Diet Type Impacts Production Performance of Fattening Lambs by Manipulating the Ruminal Microbiota and Metabolome

Abstract

The pelleted total mixed ration (PTMR) has a positive effect on the productivity of fattening lambs. However, whether the beneficial effects are underpinned by altering the rumen microbiota and metabolome that remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate correlations among growth performance, ruminal microbiota, and ruminal metabolome of lambs fed PTMR diet. A total of 100 crossbred (Dorper sheep × Fine-wool sheep) ram lambs at 55 days of age with similar body weight (BW) (13.2 ± 0.5 kg) were randomly allocated to 10 pens that were fed either PTMR (PTMR group) or unpelleted total mixed ration (UPTMR group) with the same dietary ingredients and nutritional contents. The average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were determined during the 62-day experimental period and ruminal pH, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, microbiota, and metabolome in the rumen of the lambs were examined at the end of the experiment. Compared to those of the UPTMR group, the PTMR group had greater ADFI (P = 0.002), ADG (P = 0.003), and feed efficiency (G/F) (P < 0.05). Similarly, feeding PTMR increased the concentration of total VFA (TVFA) and the molar proportion of propionate, but decreased the proportion of butyrate and acetate to propionate ratio in the rumen of lambs compared to that in lambs from the UPTMR group (P < 0.05). In addition, the PTMR group demonstrated lowered alpha-diversity of the ruminal microbiota and enhanced the relative abundance of Fibrobacter (P < 0.05), Veillonellaceae (P < 0.05), and the abundance of Rikenellaceae (P = 0.064) in the rumen compared with those in the UPTMR group. Feeding lambs with PTMR significantly upregulated the metabolic pathways involving tryptophan, histidine, cysteine and methionine, β-alanine, tyrosine metabolisms, and steroid biosynthesis. Moreover, the abundance of the microbiota strongly correlated with the altered performance, ruminal VFA, metabolites, and metabolic pathways of lambs. Taken together, feeding PTMR shaped the ruminal microbiota of lambs with decreased diversity, while improving relative abundance of some specific microbes and upregulating certain growth-related metabolic pathways, which contributed to the augmented growth performance and G/F of fattening lambs. Thus, feeding PTMR to fattening lambs for superior production performance and G/F is recommended.

Laminaria Japonica Polysaccharide Improved the Productivities and Systemic Health of Ducks by Mediating the Gut Microbiota and Metabolome

“…In brief, the measurement process contained three main steps: (1) metabolite extraction, (2) metabolites in the chyme were quantified by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC−MS/MS) analysis, and (3) data processing and metabolite identification. 13,23 Calculations and Statistical Analysis. Data for growth performance including the BW, ADFI, ADG, and G:F were analyzed by one-way ANOVA according to Dunn's multiple comparisons using the IBM SPSS Statistics 23.…”

“…At the end of the experiment, after the sacrifice of the duck, 10 cecum digesta samples were immediately collected from each group (1 duck/cage) to determine the microbiome and metabolome. The determination of the microbiome was conducted following our previous procedure , using the IonS5TMXL sequencing platform (Novogene, Beijing, China). In brief, the first step was extracting DNA from cecum digesta samples using QIAamp DNA fecal mini kits (Qiagen Inc., Hilden, Germany); then, the V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified.…”

“…Thus, regulating the intestinal microbiota and metabolome could be one of the vital ways by which LJPS regulates the performance and systemic health of animals. 13,14 Emerging studies have revealed that the structural characteristics of the intestinal microbiota, including the components and abundance of bacteria, significantly influenced the productivity, 15 health status, and product quality of animals. 16 Additionally, the composition and metabolism of the gastrointestinal microbiota are affected by dietary intake, particularly bioactive components, which creates a connection between microbes, diet, and the physical condition and characteristics of the host.…”

“…16 Additionally, the composition and metabolism of the gastrointestinal microbiota are affected by dietary intake, particularly bioactive components, which creates a connection between microbes, diet, and the physical condition and characteristics of the host. 17 Moreover, the increased digestibility of dietary nutrients is tightly associated with a greater abundance of gut microbes and upregulated metabolic pathways, 13,18 rather than increased overall diversity. 19 However, few studies focused on the modulatory effects of LJPS supplementation on intestinal microbiota, metabolites, and relative metabolic pathways of ducks.…”

“…Furthermore, Vigors et al observed that dietary laminarin-rich microalgal extract supplementation enhanced the abundance of Prevotella and concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut, and the increased beneficial bacteria level exerted the positive relationship with the enhanced performance involving average daily gain (ADG), nutrient digestibility, and feed efficiency. Thus, regulating the intestinal microbiota and metabolome could be one of the vital ways by which LJPS regulates the performance and systemic health of animals. , Emerging studies have revealed that the structural characteristics of the intestinal microbiota, including the components and abundance of bacteria, significantly influenced the productivity, health status, and product quality of animals . Additionally, the composition and metabolism of the gastrointestinal microbiota are affected by dietary intake, particularly bioactive components, which creates a connection between microbes, diet, and the physical condition and characteristics of the host .…”