Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41965837›Full record

ArticleAnimal microbiome2026

Rumenomics: evaluation of rumen metabolites from healthy sheep identifies differentially produced metabolites across sex, age, and weight.

Javier Munoz Briones, Brendan K Ball, Smrutiti Jena, Timothy B Lescun, Deva D Chan, Douglas K Brubaker

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Animal microbiome, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Javier Munoz BrionesWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Brendan K BallWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Smrutiti JenaWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Timothy B LescunDepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Deva D ChanWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Douglas K BrubakerCenter for Global Health & Diseases, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA. dkb50@case.edu.

Funding

Defense Sciences Office, DARPA W911NF2110372National Science Foundation DGE-1842166
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe rumen harbors a diverse and dynamic microbiome vital in digesting vegetation into metabolic byproducts for energy and general biological function. Although previous studies have reported connections between the rumen and the overall health of the sheep, the exact biological process by which this occurs is not well understood. Therefore, our study aimed to quantify sheep rumen metabolites to determine if enriched biological pathways are differentiable across phenotypic features of sex, age, and weight.

resultsWe collected and quantified metabolites of rumen samples from sixteen sheep using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We performed a series of univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to interpret the rumen metabolomics data. To identify metabolic pathways associated with the phenotypic features of sex, weight, and age, we used MetaboAnalyst, which identified amino acid metabolism as a distinguishing factor. Among the pathways, phenylalanine metabolism emerged as a key pathway differentiating sheep based on sex and age. Additionally, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis were exclusively associated with age. In univariate linear models, we also discovered that these amino acid and protein pathways were associated with weight by age-corrected effect. Finally, we identified arginine and proline biosynthesis as a pathway linked to metabolites with weight.

conclusionOur study identified differential pathways based on the sex, age, and weight features of sheep. Metabolites produced by the rumen may act as an indicator for sheep health and other ruminants. These findings encourage further investigation of the differentially produced metabolites to assess overall sheep health.

Indexed as

MetabolomicsMultivariate analysisRumenSheepSystems biology

Identifiers

PMID41965837
PMCPMC13185342

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.