Hu sheep are a distinctive breed, prized for their early sexual maturity, remarkable prolificacy, and ability to thrive in the hot, humid climates of eastern China. They are raised primarily for meat, and traits such as live weight and carcass weight translate directly into farm income. Yet the genetic architecture behind these traits has remained largely opaque. Growth and slaughter characteristics are classic complex traits: they are shaped by thousands of genetic variants scattered across the genome, each contributing a small effect, and by environmental factors ranging from feed quality to husbandry. Untangling which variants matter requires both large sample sizes and statistical methods robust enough to separate true genetic signals from noise.

The research team, led by scientists from Ludong University and Yangzhou University’s Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics and Molecular Breeding of Jiangsu Province, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a commercial farming partner, designed the study in two stages. A discovery cohort of 112 sheep was used to hunt for initial associations, and an independent validation cohort of 308 animals was then employed to confirm that the signals held up. This two-cohort design is a critical safeguard in genomics research, where spurious associations can arise easily when hundreds of thousands of genetic markers are tested simultaneously against multiple traits.

The genotyping effort was formidable. High-throughput sequencing of the animals’ genomes yielded 559,996 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs — positions in the DNA sequence where a single letter of the genetic code varies between individuals. Before any association testing, the team applied stringent quality filters, checking each variant for minor allele frequency and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and used principal component analysis to control for population structure, the subtle genetic substructure within the flock that can masquerade as a trait association. Association tests were run under a mixed linear model, a statistical framework that accounts for relatedness among individuals and has become the gold standard for genome-wide association studies in livestock.

The GWAS surfaced multiple significant loci connected to economically vital traits, including live weight and carcass weight. But the study’s real innovation lay in its second layer: expression quantitative trait locus, or eQTL, analysis. An eQTL is a genetic variant that influences not a visible trait directly, but the activity level — the expression — of a nearby or distant gene. By pairing the SNP genotypes with RNA sequencing data from the longissimus lumborum, the large muscle running along the spine that constitutes much of the prized loin cut, the researchers could ask a more mechanistic question: which DNA variants actually change how genes behave in muscle tissue?

That analysis detected 2,368 cis-eQTLs, meaning variants that regulate the expression of genes located close to them on the same chromosome. Among this entire catalog, the single most significant eQTL in the dataset was linked to the expression of ZNF280B in the longissimus lumborum muscle. This convergence was striking: a gene whose expression levels were more strongly tied to its local genetic background than that of any other gene examined, sitting in a genomic region associated with the very traits breeders care most about. In other words, the statistical map of traits and the molecular map of gene regulation pointed at the same address on the sheep genome.

ZNF280B encodes a zinc-finger protein, a class of DNA-binding molecules that typically function as transcriptional regulators, switching other genes on or off. To determine whether the gene’s correlation with growth traits reflected genuine biological causation rather than mere coincidence, the team turned to functional validation in the laboratory. Using RNA interference, a technique that silences specific genes by degrading their messenger RNA, the researchers reduced ZNF280B activity in skeletal muscle satellite cells — the stem-like cells responsible for muscle growth and repair throughout an animal’s life.

The results were unambiguous. When ZNF280B was downregulated, the satellite cells proliferated significantly more slowly, and the cells showed clear signs of induced apoptosis, the controlled program of cell death. This dual effect — less cell division and more cell death — demonstrates that ZNF280B is not a passive bystander in muscle biology but an active supporter of the cellular processes that build muscle mass. The authors also highlight a role for the gene in fat metabolism, suggesting it may influence the balance between lean tissue and fat deposition that determines carcass quality. A gene that simultaneously governs proliferation, survival, and metabolic fate in muscle cells is exactly the kind of pleiotropic regulator that can leave a measurable imprint on whole-animal traits.

What distinguishes this study from much of the livestock genomics literature is the completeness of the evidence chain. Many GWAS reports stop at statistical associations, leaving the biological mechanism speculative. Here, the pipeline moved from population-level association, through tissue-level gene regulation, down to single-cell-type functional perturbation — a progression that substantially raises confidence that ZNF280B genuinely contributes to variation in growth and carcass traits rather than merely tagging a nearby causal variant. The large sample size of 420 animals, the independent validation cohort, and the multi-trait scope further strengthen the findings, addressing the replication and power problems that have historically plagued association studies in agricultural species.

The practical implications are immediate. Reliable genetic markers linked to ZNF280B expression could be incorporated into marker-assisted selection programs, allowing breeders to identify, early in life, animals genetically predisposed to superior growth and carcass yield — long before those traits can be measured directly. For a breed like Hu sheep, whose adaptability and prolificacy make it a cornerstone of sustainable sheep production in China’s challenging climates, even modest genetic gains compound across generations. More broadly, the study offers a template for livestock genomics: sequence deeply, associate broadly, map expression, and then validate function. As the authors note, the work deepens understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying growth and slaughter performance and points the way toward production systems that are both more efficient and more sustainable — a goal that matters as global demand for animal protein continues to rise against finite land and feed resources.

Subject of Research: Genetic regulation of growth and carcass traits in Hu sheep through integrative GWAS, eQTL mapping, and functional validation of ZNF280B

Article Title: Integrative GWAS, eQTL, and functional validation identify ZNF280B as a key regulator of growth and carcass traits in Hu sheep

Article References: Wang, Q., Xu, J., Bao, M., Wang, H., Sun, X., Liu, Q., Wang, D., Wang, J., Sun, G., & Li, Y. (2026). Integrative GWAS, eQTL, and functional validation identify ZNF280B as a key regulator of growth and carcass traits in Hu sheep. BMC Genomics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-026-13286-6

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-026-13286-6

Keywords: Hu sheep, GWAS, eQTL, ZNF280B, SNPs, carcass traits, muscle development, marker-assisted selection, livestock genomics, skeletal muscle satellite cells, BMC Genomics, animal breeding

The economic backdrop of the study is stark. Feed represents more than half of total broiler production costs, and as corn and soybean meal prices climb, producers are increasingly turning to alternative raw materials. The problem is that many of these alternatives are rich in non-starch polysaccharides, or NSP, complex plant carbohydrates that monogastric animals such as chickens cannot efficiently digest. Soluble NSP, particularly β-mannans found in soybean meal and palm kernel meal, dissolve in the gut and dramatically increase the viscosity of intestinal contents. This thickened digesta slows the diffusion of digestive enzymes toward their substrates, reduces nutrient absorption, and ultimately depresses growth and feed efficiency.

β-Mannanase has long been deployed as a countermeasure. The enzyme cleaves the β-1,4-mannosidic linkages in galactomannan backbones, breaking down viscous NSP and releasing nutrients physically trapped within plant cell walls. Previous research has also indicated that β-mannanase can reduce the impact of trypsin inhibitors in soybean meal by supporting endogenous protease activity. However, conventional commercial products typically consist of single-domain enzymes, and the Korean team hypothesized that incorporating additional glycoside hydrolase domains and accessory peptides could extend the enzyme’s functional reach, improving stability through the acidic proventriculus and gizzard and maintaining activity in the near-neutral small intestine where most nutrient absorption occurs.

To test this, the researchers allocated 300 day-old broilers to five dietary treatments: a positive control basal diet, a negative control with metabolizable energy reduced by 120 kcal/kg, and three enzyme-supplemented versions of the reduced-energy diet. The first enzyme (M1) was a conventional β-mannanase produced by fermentation with Bacillus subtilis, with an activity of approximately 800,000 U/kg. The second (M2) incorporated upgraded glycoside hydrolase functionality, and the third (M3) added accessory peptides designed to support enzyme-substrate interaction and gastrointestinal stability. The upgraded products were manufactured through optimized fermentation, with temperature modulated between 40 and 60 °C and pH between 5 and 6, to maximize enzyme secretion and consistency under feed manufacturing conditions.

In vitro characterization revealed meaningful differences among the three products. At pH 3.0, the conventional M1 enzyme retained relatively high activity, while the upgraded M3 showed a marked reduction. As pH rose to 6.0, however, the picture reversed: M3 and M2 demonstrated the highest relative activities, ranging from roughly 70 to 80 percent, while M1 declined. At pH 7.2, both upgraded enzymes significantly outperformed the conventional product. Thermal profiling showed that all three enzymes retained more than 80 percent activity at 30 °C, but at 60 °C the conventional M1 proved more heat-tolerant, a property potentially useful during feed pelleting yet apparently less decisive under living digestive conditions. Pepsin digestion assays further showed that M2 and M3 resisted proteolytic degradation better than the control diets, suggesting the upgraded enzymes could survive the hostile environment of the upper digestive tract.

The in vivo results were striking. Final body weight was significantly higher in the positive control and M3 groups compared with the unsupplemented reduced-energy negative control, and during the final phase, weight gain was higher in the positive control and M3 treatments while feed conversion ratio was lower in all enzyme-supplemented groups. Notably, feed intake did not differ among treatments, indicating that the performance benefits stemmed from improved nutrient utilization rather than simply eating more. In practical terms, the upgraded enzymes allowed birds to extract more energy and protein from a diet deliberately stripped of 120 kcal/kg, effectively recovering much of the nutritional value that NSP-rich ingredients would otherwise lock away.

Digestibility measurements reinforced this interpretation. Dry matter digestibility was higher with M2 and M3 than in the negative control, and crude protein digestibility in the M3 group exceeded both control diets. Apparent ileal digestibility of the key limiting amino acids lysine, methionine, and threonine was significantly improved by M2 and M3, while valine digestibility rose with all three enzyme products. Digesta analysis using ELISA-based assays showed elevated trypsin activity in all enzyme-supplemented groups and higher protease concentrations with M2 and M3, pointing to a secondary stimulation of the birds’ own digestive machinery. The researchers suggest that by dismantling anti-nutritional NSP barriers, the exogenous enzymes improved nutrient signaling within the gut, prompting greater endogenous enzyme secretion.

Metabolic markers told a consistent story. Blood urea nitrogen, an indirect indicator of protein metabolism and nitrogen balance, was significantly lower in the M2 and M3 groups than in both controls and the conventional enzyme group, consistent with more efficient incorporation of dietary amino acids into body tissue and reduced deamination. Jejunal digesta viscosity dropped significantly in all enzyme-supplemented groups, confirming the primary mode of action of β-mannanase in degrading soluble NSP. Plasma amino acid concentrations, however, remained unchanged across treatments, which the authors attribute to tight homeostatic regulation of circulating amino acid pools; when combined with improved growth, the pattern suggests enhanced post-absorptive utilization rather than accumulation in the bloodstream.

Carcass evaluation added a further dimension. The negative control group showed the lowest thigh muscle proportion, while the positive control and the two upgraded enzyme treatments achieved the highest values. Abdominal fat deposition was highest in the full-energy positive control group, implying that enzyme supplementation supported lean tissue deposition without the fat accretion associated with higher dietary energy. Dressing yield, breast muscle, drumstick, wing, and organ weights were unaffected, and critically, no significant differences emerged in meat quality parameters including pH, water-holding capacity, cooking loss, or shear force, indicating that the enzymatic intervention improved efficiency without compromising the physicochemical properties that consumers and processors care about.

The study’s authors are careful to note its limitations: only a single level of energy reduction and enzyme inclusion was tested, and mechanistic analyses of gut microbiota, intestinal morphology, and fermentation metabolites were not performed. Dose-response studies and microbiome sequencing could clarify how the accessory peptides in M3 enhance enzyme-substrate affinity or protect against proteolytic degradation. Nevertheless, the central conclusion carries weight for a global poultry sector under pressure to cut costs and reduce the environmental footprint of production. If structurally upgraded enzyme systems can recover 120 kcal/kg of dietary energy without sacrificing performance, carcass composition, or meat quality, feed formulators gain a powerful new lever, one that depends not on feeding more enzyme but on designing it better.

Subject of Research: Effects of structurally upgraded β-mannanase enzyme supplementation on nutrient utilization and growth performance of broilers fed energy-reduced, non-starch polysaccharide-rich diets

Article Title: Dietary β-mannanase supplementation and its effect on nutrient utilization and performance in broilers fed energy-reduced diets

Article References: Choi, S. D., Tajudeen, H., Mun, J. Y., Park, S. A., Hosseindoust, A., Neves Silvestre, P., Lee, S. S., & Kim, J. S. (2026). Dietary β-mannanase supplementation and its effect on nutrient utilization and performance in broilers fed energy-reduced diets. Food Science of Animal Resources, 46(1), Article 68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44463-026-00068-7

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s44463-026-00068-7

Keywords: β-mannanase, broilers, non-starch polysaccharides, feed enzymes, nutrient digestibility, energy-reduced diets, poultry nutrition, amino acid digestibility, feed conversion ratio, glycoside hydrolase, intestinal viscosity, carcass traits

The research arrives at a critical moment for global poultry farming. Antibiotics were once routinely added to feed as growth promoters, enhancing gut health and nutrient utilization across commercial flocks. But mounting evidence that this practice fuels antimicrobial resistance, and specifically the risk of horizontal gene transfer from livestock bacteria to the human microbiome, has triggered sweeping regulatory crackdowns. The European Union led the way with its 2006 ban on antibiotic growth promoters under Regulation (EC) No. 1831/2006, and producers worldwide have been scrambling to find effective substitutes ever since.

Probiotics have emerged as the leading candidate among these alternatives. These live, non-pathogenic microorganisms confer measurable health benefits to the host by improving mucosal integrity, modulating the intestinal microflora, enhancing nutrient uptake, and strengthening immune responses. Previous work has shown that probiotic supplementation can improve the architecture of intestinal villi, the finger-like projections that dramatically increase the absorptive surface of the gut, translating directly into better feed efficiency. Yet results with single-strain products, particularly the widely used B. subtilis and S. cerevisiae, have been notoriously inconsistent, likely because outcomes depend heavily on dosage, strain specificity, administration route, and rearing conditions.

The Saudi research team reasoned that a multi-strain formulation might overcome this variability through synergistic interactions between different microbial species. Their product contains B. subtilis and both Lactobacillus harbinensis and Lactobacillus parabunchneri at one billion colony-forming units per milliliter each, S. cerevisiae and Candida ethanolic at one hundred thousand CFU per milliliter, and two photosynthetic Rhodopseudomonas species at ten million CFU per milliliter. The diversity spans bacteria, yeasts, and even phototrophic organisms, an unusually broad consortium that the authors hypothesized could reshape gut ecology, antioxidant status, and nutrient utilization simultaneously.

To test this hypothesis rigorously, the researchers ran a controlled feeding trial with 288 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks, individually weighed and randomly assigned to six treatment groups, each with eight replicate cages of six birds. From days 1 to 14, treatments were delivered through drinking water; from days 15 to 28, they were mixed into feed. The groups comprised an unsupplemented negative control, three RNFS doses at 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.4%, a single-strain B. subtilis product (CloSTAT), and a yeast product (SafMannan). All birds were housed under climate-controlled conditions, vaccinated against major poultry pathogens, and fed diets formulated to Aviagen’s Ross 308 specifications.

The results pointed clearly toward a mid-range dose. Birds receiving 0.2% RNFS reached an average body weight of 1557.5 grams at day 28, significantly heavier than the control (1449.7 g), the B. subtilis group (1444.7 g), and the S. cerevisiae group (1513.0 g), with a reported p-value of 0.04. During the grower phase from days 14 to 28, this dose lifted daily weight gain to 80.7 grams per bird, outpacing the control by 11.77%, the B. subtilis group by 9.80%, and the S. cerevisiae group by 4.67%. Notably, these gains came without significant changes in feed intake or feed conversion ratio, suggesting the probiotic improved how efficiently nutrients were utilized rather than simply stimulating appetite.

Chemical analysis of the formulation hints at why it might work. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry identified 45 volatile and semi-volatile compounds in RNFS, including phenol (9.17% of the extract) and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (6.86%), both recognized for antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Fatty acid esters such as methyl stearate and methyl linoleate, along with organic acids like lactic acid, rounded out a phytochemically diverse profile. The authors propose that these bioactive compounds act synergistically with the live microbes, reinforcing gut integrity, modulating microbial balance, and supporting metabolic efficiency. Concentrations of phenolic and naphthalene-derived compounds were low and within ranges considered safe for poultry diets under prior European Food Safety Authority evaluations.

Carcass characteristics told a subtler story. At day 28, slaughter weight, hot and cold carcass weights, carcass yield, and the weights of most internal organs, including breast, liver, heart, kidney, pancreas, and lymphoid tissues such as the thymus, bursa of Fabricius, and spleen, did not differ significantly among treatments. The one clear exception was the gizzard, the muscular grinding organ of the avian digestive tract, which was heaviest in birds given 0.2% RNFS or 0.1% S. cerevisiae and lightest in the unsupplemented control group, a difference the researchers linked statistically (p = 0.023). A larger gizzard typically indicates more vigorous digestive function, which could partially explain the growth advantages observed in those groups.

The divergence between growth performance and carcass traits, the authors argue, reflects genuinely different physiology. Growth metrics respond quickly to improvements in digestibility and gut health, whereas carcass composition is governed by genetic potential, slaughter age, and metabolic partitioning of nutrients, factors that a 28-day trial window may simply be too short to reveal. Earlier studies from the same group had already shown that RNFS improves breast meat texture, juiciness, and tenderness, and that a 1 mL per kilogram dose mitigates heat-stress damage to meat quality and growth efficiency. The new trial extends that record by demonstrating that a combined water-and-feed administration strategy can deliver measurable growth benefits during the crucial starter-to-grower transition.

Limitations remain. Organ-level comparisons relied on eight birds per group, a sample size that may have missed subtle differences, and the study did not include microbiome profiling or antioxidant biomarkers that would pin down the mechanisms at work. The authors call for molecular-level follow-up studies and validation across varied production conditions. Still, the evidence assembled so far positions RNFS as a practical, antibiotic-free candidate for broiler production, particularly in hot climates where heat stress compounds the challenge of maintaining flock performance. For an industry under pressure to eliminate growth-promoting antibiotics while feeding a growing global population, a probiotic blend that outperforms its single-strain rivals may be exactly the kind of solution the field has been waiting for.

Subject of Research: Effects of a multi-strain probiotic blend on growth performance and carcass traits in broiler chickens

Article Title: Effect of RISCO–NUTRIFOUR Probiotic on Growth and Carcass Traits in Broilers During Starter and Grower Phases

Article References: Al‐abdullatif, A. A., Al‐Garadi, M. A., Qaid, M. M., Matar, A. M., Al‐Badwi, M., Alobre, M. M., Suliman, G. M., & Hussein, E. O. (2026). Effect of RISCO–NUTRIFOUR Probiotic on Growth and Carcass Traits in Broilers During Starter and Grower Phases. Food Science & Nutrition, 14(9), Article e71335. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.71335

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.71335

Keywords: probiotics, broilers, poultry, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, antibiotic alternatives, gut health, growth performance, carcass traits, feed conversion, animal nutrition, Poultry Science

The research team, led by Le Pham Tan Quoc of the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City together with collaborators in Vietnam and Hungary, used RStudio with the Bibliometrix package and its Biblioshiny interface, complemented by VOSviewer for network visualization. Their search strategy combined the terms wild boar or Sus scrofa with meat quality, carcass traits, fatty acid, or nutritional composition, and after filtering to original research articles only, the team retained 423 publications for analysis. By applying performance indicators, co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence mapping, Multiple Correspondence Analysis, and thematic evolution analysis, the study addressed six core research questions covering publication growth, influential contributors, collaboration patterns, citation impact, dominant themes, and emerging trends.

The historical picture that emerges is striking. The first recorded publication appeared in 1959, but output remained sparse and sporadic through the 1960s and 1980s, when wild boar meat was treated largely as a side topic within wildlife and ecological research. From the mid-1990s, publication numbers began to climb as interest in alternative protein sources grew, and by 2003 the field recorded 18 papers in a single year, marking a transition toward systematic study. Advances in biochemical analytical methods, particularly for determining fatty acid composition, helped drive this shift, alongside rising consumer appetite for game meat as a natural, organic protein source and growing concerns about the environmental footprint of conventional livestock production.

Between 2006 and 2014, the field entered a phase of strong and relatively stable growth, with several years exceeding 20 publications. During this period, studies increasingly focused on the nutritional value, fatty acid profiles, and potential health benefits of wild boar meat compared with commercial pork. The expansion of wild boar populations across Europe also played a role, as wildlife managers sought productive uses for animals that increasingly required population control. From 2015 to 2024, output fluctuated but remained high, with research expanding into sensory quality evaluation, food safety, and the effects of hunting season, geographic region, and semi-wild production systems on meat characteristics.

Compared with intensively farmed pigs, wild boar meat generally shows lower fat content, firmer muscle structure, and higher protein levels. Its fatty acid profile contains higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3 and omega-6 varieties, depending on natural feeding conditions and habitat. Quality assessment relies on indicators including pH, color, tenderness, water-holding capacity, fat-to-lean ratio, and sensory traits, while carcass characteristics such as weight, backfat thickness, and loin eye area reflect growth performance and processing potential. These parameters are significantly influenced by sex, age, hunting season, geographic location, and ecological conditions, which helps explain why the field spans so many disciplines and methodologies.

The author-level analysis revealed a highly specialized field shaped by a limited number of core research groups. Geldermann H leads productivity with 21 publications, followed by Bartenschlager H with 20 and Moser G with 16, and these three also top the citation rankings. Yet fractionalized counts, which reflect individual contribution within large collaborations, tell a subtler story: Razmaite V, with 15 publications, achieved the highest fractionalized value of 6.58, indicating a comparatively greater personal contribution, while Groenen M attained the highest average citations per article at 11.70. Journal of Animal Science and Meat Science dominate both productivity and citation impact, and the strong presence of Animal Genetics, Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, and Genetics Selection Evolution underscores how tightly meat quality research is bound to quantitative genetics.

Geographically, China leads in total publications, with most classified as single-country publications reflecting strong domestic research capacity, while Germany ranks second with a notably higher proportion of internationally co-authored work. Poland and Italy also contribute substantially, largely through domestic output, and the United States shows a balanced distribution that positions it as a connecting hub in the global network. The authors attribute the strong European presence to high wild boar population densities, long-term pig genetics programs, and policy pressures linked to wildlife management, whereas China’s dominance reflects substantial national investment in agricultural and animal science research.

Perhaps the most compelling finding is the field’s intellectual evolution. Thematic mapping across three periods shows that early research centered on intramuscular fat, carcass traits, and lipid metabolism in domestic pigs, with comparative studies between wild boar and commercial breeds. The middle period from 2011 to 2018 diversified into species identification, skeletal muscle biology, and performance evaluation, while the most recent phase from 2019 to 2026 consolidates around genomic characterization, with terms such as candidate genes, genome-wide association studies, and differentiation between wild and domestic populations taking prominence. Overlay visualization confirms that genetic and genome-mapping terms dominated early periods, while fatty acids, genome scan analysis, and meat quality traits have become increasingly prominent in recent years.

Multiple Correspondence Analysis crystallized this structure into three conceptual pillars that together explain more than 81 percent of the dataset’s variance across two dimensions. The first cluster encompasses genetic improvement and production traits such as growth, quantitative trait loci, and backfat thickness; the second captures molecular genetics, including gene expression, linkage, and candidate gene identification; and the third groups meat quality and lipid characteristics, including muscle composition, fatty acids, and physicochemical properties. The spatial proximity of these clusters in the analysis suggests growing integration between genetics and meat science, even as each direction maintains its own specialized identity.

The study’s authors conclude that wild boar meat research has progressed from foundational studies of carcass traits and lipid metabolism toward advanced genomic and association-based approaches, increasingly framed by nutritional evaluation and the prospect of wild game meat as a sustainable protein source. They note that collaboration networks remain concentrated within specific clusters, leaving room for broader interdisciplinary and international cooperation. Future work, they argue, should integrate multi-omics approaches with meat quality assessment, compare wild and domestic populations more systematically, and probe the nutritional implications of wild boar meat for human health. As global demand for sustainable, nutrient-rich protein intensifies, this mapping of the field’s intellectual architecture offers researchers a clear framework for where wild boar science is likely to head next.

Subject of Research: Bibliometric mapping of global research on wild boar (Sus scrofa) meat quality, genetics, and nutrition

Article Title: Wild boar (Sus scrofa) meat quality research at the crossroads of genetics and nutrition: a global bibliometric mapping

Article References: Quoc, L. P. T., Hao, P. M., Quyen, P. T., Thuan, N. H. D., & Nguyen, L. L. P. (2026). Wild boar (Sus scrofa) meat quality research at the crossroads of genetics and nutrition: a global bibliometric mapping. Food Science of Animal Resources, 46(1), Article 86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44463-026-00084-7

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s44463-026-00084-7

Keywords: wild boar, Sus scrofa, meat quality, bibliometric analysis, carcass traits, fatty acid composition, animal genetics, nutrition, genome-wide association studies, game meat, science mapping, sustainable protein