Effects of Artemisia annua Extracts on Ruminal Fermentation Parameters in vivo,Concentration of Conjugated Linoleic Acid in the Rumen and Milk in Dairy Goats

IntroductionIt has been well established that plant oil or fish oil could enhance cis-9 trans-11CLA content in the ruminant food products.However, it is generally accepted that adding unsaturated fatty acid to ruminant diets may exert negative effects on fiber degradation and rumen microbe populations.For this reason,there is growing interest in evaluating the potential measures of increasing cis-9 trans-11CLA content in the ruminant food products.Recently some researches showed that some plants or plant extracts could increase cis-9 trans-11CLA content in milk.The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of Artemisia annua Extracts (AAE) on ruminal fermentation parameters in vivo,the proportions of cis-9 trans11CLA and trans-11 C18∶1 in the ruminal fluid and in dairy goats milk.     

Heat stress impacts the multi-domain ruminal microbiota and some of the functional features independent of its effect on feed intake in lactating dairy cowsOA

Background: Heat stress(HS) affects the ruminal microbiota and decreases the lactation performance of dairy cows. Because HS decreases feed intake, the results of previous studies were confounded by the effect of HS on feed intake. This study examined the direct effect of HS on the ruminal microbiota using lactating Holstein cows that were pair-fed and housed in environmental chambers in a 2 × 2 crossover design. The cows were pair-fed the same amount of identical total mixed ration to eliminate...     

The significan e of N-carbamoylglutamate in ruminant productionOA

Improving the efficiency and production of grazing ruminants to support food and fiber production, while reducing the environmental footprint and meeting the welfare needs of the animals, is important for sustainable livestock production systems. Development of new technologies that can improve the efficiency of nitrogen(N) utilization in ruminants, and that are effective and safe, has important implications for ruminant livestock production. N-carbomoylglutamate(NCG) is a functional micronutrie...     

Lovastatin as a supplement to mitigate rumen methanogenesis: an overviewOA

Methane from enteric fermentation is the gas with the greatest environmental impact emitted by ruminants.Lovastatin(Lv) addition to feedstocks could be a strategy to mitigate rumen methane emissions via decreasing the population of methanogenic archaea(MA). Thus, this paper provides the first overview of the effects of Lv supplementation, focusing on the inhibition of methane production, rumen microbiota, and ruminal fermentation.Results indicated that Lv treatment had a strong anti-methanogenic...     

The ruminal microbiome associated with methane emissions from ruminant livestock

Methane emissions from ruminant livestock contribute significantly to the large environmental footprint of agriculture.The rumen is the principal source of methane, and certain features of the microbiome are associated with low/high methane phenotypes. Despite their primary role in methanogenesis, the abundance of archaea has only a weak correlation with methane emissions from individual animals. The composition of the archaeal community appears to have a stronger effect, with animals harbouring the Methanobrevibacter gottschalki clade tending to be associated with greater methane emissions. Ciliate protozoa produce abundant H_2, the main substrate for methanogenesis in the rumen,and their removal(defaunation) results in an average 11% lower methane emissions in vivo, but the results are not consistent. Different protozoal genera seem to result in greater methane emissions, though community types(A, AB, B and O) did not differ. Within the bacteria, three different ‘ruminotypes' have been identified, two of which predispose animals to have lower methane emissions. The two low-methane ruminotypes are generally characterized by less abundant H_2-producing bacteria. A lower abundance of Proteobacteria and differences in certain Bacteroidetes and anaerobic fungi seem to be associated with high methane emissions. Rumen anaerobic fungi produce abundant H_2 and formate, and their abundance generally corresponds to the level of methane emissions. Thus, microbiome analysis is consistent with known pathways for H_2 production and methanogenesis, but not yet in a predictive manner. The production and utilisation of formate by the ruminal microbiota is poorly understood and may be a source of variability between animals.     

Effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on alfalfa nutrient degradation characteristics and rumen microbial populations of steers fed diets with different concentrate-to-forage ratios

Live yeast（Saccharomyces cerevisiae） constitutes an effective additive for animal production;its probiotic effect may be related to the concentrate-to-forage ratio（CTFR）.The objective of this study was to assess the effects of S.cerevisiae（SC） on fiber degradation and rumen microbial populations in steers fed diets with different levels of dietary concentrate.Ten Simmental × Local crossbred steers（450 ± 50 kg BW） were assigned to a control group or an SC group.Both groups were fed the same basal diet but the SC group received SC supplementation（8 × 10^9 cfu/h/d through the ruminal fistula）following a two-period crossover design.Each period consisted of four phases,each of which lasted 17 d：10 d for dietary adaptation,6 d for degradation study,and 1 d for rumen sample collection.From the 1~（st） to the 4~（th） phase,steers were fed in a stepwise fashion with increasing CTFRs,i.e.,30：70,50：50,70：30,and 90：10.The kinetics of dry matter and fiber degradation of alfalfa pellets were evaluated;the rumen microbial populations were detected using real-time PCR.The results revealed no significant（P〉 0.05） interactions between dietary CTFR and SC for most parameters.Dietary CTFR had a significant effect（P〈 0.01） on degradation characteristics of alfalfa pellets and the copies of rumen microorganism;the increasing concentrate level resulted in linear,quadratic or cubic variation trend for these parameters.SC supplementation significantly（P〈 0.05） affected dry matter（DM） and neutral detergent fiber（NDF）degradation rates（c_（DM）,c_（NDF）） and NDF effective degradability（ED_（NDF））.Compared with the control group,there was an increasing trend of rumen fungi and protozoa in SC group（P 〈 0.1）;copies of total bacteria in SC group were significantly higher（P〈 0.05）.Additionally,percentage of Ruminobacter amylophilus was significantly lower（P〈 0.05）but percentage of Selenomonas ruminantium was significantly higher（P〈 0.05） in t     

Determination of double-and single-stranded DNA breaks in bovine sperm is predictive of their fertilizing capacityOA

Background: The analysis of chromatin integrity has become an important determinant of sperm quality. In frozenthawed bovine sperm, neither the sequence of post-thaw injury events nor the dynamics of different types of sperm DNA breaks are well understood. The aim of the present work was to describe such sperm degradation aftermath focusing on DNA damage dynamics, and to assess if this parameter can predict pregnancy rates in cattle.Results: A total of 75 cryopreserved ejaculates from 25 Holstei...     

Utilization of tea grounds as feedstuff for ruminant

Researches on tea have been developed for decades, which prove that tea, especially green tea, has multiple functional components. With the rapid development of beverage industry, the resultant large amounts of tea grounds attract great attention. However, unreasonable utilization of tea grounds would lead to great waste and environmental pollution, especially in summer. In view of the high nutritive value and multiple functional components, tea grounds could be used as feedstuff. By now, researches of tea grounds as feedstuff are mainly on ruminant, as the utilization on other animals is limited to lower level due to high fiber content. Therefore, the following review will begin with a brief introduction of tea grounds and the possible utilization of tea grounds as feedstuff, and then elaborate on the application of ensiling and total mixed ration on ruminant. Apart from the fermentation quality, nutritive value is also provided to assess feasibilities of using tea grounds as feedstuff resources. Finally, a summary on the utilization situation and future direction of using tea grounds as feedstuff is provided in this review.     

Effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake,digestibility, chewing,and performance of Holstein dairy cows

To investigate the effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake, digestibility, chewing, and performance, nine lactating Holstein dairy cows （day in milk= 100±21 d; body weight=645.7 ± 26.5 kg） were allotted to a 3 × 3 Latin square design at three 23-d periods. The three treatments included 34.91% （B）, 18.87% （BC）, and 18.86% （BB） barley that in treatment B was partially replaced with only corn or corn plus beet pulp in treatments BC and BB, respectively. The concentration of starch and neutral detergent soluble carbohydrate varied （22.2, 20.2, and 14.5; 13.6, 15.9, and 20.1% of DM in treatments B, BC, and BB, respectively）. Cows in treatment BB showed a higher DMI and improved digestibility of DM, NDF, and EE compared with treatments B or BC Ruminal pH was higher in cows fed on BB （6.83） compared with those that received B or BC treatments （6.62 and 6.73, respectively）. A lower proportion of propionate accompanied the higher pH in the BB group; however, a greater proportion of acetate and acetate： propionate ratio was observed compared with cows fed either on the B or BC diet. Moreover, cows fed on the BB diet showed the lowest ruminal passage rate and longest ruminal and total retention time. Eating time did not differ among treatments, rumination time was greater among cows fed on the BB diet compared with the others, whereas total chewing activity was greater than those fed on BC, but similar to those fed on B. The treatments showed no effect on milk yield. Partially replacing barley with corn or beet pulp resulted in an increase in milk fat and a lower protein concentration. Changing dietary NFC with that of a different degradability thus altered intake, chewing activity, ruminal environment, retention time or passage rate, and lactation performance. The results of this study showed that beet pulp with a higher NDF and a detergent-soluble carbohydrate or pectin established a more consistent ruminal mat than barley and corn, thus resulting in higher mean retention t     

Effects of Non-fiber Carbohydrate to Neutral Detergent Fiber Ratios on Ruminal pH Dynamics in Dairy Goats

IntroductionSubacute ruminal acidosis (SARA)has become common and important economic and health issues for high-yielding dairy cows.Rumen pH takes a central position in the pathogenesis of SARA.So monitoring of rumen pH is play important role in recognizing,quantifying and subsequently controlling this disorder.The objective of the present study was to determine effects of different non-fiber carbohydrate to neutral detergent fiber ratios on ruminal pH dynamics.     

Does the provision of live black soldier fly and yellow mealworm larvae improve Muscovy duck welfare?OA

Background The provision of environmental enrichments to Muscovy ducks could reduce the expression of the aggressive behaviors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of black soldier fly(BSF) and yellow mealworm(YM) live larva provision on Muscovy duck performance, excreta corticosterone metabolites(ECM), behavior, and blood parameters.Methods A total of 126 3-day-old female Muscovy ducklings were allotted to 18 pens(6 replicates/treatment, 7 birds/pen) and assigned to 3 exper...     

Potential roles of the rectum keystone microbiota in modulating the microbial community and growth performance in goat modelOA

Background Ruminal microbiota in early life plays critical roles in the life-time health and productivity of ruminant animals. However, understanding of the relationship between gut microbiota and ruminant phenotypes is very limited. Here, the relationship between the rectum microbiota, their primary metabolites, and growth rate of a total of 76 young dairy goats(6-month-old) were analyzed, and then 10 goats with the highest or lowest growth rates respectively were further compared for the diffe...     

Responsive changes of rumen microbiome and metabolome in dairy cows with different susceptibility to subacute ruminal acidosis

Subacute ruminal acidosis(SARA)represents one of the most important digestive disorders in intensive dairy farms,and dairy cows are individually different in the severity of SARA risk.The objectives of the current study were to investigate differences in the ruminal bacterial community and metabolome in dairy cattle with different susceptibility to SARA.In the present study,12 cows were initially enrolled in the experiment.Based on average ruminal pH,4 cows with the lowest ruminal pH were assigned to the susceptible group(SUS,pH=5.76,n=4)and 4 cows with the highest ruminal pH assigned to the tolerant group(TOL,pH=6.10,n=4).Rumen contents from susceptible(SUS,n=4)and tolerant(TOL,n=4)dairy cows were collected through rumen fistula to systematically reveal the rumen microbial and metabolic alterations of dairy cows with different susceptibility to SARA using multi-omics approaches(16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolome).The results showed that despite being fed the same diet,SUS cows had lower ruminal pH and higher concentrations of total volatile fatty acids(VFA)and propionate than TOL cows(P<0.05).No significant differences were observed in dry matter intake,milk yield,and other milk compositions between the SUS and TOL groups(P>0.05).The principal coordinates analysis based on the analysis of molecular variance indicated a significant difference in bacterial composition between the two groups(P=0.01).More specifically,the relative abundance of starch-degrading bacteria(Prevotella spp.)was greater(P<0.05),while the proportion of fiber-degrading bacteria(unclassified Ruminococcaceae spp.,Ruminococcus spp.,Papillibacter,and unclassified Family_-XIII)was lower in the rumen of SUS cows compared with TOL cows(P<0.05).Community analysis of protozoa showed that there were no significant differences in the diversity,richness,and community structure(P>0.05).Metabolomics analysis revealed that the concentrations of organic acids(such as lactic acid),biogenic amines(such as histamine),and bacterial degradation products(such as hypoxanthine)were significantly higher in the SUS group compared to the TOL group(P<0.05).These findings revealed that the higher proportion of starch-degrading bacteria/lower fiber-degrading bacteria in the rumen of SUS cows resulted in higher VFA-producing capacity,in particular propionate.This caused a disruption in metabolic homeostasis in the rumen which might be the reason for the higher susceptibility to SARA.Overall,these findings enhanced our understanding of the ruminal microbiome and metabolic changes in cows susceptible to SARA.     

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ameliorates DON-induced intestinal damage depending on the enrichment of beneficial bacteria in weaned pigletsOA

Background: Deoxynivalenol(DON) is one of the most common environmental pollutants that induces intestinal inflammation and microbiota dysbiosis. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG(LGG) is a probiotic that not only has anti-inflammatory effects, but also shows protective effect on the intestinal barrier. However, it is still unknown whether LGG exerts beneficial effects against DON-induced intestinal damage in piglets. In this work, a total of 36 weaned piglets were randomized to one of four treatment g...     

Effects of fumaric acid supplementation on methane production and rumen fermentation in goats fed diets varying in forage and concentrate particle size

Background: In rumen fermentation, fumaric acid(FA) could competitively utilize hydrogen with methanogenesis to enhance propionate production and suppress methane emission, but both effects were diet-dependent. This study aimed to explore the effects of FA supplementation on methanogenesis and rumen fermentation in goats fed diets varying in forage and concentrate particle size.Methods: Four rumen-cannulated goats were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: low or high ratio of forage particle size: concentrate particle size(Fps:Cps), without or with FA supplementation(24 g/d). Fps:Cps was higher in the diet with chopped alfalfa hay plus ground corn than in that with ground alfalfa hay plus crushed corn.Results: Both increasing dietary Fps:Cps and FA supplementation shifted ruminal volatile fatty acid(VFA) patterns toward more propionate and less acetate in goats. An interaction between dietary Fps:Cps and FA supplementation was observed for the ratio of acetate to propionate(A:P), which was more predominant when FA was supplemented in the low-Fps:Cps diet. Methane production was reduced by FA, and the reduction was larger in the low-Fps:Cps diet(31.72%) than in the high-Fps:Cps diet(17.91%). Fumaric acid decreased ruminal total VFA concentration and increased ruminal p H. No difference was found in ruminal DM degradation of concentrate or alfalfa hay by dietary Fps:Cps or FA. Goats presented a lower ruminal methanogen abundance with FA supplementation and a higher B. fibrisolvens abundance with high dietary Fps:Cps.Conclusions: Adjusting dietary Fps:Cps is an alternative dietary model for studying diet-dependent effects without changing dietary chemical composition. Fumaric acid supplementation in the low-Fps:Cps diet showed greater responses in methane mitigation and propionate increase.     

Potential role of N-carbamoyl glutamate in biosynthesis of arginine and its significance in production of ruminant animals

Arginine （ARG） exerts many beneficial effects on animal body and enhanced angiogenesis, lactogenesis, which finally leads to the improvement in nitrogen （N） metabolism, reproduction, lactation, immunity and growth. Unfortunately, unprotected ARG will be degraded in the rumen and its price is high, thus feeding rumen-protected ARG seems to be uneconomical. Alternatively, N-carbamoyl glutamate （NCG） is structural analogue of N-acetyl glutamate, cofactor of cabamoyl phosphate synthetasel, is lower in rumen degradation compared to ARG. Additionally, rumen epithelial and duodenal cells have potentially utilized the NCG for ureagenesis. Supplementation of NCG to high yielding dairy cows increased plasma concentration of ARG and nitric oxide, decreased the plasma ammonia N and improved lactation performance and N utilization. Supplementation of NCG enhanced pregnancy rates in rats, improved litter size and fetal survival rate, thereby improved the reproductive performance of sows. Oral NCG supplementation increases plasma ARG and somatotropin levels, and increased growth rate and muscle protein synthesis in nursing piglets. The NCG is potential a relatively cheaper source of feed additive to offer vital compensation over oral administration of ARG, resulting in improved ruminant animal health and production. In this article, we reviewed the mechanism of AfiG biosynthesis by NCG and their significance in growth, reproduction, milk production and N utilization in ruminant animals.     

Influence of dietary canola oil and palm oil blend and refrigerated storage on fatty acids,myofibrillar proteins,chemical composition,antioxidant profile and quality attributes of semimembranosus muscle in goats

Background: Improving the unsaturated fatty acid content of ruminant meat is essential due to the generally saturated nature of fatty acids in ruminant meat and the negative effects this can have on human health. Nonetheless, enhancing the unsaturated fatty acid content of ruminant meat can have adverse effects on the shelf life and quality attributes of the meat. This study assessed the effects of dietary 80 % canola oil and 20 % palm oil blend(CPOB) on fatty acid composition, antioxidants, oxidative spoilage, cholesterol and physicochemical properties of semimembranosus(SM)muscle from goats. Twenty four Boer bucks were randomly assigned to diets containing on dry matter basis 0, 4 and8 % CPOB, fed for 100 d and slaughtered. The carcasses were subjected to a 7 d postmortem refrigerated storage. Al analyses were conducted on the SM muscle.Results: Diet had no effect(P 0.05) on the concentration of free thiol and carbonyl and the band intensity of myosin heavy chain, actin and troponin T. The muscle glycogen, p H, water holding capacity, tenderness, glutathione peroxidase(GPX) activity, total carotenoid, δ-tocopherol, cholesterol and proximate composition did not differ(P 0.05) between diets. The SM muscle from goats fed 4 and 8 % CPOB had lower(P 0.05) concentration of C14:0 and C16:0 and higher(P 0.05) concentration of C18:1 trans-11, C18:1ω-9, C18:3ω-3, C20:5ω-3 and C22:5ω-3 than the SM muscle from the control goats. Dietary CPOB increased(P 0.05) the concentration of α and γ tocopherol and meat redness(a*) on d1 and 4 postmortem. Regardless of diet, antioxidant vitamins, and shear force decreased(P 0.05) while drip loss, lipid and protein oxidation increased(P 0.05) as postmortem storage progressed.Conclusion: Results evince that dietary CPOB can be used as a management tool to enhance the beneficial fatty acids and antioxidant contents of chevon without deleterious effects on its physicochemical properties and shelf life.     

The effect of ensiled paulownia leaves in a high-forage diet on ruminal fermentation,methane production,fatty acid composition,and milk production performance of dairy cowsOA

Background: The use of industrial by-products rich in bioactive compounds as animal feeds can reduce greenhouse gas production. Paulownia leaves silage(PLS) was supplemented to dairy cows’ diet and evaluated in vitro(Exp. 1; Rusitec) and in vivo(Exp. 2, cannulated lactating dairy cows and Exp. 3, non-cannulated lactating dairy cows). The study investigated the PLS effect on ruminal fermentation, microbial populations, methane production and concentration, dry matter intake(DMI), and fatty acid(F...     

Effects of brewers' spent grain protein hydrolysates on gas production,ruminal fermentation characteristics,microbial protein synthesis and microbial community in an artificial rumen fed a high grain diet

Background: Brewers' spent grain(BSG) typically contains 20% – 29% crude protein(CP) with high concentrations of glutamine, proline and hydrophobic and non-polar amino acid, making it an ideal material for producing valueadded products like bioactive peptides which have antioxidant properties. For this study, protein was extracted from BSG, hydrolyzed with 1% alcalase and flavourzyme, with the generated protein hydrolysates(AlcH and FlaH)showing antioxidant activities. This study evaluated the effects of AlcH and FlaH on gas production, ruminal fermentation characteristics, nutrient disappearance, microbial protein synthesis and microbial community using an artificial rumen system(RUSITEC) fed a high-grain diet.Results: As compared to the control of grain only, supplementation of FlaH decreased(P < 0.01) disappearances of dry matter(DM), organic matter(OM), CP and starch, without affecting fibre disappearances;while AlcH had no effect on nutrient disappearance. Neither AlcH nor FlaH affected gas production or VFA profiles, however they increased(P < 0.01) NH_3-N and decreased(P < 0.01) H_2 production. Supplementation of FlaH decreased(P < 0.01)the percentage of CH_4 in total gas and dissolved-CH_4(dCH_4) in dissolved gas. Addition of monensin reduced(P < 0.01) disappearance of nutrients, improved fermentation efficiency and reduced CH_4 and H_2 emissions.Total microbial nitrogen production was decreased(P < 0.05) but the proportion of feed particle associated(FPA) bacteria was increased with FlaH and monensin supplementation. Numbers of OTUs and Shannon diversity indices of FPA microbial community were unaffected by AlcH and FlaH;whereas both indices were reduced(P < 0.05) by monensin. Taxonomic analysis revealed no effect of AlcH and FlaH on the relative abundance(RA) of bacteria at phylum level, whereas monensin reduced(P < 0.05) the RA of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and enhanced Proteobacteria. Supplementation of FlaH enhanced(P < 0.05) the RA of genus Prevotella, reduced Selenomonas, Shuttleworthia, Bifidobacterium and Dialister as compared to control;monensin reduced(P < 0.05) RA of genus Prevotella but enhaced Succinivibrio.Conclusions: The supplementation of FlaH in high-grain diets may potentially protect CP and starch from ruminal degradation, without adversely affecting fibre degradation and VFA profiles. It also showed promising effects on reducing CH_4 production by suppressing H_2 production. Protein enzymatic hydrolysates from BSG using flavourzyme showed potential application to high value-added bio-products.     

Quantitative comparisons of select cultured and uncultured microbial populations in the rumen of cattle fed different diets

Background: The number and diversity of uncultured ruminal bacterial and archaeal species revealed by 16S rRNA gene (rrs) sequences greatly exceeds that of cultured bacteria and archaea. However, the significance of uncultured microbes remains undetermined. The objective of this study was to assess the numeric importance of select uncultured bacteria and cultured bacteria and the impact of diets and microenvironments within cow rumen in a comparative manner. Results: Liquid and adherent fractions were obtained from the rumen of Jersey cattle fed hay alone and Holstein cattle fed hay plus grain. The populations of cultured and uncultured bacteria present in each fraction were quantified using specific real-time PCR assays. The population of total bacteria was similar between fractions or diets, while total archaea was numerically higher in the hay-fed Jersey cattle than in the hay-grain-fed Holstein cattle. The population of the genus Prevotella was about one log smaller than that of total bacteria. The populations of Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, the genus Butyrivibrio, and R. albus was at least one log smaller than that of genus Prevotella. Four of the six uncultured bacteria quantified were as abundant as F. succinogenes, R. flavefaciens and the genus Butyrivibrio. In addition, the populations of several uncultured bacteria were significantly higher in the adherent fractions than in the liquid fractions. These uncultured bacteria may be associated with fiber degradation. Conclusions: Some uncultured bacteria are as abundant as those of major cultured bacteria in the rumen. Uncultured bacteria may have important contribution to ruminal fermentation. Population dynamic studies of uncultured bacteria in a comparative manner can help reveal their ecological features and importance to rumen functions.