Dietary supplementation of sodium sulfate improves rumen fermentation, fiber digestibility and plasma metabolome through modulating rumen bacterial communities in steers.

Dietary supplementation of sodium sulfate improves rumen fermentation, fiber digestibility and plasma metabolome through modulating rumen bacterial communities in steers. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2020 Aug 28;: Authors: Zhao Y, Xie B, Gao J, Zhao G Abstract Six steers were used to study the effects of dietary supplementation with sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestion, rumen microbiota and plasma metabolites. The animals were fed a basal ration added with Na2SO4 at 0 [sulfur (S) content 0.115% DM], 20 (S 0.185% DM) and 40 g/d (S 0.255%DM), respectively, in a replicate 3 × 3 Latin square design. Results indicated that supplementing Na2SO4 increased the ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids, the molar proportions of acetate and butyrate, the ruminal concentrations of microbial protein, SO4 2--S and S2--S and the digestibility of fiber while it decreased the molar proportion of propionate and the ruminal concentration of ammonia nitrogen. Supplementing Na2SO4 increased the diversity and the richness of rumen microbiota and the relative abundances of phylum Firmicutes, and genera Ruminococcus 2, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group and Desulfovibrio whereas it decreased that of phylum Bacteroidetes and genera Prevotella 1, Prevotellaceae UCG-001 and Treponema 2 Supplementing Na2SO4 also increased the plasma concentrations of amino acids (L-arginine, L-methionine, L-cysteine, L-lysine), purine derivatives (x...
Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: Appl Environ Microbiol Source Type: research