Effects of physical forms of starter feed on growth, nutrient digestibility, gastrointestinal enzyme activity, and morphology of pre- and post-weaning lambs

Exploring the Rumen Microbiota and Serum Metabolite Profile of Hainan Black Goats with Different Body Weights before Weaning

The critical role of the rumen microbiota in the growth performance of livestock is recognized, yet its significance in determining the body weight of goat kids before weaning remains less understood. To bridge this gap, our study delved into the rumen microbiota, serum metabolome, rumen fermentation, and rumen development in goat kids with contrasting body weights before weaning. We selected 10 goat kids from a cohort of 100, categorized into low body weight (LBW, 5.56 ± 0.98 kg) and high body weight (HBW, 9.51 ± 1.01 kg) groups. The study involved sampling rumen contents, tissues, and serum from these animals. Our findings showed that the HBW goat kids showed significant enrichment of VFA-producing bacteria, particularly microbiota taxa within the Prevotellaceae genera (UCG-001, UCG-003, and UCG-004) and the Prevotella genus. This enrichment correlated with elevated acetate and butyrate levels, positively influencing rumen papillae development. Additionally, it was associated with elevated serum levels of glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. The serum metabonomic analysis revealed marked differences in fatty acid metabolism between the LBW and HBW groups, particularly in encompassing oleic acid and both long-chain saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Further correlational analysis underscored a significant positive association between Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 and specific lipids, such as phosphatidylcholine (PC) (22:5/18:3) and PC (20:3/20:1) (r > 0.60, p < 0.05). In summary, this study underscores the pivotal role of the rumen microbiota in goat kids' weight and its correlation with specific serum metabolites. These insights could pave the way for innovative strategies aimed at improving animal body weight through targeted modulation of the rumen microbiota.

Starch Properties, Nutrients Profiles, In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation and Molecular Structure of Corn Processed in Different Ways

Processing will improve the digestion of corn by ruminant animals. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of processing methods (grinding, G; steam flaking, SF; extrusion, E) on the starch properties, nutrient profiles, in vitro ruminal fermentation and molecular structure of corn. Compared with G, SF and E increased (p < 0.05) the starch content, starch gelatinization, ruminal gas production (GP, 0.5–32 h), propionic acid, starch degradability (SD), the area and height of carbohydrate peaks, and decreased (p < 0.05) starch crystallinity, content of crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber, ruminal NH3-N, the area and height of amide I and II, α-helix, and β-sheet. The total VFA (24 h, 48 h) tended to be increased by SF and E (p < 0.10). The carbohydrate peak area and height were positively (p < 0.05) correlated with GP (1–24 h) and SD. The protein molecular absorption intensity was negatively correlated with SD (p < 0.05). The change in starch properties, GP (1–24 h) and molecular structure caused by E was greater than SF (p < 0.05). These results indicated that the higher starch gelatinization and lower starch crystallinity of E corn, induced by the high temperature and pressure, enabled more fermentation and digestion in the artificial rumen. The carbohydrate and protein molecular structures were correlated with the nutritional characteristics of corn.

Fermented Wheat Bran Polysaccharides Intervention Alters Rumen Bacterial Community and Promotes Rumen Development and Growth Performance in Lambs

There is growing interest in the utilization of plant polysaccharides for the modulation of the rumen bacterial community and enhancement of growth performance in ruminants. Fermented wheat bran polysaccharides (FWBPs), plant polysaccharides, have been shown to improve the growth performance of lambs, but little is known about their effect on rumen bacteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of FWBPs supplementation to milk replacer (MR) on the growth performance, blood metabolites, weight and morphology of rumen, rumen fermentation, and rumen bacterial community which were investigated in lambs. Twelve 1.5-month-old crossbred lambs (Dorper × Small-tailed Han Sheep) with an initial body weight (BW) of 11.38 ± 0.19 kg were randomly divided into two groups, namely, the control group and FWBPs group. Compared with the control group, the FWBPs group had a higher average daily weight gain and serum total protein concentrations, and a lower feed: gain ratio. A tendency of increase in final BW and carcass BW was also observed. Administration of FWBPs increased the ruminal papillae width and ruminal butyrate proportion and decreased the concentration of ammonia nitrogen and the proportion of isobutyrate and isovalerate. In addition, the epithelial cell thickness had an increased trend in the FWBPs group. High-throughput sequencing data showed that the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group and Solobacterium was enhanced by FWBP treatment; meanwhile, the relative abundance of NK4A214_group, Megasphaera, and Treponema showed a tendency to be higher than that of the control group. Furthermore, Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that the relative abundances of NK4A214_group, Treponema, and Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group were positively correlated with butyrate proportion. Collectively, FWBPs supplementation to MR on lambs altered the rumen bacterial community, promoted rumen development, and improved growth performance.

The Effects of Fucoidan Dietary Supplementation on Growth Performance, Serum Antioxidant Capacity, Immune Function Indices and Intestinal Morphology in Weaned Kids

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of fucoidan dietary supplementation on growth performance, organs’ relative weight, serum anti-oxidation markers, immune function indices and intestinal morphology in weaned kids. A total of 60 2-month-old weaned castrated male kids (Chuanzhong black goat) were used for this 30-day experiment and randomly allocated to four groups. The control group (CON) fed a basal diet, while the other three groups were provided with the same diet further supplemented with fucoidan at 0.1%, 0.3% or 0.5%, namely, F1, F2 and F3 groups, respectively. The results indicated that dietary fucoidan supplementation significantly increased (p < 0.05) the activity of catalase (CAT) when compared to the CON group on day 15. Moreover, the addition of fucoidan at 0.3% and 0.5% significantly increased (p < 0.05) the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD). On day 30, dietary fucoidan supplementation significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the feed conversion rate (FCR), contents of tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), while it significantly increased (p < 0.05) the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), the content of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and the villus height (VH) of the duodenum. Moreover, dietary 0.3% and 0.5% fucoidan supplementation significantly increased (p < 0.05) the villus height (VH) of the jejunum and ileum and significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the crypt depth (CD) of ileum. In conclusion, dietary fucoidan had positive effects on growth performance, serum anti-oxidation, immune function and intestinal morphology of weaned kids.