Microbial Communities and Metabolites of Whole Crop Corn Silage Inoculated with Lentilactobacillus plantarum and Lentilactobacillus buchneri

Abstract

To investigate the effects of different types of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on aerobic stability, microbial community and metabolites of whole crop corn silage ensiled with Lentilactobacillus plantarum (LP) and Lentilactobacillus buchneri (LB) or not (CK), the fermentation parameters, aerobic stability, microbial community and metabolite differential components of whole crop corn silage were analyzed after ensiling for 8 months. The results showed that the pH of the whole treatment was lower than 4.2, which indicates good fermentation quality. Compared with the LP group, the LB group significantly improved the aerobic stability of whole crop corn silage (p < 0.05). The addition of LB and LP both increased the number of LAB and the relative abundance of Lentilactobacillus. Metabolite analysis results showed that 28 metabolites were significantly different between the LP and CK groups (p < 0.01), 15 metabolites were significantly different between the LB and CK groups (p < 0.01), and 17 metabolites were significantly different between the LP and LB groups (p < 0.01). The antioxidant metabolites 9-oxo-10(E), 12(E)-octadecadienoic acid and 9(Z),11(E),13(E)-octadecatrienoic acid ethyl ester in the LB group were significantly higher than those in the lp group (p < 0.01). Therefore, compared with LP, obligate heterofermentative LB is more beneficial to maintain the stability of whole crop corn silage after cellar opening.