Mixed Ensiling Increases Degradation Without Altering Attached Microbiota Through <i>In Situ</i> Ruminal Incubation Technique

Mixed silage can disrupt the girder structure of rape straw, and thus facilitate ruminal degradation. Further investigation is warranted to validate this observation in vivo. The objective of this study was to investigate the degradation kinetics and bacterial colonization of mixed silage during dig...

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Main Authors: Xuanxuan Pu, Min Zhang, Jianjun Zhang, Xiumin Zhang, Shizhe Zhang, Bo Lin, Tianwei Wang, Zhiliang Tan, Min Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Animals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/14/2131
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author Xuanxuan Pu
Min Zhang
Jianjun Zhang
Xiumin Zhang
Shizhe Zhang
Bo Lin
Tianwei Wang
Zhiliang Tan
Min Wang
author_facet Xuanxuan Pu
Min Zhang
Jianjun Zhang
Xiumin Zhang
Shizhe Zhang
Bo Lin
Tianwei Wang
Zhiliang Tan
Min Wang
author_sort Xuanxuan Pu
collection DOAJ
description Mixed silage can disrupt the girder structure of rape straw, and thus facilitate ruminal degradation. Further investigation is warranted to validate this observation in vivo. The objective of this study was to investigate the degradation kinetics and bacterial colonization of mixed silage during digestion using an <i>in situ</i> ruminal incubation technique. The experiment comprised two treatments: a mixture of rape straw and corn silage (control), and a mixed silage treatment of rape straw and whole crop corn (mixed silage). Three ruminally cannulated Holstein bulls were employed. Substrates were incubated for varying durations (4, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 and 216 h) to assess substrate degradation kinetics. Bacterial colonization were analyzed after 4- and 48-h incubation time. Mixed ensiling disrupted the fiber structure of rape straw, and thus had lower fiber content compared to the control, as NDF and ADF content ‌decreased by 55 g/kg (678 vs. 623 g/kg) and 27 g/kg (440 vs. 413 g/kg), respectively. Compared to the control group, ruminal DM disappearance of mixed silage significantly (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) increased from 315 to 366 g/kg (+16.2%) at an incubation time of 4 h, 552 to 638 g/kg (+15.6%) at 120 h, and 563 to 651 g/kg (+15.6%) at 216 h. Similarly, compared to the control group, NDF disappearance of mixed silage significantly (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) rose from 112 to 201 g/kg (+79.5%) at 4 h, 405 to 517 g/kg (+27.7%) at 120 h, and 429 to 532 g/kg (+24.0%) at 216 h. Compared to the control group, soluble and washout nutrient fractions (<i>a</i>) of DM or NDF fraction in mixed silage significantly (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) rose from 289 to 340 g/kg (+17.6%), potentially degradable fractions (<i>b</i>) of NDF increased from 310 to 370 g/kg (+19.4%), and the undegraded fraction of NDF (<i>μNDF</i>) decreased from 582 to 471 g/kg (−19.1%). Incubation time, apart from in the mixed ensiling treatment, altered the bacterial community. The study highlights that higher total potentially degradable fractions account for enhanced ruminal substrate degradation of mixed silage.
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spelling doaj-art-4f126fbe8b4c405eb6180f9af22dcfd02025-08-20T03:55:49ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-07-011514213110.3390/ani15142131Mixed Ensiling Increases Degradation Without Altering Attached Microbiota Through <i>In Situ</i> Ruminal Incubation TechniqueXuanxuan Pu0Min Zhang1Jianjun Zhang2Xiumin Zhang3Shizhe Zhang4Bo Lin5Tianwei Wang6Zhiliang Tan7Min Wang8College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Healthy Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Healthy Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Healthy Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Healthy Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Healthy Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Healthy Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, ChinaMixed silage can disrupt the girder structure of rape straw, and thus facilitate ruminal degradation. Further investigation is warranted to validate this observation in vivo. The objective of this study was to investigate the degradation kinetics and bacterial colonization of mixed silage during digestion using an <i>in situ</i> ruminal incubation technique. The experiment comprised two treatments: a mixture of rape straw and corn silage (control), and a mixed silage treatment of rape straw and whole crop corn (mixed silage). Three ruminally cannulated Holstein bulls were employed. Substrates were incubated for varying durations (4, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 and 216 h) to assess substrate degradation kinetics. Bacterial colonization were analyzed after 4- and 48-h incubation time. Mixed ensiling disrupted the fiber structure of rape straw, and thus had lower fiber content compared to the control, as NDF and ADF content ‌decreased by 55 g/kg (678 vs. 623 g/kg) and 27 g/kg (440 vs. 413 g/kg), respectively. Compared to the control group, ruminal DM disappearance of mixed silage significantly (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) increased from 315 to 366 g/kg (+16.2%) at an incubation time of 4 h, 552 to 638 g/kg (+15.6%) at 120 h, and 563 to 651 g/kg (+15.6%) at 216 h. Similarly, compared to the control group, NDF disappearance of mixed silage significantly (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) rose from 112 to 201 g/kg (+79.5%) at 4 h, 405 to 517 g/kg (+27.7%) at 120 h, and 429 to 532 g/kg (+24.0%) at 216 h. Compared to the control group, soluble and washout nutrient fractions (<i>a</i>) of DM or NDF fraction in mixed silage significantly (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) rose from 289 to 340 g/kg (+17.6%), potentially degradable fractions (<i>b</i>) of NDF increased from 310 to 370 g/kg (+19.4%), and the undegraded fraction of NDF (<i>μNDF</i>) decreased from 582 to 471 g/kg (−19.1%). Incubation time, apart from in the mixed ensiling treatment, altered the bacterial community. The study highlights that higher total potentially degradable fractions account for enhanced ruminal substrate degradation of mixed silage.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/14/2131mixed silagerape strawruminal fiber degradationmicro-structureruminal bacteria
spellingShingle Xuanxuan Pu
Min Zhang
Jianjun Zhang
Xiumin Zhang
Shizhe Zhang
Bo Lin
Tianwei Wang
Zhiliang Tan
Min Wang
Mixed Ensiling Increases Degradation Without Altering Attached Microbiota Through <i>In Situ</i> Ruminal Incubation Technique
Animals
mixed silage
rape straw
ruminal fiber degradation
micro-structure
ruminal bacteria
title Mixed Ensiling Increases Degradation Without Altering Attached Microbiota Through <i>In Situ</i> Ruminal Incubation Technique
title_full Mixed Ensiling Increases Degradation Without Altering Attached Microbiota Through <i>In Situ</i> Ruminal Incubation Technique
title_fullStr Mixed Ensiling Increases Degradation Without Altering Attached Microbiota Through <i>In Situ</i> Ruminal Incubation Technique
title_full_unstemmed Mixed Ensiling Increases Degradation Without Altering Attached Microbiota Through <i>In Situ</i> Ruminal Incubation Technique
title_short Mixed Ensiling Increases Degradation Without Altering Attached Microbiota Through <i>In Situ</i> Ruminal Incubation Technique
title_sort mixed ensiling increases degradation without altering attached microbiota through i in situ i ruminal incubation technique
topic mixed silage
rape straw
ruminal fiber degradation
micro-structure
ruminal bacteria
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/14/2131
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