{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,20]],"date-time":"2026-05-20T15:35:39Z","timestamp":1779291339555,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,30]],"date-time":"2025-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751241600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Key R&amp;D Program of China","award":["2021YFD1600202"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021YFD1600202"]}]},{"name":"National Key R&amp;D Program of China","award":["24516C"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24516C"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Financial Fund Projects","award":["2021YFD1600202"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021YFD1600202"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Financial Fund Projects","award":["24516C"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24516C"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The present study evaluated the effects of dietary rumen-protected taurine (RPT) supplementation on ruminal fermentation, hematological parameters, liver function, stress-related hormones, and immune responses in yaks. Eighteen yaks were randomly allocated to three groups: a control group receiving no RPT (CON), a low-dose group receiving 20 g\/day (RPT20), and a high-dose group receiving 40 g\/day (RPT40). Supplementation with RPT did not significantly affect ruminal pH, microbial protein concentration, ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids, or the individual volatile fatty acid profiles (p &gt; 0.05). A decreasing trend in red blood cell count was observed (p = 0.050), while no significant changes were detected in white blood cell or platelet indices (p &gt; 0.05). Liver function markers, including albumin, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and total protein, remained unchanged, although a trend toward altered alkaline phosphatase activity was noted (p = 0.074). No significant effects were observed on acute-phase proteins (serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein) or stress-related hormones (epinephrine, adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol) (p &gt; 0.05). Importantly, serum immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G levels were significantly increased in response to RPT supplementation (p = 0.029 and p = 0.043, respectively), suggesting enhanced humoral immunity. These findings indicate that RPT may improve immune function in yaks without negatively affecting rumen fermentation or liver health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15131929","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,30]],"date-time":"2025-06-30T10:03:48Z","timestamp":1751277828000},"page":"1929","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Effects of Rumen-Protected Taurine Supplementation on Ruminal Fermentation, Hematological Profiles, Liver Function, and Immune Responses in Yaks"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1356-8132","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shoupei","family":"Zhao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lianghao","family":"Lu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuanyuan","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Huaming","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bao","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mingyu","family":"Cao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wenju","family":"Chao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Huangyuan County Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station, Xining 812100, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wanchao","family":"Xue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Huangyuan County Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station, Xining 812100, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xiaorong","family":"Fan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ping\u2019an District Agriculture and Technology Bureau, Haidong 810799, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jianxin","family":"Xiao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rui","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Quanhui","family":"Peng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3074-4273","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lizhi","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhisheng","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8008-8425","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bai","family":"Xue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Establishing gene Amelogenin as sex-specific marker in yak by genomic approach","volume":"98","author":"Krishnan","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. 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