Multiomics reveals changes in lipid metabolism in the livers of Landes geese before and after overfeeding

Objective: The aim of this experiment was to integrate production indices with omics sequencing to elucidate the systemic perturbations between hepatic metabolism and the gut microbiota during overfeeding. Methods: A total of 120 seven-week-old male Landes geese were floor-reared in a pen environment. Overfeeding commenced at week 8 using a corn-based diet containing 5% soybean oil. The feeding regimen consisted of three daily meals (150-180 g/meal) initially, gradually increasing to five meals (300-500 g/meal) after two weeks, and was maintained for a total overfeeding period of four weeks. Results: The results demonstrated that overfeeding significantly increased liver weight and serum lipid levels, accompanied by intracellular lipid droplet accumulation. Concurrently, the downregulation of taurine-conjugated bile acids and the upregulation of free bile acids disrupted cholesterol homeostasis. Crucially, overfeeding triggered gut microbial dysbiosis characterized by Escherichia-Shigella enrichment and norank_o_Clostridia_UCG-014 depletion. Conclusion: Our work demonstrated that the identification of the "gut microbiota-bile acid-liver axis" could serve as a pivotal signaling pathway driving overfeeding-induced foie gras formation while providing a theoretical foundation for overfeeding strategies to mitigate metabolic pathologies in waterfowl production.