Abstract
In this study, an experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of lactic acid bacteria and 3-phenyllactic acid (PLA) on the fermentation quality and chemical composition of alfalfa silage. Several PLA-tolerant strains were screened from silages and identified. The selected strains (1 × 106 colony forming units/g fresh alfalfa) and PLA (1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 g/kg) were applied to alfalfa before ensiling. After 45 days of storage, the silages were unsealed and subjected to component analysis. Biochemical methods and 16S rDNA gene sequencing were used for the identification of the two strains as Lactobacillus plantarum. The characteristics of chemical and fermentation compounds indicated that PLA and the two strains efficiently improved the quality of the alfalfa silage. It can be concluded that the use of the strains and PLA can significantly improve the quality of silage.
Highlights
Alfalfa silage is a rough feed commonly used for ruminants because it is nutritious
phenyllactic acid (PLA) was detected in silages, and its presence might relate to LAB [20]
Xu et al reported that the content of PLA in silage was probably produced by L. acetotolerans and positively correlated with L. plantarum [20]
Summary
During the process of wilting and storage, some of the proteins in alfalfa silage break down to nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), resulting in poor nitrogen utilization by ruminants [1]. To obtain high-quality alfalfa silage, a variety of additives are added during the process of making silage, such as lactic acid bacteria, propionic acid, formic acid, cellulase, tannin, and benzoic acid [2,3,4,5]. The addition of these additives improves the feeding value and improves the stability of the alfalfa silage
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