Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota of Sheep Respond to Cotton Straw Fermented with Compound Probiotics

To develop cotton straw as a feed resource through biological fermentation, it was fermented using compound probiotics (<i>Bacillus subtilis</i>, <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, and <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>) and subsequently fed to sheep after the nutrients...

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Main Authors: Peiling Wei, Mingxuan Guan, Xuhui Liang, Kaixin Yuan, Ning Chen, Yuxin Yang, Ping Gong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Fermentation
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/5/244
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author Peiling Wei
Mingxuan Guan
Xuhui Liang
Kaixin Yuan
Ning Chen
Yuxin Yang
Ping Gong
author_facet Peiling Wei
Mingxuan Guan
Xuhui Liang
Kaixin Yuan
Ning Chen
Yuxin Yang
Ping Gong
author_sort Peiling Wei
collection DOAJ
description To develop cotton straw as a feed resource through biological fermentation, it was fermented using compound probiotics (<i>Bacillus subtilis</i>, <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, and <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>) and subsequently fed to sheep after the nutrients and hygienic indices of the fermented cotton straw (FCS) were analyzed. Sixty sheep were randomly assigned to five groups: a control group (CON); a low-proportion fermented cotton straw group (LFC, with FCS comprising 14.5% of the diet); a high-proportion fermented cotton straw group (HFC, with FCS comprising 29.0% of the diet); a compound microbial group (MIC, containing <i>Bacillus licheniformis</i>, <i>Bacillus subtilis</i>, and yeast); and a microbial-enzymatic preparation group (MEY, containing compound probiotics and enzymes such as cellulase, xylanase, β-glucanase, amylase, and protease). The trial lasted seven weeks and was divided into two stages: stage 1 (weeks 1–4, days 1–28) and stage 2 (weeks 5–7, days 29–49). Body weight and daily feed intake were registered, and blood and rumen fluid samples were obtained at day 28 and day 49 of the feeding trial. Fermentation significantly increased the crude protein content of cotton straw while reducing neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Additionally, fermentation reduced the residues of aflatoxin B1, vomitoxin, zearalenone, and free gossypol in the treatment groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05). LFC possessed the lowest value of feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) among all groups. Serum indices related to antioxidant capacity and utilization of fat and protein increased in the treatment group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Rumen microbiota were separated between different groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05). LFC and HFC enhanced the abundance of Prevotella. These findings could provide conclusions that fermented cotton straw has the tendency to enhance the growth performance of sheep by increasing the abundance of bacteria related to utilization of protein, carbohydrate, and other nutrients such as <i>Prevotella</i>, in which the LFC group has the best fast-fattening (about 50 d) effect.
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series Fermentation
spelling doaj-art-cee7daed4fd147fd908c6db34250cb782025-08-20T01:56:24ZengMDPI AGFermentation2311-56372025-04-0111524410.3390/fermentation11050244Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota of Sheep Respond to Cotton Straw Fermented with Compound ProbioticsPeiling Wei0Mingxuan Guan1Xuhui Liang2Kaixin Yuan3Ning Chen4Yuxin Yang5Ping Gong6Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830057, ChinaXinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830057, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaInstitute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi 832000, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaXinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830057, ChinaTo develop cotton straw as a feed resource through biological fermentation, it was fermented using compound probiotics (<i>Bacillus subtilis</i>, <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, and <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>) and subsequently fed to sheep after the nutrients and hygienic indices of the fermented cotton straw (FCS) were analyzed. Sixty sheep were randomly assigned to five groups: a control group (CON); a low-proportion fermented cotton straw group (LFC, with FCS comprising 14.5% of the diet); a high-proportion fermented cotton straw group (HFC, with FCS comprising 29.0% of the diet); a compound microbial group (MIC, containing <i>Bacillus licheniformis</i>, <i>Bacillus subtilis</i>, and yeast); and a microbial-enzymatic preparation group (MEY, containing compound probiotics and enzymes such as cellulase, xylanase, β-glucanase, amylase, and protease). The trial lasted seven weeks and was divided into two stages: stage 1 (weeks 1–4, days 1–28) and stage 2 (weeks 5–7, days 29–49). Body weight and daily feed intake were registered, and blood and rumen fluid samples were obtained at day 28 and day 49 of the feeding trial. Fermentation significantly increased the crude protein content of cotton straw while reducing neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Additionally, fermentation reduced the residues of aflatoxin B1, vomitoxin, zearalenone, and free gossypol in the treatment groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05). LFC possessed the lowest value of feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) among all groups. Serum indices related to antioxidant capacity and utilization of fat and protein increased in the treatment group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Rumen microbiota were separated between different groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05). LFC and HFC enhanced the abundance of Prevotella. These findings could provide conclusions that fermented cotton straw has the tendency to enhance the growth performance of sheep by increasing the abundance of bacteria related to utilization of protein, carbohydrate, and other nutrients such as <i>Prevotella</i>, in which the LFC group has the best fast-fattening (about 50 d) effect.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/5/244biological fermentationcotton strawsheepprobiotics
spellingShingle Peiling Wei
Mingxuan Guan
Xuhui Liang
Kaixin Yuan
Ning Chen
Yuxin Yang
Ping Gong
Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota of Sheep Respond to Cotton Straw Fermented with Compound Probiotics
Fermentation
biological fermentation
cotton straw
sheep
probiotics
title Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota of Sheep Respond to Cotton Straw Fermented with Compound Probiotics
title_full Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota of Sheep Respond to Cotton Straw Fermented with Compound Probiotics
title_fullStr Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota of Sheep Respond to Cotton Straw Fermented with Compound Probiotics
title_full_unstemmed Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota of Sheep Respond to Cotton Straw Fermented with Compound Probiotics
title_short Growth Performance and Rumen Microbiota of Sheep Respond to Cotton Straw Fermented with Compound Probiotics
title_sort growth performance and rumen microbiota of sheep respond to cotton straw fermented with compound probiotics
topic biological fermentation
cotton straw
sheep
probiotics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/5/244
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AT xuhuiliang growthperformanceandrumenmicrobiotaofsheeprespondtocottonstrawfermentedwithcompoundprobiotics
AT kaixinyuan growthperformanceandrumenmicrobiotaofsheeprespondtocottonstrawfermentedwithcompoundprobiotics
AT ningchen growthperformanceandrumenmicrobiotaofsheeprespondtocottonstrawfermentedwithcompoundprobiotics
AT yuxinyang growthperformanceandrumenmicrobiotaofsheeprespondtocottonstrawfermentedwithcompoundprobiotics
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