Live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) improves growth performance and liver metabolic status of lactating Hu sheep

ABSTRACT: Yeast, a natural starter culture, is widely used to improve digestion function in ruminants. However, whether yeast affects the physiological state of the liver in ruminants is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of yeast on liver metabolic status and ph...

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Main Authors: Shendong Zhou, Jie Huang, Hao Zhang, Xiaokun Song, Yijin Jiang, Xu Zhao, Xiangzhen Shen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-04-01
Series:Journal of Dairy Science
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225000955
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author Shendong Zhou
Jie Huang
Hao Zhang
Xiaokun Song
Yijin Jiang
Xu Zhao
Xiangzhen Shen
author_facet Shendong Zhou
Jie Huang
Hao Zhang
Xiaokun Song
Yijin Jiang
Xu Zhao
Xiangzhen Shen
author_sort Shendong Zhou
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT: Yeast, a natural starter culture, is widely used to improve digestion function in ruminants. However, whether yeast affects the physiological state of the liver in ruminants is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of yeast on liver metabolic status and physiological functions of Hu sheep during lactation. A total of 24 lactating Hu sheep were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 sheep in each group: the control group (normal diet) and the low-, medium-, and high-dose groups, in which each sheep was fed an additional 0.5 g, 1 g, and 2 g yeast per morning, respectively. Blood, liver, small intestine samples were collected for subsequent analysis, and milk production and BW were recorded during the experimental period. The results showed that dietary yeast supplementation mitigated BW loss, enhanced liver function, and increased milk protein and lactose contents in Hu sheep during lactation. Compared with the normal diet, dietary yeast supplementation reduced the content of lipid droplets in the liver, significantly upregulated the expression of lipid β-oxidation-related enzymes (PPARA and CPT1A), and significantly decreased the expression of lipid synthesis-related enzymes (FASN, PPARγ, DGAT1, and DGAT2) in the liver without affecting the capacity of the small intestine to absorb foodborne lipids. In addition, dietary yeast supplementation significantly decreased blood nonesterified free fatty acid content and increased blood glucose and liver expression of key enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis (PCK1α, FBP, and G6PC). These results suggest that dietary yeast supplementation may alleviate weight loss and enhance milk quality in Hu sheep during lactation. Furthermore, it can improve liver metabolic adaptability and protect liver health by regulating lipid metabolism and metabolic glucose homeostasis in the liver. Notably, adding 1 g or 2 g of yeast to the daily diet yields superior effects.
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spelling doaj-art-36974074bbf64e8da682e5ea7efbae682025-08-20T02:27:34ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022025-04-0110843700371510.3168/jds.2024-25829Live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) improves growth performance and liver metabolic status of lactating Hu sheepShendong Zhou0Jie Huang1Hao Zhang2Xiaokun Song3Yijin Jiang4Xu Zhao5Xiangzhen Shen6Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China 210095Huzhou Research Institute of Hu Sheep, Huzhou Academy of Agricultural Science, Huzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China 313000Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China 210095Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China 210095Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China 210095Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China 210095Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China 210095; Corresponding authorABSTRACT: Yeast, a natural starter culture, is widely used to improve digestion function in ruminants. However, whether yeast affects the physiological state of the liver in ruminants is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of yeast on liver metabolic status and physiological functions of Hu sheep during lactation. A total of 24 lactating Hu sheep were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 sheep in each group: the control group (normal diet) and the low-, medium-, and high-dose groups, in which each sheep was fed an additional 0.5 g, 1 g, and 2 g yeast per morning, respectively. Blood, liver, small intestine samples were collected for subsequent analysis, and milk production and BW were recorded during the experimental period. The results showed that dietary yeast supplementation mitigated BW loss, enhanced liver function, and increased milk protein and lactose contents in Hu sheep during lactation. Compared with the normal diet, dietary yeast supplementation reduced the content of lipid droplets in the liver, significantly upregulated the expression of lipid β-oxidation-related enzymes (PPARA and CPT1A), and significantly decreased the expression of lipid synthesis-related enzymes (FASN, PPARγ, DGAT1, and DGAT2) in the liver without affecting the capacity of the small intestine to absorb foodborne lipids. In addition, dietary yeast supplementation significantly decreased blood nonesterified free fatty acid content and increased blood glucose and liver expression of key enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis (PCK1α, FBP, and G6PC). These results suggest that dietary yeast supplementation may alleviate weight loss and enhance milk quality in Hu sheep during lactation. Furthermore, it can improve liver metabolic adaptability and protect liver health by regulating lipid metabolism and metabolic glucose homeostasis in the liver. Notably, adding 1 g or 2 g of yeast to the daily diet yields superior effects.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225000955yeastlactation periodliverglucose metabolismlipid metabolism
spellingShingle Shendong Zhou
Jie Huang
Hao Zhang
Xiaokun Song
Yijin Jiang
Xu Zhao
Xiangzhen Shen
Live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) improves growth performance and liver metabolic status of lactating Hu sheep
Journal of Dairy Science
yeast
lactation period
liver
glucose metabolism
lipid metabolism
title Live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) improves growth performance and liver metabolic status of lactating Hu sheep
title_full Live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) improves growth performance and liver metabolic status of lactating Hu sheep
title_fullStr Live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) improves growth performance and liver metabolic status of lactating Hu sheep
title_full_unstemmed Live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) improves growth performance and liver metabolic status of lactating Hu sheep
title_short Live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) improves growth performance and liver metabolic status of lactating Hu sheep
title_sort live yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae improves growth performance and liver metabolic status of lactating hu sheep
topic yeast
lactation period
liver
glucose metabolism
lipid metabolism
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225000955
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AT xiaokunsong liveyeastsaccharomycescerevisiaeimprovesgrowthperformanceandlivermetabolicstatusoflactatinghusheep
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