A DATA DRIVED REVIEW OF CASSAVA-INDUCED EPIGENETIC REMODELING IN POULTRY FOR SUSTAINABLE TROPICAL PRODUCTION

Abstract

In the production of tropical poultry, cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an essential but paradoxical feed resource that has both financial benefits and growth performance-impairing effects due to poorly understood mechanisms. Three synergistic disruption pathways are revealed by this study, which integrates multi-omics analyses of 4,217 datasets: (1) cyanogen-mediated hypermethylation at growth gene loci (IGF-1 Δβ = +0.38, P = 2.1×10⁻⁵); (2) loss of H3K27ac at metabolic enhancers (NRF2 61% reduction) because of methionine deficiency; and (3) linamarin induced miR-148a-3p overexpression (log₂FC = +3.1) that suppresses lipid metabolism. IGF-1 expression was normalized by fermented cassava processing plus 0.1% betaine supplementation (+18.7% weight gain, P = 0.02) while cost parity with maize-based feeds, according to field validation in Nigerian flocks. Opportunities for genetic selection were highlighted by the FUNAAB Alpha breed's inherent epigenetic resilience (IGF-1 Δβ = +0.12 vs. +0.41 in commercial strains). In tropical poultry systems, these results offer a guide for epigenetically optimized cassava utilization that strikes a balance between financial limitations and biological sustainability.