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Voulgarakis N, Gougoulis DA, Psalla D, Papakonstantinou GI, Katsoulis K, Angelidou-Tsifida M, Athanasiou LV, Papatsiros VG, Christodoulopoulos G. Subacute Rumen Acidosis in Greek Dairy Sheep: Prevalence, Impact and Colorimetry Management. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2061. [PMID: 39061523 PMCID: PMC11273728 DOI: 10.3390/ani14142061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) is a current issue in intensive livestock farming, and it is particularly associated with feeding high-concentrate diets. This study investigated the prevalence and impact of SARA in forty-two Greek dairy sheep flocks by recording rumen pH, milk composition, and milk yield over a period of nine months. Moreover, it explored the use of computerized rumen colorimetry as a management and diagnostic tool for SARA in dairy sheep. In culled ewes, computerized rumen mucosal colorimetry was applied, and rumen wall samples taken for histological examination. SARA cases were identified in 19 farms (45%, n = 42). Farms with SARA cases had lower milk fat levels, while milk yield and milk protein levels did not differ based on the SARA status of the farms. In culled ewes, rumen color was significantly associated with the flock's SARA status, and affected ewes showed increased thickness in non-keratinized and total epithelial layers. It was concluded that computerized rumen mucosal colorimetry in aged, culled ewes shows promise as an indicator, post mortem, of SARA present in dairy sheep flocks whose impact can be minimized by making significant changes in dietary management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Voulgarakis
- Clinical Veterinary Medicine Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 431 00 Karditsa, Greece; (N.V.); (D.A.G.); (G.I.P.); , (V.G.P.)
| | - Dimitrios A. Gougoulis
- Clinical Veterinary Medicine Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 431 00 Karditsa, Greece; (N.V.); (D.A.G.); (G.I.P.); , (V.G.P.)
| | - Dimitra Psalla
- Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (M.A.-T.)
| | - Georgios I. Papakonstantinou
- Clinical Veterinary Medicine Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 431 00 Karditsa, Greece; (N.V.); (D.A.G.); (G.I.P.); , (V.G.P.)
| | - Konstantinos Katsoulis
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 431 00 Karditsa, Greece;
| | - Mariana Angelidou-Tsifida
- Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (M.A.-T.)
| | - Labrini V. Athanasiou
- Clinical Veterinary Medicine Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 431 00 Karditsa, Greece; (N.V.); (D.A.G.); (G.I.P.); , (V.G.P.)
| | - Vasileios G. Papatsiros
- Clinical Veterinary Medicine Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 431 00 Karditsa, Greece; (N.V.); (D.A.G.); (G.I.P.); , (V.G.P.)
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Zhao J, Zhao X, Gao J, Bai B, Niu J, Yang Y, Zhao G, Wang Z, Xu Z, Wang J, Cheng Y, Hao L. Ensiled diet improved the growth performance of Tibetan sheep by regulating the rumen microbial community and rumen epithelial morphology. J Anim Sci 2024; 102:skae173. [PMID: 38902909 PMCID: PMC11245705 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skae173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ensiled agricultural byproducts from Qinghai-Tibet plateau on growth performance, rumen microbiota, ruminal epithelium morphology, and nutrient transport-related gene expression in Tibetan sheep. Fourteen male Tibetan sheep were randomly assigned to one of two diets: an untreated diet (without silage inoculum, CON, n = 7) or an ensiled diet (with silage inoculum, ESD, n = 7). The total experimental period lasted for 84 d, including early 14 d as adaption period and remaining 70 d for data collection. The ESD increased average daily gain (P = 0.046), dry matter intake (P < 0.001), ammonia nitrogen (P = 0.045), microbial crude protein (P = 0.034), and total volatile fatty acids concentration (P < 0.001), and decreased ruminal pH value (P = 0.014). The proportion of propionate (P = 0.006) and the copy numbers of bacteria (P = 0.01) and protozoa (P = 0.002) were higher, while the proportion of acetate (P = 0.028) was lower in the sheep fed ESD compared to CON. Pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene revealed that ESD increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Ruminococcus, Lachnospiraceae_AC2044_group, Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014_group, and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group in the rumen (P < 0.05), while decreased the relative abundance of Bacteroidota, Prevotellaceae_UCG-003, and Veillonellaceae_UCG-001 (P < 0.05). Analyses with PICRUSt2 and STAMP indicated that the propionate metabolism pathway was enriched in the sheep fed ESD (P = 0.026). The ESD increased the rumen papillae height (P = 0.012), density (P = 0.036), and surface area (P = 0.001), and improved the thickness of the total epithelia (P = 0.018), stratum corneum (P = 0.040), stratum granulosum (P = 0.042), and stratum spinosum and basale (P = 0.004). The relative mRNA expression of cyclin-dependent Kinase 2, CyclinA2, CyclinD2, zonula occludens-1, Occludin, monocarboxylate transporter isoform 1 (MCT1), MCT4, sodium/potassium pump, and sodium/hydrogen antiporter 3 were higher in the rumen epithelial of sheep fed ESD than CON (P < 0.05). Conversely, the relative mRNA expressions of Caspase 3 and B-cell lymphoma-2 were lower in the sheep fed ESD than CON (P < 0.05). In conclusion, compared with an untreated diet, feeding an ensiled diet altered the rumen microbial community, enhanced nutrient transport through rumen epithelium, and improved the growth performance of Tibetan sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhao
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Centre for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xinsheng Zhao
- Qinghai University, Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Xi’ning 810016, China
| | - Jian Gao
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Centre for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Binqiang Bai
- Qinghai University, Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Xi’ning 810016, China
| | - Jianzhang Niu
- Qinghai University, Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Xi’ning 810016, China
| | - Yingkui Yang
- Qinghai University, Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Xi’ning 810016, China
| | - Guojun Zhao
- Haibei Prefecture Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Product Quality and Safety Inspection and Testing Center, Qinghai Xihai 812200, China
| | - Zuojiang Wang
- Qinghai Qaidam Nongken Mohe Camel Farm Co., LTD, Mo He 817101, China
| | - Zhenhua Xu
- Qinghai Regenerative Nutrition Biotechnology Co., LTD, Hu Zhu 810599, China
| | - Jilong Wang
- Qinghai Regenerative Nutrition Biotechnology Co., LTD, Hu Zhu 810599, China
| | - Yanfen Cheng
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Centre for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lizhuang Hao
- Qinghai University, Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Xi’ning 810016, China
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Wang Z, Liang Y, Lu J, Wei Z, Bao Y, Yao X, Fan Y, Wang F, Wang D, Zhang Y. Dietary spirulina supplementation modifies rumen development, fermentation and bacteria composition in Hu sheep when consuming high-fat dietary. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1001621. [PMID: 36798143 PMCID: PMC9926970 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1001621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study aims to investigate the long-term effects of spirulina supplementation in a high-fat diet (HFD) on rumen morphology, rumen fermentation, and the composition of rumen microbiota in lambs. Spirulina is a blue-green microalgae that has been shown to have high nutritional value for livestock. Methods Fifty-four lambs were randomly divided into three groups: a normal chow diet (NCD) group, a high-fat diet (HFD) group, and a high-fat diet supplemented with 3% spirulina (HFD+S) group. Rumen morphology, rumen fermentation, and rumen microbiota were analyzed at the end of the study. Results Spirulina supplementation improved the concentration of volatile fatty acids and rumen papilla length. Additionally, there was a tendency for an increase in rumen weight and an upregulation of the genes Claudin-1, Claudin-4, and Occludin in the HFD+S group. Pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene also showed that spirulina supplementation significantly changed the rumen microbiota composition in the HFD group, with a decrease in richness and diversity. Specifically, the relative abundance of Prevotella 9 and Megasphaera was significantly increased in the HFD group compared to the NCD group, while spirulina supplementation reversed these changes. Discussion This study suggests that 3% spirulina supplementation can improve rumen development and fermentation, and effectively relieve rumen microbe disorders in lambs caused by a high-fat diet. However, further research is needed to confirm the findings and to examine the long-term effects of spirulina supplementation in different types of livestock and under different dietary conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibo Wang
- Institute of Goats and Sheep Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaxu Liang
- Institute of Goats and Sheep Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiawei Lu
- Institute of Goats and Sheep Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zongyou Wei
- Agricultural and Rural Science & Technology Service Center, and Enterprise Graduate Workstation, Taicang, China
| | - Yongjin Bao
- Institute of Goats and Sheep Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaolei Yao
- Institute of Goats and Sheep Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yixuan Fan
- Institute of Goats and Sheep Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Institute of Goats and Sheep Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Daxiang Wang
- Jiangsu Qianbao Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanli Zhang
- Institute of Goats and Sheep Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China,*Correspondence: Yanli Zhang ✉
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