Effect of Broussonetia papyrifera Silage on the Serum Indicators, Hindgut Parameters and Fecal Bacterial Community of Holstein Heifers

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of substitution of whole corn silage (CS) with Broussonetia papyrifera silage (BPS) in different ratios on the serum indicators, hindgut fermentation parameters (pH, ammoniacal nitrogen, and volatile fatty acids), and fecal bacterial community of Holstein heifers. Sixteen heifers (8-month-old, 220±30 kg) were randomly divided into four treatments according to different BPS substitution ratios of feed basis (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%). The experiment consisted of a 7-day preliminary feeding period and a 30-day experimental period. On the last day of the trial, the blood samples were collected from caudal vein, and the feces samples were collected from rectum. With the increasing of BPS content, the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in serum decreased (P<0.05), and the immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IL-4 content of serum increased (P<0.05); and the hindgut pH value increased (P<0.05). 16S rDNA sequencing found that the dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucomicrobia; and the dominant genera were Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-010, and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group. Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis found 12 differential operational taxonomic units (OTUs) which have strong correlation with some serum and hindgut indicators. Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) found that BPS have impacts on the pathways, such as carbohydrate transport and metabolism, and promotes amino acid transport and metabolism. To sum up, inclusion of BPS in heifer diets can affect the fecal bacterial community, and further improve serum anti-oxidant and immune indicators in Holstein heifers.

The use of PacBio SMRT technology to explore the microbial network and fermentation characteristics of woody silage prepared with exogenous carbohydrate additives

“…PM contains many biologically active compounds, such as flavonoids, lignans, polysaccharides and terpenoids, which may have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can be used as a source of traditional medicines for the treatment of various human and animal diseases (Tian et al 2020). However, there are some problems in the preparation and storage of woody feed.…”

Microbial community structure, co‐occurrence network and fermentation characteristics of woody plant silage

“…It is widely cultivated for traditional medicine, fibre, food, and feed 7,8 . The PM has high nutritional value, multiple biologically active ingredients, and a low cost of cultivation, indicating that it could be a potentially exploitable animal feed resource with economic and practical value 9 . The PM is usually harvested in the rainy season.…”