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Simple Summary: In the context of large-scale production, it is necessary to improve ewes health status and reproductive performance to promote newborns survival rate and later fattening performance. Previous studies have indicated that phenolic acids could change the host rumen microflora and inhibit pathogenic bacteria to ensure rumen health and host body health. However, there are few studies on isochlorogenic acid (ICGA) in ruminants. Therefore, based on regulating the rumen environment of breeding ewes during the whole physiological period, the experiment was conducted to study the effects of ICGA on rumen fermentation, microbial diversity and immunity of ewes at estrus, pregnancy and lactation stages. The experimental data obtained showed that adding ICGA could regulate ewes rumen fermentation mode, optimize microbial flora of different physiological stages by increasing Bacteroidota relative abundance while reducing Firmicutes relative abundance, maintain rumen microbial homeostasis at the pregnancy stage, and increase ewes blood immuneglobulin content, thereby improving ewes health. The effects of isochlorogenic acid (ICGA) on ewes rumen environment, microbial diversity, and immunity at different physiological stages (estrus, pregnancy and lactation) were studied in this experiment. Twenty healthy female Hu lambs of 1.5 months with similar body weight (17.82 ± 0.98 kg) and body condition were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the control group (CON) and the ICGA group (ICGA). The lambs of CON were fed a basal diet, while the lambs of ICGA were supplemented with 0.1% ICGA based on the basal diet. Lambs rumen fermentation characteristics, microbial diversity and immunity at estrus, pregnancy, and lactation stages were determined and analyzed, respectively. The results showed that the rumen pH in CON increased first and then decreased as lambs grew (p < 0.05). However, it showed the opposite change in ICGA. The content of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) showed the highest at estrus stage in both groups, but it was significantly higher in ICGA than that in CON (p < 0.05). The Acetic acid/propionic acid (A/P) ratio at estrus stage and the volatile fatty acids (VFAs) at pregnancy stage in ICGA were significantly higher than those of the CON (p < 0.05). The 16S rDNA sequencing analysis showed that the Shannon, Chao 1 and ACE indexes of the ICGA were significantly higher than those of the CON both at estrus and lactation stages (p < 0.05), while they showed higher at the pregnancy stage in CON (p > 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that there were significant differences in rumen microorganism structure between CON and ICGA at all physiological stages (p < 0.01). At the phylum level, compared with the CON, Firmicutes relative abundance of three physiological stages decreased (p > 0.05) while Bacteroidota increased (p > 0.05). The relative abundance of Synergistota at estrus stage and Patescibacteria at the lactation stage increased significantly too (p < 0.05). At the genus level, compared with the CON, the relative abundance of Prevotella at three stages showed the highest (p > 0.05), while the relative abundance of Succiniclasticum, unclassified_Selenomonadaceae and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group showed different abundances at different physiological stages in ICGA. Compared with the CON, the lambs of the ICGA showed higher blood IgG, IgM, and TNF- α contents at three physiological stages and higher IL-6 contents at pregnancy stage (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Adding ICGA could regulate ewes rumen fermentation mode at different physiological stages by increasing rumen NH3-N at estrus, VFAs at pregnancy, and the ratio of A/P at lactation. It optimizes rumen microbial flora of different physiological stages by increasing Bacteroidota relative abundance while reducing Firmicutes relative abundance, maintaining rumen microbial homeostasis at pregnant stage, increasing the number of beneficial bacteria in later lactating and ewes blood immunoglobulins content at three physiological stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera), as a new woody forage with high-protein characteristic, is being widely used in ruminant feeding. However, little is known about the comprehensive microbiota picture of whole ruminal niches (liquid, solid, and epithelium) under paper mulberry diet. To gain a better understanding of feeding paper mulberry on the rumen microbiota, the effects of fresh paper mulberry, paper mulberry silage, or a conventional high-protein alfalfa silage on rumen fermentation products and microbiota in rumen niches of Hu lambs were studied. Forty-five Hu lambs were randomly divided into 3 treatments with 15 replicates in each treatment. No significant difference was observed among treatments in the average daily gain (ADG). The fresh paper mulberry treatment had lower (P < 0.05) pH and higher (P < 0.05) total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) compared with silage treatments, but the fermentation parameters did not show significant differences between paper mulberry silage and alfalfa silage treatments. The Shannon index did not show a significant difference (P < 0.05) among treatments except between fresh paper mulberry and alfalfa silage treatment in rumen epithelial niches. Butyrivibrio and Treponema were the predominant genera in the rumen epithelial fraction, while Prevotella and Rikenellaceae_RC9 dominated in both rumen liquid and solid fractions. These results indicated the paper mulberry supplement did not have distinct impact on the microbial diversity and growth performance compared with alfalfa silage, especially for paper mulberry silage, which might help us develop an alternative animal feeding strategy of replacing alfalfa with paper mulberry. Key points: • Feeding paper mulberry silage did not show significant impact on the growth performance compared with alfalfa silage treatment. • Feeding fresh paper mulberry reduced rumen pH value and increased total volatile fatty acid. • The microbial diversity did not show significant difference among treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the rumen is a critical physiological challenge in newborn ruminants. However, the molecular mechanism underlying different stages of rumen development in sheep remains poorly understood. Here, RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to compare the transcription profiles of rumen development at 7, 28 and 56 days of birth (D7, D28 and D56). We identified 1246, 2257 and 627 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between D7 and D28, between D7 and D56, between D28 and D56, respectively. Also, 70 DGEs were co-expressed at these three time points. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses indicated most DEGs mainly related to transporter activity, channel activity and metabolism pathways. Noteworthy, the expression levels of most genes (CA4, CA9, CA12 and CA14) in nitrogen metabolic pathways were negatively correlated with the papilla length and width, but the papilla length and width were positively correlated with the expression of genes (PLA2G3, SLC26A9, SLC34A3) in ion transport pathway, suggesting that these genes may be involved in nitrogen metabolic and ion transport pathway and thus affect rumen development. These results provide new insight into the changes in RNA expression at different time points of rumen development in Hu sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of isochlorogenic acid (ICGA) on ewes rumen environment, microbial diversity, and immunity at different physiological stages (estrus, pregnancy and lactation) were studied in this experiment. Twenty healthy female Hu lambs of 1.5 months with similar body weight (17.82 ± 0.98 kg) and body condition were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the control group (CON) and the ICGA group (ICGA). The lambs of CON were fed a basal diet, while the lambs of ICGA were supplemented with 0.1% ICGA based on the basal diet. Lambs rumen fermentation characteristics, microbial diversity and immunity at estrus, pregnancy, and lactation stages were determined and analyzed, respectively. The results showed that the rumen pH in CON increased first and then decreased as lambs grew (p < 0.05). However, it showed the opposite change in ICGA. The content of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) showed the highest at estrus stage in both groups, but it was significantly higher in ICGA than that in CON (p < 0.05). The Acetic acid/propionic acid (A/P) ratio at estrus stage and the volatile fatty acids (VFAs) at pregnancy stage in ICGA were significantly higher than those of the CON (p < 0.05). The 16S rDNA sequencing analysis showed that the Shannon, Chao 1 and ACE indexes of the ICGA were significantly higher than those of the CON both at estrus and lactation stages (p < 0.05), while they showed higher at the pregnancy stage in CON (p > 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that there were significant differences in rumen microorganism structure between CON and ICGA at all physiological stages (p < 0.01). At the phylum level, compared with the CON, Firmicutes relative abundance of three physiological stages decreased (p > 0.05) while Bacteroidota increased (p > 0.05). The relative abundance of Synergistota at estrus stage and Patescibacteria at the lactation stage increased significantly too (p < 0.05). At the genus level, compared with the CON, the relative abundance of Prevotella at three stages showed the highest (p > 0.05), while the relative abundance of Succiniclasticum, unclassified_Selenomonadaceae and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group showed different abundances at different physiological stages in ICGA. Compared with the CON, the lambs of the ICGA showed higher blood IgG, IgM, and TNF- α contents at three physiological stages and higher IL-6 contents at pregnancy stage (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Adding ICGA could regulate ewes rumen fermentation mode at different physiological stages by increasing rumen NH3-N at estrus, VFAs at pregnancy, and the ratio of A/P at lactation. It optimizes rumen microbial flora of different physiological stages by increasing Bacteroidota relative abundance while reducing Firmicutes relative abundance, maintaining rumen microbial homeostasis at pregnant stage, increasing the number of beneficial bacteria in later lactating and ewes blood immunoglobulins content at three physiological stages.

Simple Summary: Early nutritional intervention in young animals can regulate physiological and growth performance at later stages. Previous studies have shown that early supplementation with starters can improve lamb growth performance; however, most of them focus on physiological changes in the short period before and after weaning of lambs, while reports on sustained effects on growth performance in later stages of lambs are scarce. This study investigated the sustained effects of early starter supplementation on the performance of Hu lambs during the pre-weaning, post-weaning, and fattening periods. The aim of this experiment was to study the sustained effects of early supplementation with a starter on the performance of lambs during the pre-weaning, post-weaning, and fattening periods. Sixty male Hu lambs (3.59 ± 0.05 kg) were randomly assigned to two (30 lambs per group) treatments. The lambs were fed milk replacer from three days of age. The early supplementation (ES) group was supplemented with a starter ration at seven days of age, the control (CON) group was supplemented at 21 days of age, and lambs in both groups were weaned from milk replacer at 28 days of age. Eight lambs from each group were randomly slaughtered at 98 days of age, and the remaining lambs were fed the same nutrient level of a fattening ration until slaughter at 200 days of age. The results showed that early supplementation with starter significantly improved average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily weight gain (ADG) in the pre-weaning period (7–28 days of age), and ADFI and slaughter performance (live weight before slaughter, carcass weight and dressing percentage) in the post-weaning period (29–98 days of age, p < 0.05). In addition, early supplementation with the starter had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on ADFI, ADG, and slaughter performance, but significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) of lambs during the fattening period (99–200 days of age). In addition, early supplementation with starter increased the ratio of rumen and reticulum weight to total stomach weight in lambs (p < 0.05). In conclusion, early supplementation with starter can reduce feed costs and improve the performance of lambs, while the growth advantage produced by early supplementation had initially disappeared by 154 days of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Riboflavin (RF), in the form of flavin mononucleotides and flavin adenine dinucleotides, is involved in the transfer of electrons during redox reactions and plays an important role in animal metabolism and growth. Dietary RF supply has the potential to improve growth performance and nutrient digestion in lambs, and this might be associated with the stimulatory impacts of RF on ruminal microbial growth. The effects of RF on lamb growth performance and rumen fermentation were evaluated. The results showed that RF supplementation improved the growth performance, nutrient digestion and rumen fermentation in lambs. The study evaluated the influences of riboflavin (RF) supply on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation in lambs. Forty-eight Hu lambs were randomly assigned into four groups receiving RF of 0, 15, 30 and 45 mg/kg dry mater (DM), respectively. Increasing RF supply did not affect the DM intake, but quadratically increased the average daily gain and linearly decreased feed conversion ratio. Total-tract DM, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and crude protein digestibility increased quadratically. Rumen pH and propionate molar percentage decreased linearly, total volatile fatty acids concentration, acetate proportion and the ratio of acetate to propionate increased linearly, but ammonia nitrogen concentration was unchanged with increasing RF supply. Linear increases were observed on the activities of carboxymethyl-cellulase, xylanase, pectinase and protease, and the populations of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, dominant cellulolytic bacteria, Ruminobacter amylophilus and Prevotella ruminicola. Methanogens population was not affected by RF supplementation. The microbial protein amount and urinary total purine derivatives excretion increased quadratically. The results indicated that 30 mg/kg DM RF supply improved growth performance, rumen fermentation and nutrient digestion in lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The application of maize silage has certain limitations, and the development of new forage resources is of great significance for improving resource utilization and environmental protection. Mulberry leaves are rich in nutritional value and are widely used in animal husbandry. However, excessive antinutritional factors, such as crude fiber, tannins, and phytic acid, in mulberry leaves affect the absorption and the utilization of nutrients by animals. Microbial fermentation technology can significantly reduce the contents of crude fiber, and the antinutritional factors in mulberry leaves minimize nutrient loss and improve the palatability of mulberry leaves. Therefore, this experiment found that the replacement of maize silage and soyabean meal with mulberry silage in the diet of Hu lambs has the potential to enhance muscle nutritional value and to improve mutton flavor without negatively affecting growth performance, serum biochemical indices, slaughter performance, or meat quality. Maize silage has a high demand for fertilizer and water. As an unconventional feed resource, mulberry silage has the potential to replace most maize silage and to alleviate the shortage of roughage in the mutton sheep industry in China. The purpose of this experiment was to study the effect of the replacement of maize silage and soyabean meal with mulberry silage in the diet of Hu lambs on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, slaughter performance, and meat quality. Ninety-six healthy Hu lambs were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates per group and four lambs per replicate. The amounts of 0, 20, 40, and 60% of maize silage were replaced by mulberry silage in each group (denoted as CON, L, M, and H, respectively). The results showed that replacing maize silage with mulberry silage had no significant effect on the growth performance or the slaughter performance of Hu lambs (p > 0.05). Feeding Hu lambs with mulberry silage significantly reduced serum glucose (GLU) and the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) content (p < 0.05), and it increased the content of ether extract (EE) in the longissimus dorsi muscle (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the percentage of EAA in the M and H groups was significantly lower than that in the CON and L groups (p < 0.05). In addition, in the fatty acid profile, the percentage of C16:1 in the M group was significantly increased, while the percentage of C18:0 and C20:0 were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Based on these findings, it was recommended that 20–40% of maize silage be replaced by mulberry silage in the diet of Hu lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A shortage of high-quality roughage jeopardises the Chinese mutton sheep industry. The development of new roughage resources is important to safeguard the health and welfare of the sheep, to save costs, increase efficiency and improve resource utilization. Mulberry leaves have high nutritional value and have been used in herbivore production for a long time in China. However, fresh mulberry leaves are not easy to preserve, and dried mulberry leaves readily lose nutrients in the conservation process. Ensiling mulberry leaves can reduce the anti-nutritional constituents, mainly phytic acid and tannin, while reducing any nutrient loss. In this study, mulberry silage replaced part of a maize silage-based diet for fattening Hu lambs. The effects of mulberry silage on the growth of the lambs, their gastrointestinal tissue morphology, rumen fermentation parameters and bacterial diversity were investigated. The results showed that using mulberry silage in place of 20–40% of the maize silage in the diet of Hu lambs promoted their growth, while maintaining satisfactory digestion. Maize silage has a significant environmental impact on livestock due to its high requirement for fertilizer and water. Mulberry has the potential to replace much of the large amount of maize silage grown in China, but its feeding value in the conserved form needs to be evaluated. We fed Hu lambs diets with 20–60% of the maize silage replaced by mulberry silage, adjusting the soybean meal content when increasing the mulberry silage inclusion rate in an attempt to balance the crude protein content of the diets. Mulberry silage had higher crude protein and lower acidic and neutral detergent fiber contents compared to maize silage. Replacing maize silage and soyabean meal with mulberry silage had no effect on the feed intake and growth rate of Hu lambs. However, the rumen pH increased, the acetate to propionate in rumen fluid increased, and the rumen ammonia concentration decreased as mulberry replaced maize silage and soyabean meal. This was associated with an increase in norank_f__F082 bacteria in the rumen. Rumen papillae were shorter when mulberry silage replaced maize silage, which may reflect the reduced neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of the original silage. In conclusion, mulberry silage can successfully replace maize silage and soyabeans in the diet of Hu lambs without loss of production potential, which could have significant environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[目的]本试验旨在研究低蛋白日粮添加不同水平尿素对育肥湖羊瘤胃发酵及微生物菌群结构的影响。[方法]70只 育肥公湖羊(23.6~26.0kg)随机分为5组,分别饲喂以下日粮:正常豆柏(SBM,170 g·kg -1),低豆粕(40g·kg)基础上添加 0、10、20和30 g·kg -1尿素(U0、U10、 U20、U30)试验预饲期1周,正试期8周。采集瘤胃液测定发酵参数和功能菌群数 量,同时扩增细菌 16s RNA 基因 V3—V4 区进行 Illumina-MiSeq 测序。[结果]与U10组相比,U20 和 U30 组瘤胃液pH值 显著升高(P<0.05)、氨态氮(NH3-N)浓度随尿素添加量的增加显著升高(P<0.05)。与UO 和 U30 组相比,SBM､U10 和 U20 组总菌､甲烷菌和原虫数量显著升高(P<0.05)。Illumina-MiSeq测序结果显示 U30 组 Shannon 指数显著高于 U0 和 U10 组(P<0.05),但 Chao1 指数没有差异(P>0.05)。U10组 Bacteroidetes 的丰度显著高于 SBM,U20 和U30组(P<0.05),但 Firmicutes 却显著降低(P<0.05)。各组的主要优势菌属为 Prevotella 1 Muribaculaceae norank Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group 和 Christensenellaceae R-7 group.U10组 Prevotella 1 的丰度显著高于 U20 和U30组(P<0.05),fff Rikenellaceae R9 gut group、 Christensenellaceae R-7 group 和 Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 group 显著低于U30组(P<0.05) RDA 结果显示pH值、NH3-N 和总挥发性脂肪酸(TVFA)对瘤胃不同菌属的影响程度存在差异,其中pH 值的影响最显著(P<005)。[结论]在低蛋白日 粮中添加适量尿素(10g·kg-1)可增加育肥湖羊瘤胃功能菌群数量,促进相关代谢产物的产生与利用,但日粮氮不足或尿素 添加水平过高则会降低瘤胃功能菌群数量和改变细菌群落组成 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this experiment was to study the sustained effects of early supplementation with a starter on the performance of lambs during the pre-weaning, post-weaning, and fattening periods. Sixty male Hu lambs (3.59 ± 0.05 kg) were randomly assigned to two (30 lambs per group) treatments. The lambs were fed milk replacer from three days of age. The early supplementation (ES) group was supplemented with a starter ration at seven days of age, the control (CON) group was supplemented at 21 days of age, and lambs in both groups were weaned from milk replacer at 28 days of age. Eight lambs from each group were randomly slaughtered at 98 days of age, and the remaining lambs were fed the same nutrient level of a fattening ration until slaughter at 200 days of age. The results showed that early supplementation with starter significantly improved average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily weight gain (ADG) in the pre-weaning period (7–28 days of age), and ADFI and slaughter performance (live weight before slaughter, carcass weight and dressing percentage) in the post-weaning period (29–98 days of age, p < 0.05). In addition, early supplementation with the starter had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on ADFI, ADG, and slaughter performance, but significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) of lambs during the fattening period (99–200 days of age). In addition, early supplementation with starter increased the ratio of rumen and reticulum weight to total stomach weight in lambs (p < 0.05). In conclusion, early supplementation with starter can reduce feed costs and improve the performance of lambs, while the growth advantage produced by early supplementation had initially disappeared by 154 days of age.

The study evaluated the influences of riboflavin (RF) supply on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation in lambs. Forty-eight Hu lambs were randomly assigned into four groups receiving RF of 0, 15, 30 and 45 mg/kg dry mater (DM), respectively. Increasing RF supply did not affect the DM intake, but quadratically increased the average daily gain and linearly decreased feed conversion ratio. Total-tract DM, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and crude protein digestibility increased quadratically. Rumen pH and propionate molar percentage decreased linearly, total volatile fatty acids concentration, acetate proportion and the ratio of acetate to propionate increased linearly, but ammonia nitrogen concentration was unchanged with increasing RF supply. Linear increases were observed on the activities of carboxymethyl-cellulase, xylanase, pectinase and protease, and the populations of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, dominant cellulolytic bacteria, Ruminobacter amylophilus and Prevotella ruminicola. Methanogens population was not affected by RF supplementation. The microbial protein amount and urinary total purine derivatives excretion increased quadratically. The results indicated that 30 mg/kg DM RF supply improved growth performance, rumen fermentation and nutrient digestion in lambs.

Maize silage has a high demand for fertilizer and water. As an unconventional feed resource, mulberry silage has the potential to replace most maize silage and to alleviate the shortage of roughage in the mutton sheep industry in China. The purpose of this experiment was to study the effect of the replacement of maize silage and soyabean meal with mulberry silage in the diet of Hu lambs on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, slaughter performance, and meat quality. Ninety-six healthy Hu lambs were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates per group and four lambs per replicate. The amounts of 0, 20, 40, and 60% of maize silage were replaced by mulberry silage in each group (denoted as CON, L, M, and H, respectively). The results showed that replacing maize silage with mulberry silage had no significant effect on the growth performance or the slaughter performance of Hu lambs (p > 0.05). Feeding Hu lambs with mulberry silage significantly reduced serum glucose (GLU) and the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) content (p < 0.05), and it increased the content of ether extract (EE) in the longissimus dorsi muscle (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the percentage of EAA in the M and H groups was significantly lower than that in the CON and L groups (p < 0.05). In addition, in the fatty acid profile, the percentage of C16:1 in the M group was significantly increased, while the percentage of C18:0 and C20:0 were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Based on these findings, it was recommended that 20–40% of maize silage be replaced by mulberry silage in the diet of Hu lambs.

Early supplementary feeding of lambs before weaning is important to meet their nutritional needs, promote the development of rumen and improve performance. To study the effect of early supplementary feeding on rumen development and the microbiota of lambs, 22 Hu lambs were randomly divided into two groups: one group was fed with milk replacer (group C), and the other group was fed with milk replacer and starter (group S). At 28 days, six lambs in each group were slaughtered, and the rumen content and tissue samples were collected for detection and analysis. The starter significantly promoted the length of rumen papilla (P = 0.03), the concentration of acetate, propionate, butyrate and total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) (P

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of weaning age on growth performance, nutrient digestion and metabolism, and serological indicators, and to obtain an optimal weaning age in Hu lambs. Forty-eight newborn Hu lambs (birth weight, 2.53 ± 0.14 kg) were randomly divided into 4 groups. The lambs in control group (ER) suckled their dams. The lambs in other three experimental groups were weaned on milk replacer at 10, 20, and 30 days of age (EW10, EW20, and EW30 groups), respectively. The results were as follows: 1) lambs in EW10 and EW30 groups had a lower (P 0.05) among groups; however, the apparent digestibility and deposition of calcium in early weaned lambs were lower (P

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of perilla ( perilla frutescens L.) seed (PFS) supplementation on serum lipids metabolism, intramuscular adipocyte size, fatty acid composition and lipogenic genes expression in muscle and liver of Hu lambs. Sixty male Hu lambs (23.02 ± 1.36 kg body weight and approximately 3 months of age) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments receiving diets containing 0%, 5%, 10% or 15% perilla seed (CD, 5%PFSD, 10%PFSD and 15%PFSD, respectively). During the 84 days experimental period, these groups were fed the assigned diets ad libitum . Compared with CD group, LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in the serum significantly (P < 0.05) increased with the supplementation of PFS to lamb diets. The supplementation of PFS promote intramuscular adipocyte hypertrophy (P < 0.05). Adding PFS rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA) increased the contents of ALA, vaccenic acid (VA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), in longissimus muscle and liver (P < 0.05). However, the contents of C18:1 cis 9, linoleic acid (LA), and total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and n-6 to n-3 ratio decreased in muscle and liver in PFS groups compared with CD group (P < 0.05). The supplementation of PFS significantly increased PPARα and PPARγ expression and significantly decreased LPL , ACC , FASN , SCD , FADS 1, and FADS2 expression (P < 0.05). These results suggest that PFS supplementation in lambs’ diets can influence the metabolism of lipids and promotes intramuscular adipocyte hypertrophy and deposition of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in muscle and live tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The effects of perilla (Perilla frutescens L.) seed on carcass traits, meat quality, antioxidant status and antioxidant gene expression in the liver and muscle of Hu lambs were investigated in this study. Sixty Hu lambs (23.02 ± 1.36 kg) were randomly divided into four experimental groups receiving diets containing 0%, 5%, 10% or 15% perilla seed (CD, 5%PFSD, 10%PFSD and 15%PFSD, respectively). The addition of perilla seed had no significant impacts on carcass traits (p > .05). There were no differences in pH, meat colour, drip loss, cooking loss or shear force among the four treatments (p > .05). Addition of perilla seed increased (p < .05) deposition of intramuscular lipids but had no effect on other chemical components in the longissimus dorsi (LD) (p > .05). The 15%PFSD diet decreased the total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the liver (p < .05 for both) but increased the activity of these antioxidant enzymes in LD (p < .05 for both). Compared to CD, addition of perilla seed increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) expression in the liver and LD (p < .05 for all). These results indicate that perilla seed supplementation in lambs’ diets can increase deposition of intramuscular lipids and improve muscular oxidative status and meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of residual feed intake (RFI) on rumen function in finishing lambs. A total of 60 male Hu lambs (average initial BW = 25.2 ± 2.5kg) were used and were offered a pelleted high-concentrate diet, of which the forage to concentrate ratio was 25:75. Individual feed intake was recorded over a period of 42 d, then 10 lambs with the lowest RFI and the highest RFI were selected, respectively. The rumen fluid used for fermentation variables and relative abundance of bacteria measurement was obtained on d 10 and 20 after RFI measurement. At the end of this experiment, the selected lambs were slaughtered and rumen epithelium and liver tissues were collected for RNA extraction. Low-RFI lambs had lower (P < 0.01) DMI and greater (P < 0.05) G:F than the high-RFI ones, while the RFI groups did not differ in ADG and BW (P > 0.05). Additionally, RFI was positively (r = 0.57; P < 0.01) correlated with DMI and negatively (r = -0.53; P < 0.05) correlated with G:F. Total VFA and individual VFA decreased (P < 0.05) over time. The concentrations of total VFA, acetate, valerate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, and rumen pH (P > 0.05) were not affected by RFI classification. Nonetheless, low-RFI group lambs had a greater (P < 0.05) concentration of propionate, a lower (P < 0.05) concentration of butyrate, and a lower (P < 0.05) acetate to propionate ratio compared with the high-RFI group. There was a significant (P < 0.05) effect of RFI on the relative abundance of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and Escherichia coli. The relative abundance of Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, and Prevotella bryantii decreased (P < 0.05) over time in high-RFI group. And the relative abundance of B. fibrisolvens in high-RFI group was greater (P < 0.05) than its low-RFI counterpart. Furthermore, RFI had no effect (P > 0.05) on gene expression associated with intracellular pH regulation (PAT1, AE2, DRA, NHE2, NHE3, MCT1, MCT4, and ATPase) in rumen epithelium and ß-hydroxybutyrate metabolism (HMGCS2) in both rumen epithelium and liver tissues. In conclusion, even though low- RFI lambs had lower DMI, however, the number of B. fibrisolvens was lower. Additionally, there was no difference in gene expressions level associated with intracellular pH regulation in rumen epithelium between RFI groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensile rice straw (ENRS), a combination of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), consisting of Lactobacillus plantarum , L. buchneri and Pediococcus acidilactici at a ratio of 2:1:1 was added to rice straw (RS), and stored for 42 days at room temperature. We examined: 1) the nutritive quality of ENRS; 2) in vitro rumen fermentation parameters and microbiota composition with ENRS as substrate; and, 3) serum metabolites and average daily gain (ADG) of growing Hu lambs consuming ENRS. Ensiling of rice straw increased in vitro neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) degradabilities (both P < 0.05), and total gas production (P < 0.05) but decreased (P < 0.05) methane (CH4) production. In addition, ensiling increased bacterial diversity and reduced the relative abundance of the methanogen Methanobrevibacter. Twelve male Hu lambs (initial live body weight = 25.2 ± 0.47 kg), aged 70 (± 6) days, were assigned randomly to one of two groups (n = 6) and offered a total mixed ration (TMR) that included 400 g/kg DM of either RS or ENRS for 4 weeks. Ensiling ruptured the physical structure of the RS, decreased (P < 0.05) dry matter and hemicellulose contents, and increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of lactate, acetate and organic acids. Feeding ENRS up-regulated purine metabolism and improved ADG and gain to feed ratio of Hu lambs when compared to RS. In summary, ensiling was effective in improving both the nutritive quality of the feed and ADG of the lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evaluated the influences of riboflavin (RF) supply on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation in lambs. Forty-eight Hu lambs were randomly assigned into four groups receiving RF of 0, 15, 30 and 45 mg/kg dry mater (DM), respectively. Increasing RF supply did not affect the DM intake, but quadratically increased the average daily gain and linearly decreased feed conversion ratio. Total-tract DM, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and crude protein digestibility increased quadratically. Rumen pH and propionate molar percentage decreased linearly, total volatile fatty acids concentration, acetate proportion and the ratio of acetate to propionate increased linearly, but ammonia nitrogen concentration was unchanged with increasing RF supply. Linear increases were observed on the activities of carboxymethyl-cellulase, xylanase, pectinase and protease, and the populations of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, dominant cellulolytic bacteria, Ruminobacter amylophilus and Prevotella ruminicola . Methanogens population was not affected by RF supplementation. The microbial protein amount and urinary total purine derivatives excretion increased quadratically. The results indicated that 30 mg/kg DM RF supply improved growth performance, rumen fermentation and nutrient digestion in lambs.

Early supplementary feeding of lambs before weaning is important to meet their nutritional needs, promote the development of rumen and improve performance. To study the effect of early supplementary feeding on rumen development and the microbiota of lambs, 22 Hu lambs were randomly divided into two groups: one group was fed with milk replacer (group C), and the other group was fed with milk replacer and starter (group S). At 28 days, six lambs in each group were slaughtered, and the rumen content and tissue samples were collected for detection and analysis. The starter significantly promoted the length of rumen papilla ( P = 0.03), the concentration of acetate, propionate, butyrate and total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) ( P  < 0.01), which were higher in group S compared with group C. Group C had a higher rumen microbial diversity than group S. The dominant bacteria in the two groups were the same (Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria); however, they differed notably at the genus level. The microbial abundance of the two groups was significantly different for 22 species. In group C, the first three dominant bacteria were Bacteroides, Porphyromonas , and Campylobacter , while in group S they were Succinivibrio, unidentified&#95;Prevotellaceae , and unidentified&#95;Lachnospiraceae . Spearman correlation analysis showed that some ruminal bacteria were closely related to internal environmental factors, e.g., the relative abundances of unidentified&#95;Bacteria , Euryarchaeota, Fusobacteria , and Gracilibacteria correlated negatively with acetate, propionate, butyrate, and TVFA ( P  < 0.05), while the relative abundances of Firmicutes correlated positively with acetate, propionate, butyrate and TVFA ( P  < 0.05). Bacteroidetes correlated negatively with propionate, butyrate, and TVFA ( P  < 0.05); Synergistetes correlated negatively with acetate, propionate, and butyrate ( P  < 0.05); Deinococcus-Thermus correlated negatively with propionate, butyrate, and TVFA ( P  < 0.05); Spirochaetes correlated negatively with propionate and TVFA ( P  < 0.05); and Elusimicrobia correlated negatively with propionate and butyrate ( P  < 0.05). Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia correlated positively correlated with NH 3 -N. In conclusion, supplementary feeding of lambs before weaning promoted the development of rumen tissue morphology and rumen microorganisms., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2020 Lv et al.)

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of weaning age on growth performance, nutrient digestion and metabolism, and serological indicators, and to obtain an optimal weaning age in Hu lambs. Forty-eight newborn Hu lambs (birth weight, 2.53 ± 0.14 kg) were randomly divided into 4 groups. The lambs in control group (ER) suckled their dams. The lambs in other three experimental groups were weaned on milk replacer at 10, 20, and 30 days of age (EW10, EW20, and EW30 groups), respectively. The results were as follows: 1) lambs in EW10 and EW30 groups had a lower ( P  < 0.05) ADG than those in ER group within 10 days post-weaning; the weaned lambs began to show a higher ( P  < 0.05) ADG than those in ER group after 20 days post-weaning. 2) EW10 and EW20 groups had a higher ( P  < 0.05) creep feed intake than EW30 and ER groups from 15 to 60 days of age. 3) The apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, gross energy, nitrogen, ether extract and phosphorus, and the deposition of nitrogen and phosphorus did not differ ( P  > 0.05) among groups; however, the apparent digestibility and deposition of calcium in early weaned lambs were lower ( P  < 0.05) than those in ewe-reared lambs. 4) The albumin content in EW30 group was lower ( P  < 0.05) than that in ER group; the globulin content in EW30 group was higher ( P  < 0.05) than that in other groups; the content of serum insulin-like growth factor-Ⅰ in weaned lambs tended to increase compared with lambs in ER group. Finally, the growth rate of lambs decreased within 10 days post-weaning, but early weaning boosted creep feed intake, leading to better growth and health later in life. The Hu lambs can be weaned on milk replacer and creep feed at 10 days of age.