Dietary metabolizable energy and crude protein affect growth, serum indices, and fecal metabolomics in early-weaned gray-feathered King pigeon squabs.
Li Yuanhao Y, Li Xiaobin X, Yang Huiguo H, Li Haiying H et al.
This study evaluated the effects of dietary metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) levels on growth performance, serum traits, and fecal metabolomics in early-weaned gray-feathered King pigeon squabs. A 3 × 3 factorial design was used with three ME levels (11.9, 12.2, and 12.5 MJ/kg) and three CP levels (18, 19, and 20%), producing nine treatments. A total of 216 healthy 15-D-old squabs were randomly allocated to the nine treatments, with eight replicates per treatment and three squabs per replicate, for a 28-d trial. Growth performance, body measurements, and serum biochemical, immune, and antioxidant traits were determined. Based on preliminary body-weight records available at sample selection and contrasting dietary nutrient structures, the 18% CP + 12.5 MJ/kg ME and 20% CP + 11.9 MJ/kg ME treatments were selected for untargeted fecal metabolomics. Dietary ME and CP significantly affected growth performance, some body measurements, and multiple serum variables, and significant interaction effects were detected for some traits. In the overall phenotypic assessment, responses to dietary energy-protein combinations were trait-specific, and the 20% CP + 12.2 MJ/kg ME treatment showed a favorable growth trend. Untargeted metabolomics revealed clear separation between the 18% CP + 12.5 MJ/kg ME and 20% CP + 11.9 MJ/kg ME groups in both electrospray ionization negative mode (ESI-) and positive mode (ESI+). Differential metabolites were mainly annotated as lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and their derivatives, and organic heterocyclic compounds, and were mainly associated with sphingolipid metabolism, porphyrin-related metabolism, cofactor metabolism, and central carbon metabolism. Correlation analysis further indicated broad statistical associations between several key fecal differential metabolites and serum biochemical, immune, and antioxidant variables. Overall, dietary ME and CP jointly affected growth, serum physiological status, and representative fecal metabolic characteristics in early-weaned gray-feathered King pigeon squabs.