Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40439969›Full record

ArticleTropical animal health and production2025

Gastrointestinal development and tight junctions of preweaned calves supplemented with sodium butyrate in the starter mixture and whole milk.

Zhanhe Zhang, Donglin Wu, Xintong Li, Yang Jia, Jingwei Qi, David L Harmon, Ming Xu

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Tropical animal health and production, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Frontiers in microbiology · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Zhanhe ZhangCollege of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China.
Donglin WuCollege of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China.
Xintong LiCollege of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China.
Yang JiaCollege of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China.
Jingwei QiCollege of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China.
David L HarmonDepartment of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
Ming XuCollege of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China. ndxm@imau.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-9971-5824

Funding

2023 Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 2023LHMS03048Project of Cross-disciplinary Research Fund for Colleges and Universities directly under the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region BR221506
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The effects of sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation in whole milk (WM), and/or a starter mixture (SM) on the growth performance, selected blood parameters, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, and tight junction (TJ) proteins of the gastrointestinal tract in preweaned calves were determined. Eighty calves, averaging of 3 (± 0.74) d old, were randomly allocated into 1 of 4 groups (n = 20 per group) and were fed (1) WM and SM without SB (control group); (2) SM supplemented with SB (0.3% of dry matter basis; SM group); (3) WM supplemented with SB (WM, 8.8 g/d) (WM group); or (4) WM and SM supplemented with SB (SMWM group). At d 74, four calves from each group were euthanized for in-depth analysis. The addition of SB to the SM increased the ADG and reduced fecal scores throughout the preweaned period (P < 0.05). SB supplementation in WM notably lowered diarrhea incidence throughout the preweaned period (P < 0.05). The addition of SB to the SM increased blood beta-hydroxybutyric acid and diamine oxidase concentrations at d 24 and insulin-like growth factor 1 concentrations at d 44 (P < 0.05). SB addition to WM prominently enhanced rumen papilla dimensions but reduced jejunum crypt depth alongside villus height and depth (P < 0.05). The addition of SB to the SM diminished the mucous layer thickness of the rumen and increased TJ protein expression in the GIT (P < 0.05). Based on these results, we found that the addition of SB to the SM and WM had a positive effect on calf general health, blood indexes, and GIT development. The addition of SB to both WM and SM could be recommended for preweaned calves.

Indexed as

Butyric AcidGastrointestinal TractMilkTight JunctionsAnimal FeedAnimal Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaAnimalsCattleDietDietary SupplementsFemaleMaleRandom AllocationButyric AcidCalfGastrointestinal tractInteractionSodium butyrateStarter mixtureWhole milk

Identifiers

PMID40439969

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.