Effect of Sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia ) Pellets on Rumen Microbiome and Histopathology in Lambs Exposed to Gastrointestinal Nematodes

Daniel Petrič, Michaela Komáromyová, Dominika Batťányi, Martyna Kozłowska, Weronika Filipiak, Anna Łukomska, Sylwester Ślusarczyk, Malgorzata Szumacher-Strabel, Adam Cieślak, Marián Várady, Svetlana Kišidayová and Zora Váradyová
Additional contact information
Daniel Petrič: Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04 001 Košice, Slovakia
Michaela Komáromyová: University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
Dominika Batťányi: Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04 001 Košice, Slovakia
Martyna Kozłowska: Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 33, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Weronika Filipiak: Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 33, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Anna Łukomska: Department of Preclinical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 35, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Sylwester Ślusarczyk: Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Botany, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
Malgorzata Szumacher-Strabel: Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 33, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Adam Cieślak: Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 33, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Marián Várady: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
Svetlana Kišidayová: Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04 001 Košice, Slovakia
Zora Váradyová: Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04 001 Košice, Slovakia

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: Our study analyzed the ruminal fermentation and microbiome, hematological profile, and abomasal histopathology of lambs experimentally infected with a gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) and fed sainfoin pellets (SFPs; 600 g DM/d/animal) for 14 d. Twenty-four lambs infected with Haemonchus contortus were divided into two separated groups: animals fed meadow hay (control) and animals fed SFPs. The ruminal contents, fermentation parameters, and microbiome in vitro and in vivo were determined using molecular and microscopic techniques. Ruminal contents in the SFP group indicated smaller populations of Archaea ( p < 0.001), Methanomicrobiales ( p = 0.009), and lower methane concentrations in vitro ( p = 0.046) and in vivo ( p = 0.030) than the control group. The relative abundance of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens quantified by real-time PCR was higher in the lambs with the SFP diet ( p = 0.05). Haemonchosis affected the number of red blood cells of the lambs ( p < 0.001). The lambs in the SFP group had a higher percentage of damaged abomasa glands than did the control group ( p = 0.004). The consumption of SFPs by GIN-infected lambs may affect ruminal methanogens and subsequently decrease methane emission without undesirable changes in the ruminal microbiome or the health of the animals.

Keywords: bacteria; flavonoids; hematological profiles; methane concentration; plant bioactive components; ruminal fermentation; sheep (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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