Czech Journal of Animal Science, 2026 (vol. 71), issue 4
A systematic review on the modulation of heat shock protein 70 in broilers at different stages of growth under thermal stressReview
Hudu Ramalan Abdullahi, Abubakar Abubakar Ahmed, Suriya Kumari Ramiah, Hasliza Abu Hassim, Yong Meng Goh
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2026, 71(4):141-158 | DOI: 10.17221/1/2026-CJAS 
This systematic review synthesises evidence from published articles investigating nutritional strategies to modulate heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). A total of 1 616 records were identified from four databases and snowballing. After screening and eligibility assessment, 25 studies comprising 29 reports published between 2004 and 2025 were included. The analysis shows that targeted interventions particularly antioxidants (vitamins C, E, and selenium), amino acids and their derivatives (methionine, betaine), and phytogenic compounds effectively downregulate HSP70 expression in a dose or tissue-dependent manner. This modulation is associated with...
Energy balance and its relationship to body weight and body condition in grazing horsesOriginal Paper
Eva Mlyneková, Stanislav Za»ko, Marko Halo, Ivan Imrich, Marko Halo Jr
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2026, 71(4):159-169 | DOI: 10.17221/54/2026-CJAS
Equine obesity currently represents a significant welfare concern, with its development influenced by seasonal changes in the nutritional value of pasture, which substantially affect the animals’ energy balance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seasonal dynamics of pasture nutritional composition, assess the balance between energy requirements and actual intake of horses during the grazing season, and determine the impact of these factors on body weight and body condition. Pasture was analysed across three seasonal periods: T1 (May), T2 (July), and T3 (September). The highest concentration of digestible energy in pasture was recorded...
The effect of cattle breed on the quality of intramuscular fatOriginal Paper
Natalie Klessy, Eva Straková
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2026, 71(4):170-179 | DOI: 10.17221/29/2026-CJAS
The aim of the study was to verify whether differences in intramuscular fat quality, evaluation based on fatty acid profile and ratios, occur between cattle genotypes – the combined performance cattle breed Czech Fleckvieh and the beef breed Aberdeen Angus – under identical rearing conditions (same pasture location and nutritional management) with extensive grazing. The results of observation show the difference in the quality of intramuscular fat of bulls with combined performance and bulls with meat performance in extensive pastoral farming. Breed differences were reflected by a statistically significantly higher mean intramuscular...
Dietary yeast culture supplementation improves meat quality and fat metabolism-related gene expression in lambsOriginal Paper
Jun Xiao, Xue Han, Wei Zhao, Xin Li, Zhiwen Xuan, Zhibao Wang, Qing He, Yang Gao, Tingwei Wang, Songze Li, Yuanhong Xia, Tao Wang, Zhe Sun, Yuguo Zhen, Xuefeng Zhang, Xue Chen
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2026, 71(4):180-189 | DOI: 10.17221/96/2025-CJAS
This study evaluated the effects of dietary yeast culture (YC) supplementation on lamb growth performance and meat quality. After 14 days of acclimation, 20 three-month-old lambs (30.46 ± 1.77 kg) were randomly assigned to the control (CON, basal diet) or YC-supplemented group (0.625 g/kg DM) for 50 days. While YC induced no significant improvements in growth parameters (average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed to gain ratio; P > 0.05), it enhanced the longissimus thoracis (LT) meat quality by elevating the L* (lightness) and a* (redness) values (P < 0.05), reducing shear force (P < 0.05),...