Enhancing Holstein steers growth performance: oregano essential oil’s impact on rumen development, functionality and microorganism
Abstract Background Dietary supplementation with oregano essential oil (OEO), a natural plant extracts, is an effective and acceptable method to improve growth, beef quantity and quality, but the undergoing mechanism in rumen has not yet been reported in Holstein steers. This study investigated the...
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| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Animal Microbiome |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-025-00415-x |
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| author | Yongliang Huang Siyu Cheng Jinping Shi Pengjia He Yue Ma Ruixin Yang Xu Zhang Yongzhi Cao Zhaomin Lei |
| author_facet | Yongliang Huang Siyu Cheng Jinping Shi Pengjia He Yue Ma Ruixin Yang Xu Zhang Yongzhi Cao Zhaomin Lei |
| author_sort | Yongliang Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Dietary supplementation with oregano essential oil (OEO), a natural plant extracts, is an effective and acceptable method to improve growth, beef quantity and quality, but the undergoing mechanism in rumen has not yet been reported in Holstein steers. This study investigated the effects of oregano essential oil (OEO) on growth performance, fermentation parameters, digestive enzymes activity, rumen development and microbiota in Holstein steers. Eighteen steers were randomly divided into two groups (n = 9) and fed either a basal diet (CCK) or the same diet supplemented with 20 g/(d·head) OEO (CEO) for 270 days. Results OEO increased the rumen contents of volatile fatty acids (VFA, acetate (P = 0.011), propionate (P = 0.008), butyrate (P = 0.018)) and digestive enzymes activity (cellulase (P = 0.018), protease and β-glucosidase (P < 0.001)), and improved rumen development (papillae width (P = 0.008) and micropapillary density (P = 0.001)), which reasons contribute to increase body weight (BW, P = 0.022), average daily gain (ADG, P = 0.021), carcass weight (P = 0.001), dressing percentage (P < 0.001), and net meat production (P = 0.001) of steers. Meanwhile, metagenomic and metabolomic analysis revealed OEO significantly reduced abundance of rumen microorganisms, especially methanogenic archaea and viruses while beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacterium) and virulence factors were not affected. KEGG analysis revealed that OEO significantly reduces the host risk of disease, improves the digestive system, and reduces the energy basic metabolism level. A correlation analysis indicated fourteen kinds key microbiome and six downregulated metabolites interfere with each other and together influence the growth performance of steers. Conclusion These results suggest that feed with 20 g/(d·head) OEO in steers diets could improve growth performance, and reduces virus abundance and disease risk. And the findings provide fundamental insights into OEO, as an alternative source of natural bioactive compounds, how effect on rumen development, composition and function of microorganisms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-46a54a1fa2fa4f11804f82cb632fbde7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2524-4671 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | Animal Microbiome |
| spelling | doaj-art-46a54a1fa2fa4f11804f82cb632fbde72025-08-20T02:15:12ZengBMCAnimal Microbiome2524-46712025-05-017111410.1186/s42523-025-00415-xEnhancing Holstein steers growth performance: oregano essential oil’s impact on rumen development, functionality and microorganismYongliang Huang0Siyu Cheng1Jinping Shi2Pengjia He3Yue Ma4Ruixin Yang5Xu Zhang6Yongzhi Cao7Zhaomin Lei8College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural UniversityChina Resources Ng Fung, LtdCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural UniversityCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural UniversityCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural UniversityCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural UniversityCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural UniversityCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural UniversityCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural UniversityAbstract Background Dietary supplementation with oregano essential oil (OEO), a natural plant extracts, is an effective and acceptable method to improve growth, beef quantity and quality, but the undergoing mechanism in rumen has not yet been reported in Holstein steers. This study investigated the effects of oregano essential oil (OEO) on growth performance, fermentation parameters, digestive enzymes activity, rumen development and microbiota in Holstein steers. Eighteen steers were randomly divided into two groups (n = 9) and fed either a basal diet (CCK) or the same diet supplemented with 20 g/(d·head) OEO (CEO) for 270 days. Results OEO increased the rumen contents of volatile fatty acids (VFA, acetate (P = 0.011), propionate (P = 0.008), butyrate (P = 0.018)) and digestive enzymes activity (cellulase (P = 0.018), protease and β-glucosidase (P < 0.001)), and improved rumen development (papillae width (P = 0.008) and micropapillary density (P = 0.001)), which reasons contribute to increase body weight (BW, P = 0.022), average daily gain (ADG, P = 0.021), carcass weight (P = 0.001), dressing percentage (P < 0.001), and net meat production (P = 0.001) of steers. Meanwhile, metagenomic and metabolomic analysis revealed OEO significantly reduced abundance of rumen microorganisms, especially methanogenic archaea and viruses while beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacterium) and virulence factors were not affected. KEGG analysis revealed that OEO significantly reduces the host risk of disease, improves the digestive system, and reduces the energy basic metabolism level. A correlation analysis indicated fourteen kinds key microbiome and six downregulated metabolites interfere with each other and together influence the growth performance of steers. Conclusion These results suggest that feed with 20 g/(d·head) OEO in steers diets could improve growth performance, and reduces virus abundance and disease risk. And the findings provide fundamental insights into OEO, as an alternative source of natural bioactive compounds, how effect on rumen development, composition and function of microorganisms.https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-025-00415-xVolatile fatty acidsDigestive enzymes activityRumen microbiome and metabolitesGrowth performance |
| spellingShingle | Yongliang Huang Siyu Cheng Jinping Shi Pengjia He Yue Ma Ruixin Yang Xu Zhang Yongzhi Cao Zhaomin Lei Enhancing Holstein steers growth performance: oregano essential oil’s impact on rumen development, functionality and microorganism Animal Microbiome Volatile fatty acids Digestive enzymes activity Rumen microbiome and metabolites Growth performance |
| title | Enhancing Holstein steers growth performance: oregano essential oil’s impact on rumen development, functionality and microorganism |
| title_full | Enhancing Holstein steers growth performance: oregano essential oil’s impact on rumen development, functionality and microorganism |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing Holstein steers growth performance: oregano essential oil’s impact on rumen development, functionality and microorganism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing Holstein steers growth performance: oregano essential oil’s impact on rumen development, functionality and microorganism |
| title_short | Enhancing Holstein steers growth performance: oregano essential oil’s impact on rumen development, functionality and microorganism |
| title_sort | enhancing holstein steers growth performance oregano essential oil s impact on rumen development functionality and microorganism |
| topic | Volatile fatty acids Digestive enzymes activity Rumen microbiome and metabolites Growth performance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-025-00415-x |
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