Effect of Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) Pellets on Rumen Microbiome and Histopathology in Lambs Exposed to Gastrointestinal Nematodes

Daniel Petrič,Marián Várady,Malgorzata Szumacher-Strabel,Svetlana Kišidayová,Anna Łukomska,Michaela Komáromyová,Zora Váradyová,Sylwester Ślusarczyk,Dominika Batťányi,Adam Cieślak,Martyna Kozłowska,Weronika Filipiak

doi:10.3390/agriculture12020301

Abstract

Our study analyzed the ruminal fermentation and microbiome, hematological profile, and abomasal histopathology of lambs experimentally infected with a gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) and fed sainfoin pellets (SFPs; 600 g DM/d/animal) for 14 d. Twenty-four lambs infected with Haemonchus contortus were divided into two separated groups: animals fed meadow hay (control) and animals fed SFPs. The ruminal contents, fermentation parameters, and microbiome in vitro and in vivo were determined using molecular and microscopic techniques. Ruminal contents in the SFP group indicated smaller populations of Archaea (p < 0.001), Methanomicrobiales (p = 0.009), and lower methane concentrations in vitro (p = 0.046) and in vivo (p = 0.030) than the control group. The relative abundance of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens quantified by real-time PCR was higher in the lambs with the SFP diet (p = 0.05). Haemonchosis affected the number of red blood cells of the lambs (p < 0.001). The lambs in the SFP group had a higher percentage of damaged abomasa glands than did the control group (p = 0.004). The consumption of SFPs by GIN-infected lambs may affect ruminal methanogens and subsequently decrease methane emission without undesirable changes in the ruminal microbiome or the health of the animals.

Highlights

Parasitic infection in ruminants, mainly by gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs), influences the intensity of emissions of greenhouse gases and substantially increases the yield of methane emission compared to uninfected animals [1,2]
Our aim was to (1) identify the main flavonoids and phenolic compounds of the sainfoin pellets (SFPs) and (2) determine the ruminal fermentation and microbiome, hematological profile, and histopathology of the abomasum of lambs infected with GINs during consumption of
The phytochemical substances in the SFPs consisted of 32.56 g/kg dry matter (DM) flavonoids, 4.68 g/kg DM phenolics, and 0.37 g/kg DM others

Summary

Introduction

Mainly by gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs), influences the intensity of emissions of greenhouse gases and substantially increases the yield of methane emission compared to uninfected animals [1,2]. Between diet and the microbes because the microbiome plays a crucial functional role in nitrogen use, fermentation, and methane concentration [5]. Plant bioactive components such as flavonoids and condensed tannins (CTs) in feeds have the potential to reduce environmental methane pollution from ruminants by complex bioactivity occurring simultaneously in plants and animals [6]. The main bioactive components in the tanniferous legume sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) are flavonoids and CTs formed by the polymerization of flavan-3-ols, with high proportions of prodelphinidins (70%) and procyanidins (30%) [7]. Tanniferous forages are rich in prodelphinidins, have higher antiparasitic activity, and have the effect of reducing methane emissions [8,9,10]

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