Evidence mapPaperPMID 41514309Full record

ArticleJournal of animal science and biotechnology2026

Early antioxidant capacity, intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota drive DHAV-3 resistance in ducks.

Junting Cao, Tong Xu, Yongbao Wu, Qimeng Wang, Bo Zhang, Yiwen Yang, Yanhong Guo, Yunsheng Zhang, Zhengkui Zhou, Shuisheng Hou and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of animal science and biotechnology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Junting CaoInstitute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9937-8107
Tong XuInstitute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
Yongbao WuInstitute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
Qimeng WangInstitute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
Bo ZhangInstitute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China.
Yiwen YangInstitute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
Yanhong GuoInstitute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
Yunsheng ZhangKey Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
Zhengkui ZhouKey Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
Shuisheng HouKey Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China. houss@263.net.
Zhiguo WenInstitute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China. wenzhiguo@caas.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3477-2298

Funding

China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA CARS-42-10the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of CAAS CAAS-ASTIP-2023-IFR-13the National Key R&D Program of China 2022YFD1301800the National Natural Science Foundation of China 32502899
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSelective breeding for disease resistance is an effective strategy to control duck hepatitis A virus type 3 (DHAV-3) in waterfowl. However, the mechanism underlying resistance remains poorly understood, particularly those associated with antioxidant defense, intestinal development and host-microbiota interactions.

methodA total of 100 1-day-old Pekin ducklings were used in this study with 50 DHAV-3 susceptible and resistant ducks, respectively. Samples were collected at 7 days post-hatching (D7), D21 and D42, 10 birds per group. We compared DHAV-3 resistant and susceptible ducks during early development with respect to immune organ indices, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, barrier-related gene expression and cecal microbiota.

resultResistant ducks exhibited higher spleen indices and stronger antioxidant capacity, characterized by increased superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity, along with lower malondialdehyde levels at D7 and D21. In contrast, susceptible ducks showed compensatory thymus hypertrophy and delayed development of antioxidant defense and intestinal maturation. Ileal morphology revealed greater villus height and width with more regular arrangement in resistant ducks at D7, whereas these differences diminished at D21 and D42. Gene expression analysis demonstrated higher early expression of the tight junction proteins CLDN1 and CLDN3 in resistant ducks, while susceptible ducks displayed elevated MUC2 and OCLN, suggesting stress induced compensatory responses. Cecal microbiota analysis revealed distinct colonization patterns in early development. Resistant ducks were enriched with Firmicutes and beneficial genera such as Enterococcus and Lactobacillus, whereas susceptible ducks harbored higher abundances of Bacteroidota and potentially opportunistic taxa. Microbial diversity increased with age in both groups, but resistant ducks displayed more orderly succession and enrichment of SCFA producing genera, including Subdoligranulum and Phascolarctobacterium, which positively correlated with plasma antioxidant indices.

conclusionDHAV-3 resistant ducks exhibit early advantages in antioxidant defense, intestinal barrier development and colonization by beneficial microbiota, which collectively contribute to enhanced disease resistance. These findings highlight the synergistic roles of host physiology and gut microbiota in shaping resistance. In the future, integrating genomic selection with microbiota modulation and antioxidant interventions may accelerate the breeding of highly resistant duck lines and provide scientific evidence and practical strategies for controlling duck viral hepatitis.

Indexed as

Antioxidant capacityCecal microbiotaDHAV-3Disease resistanceDucksIntestinal barrier

Identifiers

PMID41514309
PMCPMC12784615

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.