Harnessing microbial metabolism and nutrition to target the gut-mammary axis for better livestock production and health.

The gut-mammary axis orchestrates bidirectional crosstalk linking intestinal homeostasis and mammary function through integrated neural, endocrine, and immune pathways. Dysregulation driven by gut microbiota dysbiosis or metabolic dysfunction compromises lactation performance and induces mastitis via pathogen translocation and epigenetic reprogramming. This review systematically discusses the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial metabolite-mediated mammary development and lactation efficiency, evaluates the impact of gut-derived pathogens on mammary barrier integrity and inflammatory cascades, explores maternal offspring microbiome transmission for neonatal immunity programming, and proposes precise nutritional strategies targeting microbial immune metabolic networks. Our synthesis of previous research findings aimed to optimize animal productivity, prevent mammary gland disorders, and provide insights for the advancement of the livestock industry.