Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41850074›Full record

ReviewPoultry science2026

Photoperiod as a neuroendocrine regulator: A review on pineal-melatonin signaling and physiological plasticity in poultry.

Xiaoyan Wang, Aftab Shaukat, Mohamed Tharwat, Asfand Yar Khan, Muhammad Asif Arain, Moar Khan Vistro, Mohamed M Abdel-Daim, Fahad A Alshanbari, Ting Yuan

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Poultry science, 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

9 authors.

Xiaoyan WangCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Chongqing Three Gorges Vocational College, No. 8, 404155 Chongqing, China.
Aftab ShaukatCollege of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Mohamed TharwatDepartment of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, P.O. Box 6622, Buraidah, 51452, Saudi Arabia.
Asfand Yar KhanFaculty of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Swat 19200, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Muhammad Asif ArainFaculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal 90150, Balochistan, Pakistan.
Moar Khan VistroDepartment of Livestock Management, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan.
Mohamed M Abdel-DaimDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Program, Batterjee Medical College, P.O. Box 6231, Jeddah 21442, Saudi Arabia; Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.
Fahad A AlshanbariDepartment of Medical Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, P.O. Box 6622, Buraidah, 51452, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: shnbry@qu.edu.sa.
Ting YuanCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Chongqing Three Gorges Vocational College, No. 8, 404155 Chongqing, China. Electronic address: 51198773@qq.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Photoperiod, the cyclical exposure to light and darkness, is a master regulator of neuroendocrine function in poultry, primarily via the pineal-melatonin axis. The pineal gland translates photic cues into rhythmic melatonin secretion, which synchronizes circadian and seasonal biological processes, linking environmental signals to systemic homeostasis. This review systematically explores pineal-melatonin signaling network, highlighting its pivotal role in regulating reproduction, growth, metabolic homeostasis, immune competence, and stress resilience. Mechanistically, melatonin modulates core clock genes (BMAL1, PER, CRY), interacts with hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and adrenal axes, and activates antioxidant, metabolic and epigenetic pathways, thereby integrating environmental cues with physiological adaptation. Photoperiodic manipulation leverages this axis to enhance energy allocation, feed efficiency, and adaptability to environmental fluctuations. Recent advances reveal that melatonin-mediated effects extend to nutrigenomic regulation and epigenetic reprogramming, offering precision strategies for optimizing poultry productivity, welfare, and health. Moreover, controlled light regimes enhance melatonin-dependent benefits, including improved egg production, enhanced meat quality, and overall welfare promotion. By integrating molecular, cellular, and applied perspectives, this review provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how the pineal-melatonin axis translates temporal environmental information into adaptive physiological outcomes, informing sustainable light management strategies in both commercial and experimental poultry systems.

Indexed as

ChickensMelatoninPhotoperiodPineal GlandSignal TransductionAnimalsMelatoninCircadian regulationPhotoperiodPhysiological plasticityPineal melatonin signalingPoultry

Identifiers

PMID41850074
PMCPMC13011208

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.