{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T05:13:14Z","timestamp":1778649194112,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778630400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Conventional fasting molting can restore laying performance but imposes substantial physiological stress and welfare concerns. High-zinc diets (2% ZnO) have been proposed as a less stressful alternative, but their mechanisms remain unclear.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study compared fasting-induced molting with zinc oxide supplementation in 384 Lohmann Pink hens (65 wk). Serum, cecal contents, and ovaries were sampled across six stages from pre-molt to post-molt recovery.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      ZnO accelerated cessation of lay (5.75 vs. 8.87 d) and earlier recovery to 50% production (15.25 vs. 16.62 d) with lower weight loss (25% vs. 30%). Multi-omics revealed that high-zinc feeding enriched beneficial microbes (e.g.,\n                      <jats:italic>Coprenecus pullicola<\/jats:italic>\n                      ,\n                      <jats:italic>Fournierella<\/jats:italic>\n                      spp.) involved in amino acid and cofactor biosynthesis, consistent with activated glycine\/serine\/lysine metabolism. ZnO also reduced inflammatory and barrier-injury signals (IL-1\u03b2, LPS, DAO) and promoted earlier recovery of reproductive hormones (higher IGF-1, earlier increases in E2 and LH). Both treatments improved post-molt egg quality; zinc better preserved albumen height and Haugh unit, while fasting increased shell thickness and yolk color.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion\/conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings support that a high-zinc-associated microbial-metabolic profile mitigates stress, accelerates ovarian reset, and shortens the time to restore production.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1743943","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T04:49:43Z","timestamp":1778647783000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["High-zinc diets accelerate molting and recovery by remodeling the cecal microbiome in laying hens"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Ling","family":"Chang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Hunan Engineering Research Center of Poultry Production Safety, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fang","family":"Peng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Hunan Engineering Research Center of Poultry Production Safety, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yue","family":"Zuo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing No.80 High School","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shihao","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Hunan Engineering Research Center of Poultry Production Safety, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kun","family":"Xie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Hunan Engineering Research Center of Poultry Production Safety, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zehe","family":"Song","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Hunan Engineering Research Center of Poultry Production Safety, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xi","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Hunan Engineering Research Center of Poultry Production Safety, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuguang","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Hunan Engineering Research Center of Poultry Production Safety, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]},{"name":"Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"106","DOI":"10.21059\/buletinpeternak.v44i2.45508","article-title":"Refeeding postmolting method to improve weekly production performance of rejected laying hens with low mortality.","volume":"44","author":"Airin","year":"2020","journal-title":"Bul. 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