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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 64(1)

Ruminal microbiome and blood parameters in beef cattle fed with high-grain diets buffered with Lithothamnium calcareum

Laís Gabrielly Freitas Lima A , Cíntia Pelegrineti Targueta B , Rhewter Nunes C , Raiany Soares de Paula D , Amanda Martins Apolinário A , Emmanuel Arnhold A , Renata Rodrigues Gomes A , Luis Fernando de Sousa Caixeta E , Eliane Sayuri Miyagi A , Daniel Staciarini Corrêa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2418-1961 E , Carlos Henrique Xavier https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4006-8213 F , Mariana Pires de Campos Telles G and Reginaldo Nassar Ferreira https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0545-1439 E *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Zootechnics, School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

B Laboratory of Genetics and Biodiversity, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

C Academic Institute of Health and Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Iporá, Goiás, Brazil.

D Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

E Laboratory of Digestive Physiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

F Department of Physiological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

G School of Agrarian and Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

* Correspondence to: reginaldonassar@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Karen Harper

Animal Production Science 64, AN22192 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN22192
Submitted: 12 December 2022  Accepted: 31 October 2023  Published: 5 December 2023

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context and aims

DNA metabarcoding strategy was used to sequence the 16S rRNA region of ruminal fluid samples from Nellore cattle fed with concentrate-rich diets in response to modulatory effect of buffering additives calcarea seaweed (Lithothamnium calcareum) and sodium bicarbonate.

Methods

Besides characterising the richness and diversity indices of rumen bacterial community, the impact of potentially acidogenic diets on rumen pH, blood parameters, and short-chain fatty acid profile (SCFA) was investigated for which four male Nellore cattle were used, distributed in a 4 × 4 Latin square (treatments × periods). Treatments comprised the same highly concentrated basal diet, and were as follows: T1, without additive (CON); T2, inclusion of 90 g of sodium bicarbonate (BIC); T3, inclusion of 90 g of L. calcareum (L90); and T4, inclusion of 45 g of L. calcareum (L45). Data were analysed in R, in which diversity and abundance at gender level were analysed using Friedman’s test, with means being adjusted by False Discovery Rate (FDR) correction. The analyses of pH, biochemical parameters and SCFA were analysed using Scott–Knott test and means were evaluated with a significance level of 10% (P < 0.10).

Key results

We identified 1474 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 52 genera and 16 phyla of bacteria domain. The results showed that bacterial microbiota were dominated by Firmicutes (44.12%), Bacteroidetes (28.29%), and Proteobacteria (5.88%). Animals fed with L90 demonstrated greater abundance and ruminal diversity for the Prevotella genus (P < 0.07% and P < 0.09% respectively), whereas cattle supplemented with L45 demonstrated greater diversity of the Fibrobacter genus (P < 0.05). There were differences in molar proportion for acetic (P < 0.07%) and valeric (P < 0.03%) acids in the period before feeding. Higher blood lactate concentrations were observed in animals supplemented with L45 (P < 0.06%), while animals that received treatments L90 and BIC presented lower levels of blood lactate. This metabolite was lower in animals fed with 90 g of sodium bicarbonate and L. calcareum daily. These treatments also reduced the concentration of acetic acid and increased that of valeric acid, and improved ruminal diversity.

Conclusions and implications

Our results supported this choice to improve ruminal function, with a great prospective of better weight-gain performance in Nellore cattle.

Keywords: bacterial diversity, bacteroidetes, beef cattle, firmicutes, Lithothamnium calcareum, microbiota, rumen, supplementation.

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