National Institute of Animal Science

This study evaluated the nutritional adequacy of commercial dog and cat foods in South Korea by comparing analytically determined nutrient contents with recommended nutrient levels of the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). A total of 96 pet food products for puppies (n = 50), adult dogs (n = 18), kittens (n = 17), and adult cats (n = 11) were collected. Nutrients, including crude protein, crude fat, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, major minerals, and selected trace nutrients, were analyzed using accredited methods stipulated by the Korean Feed Control Act and compared with NIAS and AAFCO recommendations. Most adult dog and cat diets met recommended nutrient levels; however, deficiencies were identified in diets intended for growth. Puppy foods showed inadequate levels of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA + DHA, 72%), calcium (22%), and phosphorus (42%), as well as imbalanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratios (12%). In kitten diets, insufficient EPA + DHA (41.2%) and taurine (11.8%) were observed. In contrast, 82.3% of products met label-declared guaranteed analysis values for seven mandatory nutrients. These results provide baseline information on the nutritional adequacy and labeling compliance of pet foods across different life stages.

Dairy cows commonly experience negative energy balance during the periparturient period, predisposing them to metabolic disorders such as ketosis (KET), hypophosphatemia (HP), hypocalcemia (HC), and hypomagnesemia (HM). However, comparative data on breed- and parity-related differences remain limited. Therefore, these differences were evaluated in this study during the postpartal transition period. A total of 174 cows (149 Holstein, 25 Jersey) were monitored, and blood samples were collected from calving to 21 days postpartum at 3-day intervals to measure β-hydroxybutyrate, inorganic phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium concentrations. Metabolic disorders were defined using established thresholds. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and generalized estimating equations. HP was the most prevalent disorder in both breeds. Jerseys had 2.83 times higher odds of KET, whereas Holsteins had 4.98 times higher odds and an earlier onset of HM. Multiparous Holsteins showed higher incidences of HP, HC, and HM compared to primiparous ones, while parity effects were minimal in Jerseys. Breed and parity significantly influenced both the incidence and onset timing of postpartal metabolic disorders. These findings highlight the importance of breed- and parity-specific health management strategies in dairy cattle farms.

ABSTRACTVeterinarians should be vigilant in limiting embryonic, foetal and neonatal losses through appropriate reproductive programs and management strategies following natural mating and artificial insemination, especially after embryo transfer (ET) procedures, due to their high associated costs in Elite Hanwoo breeding programs. To establish a breeding population of Hanwoo cows with top 1% genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for carcass weight and compare reproductive outcomes between OPU‐IVF and MOET. Elite donor cows were assigned to either OPU‐IVF or MOET groups, and the resulting embryos were transferred to synchronized recipient cows. Pregnancy rate, calving success, abortion, birth weight, sex ratio and dystocia were evaluated. The MOET group showed 100% calving success with no abortions; the OPU group had a 68.2% calving rate and 31.8% abortion rate. The sex ratio of the resulting offspring was similar between the groups, with female calves accounting for 37.5%–40.0% and male calves for 60.0%–62.5% of total calves. While the mean birth weights of female calves did not significantly differ between the groups (32.0–32.8 kg), male calves from the OPU group exhibited a significantly higher average birth weight (36.9 kg) than those from the MOET group, with a mean difference of 4.9 kg (p < 0.05). Spontaneous calving was more frequent in MOET (62.5%), while induced parturition was common in OPU (56.7%). Dystocia incidence was higher in OPU, especially with early induction. OPU‐IVF was linked to higher abortion and dystocia risks, while MOET showed more favourable calving outcomes. Appropriate embryo production strategy and careful periparturient management are crucial for successful Hanwoo reproduction.

This study evaluated the performance of a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model in predicting the cooking loss of pork belly slices using hyperspectral images of the semispinalis capitis (SC) muscle from the pork shoulder butt. Pork shoulder butts and whole belly cuts were obtained from 70 half-right gilt carcasses at 24 h postmortem. Pork belly slices were obtained from the 6th and 11th thoracic vertebrae and the 4th lumbar vertebra. Reflectance hyperspectral images of the SC muscle were captured. Cooking loss was measured in SC muscle and pork belly slices. A significant correlation was observed between the cooking loss of pork belly slices and SC muscle. In the PLSR model for predicting the cooking loss of belly slices, standard normalized variate pre-processing and wavelength selection did not enhance the model accuracy. In contrast, first-derivative pre-processing showed the highest accuracy with R2v values ranging from 0.73 to 0.80. These results suggest that the cooking loss of pork belly slices can be nondestructively predicted using the hyperspectral image of SC muscle exposed on the half-carcass surface. Moreover, this study can provide a foundation for future research on nondestructive and real-time prediction of pork quality in production lines.

<title>Abstract</title> Purpose This study assessed whether pomegranate ( <italic>Punica granatum</italic> L.) peel extract (PPE) improves the quality and refrigerated storage stability of soy sauce–marinated dakgalbi prepared from Woorimatdag No. 1 chicken breast. Methods Dakgalbi was produced with three formulations: control (CON), 0.14% PPE, and 0.18% PPE, vacuum-packaged, and stored at 4°C for 16 days. Antioxidant/antimicrobial activities of PPE were characterized, and product pH, water-holding capacity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), color, total aerobic bacteria, and coliforms were measured on days 1, 8, 12, and 16. Sensory attributes were evaluated by a trained 15-member panel on days 1, 8, and 12. Results PPE showed high phenolic content and antimicrobial activity (dose-dependent except against <italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic> ). In dakgalbi, PPE lowered VBN on day 16 and reduced total aerobic bacteria (from day 12) and coliforms (day 16) versus CON. PPE improved water-holding capacity at day 16, while TBARS did not differ among treatments. Appearance scores decreased in PPE treatments after day 8 (p &lt; 0.05), but flavor and off-flavor remained stable, and overall acceptability was maintained through day 12. Conclusion PPE enhances refrigerated stability of soy sauce–marinated dakgalbi mainly by suppressing microbial growth and proteolysis. Sensory quality remains acceptable through day 12, with the exception of appearance, and 0.14% PPE appears sufficient.

Mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) poses a significant challenge in dairy farming because of its impact on animal health and milk production. Understanding the regulatory role of N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) modification in this disease remains crucial. Here, we used direct RNA sequencing (DRS) to explore transcriptomic changes in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) exposed to S. aureus (SA) compared to untreated controls (MEC). We identified 178 differentially expressed isoforms (DEIs) enriched in pathways such as the TNF signaling pathway, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection, IL-17 signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and rheumatoid arthritis. Most DEIs in these pathways exhibited m6A modifications, with 18 DEIs implicated in inflammation. Functional assays revealed that S. aureus increased the m6A levels of CCL20 mRNA, enhancing its stability via an m6A-YTHDF2-dependent mechanism, which led to elevated CCL20 expression. Silencing YTHDF2 increased IL-6 and TNF-α levels, whereas IL-10 expression decreased. Western blotting confirmed the role of YTHDF2 by showing elevated PI3K, Akt, and NF-κB levels in SA-treated cells following YTHDF2 silencing. These findings suggest that m6A-mediated regulation of CCL20 in S. aureus-induced BMECs operates via the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway. These findings underscore the significance of m6A-mediated CCL20 regulation in mastitis pathogenesis and suggest potential therapeutic strategies for managing this economically significant disease in dairy farming.

Abstract Background Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon that results in parent-of-origin-specific gene expression and has been extensively characterized in mice and humans. However, in pigs, imprinting has been investigated primarily through analyses of orthologs of known imprinted genes in mice and humans. The objective of this study was to examine DNA methylation status and gene expression at a porcine locus containing newly identified imprinted calcitonin receptor-stimulating peptide (CRSP)-encoding genes, to compare orthologous loci in mice and humans, and to investigate a potential underlying mechanism. Results Analyses of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between porcine parthenogenetic embryos and biparental controls revealed multiple parental DMRs at a locus we term the CRSP complex locus, which harbors CRSP-encoding genes that likely arose through gene duplication. In contrast, orthologous genomic intervals in mice and humans exhibited unmethylated promoters and lacked evidence of imprinting. Consistently, CRSP-encoding genes in pigs showed parent-of-origin-specific monoallelic expression, whereas genes within the orthologous locus in mice and humans were biallelically expressed. Further analysis indicated that porcine CRSP promoters are embedded within oocyte-expressed alternative transcripts and co-occurred with DNA methylation, suggesting a transcription-dependent imprinting mechanism. Conclusions Our comparative analyses identified CRSP-encoding genes at the porcine CRSP complex locus as novel imprinted genes, indicating species-specific evolution of this imprinted domain. The results further suggest that lineage-specific gene duplication may have contributed to the emergence of imprinting at this locus.

This study identified genomic regions associated with carcass traits and primal cut yields in Hanwoo cattle using weighted single-step genome-wide association study (WssGWAS). A total of 50,227 carcass records and genomic data from 23,573 animals with 45,057 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were analyzed. Heritability estimates were 0.24 for carcass weight, 0.22 for eye muscle area, 0.31 for backfat thickness, and 0.36 for marbling score, while those for primal cut yields ranged from 0.02 to 0.26. For carcass traits, candidate genes were identified for carcass weight (XKR4 2.35%, COBL 1.26%), eye muscle area (LCORL 1.56%, TGFBR2 1.49%), backfat thickness (ATG7 1.27%, MYPN 1.33%), and marbling score (TWIST2 1.16%, BMP4 1.14%). For primal cut yields, the chromosome 6 region containing WDR1 was commonly identified across six traits and the chromosome 4 region containing CACNA2D1 across five traits; the chromosome 28 region containing SIRT1 explained the highest genetic variance (6.46%) for striploin. These pleiotropic regions are potential targets for genomic selection to improve production efficiency and carcass value in Hanwoo.