed a decreasing and then increasing trend (P < 0.05), whereas the relative content of oxymyoglobin (OxyMb) exhibited the opposite trend (P < 0.05), and the relative content of deoxymyoglobin (DeoMb) showed a decreasing trend (P < 0.05). Mitochondrial membrane permeability significantly increased (P < 0.05), and mitochondrial membrane potential significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The activity of mitochondrial complex I, II, III and IV significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while the activity of complex V significantly increased (P < 0.05). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels significantly increased (P < 0.05). The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Catalase (CAT) activity first increased and then decreased (P < 0.05). The contents of ATP, ADP and AMP significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The relative contents of MetMb, OxyMb and DeoMb and meat color parameters were significantly correlated with oxidative phosphorylation. The above results indicate that the failure of endogenous antioxidant enzymes in Tan sheep meat during postmortem storage led to excessive ROS production in myocytes, which damaged the integrity of mitochondria, and then affected the activities of enzymes related to mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and consequently the activity of MetMb reductase in myocytes, which resulted in the failure of MetMb reduction, thereby leading to deterioration of the color stability of Tan sheep meat.

旨在为羊尾油对动物健康效应的研究提供基础数据，创建了自发性高血压大鼠（SHR）模型，将8周龄SHR分为试验组苏尼特羊尾油组（Y组）、阴性对照大豆油组（D组）、阳性对照菜籽油组（C组）和芥花油组（J组），并分别饲喂添加10%相应油脂的饲料，记录日摄食量，每周测量血压，饲喂14周后解剖采血,摘取肝脏，检测血清血脂水平、肝脏功能指标和肝脏病理学特征。结果表明：第14周时，Y组雌、雄SHR日摄食量显著高于对照组(p

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of two total mixed diets on the growth performance and serum biochemical indexes of 25~35 kg Suffolk and Tibetan sheep crossbred F1 ewe under cold season house feeding conditions. Twenty-one ewes bred in F1 generation of Suffolk and Tibetan sheep hybrid with similar body condition and phenotype were randomly divided into three groups with seven replicates in each group and one sheep in each replicate. Group D (CP 14.26%, ME 12.93 MJ/kg) and Group G (CP 15.06%, ME 11.67 MJ/kg) were fed total mixed diets with different protein and energy levels, while the control group was fed alfalfa and oat hay. The pre-test period was seven days, and the formal test period was 60 days. The results showed that the average daily gain from 1 to 30 days, the average daily gain from 31 to 60 days, the average daily gain from 1 to 60 days, and the average daily gain from 1 to 60 days in Group G were significantly higher than those in Group D and control group (P<0.05), while the feed-to-weight ratio from 31 to 60 days and 1 to 60 days were significantly lower than those in Group D (P<0.05). The average daily feed intake and feed-weight ratio from 1 to 30 days, and average daily feed intake from from 31 to 60 days and 1 to 60 days in Group D were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The serum glucose, total cholesterol, and lactate dehydrogenase activity in Group G were significantly higher than those in Group D and control group (P<0.05), the serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase activity in Group G was significantly higher than that in Group D and control group (P<0.05), the serum albumin and calcium contentrations in Group D were significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05), the serum total bile acid and inorganic phosphorus content in Group D were significantly higher than that in and control group (P<0.05), and the serum urea nitrogen content in Group D and Group G was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05). The study indicates that feeding total mixed diet to F1 ewe of Suffolk and Tibetan hybrid in cold season can improve the growth performance, and the feeding effect of group G is better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the relationship between the degree of glycolysis and water-holding capacity during the maturation of Tan sheep meat, the M. longissimus dorsi of six-month-old Tan sheep was aged at 4 ℃ postmortem and evaluated for drip loss, purge loss, calpain-1 activity, myofibril fragmentation index (MFI), ATP content, glucose content, glycogen content, lactic acid content, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, pyruvate kinase (PK) activity and pH after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 days. The results showed that as maturation time increased, drip loss, purge loss and centrifugal loss increased first and then decreased (P < 0.05), reaching their maximum values on day 4. ATP and glycogen contents continued to decrease (P < 0.05). The contents of glucose and lactic acid increased first and then decreased (P < 0.05), and so did LDH activity (P < 0.05), reaching its maximum level on day 4. PK activity showed a constant decreasing trend (P < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed that glycogen content was negatively correlated with drip loss (P < 0.05) as well as purge loss and centrifugal loss (P < 0.01), and positively correlated with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) transverse relaxation times (T21, T22 and T23) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). LA content was significantly positively correlated with drip loss (P < 0.001) as well as purge loss and centrifugal loss (P < 0.01), but had no correlation with T21, T22 or T23. Therefore, the glycolysis process of Tan sheep meat was activated rapidly after slaughter, which caused change in the activity of glycolysis-related enzymes and the contents of metabolites, thereby resulting in changes in the water adsorption capacity of muscle proteins, and ultimately affecting the water-holding capacity of Tan sheep meat after slaughter.

The study explored a method based on multi-elements combined with multivariate analysis to authenticate Xinjiang Pishan Hong sheep meat. A total of 36 Pishan Hong sheep and 36 Hu sheep were collected and slaughtered. Semitendinosus and longissimus dorsi muscles were excised from each carcass for analysis of 51 mineral elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results indicated that the mineral elements, especially rare elements, in Xinjiang Pishan Hong sheep meat had distinctive fingerprint characteristics. The linear discriminant analysis (LDA) model built based on the mineral element data showed good discriminant performance for Xinjiang Pishan Hong sheep meat, especially longissimus dorsi with an accuracy of 100% and 99.29% for breed and muscle, respectively. Besides, La, Zn, Cs, Sn, Ho, Fe, Rh, Co, Se, Te, Mo, Al and Sb could be used as the major mineral elements to identify Pishan Hong sheep meat. Among them, Rh, Te and Ho had the highest variable importance in the projection (VIP) scores, and were found only in Pishan Hong sheep meat, thus being the key mineral markers for identifying Pishan Hong sheep meat. The accumulation of characteristic elements was related to regional characteristics.

[Objectives]This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different proportions of fermented feed in diets on rumen fermentation characteristics, nutrient apparent digestibility, performance and meat quality of fattening Hu sheep. [Methods]A total of 70 healthy Hu-sheep about 6 months old with similar body weight(30.86±4.50)kg were randomly divided into 5 groups(n=14). The basal diet in each group was supplemented with 0%(control group), 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% fermented feed(beneficial bacteria content ≥1×108 CFU·g-1), respectively. Rumen fluid was collected at 45 d. During the trial period from 43 days to 45 days, dietary and fecal samples were collected to determine nutrient apparent digestibility. The growth performance indexes were measured according to the feed intake and initial and final weight during the test period. At the end of the experiment, 3 fattening sheep were randomly selected from each group to be slaughtered for the determination of carcass traits and meat quality. [Results]The average daily gain(ADG)of 6% fermented feed supplemental level significantly increased(P<0.05), the ratio of feed to gain(F/G), average daily feed intake(ADFI)and dry matter intake(DMI)significantly decreased(P<0.01). When the fermented feed supplemental level was 8%, the slaughter percentage significantly increased compared with the control group(P<0.05). The nutrient apparent digestibility indexes significantly increased when 2% and 4% fermented feed were added(P<0.05). Different proportions of fermented feed had no significant effects on the contents of ammonia nitrogen(NH3-N), bacterial protein(BCP), acetic acid, butyric acid, ratio of ethylene to propylene total volatile fatty acid(TVFA)and meat quality of fattening sheep(P>0.05), but at 6% fermented feed supplemental level, pH value significantly decreased(P<0.05), and propionic acid significantly increased(P<0.05). [Conclusions]The supplementation of 6% fermented feed can improve nutrient apparent digestibility and performance of fattening Hu sheep, and has a positive effect on improving rumen fermentation characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the slaughtering performance and meat quality characteristics of Hu sheep and its hybrid offspring with Southdown sheep. Methods: Six-month-old Hu sheep and F1 hybrid of Southdown × Hu sheep at the same age under the same feeding and management conditions (n = 6 each) were selected for slaughter. The slaughtering performance of sheep, and the nutritional, eating and processing quality of lamb meat were determined. Results: Compared with Hu sheep, the live mass (62.68 vs 53.32 kg), carcass mass (34.34 kg vs 29.65 kg), protein content (21.88 vs 20.87 g/100 g) and polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid (PUFA/SFA) ratio (1.49 vs 1.03) of the hybrid significantly increased (P < 0.01); the net meat mass (29.09 vs 25.14 kg), eye muscle area (27.69 vs 19.40 cm2), cooking loss (67.30% vs 63.82%), essential amino acid content (8.09 vs 7.87 g/100 g), total amino acid content (20.15 vs 19.62 g/100 g) and polyunsaturated fatty acid content (3.28 vs 2.72 mg/10 g) also significantly increased (P < 0.05), whereas the back fat thickness (2.80 vs 4.41 mm), GR value (4.54 vs 7.26 mm), shear force (41.05 vs 52.52 N), cholesterol content (50.80 vs 59.70 mg/100 g) and saturated fatty acid content (2.21 vs 2.66 mg/10 g) significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Crossbreeding with Southdown sheep can significantly improve the slaughtering performance of Hu sheep, and increase the water retention capacity and tenderness of Hu sheep meat as well as its nutritional value and health-beneficial function.

ObjectiveManual disinfection in large-scale sheep farm is laborious, time-consuming, and often results in incomplete coverage and inadequate disinfection. With the rapid development of the application of artificial intelligence and automation technology, the automatic navigation and spraying robot for livestock and poultry breeding, has become a research hotspot. To maintain shed hygiene and ensure sheep health, an automatic navigation and spraying robot was proposed for sheep sheds.MethodsThe automatic navigation and spraying robot was designed with a focus on three aspects: hardware, semantic segmentation model, and control algorithm. In terms of hardware, it consisted of a tracked chassis, cameras, and a collapsible spraying device. For the semantic segmentation model, enhancements were made to the lightweight semantic segmentation model ENet, including the addition of residual structures to prevent network degradation and the incorporation of a squeeze-and-excitation network (SENet) attention mechanism in the initialization module. This helped to capture global features when feature map resolution was high, addressing precision issues. The original 6-layer ENet network was reduced to 5 layers to balance the encoder and decoder. Drawing inspiration from dilated spatial pyramid pooling, a context convolution module (CCM) was introduced to improve scene understanding. A criss-cross attention (CCA) mechanism was adapted to acquire context global features of different scales without cascading, reducing information loss. This led to the development of a double attention enet (DAENet) semantic segmentation model was proposed to achieve real-time and accurate segmentation of sheep shed surfaces. Regarding control algorithms, a method was devised to address the robot's difficulty in controlling its direction at junctions. Lane recognition and lane center point identification algorithms were proposed to identify and mark navigation points during the robot's movement outside the sheep shed by simulating real roads. Two cameras were employed, and a camera switching algorithm was developed to enable seamless switching between them while also controlling the spraying device. Additionally, a novel offset and velocity calculation algorithm was proposed to control the speeds of the robot's left and right tracks, enabling control over the robot's movement, stopping, and turning.Results and DiscussionsThe DAENet model achieved a mean intersection over union (mIoU) of 0.945 3 in image segmentation tasks, meeting the required segmentation accuracy. During testing of the camera switching algorithm, it was observed that the time taken for the complete transition from camera to spraying device action does not exceed 15 seconds when road conditions changed. Testing of the center point and offset calculation algorithm revealed that, when processing multiple frames of video streams, the algorithm averages 0.04 to 0.055 per frame, achieving frame rates of 20 to 24 frames per second, meeting real-time operational requirements. In field experiments conducted in sheep farm, the robot successfully completed automatic navigation and spraying tasks in two sheds without colliding with roadside troughs. The deviation from the road and lane centerlines did not exceed 0.3 meters. Operating at a travel speed of 0.2 m/s, the liquid in the medicine tank was adequate to complete the spraying tasks for two sheds. Additionally, the time taken for the complete transition from camera to spraying device action did not exceed 15 when road conditions changed. The robot maintained an average frame rate of 22.4 frames per second during operation, meeting the experimental requirements for accurate and real-time information processing. Observation indicated that the spraying coverage rate of the robot exceeds 90%, meeting the experimental coverage requirements.ConclusionsThe proposed automatic navigation and spraying robot, based on the DAENet semantic segmentation model and center point recognition algorithm, combined with hardware design and control algorithms, achieves comprehensive disinfection within sheep sheds while ensuring safety and real-time operation.

The experiment aimed to explore the effects of autumn supplementary feeding on the serum biochemical indexes of Oula sheep at different age stages. A total of 24 healthy and similar-conditioned Oula ewes at the ages of 6, 12, and 36 months were selected for each age group. The Oula sheep at each age stage were randomly divided into a grazing group (group 1) and a grazing + supplementary feeding group (group 1), with three replicates in each group and four sheep in each replicate. The pre-feeding period was 10 days and the formal experimental period was 60 days. The results showed that the average daily weight gain of the group ii was higher than that of the group i for 6-month-old and 12-month-old sheep ( P<0.05). In 6-month-old sheep of the group i, the serum E2 and GH levels were higher than those in the group i ( P<0.05). In 12-month-old and 36-month-old sheep of the group i, the ALP activity was higher than that in the group i( P<0.05). In 6-month-old sheep of the group i, the serum GLB level was higher than that in the group i( P<0.05). In 12-month-old sheep of the group, the IL-2 level was higher than that in the group ( P<0.05). In 36-month-old sheep of the group, the levels of GLB, IgM, IL-4, and IL-6 were higher than those in the group ( P<0.05). In 6-month-old sheep of the group, the serum GSH-Px activity was higher than that in the group ( P<0.05). In 12-month-old and 36-month-old sheep of the group, the SOD activity was higher than that in the group ( P<0.05). The study suggests that autumn supplementary feeding promotes the rapid maturation of 6-month-old ewes, enhances the growth, metabolic capacity, immune function, and antioxidant ability at different age in Oula sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the average price data of the mutton sheep industry chain market from May 2010 to December 2021. the study explored the impact of upstream, midstream, and downstream industry chain markets on the price transmission mechanism of the mutton sheep market, and further clarified the long-term equilibrium relationship of the price transmission mechanism of the Chinese mutton sheep industry chain market. The results showed that due to multiple factors affecting the price of soybean meal, there was no long-term equilibrium relationship between the market price of the Chinese mutton sheep industry chain and the price of soybean meal. The price transmission between corn prices, forage prices, mutton sheep market prices, brand mutton prices, deep processed mutton prices, and apparent consumption volume prices is relatively sufficient, which is the main reason for affecting the market prices of the Chinese mutton sheep industry chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the monthly data of 132 fattening feed prices for mutton sheep from January 2012 to December 2022, this paper selects soybean meal price, wheat bran price, mutton price, and natural disaster risk index as explanatory variables to analyze the influencing factors of fattening feed price fluctuation for mutton sheep in China. The results showed that the price of soybean meal had a significant impact on fattening feed of mutton sheep through an internal transmission mechanism. Natural disasters had obvious influence on the fluctuation of fattening feed price of mutton sheep through external impact mechanism. The fattening feed price of early mutton sheep had a significant impact on the fattening feed price of late mutton sheep. The study indicates that the conclusion of this paper can provide a reference for maintaining the long-term stability of fattening feed price of mutton sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated the relationship between mitochondrial damage and meat tenderness of Tan sheep during postmortem aging. The M. Longissimus dorsi muscles from six-month-old Tan sheep were divided into lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment and blank control groups. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, membrane potential, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) openness, mitochondrial swelling, pH, cooking loss, texture, moisture distribution, shear force and myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) in each group were measured at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 72 hours postmortem. The results showed that during postmortem aging, MPTP openness gradually increased in both groups. ROS content, cooking loss rate and MFI value showed an increasing trend as well. Mitochondrial membrane potential, pH, elasticity, T22 peak area and shear force showed a decreasing trend. Hardness, chewability and cohesiveness increased at first and then decreased. Therefore, disruption of oxidative homeostasis in muscle cells of Tan sheep resulted in an increase of ROS content, which caused mitochondrial damage by inducing the opening of MPTP and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, the structural changes of myofibrils shortened the gap between muscle protein molecules, resulting in increased water loss rate and poorer water retention in muscles, promoting the process of myofibril fragmentation and improving the tenderness of Tan sheep meat. Correlation analysis showed that mitochondrial damage and tenderization occurred simultaneously during the postmortem aging of Tan sheep meat, and the more serious the mitochondrial damage was, the better the tenderness was.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum on the fatty acid metabolism and meat quality of small-tailed Han sheep. A total of 24 three-month-old small-tailed Han sheep in good body condition and with body mass of (28.85 ± 2.01) kg were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the control group was fed a basal diet (a typical corn-soybean diet), and the Clostridium butyricum group was fed the basal diet supplemented with Clostridium butyricum with a viable count of 5 × 108 CFU/g at a dose of 5 g/d. The feeding period lasted for 90 days. After slaughter, rumen fluid was collected for metagenomic analysis, and Longissimus dorsi muscle was harvested to determine its eating quality, fatty acid composition, and gene expression associated with fatty acid metabolism by gas chromatography (GC) and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results showed that feeding Clostridium butyricum significantly improved the brightness value (L*), redness value (a*), pH24 h, and intramuscular fat content (P < 0.05), and reduced the shear force of lamb meat (P < 0.05). In addition, the relative contents of palmitic acid and stearic acid were significantly lower (P < 0.05) and the relative contents of oleic acid, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid were significantly higher in Longissimus dorsi from the Clostridium butyricum group than the control group (P < 0.05). qPCR results showed that dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum significantly increased the gene expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1C (SREBP-1C), stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) (P < 0.05). Metagenomic analysis showed that dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum increased the abundance of Firmicutes, Clostridium, and Fibrobacters (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria, Butyrivibrio, and Parabacteroides in rumen fluid (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the relative abundance of Ruminobacter, Prevotella, and Lactobacillus were significantly positively correlated with unsaturated fatty acids relative contents (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of Clostridium butyricum to the diet can change the microbial composition of the rumen, leading to an increase in the gene expression of SREBP-1C, SCD, PPARγ, and ACC to promote fatty acid deposition, and finally improving the eating quality and nutritional value of small-tailed Han sheep meat.

In order to investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the mitochondrial signaling pathway in muscle cells of Tan sheep, M longissimus dorsi muscles from six-month-old Tan sheep were aged at 4 ℃ for 0, 6, 12, 24 and 72 h postmortem and evaluated for pH, ATP content, cell apoptosis rate, cell apoptosis-related enzyme activity, succinatedehydrogenase (SDH) activity, citrate synthase (CS) activity, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family protein contents, and cytochrome c (Cyt-c) and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (Caspase-3) expression levels. The results showed that the apoptosis rate and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax)/Bcl-2 ratio in the control and LPS-induced groups were significantly increased during postmortem aging (P < 0.05). The activities of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 increased first and then decreased. After LPS treatment, the activities of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 were higher than those in the control group at all time points. The pH, Cyt-c reduction level and mitochondrial ATP content were significantly decreased overall (P < 0.05). The relative expression level of Cyt-c was significantly increased in both groups at 12 h postmortem, and decreased during 24–72 h in the LPS group. The content of Caspase-3 activated fragment protein in the LPS treatment group was higher than that in control group at the same time points. In conclusion, LPS could activate Caspase-3 and Caspase-9, and reduce the mitochondrial content of ATP and consequently energy metabolism level, thus affecting the activities of SDH and CS, promoting the release of Cyt-C, and increasing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and finally inducing cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial signaling pathway.

The experiment aimed to investigate the effect of different levels of protein on growth performance, metabolic indicators and emission reduction benefits of Australian White growing sheep. Twenty-four Australian White growing sheep with similar growth status and weight (40.03 ± 0.21) kg and in good health were randomly divided into four groups, with six replicates in each group and one sheep in each replicate. The growing sheep in control group were fed with a normal protein level daily diet (12.07%), while the growing sheep in experimental group I were fed with a daily diet with a 1% reduction in standard protein, the growing sheep in experimental group II were fed with a daily diet with a 2% reduction in standard protein, and the growing sheep in experimental group IE were fed with a daily diet with a 4% reduction in standard protein. The pre-test lasted for 10 d, and the formal test lasted for 30 d. The results showed that on 10~20 d, the growing sheep in the experimental group I had the highest average gain. On 30 d, the experimental groups had the greatest reduction in fecal copper and urinary arsenic. The growing sheep in the experimental group II had the greatest reduction in fecal nitrogen, fecal phosphorus, fecal chromium, urinary nitrogen, urinary phosphorus, and urinary copper. The growing sheep in the experimental group IE had the greatest reduction in fecal zinc, fecal cadmium, fecal arsenic and urinary zinc. The study indicates that feeding a daily diet with a 2% reduction in protein content can reduce nitrogen and phosphorus as well as heavy metal emissions without affecting growth indicators and reduce environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of adding or subtracting organic trace elements instead of inorganic trace elements on the growth performance, slaughter performance and meat quality of mutton sheep. A total of 84 3-monthold Dorper crossbred sheep lambs with a body weight of (22±1) kg were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups. Each group has four repli‐ cates, with 8 lambs per replicate. Three groups of experimental sheep were fed with basal feed supplemented with 1 000 g/t inorganic trace ele‐ ments (control group), 300 g/t (treatment Ⅰ) and 550 g/t (treatment Ⅱ) of organic trace elements. The experiment lasted for 100 days, with a adapta‐ tion period of 10 days and a formal experimental period of 90 days. The feed intake was recorded every day and lambs were weighed every 30 days. Twelve sheep were slaughtered and sampled, and the slaugh‐ ter performance and meat quality indicators were determined. The results showed: ① there was no signifi‐ cant difference in growth performance among the groups (P>0.05). ② There was no significant difference in carcass fat content (GR value) and eye muscle area (P>0.05) among the test groups, but the slaughter rate of mutton sheep in the Ⅱ treatment groups was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). ③ There was no significant difference in the values of longissimus dorsi muscle brightness (L* ), redness (a* ) and cooked meat loss rate (P>0.05), and the yellowness (b* ) of the Ⅱ treatment groups was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). In summary, the organic trace element ad‐ ditive feed used to reduce the replacement of inorganic trace elements has no negative impact on the per‐ formance of mutton sheep, and can increase the slaughter rate of mutton sheep and improve meat quality. The addition of organic trace elements. The appropriate amount is 550 g/t under the current feeding re‐ gime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to apply sheep manure reasonably to improve the soil fertility and effectively improve the soil structure of asparagus fields; at the same time,to reduce environmental pollution caused by nutrients and metal elements in sheep manure,the same amount of ternary compound fertilizer (N-P2O5 -K2O= 14%-16%-15%) was applied to greenhouse asparagus for one year. At the same time,different amounts of fully decomposed sheep manure were increased in two stages,and the effects of applying conventional amounts of ternary compound fertilizer instead of sheep manure on asparagus stem yield,commercialization,and economic benefits were studied as a control. The results showed that compared with not applying sheep manure,the growth of asparagus fruit stems treated with sheep manure was relatively stable throughout the entire growth period,and the fertility index was significantly improved. Its nutritional growth and bulb differentiation were promoted,and the quality of asparagus fruit stems was greatly improved. The application of sheep manure could increase the thickness of asparagus fruit stems,as well as the height,number,and growth index of asparagus stems,and the changes in growth index and the thickness of the next crop of fruit stems were basically consistent. The optimal treatment for T2(30 t+25 t) is to apply fully decomposed sheep manure to asparagus stem yield, commercialization,and economic benefits at a rate of 1 hm² . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to study the effects of different rearing months on the culinary quality, nutritional quality, and flavor of Black Tibetan sheep meat. Fifteen healthy Black Tibetan lambs with similar body weights were randomly divided into three groups, with five replicates per group and one lamb per replicate. The three groups of Black Tibetan sheep were fed a diet mainly consisting of corn, oat hay, and oat silage under the same rearing conditions and raised to 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months of age, respectively. The results showed that compared to the meat of 12-month-old and 24-month-old Tibetan black sheep, the meat from 6-month-old lambs had the lowest shear force and water loss (P<0.05), the highest moisture content (P<0.05), and the lowest fat content (P<0.05). Compared to the meat of 24-month-old sheep, the cooking loss of meat from 6-month-old lambs was significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the cooked meat yield significantly increased for both 6-month-old and 12-month-old lambs (P<0.05). Compared to the meat of 24-month-old sheep, the shear force of meat from 12-month-old lambs was significantly reduced (P<0.05), and both the cooked meat yield and moisture content significantly increased (P<0.05). A total of 37 volatile flavor compounds were detected in the meat of the three groups of Tibetan black sheep using GC-IMS technology, including alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, terpenes, and esters. The meat from 6-month-old lambs had the highest content of alcohols, terpenes, and esters, while the meat from 12-month-old and 24-month-old lambs had the highest content of ketones and aldehydes, respectively. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and relative odor activity values (ROAV) identified 2, 3-butanediol, heptanal, hexanal, ethyl acetate, nonanal, and 3-(methylthio) propanal as the main characteristic flavor compounds in the meat of Tibetan black sheep of different ages. The study indicates that the meat from 6-month-old Tibetan black lambs has the best culinary quality, with a richer content and variety of volatile flavor compounds, among which 2, 3-butanediol, 3-(methylthio) propanal, limonene, γ-terpinene, ethyl acetate, and butyrolactone are the key flavor compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this experiment is to investigate the effects of reducing soybean meal as a substi‐ tute for diet on the growth performance, meat performance, and economic benefits of fattening small tailed Han sheep. 75 small tailed Han sheep with similar body weight of (41.64±1.19) kg and about 180 days were selected for the experiment and bred into male sheep. They were randomly divided into a control group, experimental groupⅠ, experimental group Ⅱ, experimental group Ⅲ, and experimental group Ⅳ. The crude feed in the control group's diet was made entirely of rolled silk soybean straw, while the ex‐ perimental group's diet was reduced in soybean meal. Different proportions of peanut seedlings were used as the crude feed instead of soybean straw. The fine to coarse ratio (60∶ 40) of the diet re‐ mained unchanged throughout the experiment, and the digestible energy and protein levels of diet of each group were similar. Fasting body weight and body size were measured at the begin‐ ning and end of the experiment, meat performance was measured at the end of the experiment, and economic benefits were calculated. The results showed that: ① compared with the control group, the aver‐ age daily weight gain of each experimental group was significantly increased (P<0.01), with the best weight gain effects observed in experimental groupⅠ, experimental groupⅡ, and experimental group Ⅲ, while there was no significant difference in body size indicators among the groups (P>0.05). ② Com‐ pared with the control group, the experimental groups showed a significant increase in back fat thickness and GR value (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in slaughter rate, net meat rate, and eye muscle area between the experimental groups and the control group (P>0.05). ③ Compared with the ex‐ perimental groups, the control group had the highest dripping loss and yellowing value of lamb, both sig‐ nificantly higher than the experimental groups (P<0.05). ④ The economic benefits of each experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.01). The reduction of soybean meal as a substitute for diet has varying degrees of impact on the growth performance, meat performance, and economic benefits of fattening small tailed Han sheep. The experimental groupsⅠ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ have a bet‐ ter effect and higher economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this experiment was to explore the correlation between meat traits such as backfat thickness, eye muscle area and eye muscle depth and body weight, and to provide a reference for the production and breeding of Pishan Red Sheep. 506 six-month-old Pishan red sheep were selected for the experiment. The meat traits and body weight were measured by portable B-ultrasound. The influencing factors were analyzed by SAS 9.2 and the correlation analysis was carried out by SPSS 25.0 software. The results showed that lambing type, sex, and group had significant or extremely significant effects on backfat thickness, eye muscle depth, and eye muscle area, respectively (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The eye muscle depth of single lamb was extremely higher than that of three lambs (P<0.01), the eye muscle depth of double lamb was extremely higher than that of three lambs (P<0.01), the eye muscle surface of single lamb was extremely higher than that of multiple lambs (P<0.01), the eye muscle depth of double lamb was significantly higher than that of three lambs (P<0.05) and significantly higher than that of four lambs (P<0.05). Sex had an extreme effect on three meat traits index (P<0.01), among which male lambs were higher than female lambs in backfat thickness, eye muscle depth, and eye muscle area. Eye muscle area has the highest correlation with body weight, followed by eye muscle depth and backfat thickness. Eye muscle area has the greatest direct effect on Pishan red sheep, followed by eye muscle depth and eye muscle area. The study indicates that the backfat thickness, eye muscle depth, and eye muscle area of six-month-old lambs were affected by birth type, sex and feeding, and management methods of lambs, and their effects on these traits should be considered in feeding and breeding of six-month-old lambs to improve the accuracy of breeding and genetic evaluation of these traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives]This study aimed to explore the differential expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) in ovaries of different sheep breeds during estrus, and screened molecular markers related to sheep fecundity. [Methods]According to the production records, four nonpregnant Mongolian sheep (Mon) and four Hu sheep (HBB) aged 2-3 years old with uniform body size and similar physiological status were selected and estrous synchronization. During estrous, intensive blood sampling (12 min/time) was performed for three hours continuously to detect the concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in serum. Three sheep from each group were chosen randomly for slaughter, and the ovarian tissues from those sheep were taken for RNA-seq analysis. Meanwhile, the ovarian RNA-seq data of Small-tailed Han sheep (HanBB) and Dorset sheep were downloaded from NCBI database, and the expression characteristics of lncRNA and mRNA in ovaries of different sheep breeds were analyzed. [Results]The concentrations of FSH and LH in serum of Hu sheep were significantly higher than those in Mongolian sheep (P＜0.05) .RNA-seq revealed a total of 87 874 lncRNA transcripts.Herein, numerous differentially expressed lncRNAs and differentially expressed mRNA,and fecundity-unique and-common differentially expressed-lncRNA and-mRNA were identified among different comparison groups. The mRNA-mRNA and lncRNA-mRNA interaction networks were constructed after the novel genes were removed.Nine common differentially expressed genes related to female reproduction, including MMP2,CHAD,HOXA10,GNB2,COL4A1,ACTB,COL6A3,CREB3L2 and LOC101115805,were identified. The common differentially expressed lncRNA related to reproduction were mainly annotated into fertilization, oocyte maturation and gametogenesis, and were enriched in PI3K-Akt and Wnt signaling pathways. The expression profile of the key gene MMP2 was similar in Mongolian and Hu sheep tissues, and MMP2 expression was significantly expressed in ovarian tissues, with a positive signal of MMP2 protein discovered in the pituitary, ovary and uterus of Hu sheep. [Conclusions]This study mapped differentially expressed lncRNA and mRNA in ovarian tissues of Hu sheep and Mongolian sheep, and reproduction-associated lncRNA and mRNA were screened, laying the groundwork for sheep reproduction regulation and molecular markers for breeding. Among them, the key gene MMP2 might regulate sheep reproductive performance via the reproductive axis, but the specific mechanism need to be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the effect of dietary supplementation of Clostridium butyricum on the volatile flavor substances in the meat of small-tailed Han sheep during postmortem aging and its possible mechanism, the Longissimus dorsi muscle of small-tailed Han sheep slaughtered at the age of six months was taken for postmortem maturation at 4 ℃, and then the volatile flavor substances, the contents of lipid metabolism-related enzymes including adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) and carnitine lipoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) were measured on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The results of electronic nose test showed that the contents of alkanes, hydroperoxide and nitrogen oxides in the C. butyricum supplementation group were higher than in the control group without C. butyricum supplementation. According to the results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the types of aldehydes, alcohols and ketones in the C. butyricum group were more than in the control group, while the contents of fatty oxidation products such as octanal, nonanal, decanal and heptaldehyde were obviously reduced. The key flavor substances common to both groups, as determined by relative odor activity value (ROAV), included octanal, nonanal, trans-2-decenal and 1-octen-3-ol, nonanal being the greatest contributor to the flavor of lamb meat. Compared with the control group, the contents of AMPK and CPT1 in the C. butyricum group decreased significantly during postmortem aging (P < 0.05), while the contents of ACC in the C. butyricum group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 0, 1, 3 and 5 days postmortem (P < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed that AMPK and CPT1 were significantly positively correlated with nonanal (P < 0.001), while ACC was significantly negatively correlated with nonanal and decanal (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the addition of C. butyricum to the diet can affect the volatile flavor substances in the meat of small-tailed Han sheep during postmortem aging by regulating the AMPK-ACC-CPT1 signaling pathway.

To explore the effect of Caragana korshinskii Kom. (CK) on meat quality and the main fatty acids of adipose tissue, which were supposed to be modulated by the level of volatile fatty acids from the microbiota of rumen and colon in sheep, twelve Tan ewe lambs (4-month-old) were randomly divided into two groups, NC was fed with 30% concentrate and 70% alfalfa, while CK with 10% CK instead of equivalent alfalfa. After 10 days of pre-trial and 60 days of feeding trial, the lambs were slaughtered and sampled with M. longissimus dorsi, quadriceps femoris, subcutaneous fat, and the contents of rumen and colon collection. Then the analyzing was carried out aimed to determine the characters of meat physical and chemical properties as usual method, the microbiota of gastrointestinal tract by 16S rRNA sequencing, and fatty acid contents either from subcutaneous adipose tissue or from rumen and colon by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that feeding CK to Tan sheep could tend to increase mill loss, decrease water holding capacity and cooked meat percentage of quadriceps femoris. It also had the tendency effect to decrease saturated fatty acid and increase unsaturated fatty acid content in the meat. Furthermore, feeding CK could decrease the content of palmitic acid in subcutaneous adipose tissue significantly (P

The purpose of this experiment was to explore the monthly dynamic changes of yield and nutrient components of temperate desert-steppe type rangeland and temperate steppe-desert type rangeland on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, and the effects of grazing on the weight changes of multiple Suffolk ewes and weaned lambs under the conditions of two grassland types. Suffolk postpartum ewes with a similar weight of two years old and 120 lambs after weaning were randomly divided into two groups. Each group had three repetitions, and each repetition had 20 sheep. Group A lambs and Group C ewes were grazed in temperate desert-steppe type rangeland experimental area (type I grass group, namely Festucasulcata, feather grass and Seriphidium kaschgaricum), while Group B lambs and Group D ewes were grazed in temperate steppe-desert type rangeland experimental area (type II grass group, namely Seriphidium borotalense Ling et Y. R. Ling, Kochia prostrata and Carex turkestanica). The trial period was 120 days. The results showed that in June and September, the fresh grass yield of type I grass group was significantly higher than that of type II grass group (P<0.05). In September, the hay yield of type I grass group was significantly higher than that of type II grass group (P<0.05). In June, the dry-fresh ratio of type I grass group was significantly lower than that of type II grass group (P<0.05). In June and September, the crude ash content of type I grass group was significantly lower than that of type II grass group ( P<0.05). In July, the crude protein content of type I grass group was significantly higher than that of type II grass group (P<0.05), and in September, the crude protein content of type I grass group was significantly lower than that of type II grass group (P<0.05). The content of nitrogen-free extracts of type I grass group in June was significantly higher than that in September (P<0.05). In June, July and September, the phosphorus content of type II grass group was significantly higher than that of type I grass group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in total weight gain, average daily weight gain, and relative weight gain between the two grazing grassland types (P>0.05). The weaned lamb weight increased continuously, and the litter size, litter weight, and weaned weight of ewes in the following year had no significant difference (P>0.05). The results showed that with the increase of temperature and the decrease of precipitation, the forage yield of the two grazing grassland types decreased first and then increased, and the forage nutrition level decreased. The grazing adaptability and stress resistance of multiple Suffolk sheep were better under extreme environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensive scale feeding of cattle and sheep in China co-exists with the traditional grazing mode. The traditional grazing mode is easily affected by climate, season and other factors, and the unstable forage supply and unbalanced feed nutrition become the restricting factors for the development of the cattle and sheep industry. The use of a total mixed diet can not only solve the problem of nutritional instability of cattle and sheep feed, improve production efficiency, but also make full use of agricultural and industrial by-products, protect the environment, and achieve green, healthy and sustainable development of the cattle and sheep industry. The paper reviews the research progress of the preparation principle and technology of total mixed diet and its effect on the production stage of cattle and sheep, aiming to provide a reference for the use of total mixed diet in the production of cattle and sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was to investigate the effect of peanut seedling silage on the growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, and economic benefit of mutton sheep. Sixty mutton sheep with similar body weight and good condition were randomly divided into four groups with 15 replicates per group and one sheep per replicate. The mutton sheep in the control group were fed a whole-plant maize silage diet, 20% peanut silage was used instead of whole-plant maize silage in the experiment group 1, 40% peanut silage was used instead of whole-plant maize silage in the experiment group 2, and 80% peanut silage was used instead of whole-plant maize silage in the experiment group 3. The experiment lasted for 60 days. The results showed that the feed to gain ratio of mutton sheep in each peanut seedling silage group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the average daily gain was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The apparent digestibility of crude protein and neutral detergent fiber in the experiment group 2 and experiment group 3 was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The serum total protein level in the experiment group 2 and experiment group 3 was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the urea nitrogen and triglyceride levels, and the ALT activity were significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The profit of each peanut seedling silage group was higher than that of the control group, and showed an upward trend with the increase of peanut seedling silage dosage. The study indicates that peanut seedling silage can improve the growth performance and nutrient apparent digestibility of mutton sheep, improve serum biochemical indexes, and increase breeding profits. Considering comprehensively, it is more suitable to use 40%~80% peanut seedling silage in mutton sheep breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, microcapsules were prepared using conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) from Tan sheep tail fat as the core material and whey protein isolate (WPI) and maltodextrin (MD) as the wall material, and their physicochemical properties were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Besides, the oxidative stability and release behavior of the microcapsules were analyzed through accelerated storage experiments and in vitro simulated digestion experiments, and their antioxidant and cholesterol lowering activities were evaluated as well. The results showed that the particles of the CLA microcapsules were intact, with a relatively smooth surface, and had good thermal stability, oxidative stability, and sustained-release performance. After gastrointestinal digestion, the antioxidant stability and cholesterol lowering activity of the microcapsules were significantly higher than those of free CLA. At the end of in vitro simulated digestion, the scavenging rates of the microcapsules against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) cation radical, and superoxide anion radical were (70.84 ± 3.97)%, (78.53 ± 4.28)%, and (59.88 ± 2.58)%, respectively. The inhibition rate against cholesterol micelles was (73.48 ± 2.53)%, and the binding rates to sodium taurocholate, sodium glycine cholate, and sodium cholate were (40.62 ± 3.14)%, (66.79 ± 3.01)%, and (55.43 ± 2.39)%, respectively. This study indicates that microencapsulation not only significantly enhances the oxidative stability of Tan sheep tail fat CLA, but also improves its antioxidant and cholesterol lowering activity. This study provides a theoretical basis for the deep processing and comprehensive utilization of Tan sheep tail fat CLA.

A method for detecting mebendazole and its metabolites in cattle and sheep products was established by EMR-Lipid-ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The samples were first extracted by oscillation with 0.2% ammoniated acetonitrile solution, then freeze centrifugation, purified by Captiva EMR-Lipid column and directly analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The 3 kinds of mebendazole drugs were separated by SB-C18 column (2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.8 μm) and gradiently eluted with acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid water solution as mobile phase. The detection of mebendazole drugs was performed by tandem mass spectrometry in electrospray ionization under multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) mode. Matrix matching standard working curve and internal standard method were used for quantification. The calibration curves for target compounds were linear over the range of 0.2~50 ng/mL with correlation coefficients larger than 0.999. The detection limits (S/N>3) of 3 kinds of mebendazole drugs were 0.3 μg/kg. The recoveries of the 3 kinds of mebendazole drugs at three added levels were between 80.5% and 108.0%．The relative standard deviations were 1.1%~5.8%. The method overcame the current shortcomings of cumbersome preprocessing and long detection cycle, and it was simple in operation and accurate in results. The method was applicable to the rapid detection of mebendazole and its metabolites residues in cattle and sheep products.

为了实现羊骨副产物的有效利用和为羊骨油高值化产品开发提供基础数据，以羊腿骨为原料，提取其中的油脂，分别采用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）、多维质谱鸟枪法（MDMS-SL）、气相色谱-质谱联用法（GC-MS）对羊骨油的甘油酯组成、脂质组学、脂肪酸组成进行分析。结果表明：羊骨油中甘油三酯含量达到96.76%，还有少量的甘油二酯（1.41%），而甘油一酯未检出；羊骨油中共鉴定出19种酰基肉碱、17种鞘磷脂、37种磷脂酰胆碱、39种甘油三酯，总含量分别为5.76、96.58、85.18 nmol/g和15.76 μmol/g；羊骨油中共鉴定出11种脂肪酸，其中饱和脂肪酸含量为11.51%， 单不饱和脂肪酸含量为72.34%，多不饱和脂肪酸含量为7.56%。 In order to realize the effective utilization of by-products sheep bones and provide basic data for the development of high-value sheep bone oil products, sheep leg bones were used as raw materials to extract oil, and the glyceride composition, lipidomics and fatty acid composition of sheep bone oil were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), multidimensional mass spectrometry shotgun method (MDMS-SL) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) respectively. The results showed that the content of triglycerides in sheep bone oil reached 96.76%, and a small amount of diglycerides (1.41%) was identified, while no monoglycerides was detected. A total of 19 acylcarnitines, 17 sphingomyelins, 37 phosphatidylcholines and 39 triglycerides were identified in sheep bone oil, with total contents of 5.76, 96.58, 85.18 nmol/g and 15.76 μmol/g, respectively. 11 kinds of fatty acids including 11.51% saturated fatty acids, 72.34% monounsaturated fatty acids and 7.56% polyunsaturated fatty acids were detected in sheep bone oil.

In order to understand the potential utilization of sheep manure and urine, in this study manure and urine production, potential fertilizer and energy utilization of manure and urine and the cropland load of manure and urine in the sheep industry in China in 2021 were estimated. Related data was obtained from the statistical yearbook and the pollutant producing and discharging coefficient. The results show that in 2021, the total sheep manure and urine amount produced in China reached 291 million tons, of which the total nitrogen（TN）, total phosphorus（TP）and total potassium（TK）contents have reached 910 800, 192 800 tons and 738 900 tons respectively, which can effectively replace 2.553 1 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer（calculated by urea）, 1.084 5 million tons of phosphorus fertilizer（calculated by P2O5）, and 1.918 2 million tons of potassium fertilizer（calculated by K2O）, as well as producing 16.595 billion cubic meters of biogas. The potential fertilizer and energy utilization of sheep manure and urine is high. The cropland loads in Qinghai and Tibet rank first and second, respectively, in China. When utilizing sheep manure and urine, full consideration should be given to various land types, such as cultivated land, farming pastoral ecotone, forest land and grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was designed to study the effects of alfalfa silage, maize silage and mulberry silage replacement diets with some peanut seedlings on growth performance, slaughter performance, immune function and economic benefits of mutton sheep. A total of 80 Duhan crossbred finishing mutton sheep were selected and randomly divided into four groups, with five replicates designed for each group and four sheep for each replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet, and the experimental group used alfalfa silage, corn silage and mulberry silage to replace 60% of the peanut seedlings in the basal diet, respectively. The results showed that compared with the control group, the use of alfalfa silage, corn silage and mulberry silage significantly increased the weight (P<0.05) and significantly decreased the feed-to-weight ratio (P<0.05) of mutton sheep; the use of alfalfa silage significantly increased the average daily weight gain of mutton sheep (P< 0.05); and the use of alfalfa silage, corn silage and mulberry silage significantly increased the live weight, slaughter rate and eye muscle area (P<0.05); the use of alfalfa silage, maize silage and mulberry silage sig‑ nificantly increased the serum levels of Immunoglobulin A and Interleukin-2 (P<0.05) and significantly decreased the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and Interleukin-1β (P<0.05) in mutton sheep; the daily economic profit of silage alfalfa group mutton sheep increased by 19.47%. In summary, the partial replacement of peanut seedlings with silage alfalfa, silage corn, or silage mulberry in the diets of mutton sheep can improve the growth and slaughter performance of sheep, improve the immune function of sheep, increase economic benefits, and the application of alfalfa silage has the best application effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of dietary Ca/P level on the growth perfor‐ mance and blood indexes of Hu sheep. The single factor design was used, and 48 Hu sheep with similar age and body weight were selected. According to the dietary Ca/P level, it was divided into three treat‐ ments with 4 replicates in each treatment and 3 Hu sheep weaned male lambs in each replicate. They were fed diets of Ca/P level at 2.13, 1.63 and 1.28, respectively, with the concentrate∶ roughage ratio of 33∶ 67. The results showed that: ① dietary Ca/P level had no significant ef‐ fect on feed intake and feed to meat ratio of weaned Hu lambs (P>0.05); the daily gain of low Ca/P level group was significantly higher than that of high Ca/P level group and medium Ca/P level group (P<0.05). ② Serum calcium content increased significantly with dietary phosphorus level (P<0.01); the urea nitrogen of low Ca/P level group was significantly higher than that of high Ca/P level group (P< 0.05); dietary Ca/P level level had no significant effect on serum total protein, albumin, alkaline phospha‐ tase and inorganic phosphorus (P>0.05). Under the experimental conditions, considering the production performance and blood indexes, the suitable dietary Ca/P level of Hu sheep weaned male lambs was 1.28 to 1.63. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The monitoring of livestock grazing in natural pastures is a key aspect of the transformation and upgrading of large-scale breeding farms. In order to meet the demand for large-scale farms to achieve accurate real-time detection of a large number of sheep, a high-precision and easy-to-deploy small-target detection model: CSD-YOLOv8s was proposed to realize the real-time detection of small-targeted individual sheep under the high-altitude view of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). [Methods] Firstly, a UAV was used to acquire video data of sheep in natural grassland pastures with different backgrounds and lighting conditions, and together with some public datasets downloaded formed the original image data. The sheep detection dataset was gener‐ ated through data cleaning and labeling. Secondly, in order to solve the difficult problem of sheep detection caused by dense flocks and mutual occlusion, the SPPFCSPC module was constructed with cross-stage local connection based on the you only look once (YOLO)v8 model, which combined the original features with the output features of the fast spatial pyramid pooling network, fully re‐ tained the feature information at different stages of the model, and effectively solved the problem of small targets and serious occlu‐ sion of the sheep, and improved the detection performance of the model for small sheep targets. In the Neck part of the model, the con‐ volutional block attention module (CBAM) convolutional attention module was introduced to enhance the feature information capture based on both spatial and channel aspects, suppressing the background information spatially and focusing on the sheep target in the channel, enhancing the network's anti-jamming ability from both channel and spatial dimensions, and improving the model's detection performance of multi-scale sheep under complex backgrounds and different illumination conditions. Finally, in order to improve the real-time and deploy ability of the model, the standard convolution of the Neck network was changed to a lightweight convolutional C2f_DS module with a changeable kernel, which was able to adaptively select the corresponding convolutional kernel for feature ex‐ traction according to the input features, and solved the problem of input scale change in the process of sheep detection in a more flexi‐ ble way, and at the same time, the number of parameters of the model was reduced and the speed of the model was improved. [Results and Discussions] The improved CSD-YOLOv8s model exhibited excellent performance in the sheep detection task. Compared with YOLO, Faster R-CNN and other classical network models, the improved CSD-YOLOv8s model had higher detection accuracy and frames per second (FPS) of 87 f/s in the flock detection task with comparable detection speed and model size. Compared with the YOLOv8s model, Precision was improved from 93.0% to 95.2%, mAP was improved from 91.2% to 93.1%, and it had strong robust‐ ness to sheep targets with different degree of occlusion and different scales, which effectively solved the serious problems of missed and misdetection of sheep in the grassland pasture UAV-on-ground sheep detection task due to the small sheep targets, large back‐ ground noise, and high degree of densification. misdetection serious problems. Validated by the PASCAL VOC 2007 open dataset, the CSD-YOLOv8s model proposed in this study improved the detection accuracy of 20 different objects, including transportation vehi‐ cles, animals, etc., especially in sheep detection, the detection accuracy was improved by 9.7%. [Conclusions] This study establishes a sheep dataset based on drone images and proposes a model called CSD-YOLOv8s for detecting grazing sheep in natural grasslands. The model addresses the serious issues of missed detections and false alarms in sheep detection under complex backgrounds and lighting conditions, enabling more accurate detection of grazing livestock in drone images. It achieves precise detection of targets with varying degrees of clustering and occlusion and possesses good real-time performance. This model provides an effective detection method for detecting sheep herds from the perspective of drones in natural pastures and offers technical support for large-scale livestock detection in breeding farms, with wide-ranging potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

旨在为羊脂的精深加工提供参考，以绵羊脂和山羊脂为研究对象，分析了两种羊脂理化性质、营养品质与风味特性的差异。两种羊脂的理化性质按国标方法测定，脂肪酸组成及胆固醇的含量由气相色谱测定，甘油三酯组成由超高效液相色谱联用Q-Exactive HFX高分辨轨道阱质谱仪测定，挥发性风味物质采用顶空-固相微萃取结合全二维气相色谱-飞行时间质谱法测定。结果表明：绵羊脂与山羊脂均检测出22种脂肪酸，主要脂肪酸均为C16∶ 0、C18∶ 1n-9c和C18∶ 0，饱和脂肪酸含量分别为38.69、54.39 g/100 g；两种羊脂均检测出30种甘油三酯，绵羊脂中三饱和、单不饱和、单饱和与三不饱和脂肪酸甘油三酯含量分别占总甘油三酯含量的2.66%、26.76%、36.89%和3369%，山羊脂的分别为15.87%、45.59%、26.47%和12.07%；绵羊脂与山羊脂鉴定出挥发性化合物共95种，含量分别为122.11、32.68 μg/g，关键风味化合物34种，其中癸醛、6-甲基-2-庚酮、乙酸戊酯、2-正丁基呋喃仅在绵羊脂中被检测出，3-甲基-2-戊酮仅在山羊脂中被检测出，主成分分析表明两种羊脂可完全分离，差异显著。综上，两种羊脂具有一定的品质差异，绵羊脂的营养与食用价值高于山羊脂，其特征风味强度显著高于山羊脂。 In order to provide a reference for the deep processing of mutton fat, the differences in physical and chemical properties, nutritional qualities and flavor characteristics of sheep fat and goat fat were investigated. The physical and chemical properties of two mutton fats were determined according to the national standard method. The content of fatty acids and cholesterol content were analyzed using gas chromatography. The composition of triglycerides of two mutton fats was evaluated by ultra performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive HFX orbitrap mass spectrometer. Furthermore, headspace-solid phase microextraction combined with comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry was used to analyze the differences in volatile flavor compounds of two mutton fats. The results showed that 22 kinds of fatty acids were detected in two kinds of mutton fats, the main fatty acids were C16∶ 0, C18∶ 1n-9c and C18∶ 0. The content of saturated fatty acids of sheep fat and goat fat were 38.69 g/100 g and 54.39 g/100 g, respectively. Thirty kinds of triglycerides were detected in two mutton fats. The triglycerides of SSS, SSU, SUU and UUU in sheep fat accounted for 2.66%, 26.76%, 36.89% and 33.69%, respectively, and goat fat was 15.87%, 45.59%, 26.47% and 12.07%, respectively. The content of volatile compounds in sheep fat and goat fat were 122.11 μg/g and 32.68 μg/g, respectively. A total of 95 volatile compounds and 34 key aroma compounds were identified. Decanal, 6-methyl-2-heptanone, amyl acetate and 2-n-butyl furan were only detected in sheep fat, 3-methyl-2-pentanone was only detected in goat fat. The two kinds of mutton fats were completely separated by principal component analysis, which had significant difference. In conclusion, the two kinds of mutton fats have certain quality differences. The nutritional and edible value of sheep fat is higher than that of goat fat, and its characteristic flavor intensity is significantly higher than that of goat fat.

In order to uncover the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway in metabolic regulation in Tan sheep meat during chilled storage, the transcriptome changes of lamb meat injected with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 after 0, 4 and 8 days of chilled storage were studied by high-throughput sequencing. Altogether, 474, 96, and 13 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the control and LY294002 treatment groups were identified on days 0, 4, and 8, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly related to metabolic homeostasis, such as amino acid biosynthesis, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and glyceride metabolism. In addition, tissue section analysis showed that the gap between muscle fibers in the LY294002 group increased and the diameter of muscle fibers decreased significantly relative to the control group, indicating muscle atrophy. These results indicated that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway played a crucial role in maintaining metabolic balance during the storage of Tan mutton, which in turn ensured the normal growth of muscle. This study provides a new direction for further elucidating the molecular mechanism by which the PI3K/AKT signaling regulates metabolic homeostasis in Tan mutton during chilled storage.

This study aimed to explore the expression changes of VASA gene in sheep testis development and to construct VASA gene knock-in vector to prepare for the study on the differentiation of sheep germ cells in vitro . The testicular tissues of 3-month-old (3M) and 9-month-old (9M) sheep which represent immature and mature stages, respectively, were collected. The differential expression of VASA gene was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting, and the location of VASA gene was detected by immunohistochemistry. The sgRNA targeting the VASA gene was designed and homologous recombination vectors were constructed by PCR. Subsequently, plasmids were transferred into sheep ear fibroblasts. The VASA gene was activated in combination with CRISPR/dCas9 technology to further verify the efficiency of the vector. The results showed that the expression level of VASA gene increased significantly with the development of sheep testis ( P < 0.01), and was mainly located in spermatocytes and round spermatids. The knock-in vector of VASA gene was constructed by CRISPR/Cas9 system, and the Cas9-gRNA vector and pEGFP-PGK puro- VASA vector were transfected into ear fibroblasts. After CRISPR/dCas9 system was activated, ear fibroblasts successfully expressed VASA gene. The results suggest that VASA gene plays a potential function in sheep testicular development and spermatogenesis, and the VASA gene knock-in vector can be constructed in vitro through the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Our results provided effective research tools for further research of germ cell development and differentiation.

[Objective] The present paper aimed to investigate the polymorphism of RFXANK gene in sheep (Ovis aries) and its relationship with meat performance to provide effective molecular genetic markers for the breeding of high quality meat sheep. [Method] A total of 91 sheep from three populations, Dupo (D), Little-tailed sheep (XH) and Tandan sheep (T), were used to obtain the variant loci of RFXANK gene using liquid capture sequencing technology.A total of 30 sheep from Dupo (D), Tandoori (T), Little Tail (XH) and Dutang Cold Ternary (DTH) crosses were genotyped and correlated with their meat performance using flight mass spectrometry. [Result] The rs160009883 locus AA genotype was highly significantly higher than the CC genotype in live weight before slaughter, carcass weight and net meat weight (P＜0.01), the AA genotype was significantly higher than the CC genotype in net meat percentage (P＜0.05), the CA genotype was significantly higher than the CC genotype in net meat weight, and the AA and CA genotypes were significantly higher than the CC genotype in chest circumference.Live weight before slaughter, slaughter rate, net meat weight, carcass weight and net meat rate were highly significant for AA genotypes than GG genotypes at rs420498050 and rs405773959 loci, and chest circumference and backfat thickness were significantly higher for AA genotypes than GG genotypes; Different genotypes at three loci were associated with GR value, muscle fibre diameter, muscle fibre density, protein, inosine, alanine and valine were significantly correlated with the weight of each visceral organ. [Conclusion] The three loci of RFXANK gene have significant effects on meat performance in sheep and can be used as one of the molecular markers for meat performance in sheep, providing a reference for improving meat performance in the Dupo, Little-tailed sheep and Tandan sheep population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to explore the impact of aerobic exercise on the abundance and function of intestinal microbiota in the small intestine of Tan sheep in fattening period. Sixty female Tan sheep lambs with a weaning weight of (16 ± 2) kg were selected and randomly divided into three groups, with 20 lambs in each group. Tan sheep in the group 1 exercised daily for 8~10 km, Tan sheep in the group 2 exercised daily for 4~6 km, and the Tan sheep in the control group were in the barn. The experiment lasted for 130 days. The results showed that compared to the control group, the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of Tan sheep in the group 1 increased. Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in the duodenum and Actinobacteria in the jejunum of Tan sheep in the group 1 significantly increased (P<0.05), and the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in the ileum of Tan sheep in the group 2 significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Ruminococcus in the duodenum of Tan sheep in the group 2 significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the abundance of Solobacterium in the duodenum of Tan sheep in the group 1 and group 2 decreased extremely (P<0.01). Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Escherichia-Shigella in the jejunum and ileum of Tan sheep in the group 1 significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the relative abundance of Bacteroides in the jejunum of Tan sheep in the group 2 extremely decreased (P<0.01). The study suggests that daily aerobic exercise of 8~10 km during the fattening period can enhance the diversity of intestinal microbiota in Tan sheep, increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria, reduce the abundance of harmful bacteria, and improve the overall health of the small intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives]The study aimed to investigate the neurotrophic factor tyrosine kinase B receptor(Trkb)gene effects on the pituitary gonadotropin secretion of Hu sheep. [Methods]Tissue expression profiling of Trkb was performed using qPCR. The overexpression vector of Trkb was constructed and transfected into Hu sheep pituitary cells. The effects of overexpression of Trkb on pituitary cell proliferation and gonadotropin secretion were detected by qPCR, Western blot, EdU and ELISA. [Results]Trkb was expressed in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, hypothalamus, pituitary and other tissues of Hu sheep, but the expression level in the pituitary was significantly higher than that in other tissues(P<0.05). Trkb was differentially expressed in pituitary tissues of Hu sheep at different developmental stages, and was highly expressed in pituitary tissues at 6 months of age(P<0.05), and the expression level was lower at 5 days and 3 months of age. Compared with the control group, overexpression of Trkb gene significantly promoted pituitary cell proliferation rate(P<0.05), and the expression levels of proliferation marker gene Pcna and Bcl2/Bax ratio significantly increased(P<0.05). In addition, overexpression of Trkb significantly increased the expression levels of gonadotropin-related genes Fshβ and Lhβ, and significantly promoted the secretion levels of follicle stimulating hormone(FSH)in pituitary cells(P<0.05). [Conclusions]Overexpression of Trkb could significantly promote cell proliferation efficiency of pituitary cells, decrease the level of cell apoptosis, and thus significantly increase the secretion of gonadotropin in Hu sheep. This study preliminarily verified the function of Trkb in Hu sheep pituitary cells and provided a experimental basis for further study of the molecular mechanism of Trkb regulating pituitary function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of microecological agents on the production performance, nutrients apparent digestibility, wool production performance, and serum biochemical indexes of Alpine Merino sheep. Ninety Alpine Merino ewes aged 2~3 years and of similar weight were randomly divided into three groups with three replicates in each group and ten ewes in each replicate. The control group, the test group Ⅰ and the test group Ⅱ were added with 0, 1%, and 2% microecological agents in the feed, respectively. The pre-test period was ten days, and the formal test period was 120 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, the newborn weight of lambs in the test group Ⅰ and the test group Ⅱ was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the wool yield and wool length of ewes were significantly increased (P<0.05). The apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, and neutral detergent fiber in the test group were significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The contentrations of serum total protein, globulin, and glucose in the test groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), while the contentrations of urea nitrogen, cholesterol, and triglyceride were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The rumen pH value, ammonia nitrogen, and butyric acid concentration of ewes in the test group decreased significantly (P<0.05), while the proportion of acetic acid increased significantly (P<0.05). The study indicates that adding microecological agents to the supplemental diet of Alpine Merino sheep can effectively increase the birth weight of lambs, wool yield and wool length of ewes, and improve serum biochemical indexes and rumen fermentation function of ewes. The appropriate amount of microecological agents is 1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of different proportions of Zhangzagu straw instead of peanut vine on the growth performance, nutrients apparent digestibility, meat quality, and serum biochemical indexes of finishing sheep. Twenty-four healthy 'Du x Hu' hybrid finishing rams with the body weight of (32.73± 2.46) kg aged about three months were randomly divided into three groups, with eight replicates in each group and one sheep in each replicate. The control group only added peanut vine. In the experimental Group I, 50% Zhangzagu straw was used to replace peanut vine. In the experimental Group II, 80% Zhangzagu straw was used to replace peanut vine. The pre-feeding period was 10 days, and the formal trial period was 70 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, the average daily feed intake of Group I decreased significantly (P<0.05), and the apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the L* value of flesh color in Group I significantly increased (P<0.05) and the shear force significantly decreased (P<0.05), the pH45 min value in Group II significantly increased (P<0.05) and the shear force value significantly decreased (P<0.05), while the L* value of flesh color in Group II was significantly lower than that of Group I (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of total protein (TP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and cholesterol (CHOL) were significantly increased in Group I (P<0.05), and the TP content in Group II increased significantly (P<0.05). The study indicates that replacing peanut vine with Zhangzagu straw has certain effects on the growth performance, nutrients apparent digestibility, meat quality, and serum biochemical indexes of finishing sheep, and 50% Zhangzagu straw instead of peanut vine has the best weight gain effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of different doses of Chinese herbal additives on the growth performance, serum antioxidant indexes, and immune function of Hu sheep. A total of 48 two-month-old weaned lambs in good health and similar weight were selected and randomly divided into four groups, with four replicates in each group. The control group was fed a basal diet, and the experimental group I, group III, and group III were fed the diets supplemented with 0.010, 0.025, 0.050 g/kg of Chinese herbal additives, respectively. The pre-trial period was seven days and the formal period was 90 days. The results showed that the average daily weight gain of the experimental group II increased by 22.22% compared with that of the control group from 61 to 90 days (P<0.05), and the feed to gain ratio decreased by 18.85% (P<0.01). At 30 d, compared with the control group, the concentrations of total protein (TP) and interferon- γ (IFN- γ) in the experimental group III increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the experimental group IIII, the concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IFN-γ in experimental group III significantly or extremely increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). At 60 d, the concentration of the reduced glutathione (GSH) in the exprimental group III extremely increased compared with the control group and the experimental group IIIII (P<0.01). Compared with the control group and the experimental group IIII, immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG, IL-4, and IFN- γ increased extremely (P<0.01). The concentration of IL-6 in the exprimental group II were significantly higher the experimental group III (P<0.05), and the concentrations of IgA and IL-4 were significantly or extremely higher than those of the experimental group II (P<0.05 or P<0.01). At 90 d, the concentration of IgA in the experimental group II was extremely higher than that of the control group (P<0.01), and the concentrations of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IFN-γ were significantly higher than that of the experimental group III (P<0.05). The study indicates that the Chinese herbal medicine additive can promote the growth of Hu sheep, enhance the antioxidant ability and immunity of the animal body, and the appropriate amount of Chinese herbal medicine additive is 0.025 g/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the effects of ambient temperature on feed intake and physiological and biochemical indexes of different sex and age mutton sheep in Yinchuan area. Ten healthy RAMS of the same age, ewe lambs at the same time, weaning lambs at the same time and lactating lambs at the same time were selected from a meat sheep farm in Yinchuan City and were divided into ram group, ewe group, fattening sheep group and lamb group. The nutritional composition of the feed was consistent in all groups except lactating lambs. The experimental period was from September to October 2022, with a total of 28 days, which was divided into 4 stages on average, and the ambient temperature was recorded on day 1, day 8, day 15 and day 22 of the experiment. Feed intake, physiological and blood biochemical indexes of sheep were measured and analyzed by routine measurement and ELISA. The results show that: the feed intake of ewes on day 22 was significantly higher than that on day 1 and day 8 (P<0.01); the temperature at the beginning of the experiment decreased from 31.6 ℃ to 29.11 ℃ at the end of the experiment, and the respiratory rate of ewes on day 22 was significantly lower than that on day 1 and day 15 (P<0.01). The body temperature of ewe on day 15 and day 22 was significantly lower than that on day 1 and day 8 (P<0.01). Compared with day 1, rumination frequency of ewes on day 15 and 22 was significantly decreased (P<0.05); compared with day 1, the respiratory rate of lambs on days 8, 15 and 22 was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the body temperature of lambs on days 8, 15 and 22 was significantly increased (P<0.01); compared with day 1, the serum total protein content of ewe on day 15 and day 22 was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the serum urea nitrogen content of ewe on day 15 was significantly decreased (P<0.01); compared with day 1, the serum cortisol content of fattening sheep on day 22 was significantly decreased (P<0.05); compared with day 1, the serum cortisol content of RAMS on day 22 was significantly increased (P< 0.01). The results indicated that the continuous decrease of ambient temperature could change the physiological and blood biochemical indexes of meat sheep of different ages and genders, and then affect the breeding efficiency and health level of meat sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effects of compound Chinese medicine feed additives on the growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, antioxidant indicators, fecal score of small tailed Han sheep. 100 female small tailed Han sheep aged about three months were randomly divided into four groups with five replicates per group and five sheep per replicate, namely the control group, test group Ⅰ, test group Ⅱ, and test group Ⅲ. The growth performance, serum biochemical indicators, antioxidant indicators, and fecal score of the small tailed Han sheep were tested and statistically analyzed. The test lasted for 42 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, the final weight of group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ was significantly increased (P<0.05); the weight gain and average daily weight gain of groups Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ in the test were significantly increased (P<0.05); the serum TP levels in groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ significantly increased (P< 0.05); the serum ALB content in group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ was significantly increased (P<0.05); the serum MDA content in group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ significantly decreased (P<0.05); in terms of sheep fecal score, On day 28, the fecal scores of group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ significantly decreased (P<0.05); on day 42, the fecal scores of group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ significantly decreased (P<0.05). In summary, adding compound Chinese medicine feed additives to the diet can effectively improve the growth performance of small tailed Han sheep, improve serum growth biochemical indexes, enhance antioxidant capacity, and improve fecal morphology, making it suitable for clinical application, the appropriate amout of additive is 1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to study the effects of different protein levels in the diet on the growth performance and meat quality of penned small tailed Han sheep lambs. A total of 75 male lambs of the small tailed Han sheep, approximately 90 days old, were randomly divided into three experimental groups: Group Ⅰ (low protein group, 12.16%), Group Ⅱ (medium protein group, 14.04%), and Group Ⅲ (high protein group, 15.70%), with five replicates per group and five male lambs per replicate. The preliminary trial lasted for 10 days, and the formal experiment lasted for 90 days. The results showed that the average weight gain and average daily weight gain of Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ were extremely higher than those of Group Ⅰ (P<0.01), and the feed to gain ratio was significantly lower than that of Group Ⅰ (P<0.05). The carcass weight and backfat thickness of Group Ⅰ were significantly lower than those of Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ (P<0.05), while the cooking loss, drip loss, brightness value, and yellowness value were significantly higher than those of Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ (P<0.05). The average daily income of the lambs in Group Ⅱ was 2.47 yuan/d, which was 0.74 yuan/d higher than that of Group Ⅰ and 0.39 yuan/d higher than that of Group Ⅲ. The study indicates that when the metabolizable energy level is between 11.52 and 11.57 MJ/kg, increasing the dietary protein level can improve the growth performance of barn feeding small tailed Han sheep and has a positive effect on the meat quality, with the highest economic benefit achieved at a crude protein level of 14.04%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]