ArticleBMC microbiology2026
The effects of starter feed on intestinal fungi and non-targeted metabolomics of blood in calf yaks.
Article in BMC microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Yaks are the primary ruminant on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, playing a central role in the livelihoods of local farmers and herders. They serve as a vital source of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation in the region. Over the course of long-term natural selection, yaks have evolved distinct regulatory mechanisms related to their physiology, nutritional metabolism and feeding behaviors. Despite these adaptive traits, traditional yak breeding faces challenges such as slow growth, delayed gastrointestinal maturation, and low weaning weights, which lead to reduced breeding efficiency. This study investigated the effects of early supplementary feeding of starter feed on the intestinal health of calves, focusing on the benefits of timely and appropriate supplementation during the early stages of development. Utilizing ITS sequencing and LC-MS non-targeted metabolomics, this study investigated the mechanism by which supplementary feeding of starter feed affects the intestinal health of calves, focusing on changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota and metabolites present in the calves. The study found that supplementary feeding enhanced the abundance of beneficial fungi, including Plectosphaerella, Mortierella, and Aspergillus, while simultaneously reducing the prevalence of harmful fungi such as Comoclathris, Arthrographis, and Cryptococcus neoformans. Further research utilizing non-targeted metabolomics has revealed that supplementary feeding of starter food influences several metabolic pathways, including fat digestion and absorption, glycerophospholipid metabolism, vitamin digestion and absorption, autophagy (both yeast and animal), and the VEGF signaling pathway. Metabolites such as dexamethasone and benzamidine are commonly associated with inflammatory and protease-inhibition pathways, which can influence gastrointestinal integrity and stress responses in ruminants. This feeding regimen was found to increase the concentrations of metabolites such as dexamethasone, benzamidine, norethindrone acetate, and tamoxifen, while simultaneously reducing the levels of metabolites like dinoterb and monoisobutyl phthalate. In conclusion, early supplementary feeding of starter feed is conducive to the colonization of beneficial fungi in the intestinal tract of calves, reduces the colonization of harmful bacteria, and increases the concentration of metabolites related to anti-inflammation, anti-tumor activity, and signal transduction in the blood of calves. Moreover, a feed formula consisting of 1.4 kg of alfalfa and 1.4 kg of starter feed proves advantageous for maintaining intestinal homeostasis and optimizing blood metabolism in calves, which could improve the overall productivity and health of yak calves.starter feedstarter feed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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.