Different Commercial Microbial Additives Influence Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of King Grass Silage
The microbiota in forage silage plays a pivotal role in determining the fermentation quality. Identifying effective microbial additives is essential to help forage producers refine their search for functional inoculants and to support farmers in adopting them for practical ensiling. This study inves...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Fermentation |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/5/264 |
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| author | Xianjun Lai Haiyan Wang Rui Peng Zihan Chen Yuxin Xiang Lang Yan |
| author_facet | Xianjun Lai Haiyan Wang Rui Peng Zihan Chen Yuxin Xiang Lang Yan |
| author_sort | Xianjun Lai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The microbiota in forage silage plays a pivotal role in determining the fermentation quality. Identifying effective microbial additives is essential to help forage producers refine their search for functional inoculants and to support farmers in adopting them for practical ensiling. This study investigated microbial and metabolomic dynamics in king grass silages treated with six commercial inoculants dominated by <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>-like species, <i>Bacillus velezensis</i>, and <i>Lactobacillus paraplantarum</i>. The fermentation characteristics, viable microbial diversity, and metabolite profiles were compared between treated and untreated silages using 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolic profiling via LC-QTOF-MS, integrated with multi-omics correlation analyses. Additive-treated silages showed improved fermentation quality, simplified bacterial correlation networks, and distinct microbial successions and interactions. A total of 1523 metabolites were detected, with 56–84 significantly altered in each treated group compared to the control. Metabolites with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cholesterol-lowering activities were more abundant in treated silages, especially organic acids, amino acids, and short-chain fatty acids. Inoculants distinctly influenced amino acid, energy, nucleotide, and vitamin metabolism during ensiling. This study advances our understanding of how commercial microbial additives reshape the bacterial community structure and function in silages and highlights promising lactic acid bacteria species contributing to silage quality through the production of bio-functional metabolites. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6b20c12e67c046eead8854b2fe5121fc |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2311-5637 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Fermentation |
| spelling | doaj-art-6b20c12e67c046eead8854b2fe5121fc2025-08-20T02:33:44ZengMDPI AGFermentation2311-56372025-05-0111526410.3390/fermentation11050264Different Commercial Microbial Additives Influence Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of King Grass SilageXianjun Lai0Haiyan Wang1Rui Peng2Zihan Chen3Yuxin Xiang4Lang Yan5Panxi Crops Research and Utilization Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Agriculture Science, Xichang University, Xichang 615013, ChinaSichuan Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaPanxi Crops Research and Utilization Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Agriculture Science, Xichang University, Xichang 615013, ChinaPanxi Crops Research and Utilization Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Agriculture Science, Xichang University, Xichang 615013, ChinaPanxi Crops Research and Utilization Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Agriculture Science, Xichang University, Xichang 615013, ChinaPanxi Crops Research and Utilization Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Agriculture Science, Xichang University, Xichang 615013, ChinaThe microbiota in forage silage plays a pivotal role in determining the fermentation quality. Identifying effective microbial additives is essential to help forage producers refine their search for functional inoculants and to support farmers in adopting them for practical ensiling. This study investigated microbial and metabolomic dynamics in king grass silages treated with six commercial inoculants dominated by <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>-like species, <i>Bacillus velezensis</i>, and <i>Lactobacillus paraplantarum</i>. The fermentation characteristics, viable microbial diversity, and metabolite profiles were compared between treated and untreated silages using 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolic profiling via LC-QTOF-MS, integrated with multi-omics correlation analyses. Additive-treated silages showed improved fermentation quality, simplified bacterial correlation networks, and distinct microbial successions and interactions. A total of 1523 metabolites were detected, with 56–84 significantly altered in each treated group compared to the control. Metabolites with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cholesterol-lowering activities were more abundant in treated silages, especially organic acids, amino acids, and short-chain fatty acids. Inoculants distinctly influenced amino acid, energy, nucleotide, and vitamin metabolism during ensiling. This study advances our understanding of how commercial microbial additives reshape the bacterial community structure and function in silages and highlights promising lactic acid bacteria species contributing to silage quality through the production of bio-functional metabolites.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/5/264king grasscommercial inoculantsfermentation qualitybacterial communitymetabolites |
| spellingShingle | Xianjun Lai Haiyan Wang Rui Peng Zihan Chen Yuxin Xiang Lang Yan Different Commercial Microbial Additives Influence Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of King Grass Silage Fermentation king grass commercial inoculants fermentation quality bacterial community metabolites |
| title | Different Commercial Microbial Additives Influence Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of King Grass Silage |
| title_full | Different Commercial Microbial Additives Influence Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of King Grass Silage |
| title_fullStr | Different Commercial Microbial Additives Influence Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of King Grass Silage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Different Commercial Microbial Additives Influence Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of King Grass Silage |
| title_short | Different Commercial Microbial Additives Influence Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of King Grass Silage |
| title_sort | different commercial microbial additives influence fermentation quality and microbial community of king grass silage |
| topic | king grass commercial inoculants fermentation quality bacterial community metabolites |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/5/264 |
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