Lespedeza Cuneata Research Articles

Inclusion of a tannin-rich legume in the diet of beef steers reduces greenhouse gas emissions from their excreta

The objectives of this study were to determine the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as the isotopic composition of N2O from excreta of beef steers fed ‘AU Grazer’ sericea lespedeza hay [SL; Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don]. Fifteen Brahman × Angus crossbred steers were fed one of three experimental diets: 0, 50, or 100% inclusion of SL into ‘Tifton 85’ bermudagrass hay (Cynodon spp.). Gas sampling occurred on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 18, 25, and 32 after urine or feces application to static chambers for two experimental periods. Effect of the day after feces application (P < 0.001), while day × inclusion of SL interaction was observed in urine (P < 0.001) for all greenhouse gases (GHG) analyzed. Peaks of emission of all GHG in urine and feces occurred in the first days (P < 0.001), with days 3 and 5 being most depleted in 15N-N2O in feces, and days 3, 5, and 7, in urine (P < 0.001). Feeding SL to beef steers was effective in mitigating the emission of GHG from the excreta, but further research is necessary to investigate the mechanisms behind the reductions.

Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Sericea Lespedeza Hay on Feed Intake, Digestion, Nutrient Utilization, Growth Performance, and Ruminal Fermentation and Methane Emission of Alpine Doelings and Katahdin Ewe Lambs.

Simple SummaryRuminants contribute to global greenhouse gas production, mainly through enteric methane emission (EME). Different dietary strategies have been explored to mitigate EME, including the use of forages rich in tannins that inhibit methanogenic activity in the rumen. Feeding the condensed tannin-containing forage Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) has reduced EME by small ruminants in previous studies. In the present experiment, the digestion of fiber, and in particular of nitrogen, decreased as the concentration of lespedeza increased. Similar metabolizable energy intake and retained energy among diets suggests that decreasing digested nitrogen intake and protein status were responsible for marked declines in growth performance as the dietary amount of lespedeza increased. In contrast to many other reports, the dietary concentration of lespedeza did not affect EME by goats or sheep under these feeding conditions.Twenty-four Alpine doelings, initial 25.3 ± 0.55 kg body weight (BW) and 10.4 ± 0.11 mo of age, and 24 Katahdin ewe lambs, 28.3 ± 1.02 kg BW and 9.6 ± 0.04 mo of age, were used to determine effects of dietary inclusion of Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) hay on feed intake, digestion, growth performance, energy metabolism, and ruminal fermentation and methane emission. There were four periods, the first three 42 days in length and the fourth 47 days. Diets consumed ad libitum contained 75% coarsely ground hay with alfalfa (ALF), a 1:1 mixture of ALF and LES (ALF+LES), and LES (10.0% condensed tannins; CT). The intake of dry matter (DM) tended to be greater (p = 0.063) for Katahdin than for Alpine (4.14 vs. 3.84% BW; SEM = 0.110). The dry matter intake was similar among the diets (3.97, 4.10, and 3.89% BW for ALF, ALF+LES, and LES, respectively; SEM = 0.134). The digestion of organic matter (75.3, 69.3, and 65.5%; SEM = 0.86), neutral detergent fiber (61.7, 50.5, and 41.4%; SEM = 1.49), and nitrogen (78.8, 66.9, and 50.8% for ALF, ALF+LES, and LES, respectively; SEM = 0.92) decreased as the dietary concentration of lespedeza increased (p < 0.05). However, there was an interaction (p < 0.05) between the breed and diet in nitrogen digestion, with a greater value for goats vs. sheep with LES (54.4 vs. 47.3%; SEM = 1.30). The digested nitrogen intake decreased markedly with the increasing quantity of lespedeza (38.0, 27.5, and 15.7 g/day for ALF, ALF+LES, and LES, respectively; SEM = 1.26). The average daily gain was greater for Katahdin than for Alpine (p < 0.001; 180 vs. 88 g, SEM = 5.0) and ranked (p < 0.05) ALF > ALF+LES > LES (159, 132, and 111 g, respectively; SEM = 6.1). The ruminal methane emission differed (p < 0.05) between animal types in MJ/day (1.17 and 1.44), kJ/g DM intake (1.39 and 1.23), and kJ/g ADG (18.1 and 9.8 for Alpine and Katahdin, respectively). Regardless of the period and animal type, diet did not impact methane emission in MJ/day or relative to DM intake, BW, or ADG (p > 0.05). The digestible and metabolizable energy intakes, heat production, and retained energy were not affected by diet (p > 0.05). In conclusion, future research should consider the marked potential effect of CT of forages such as lespedeza on nitrogen digestion and associated effects on protein status and other conditions that may be impacted.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Lespedeza buergeri Miq. (Fabaceae)

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Lespedeza buergeri is presented in this report. It is 149,065 bp in length and divided into four distinct regions: a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,934 bp, a large single copy (LSC) region of 82,476 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat regions of 23,826 bp. The annotation of the L. buergeri complete chloroplast genome predicted a total of 123 genes (77 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes). Phylogenetic analysis with the reported chloroplast genomes revealed that L. buergeri is nested in the genus Lespedeza of Fabaceae family. Furthermore, L. buergeri exhibited a close relationship with Lespedeza bicolor and Lespedeza cuneata. This results in this study might contribute to further investigating the evolutionary relationship of family Fabaceae.

Adding dried distillers grains with solubles influences the rumen microbiome of meat goats fed lespedeza or alfalfa-based diets

We evaluated the effect of replacement of corn and soybean meal (SBM) with dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) in sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa)-based diets on ruminal fermentation and bacterial community of growing meat goats. Thirty-six male Spanish growing meat goats with an average body weight of 24 ± 1.8 kg were stratified by body weight and assigned to four isonitrogenous (crude protein = 17.1 ± 0.1%) and isocaloric (3.2 ± 0.09 Mcal/ kg DM) diets for 60 d in a randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The dietary treatments were (1) alfalfa-based diet (ALC), (2) alfalfa + DDGS (ALD; replacement of corn and SBM with DDGS), (3) SL-based diet (SLC) and (4) SL + DDGS (SLD; replacement of corn and SBM with DDGS). The goats were slaughtered, and rumen contents were immediately sampled for 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and rumen fermentation analysis. The analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) were respectively used to detect microbial community shift and differentially abundant taxa among treatments. Addition of DDGS increased (P < 0.05) rumen acetate concentrations in both alfalfa and lespedeza-based diets. However, dietary DDGS reduced (P < 0.05) butyrate and ammonia nitrogen concentrations, compared to alfalfa and SL-based diets. The ANOSIM results revealed a shift in the bacterial community between ALC and ALD (R = 0.251; P = 0.01) and between SLC and SLD (R = 0.289; P = 0.001). The LEfSe analysis revealed that the relative abundance of 7 taxa, including Ruminococcaceae UCG 002, Succinivibrionaceae UCG 002, Prevotellaceae YAB2003, and Lachnospiraceae UCG 010 were reduced (LDA > 2; P < 0.05) while 38 taxa were enriched (LDA > 2; P < 0.05) in ALD compared to ALC. Similarly, the relative abundance of 31 taxa, including Ruminococcus YE281, Succinivibrio, and Lachnospiraceae ND3007 were reduced, while 35 taxa were enriched (LDA > 2; P < 0.05) in SLD compared to SLC. In conclusion, this study showed that regardless of the forage type, inclusion of DDGS in diet modulates the relative population of both fibrolytic and butyrate-producing bacteria in meat goats.

Ecological service‐learning positively impacts classroom climate and empowers undergraduates for environmental action

AbstractService‐learning (SL) is a type of participatory action‐oriented, experiential learning that connects course content with a need in the community. This type of learning is particularly well suited to environmentally themed courses as student action can have a positive impact on the environment while developing students' conservation ethics and “soft skills” required for many conservation jobs. SL was incorporated into one of two sections of an existing, junior‐level elective course in plant biology. As a service activity, undergraduates participated in the removal of an invasive species (Lespedeza cuneata) along a local greenway. We asked whether students who participated in a modest amount of SL demonstrated greater knowledge of plant biology, stronger connections to their class community, and increased self‐efficacy for environmental action than students who do not participate in SL. Data on student content knowledge, perceptions of classroom climate, and views of one's ability to positively impact the environment were collected through surveys given at the beginning and end of the semester. Instructor‐generated content questions and two published, validated surveys—the Connected Classroom Climate Inventory and Self‐Efficacy for Environmental Action scale—were used. We found that SL students showed a slightly increased sense of community with their peers, which has been found to have positive effects on learning, but not an increased perception of their own ability to be an agent of social change. In addition, SL provided an ecological benefit, assisted the local community, and created a positive example of university students giving back to the city.

Evaluation of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) to Improve Animal Performance in a Tall Fescue-Based Grazing System

Tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceous (Schreb.) Dumort. nom. cons. Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.] is the dominant pasture grass across much of the southeast of the USA. The species is productive, but grows slowly in summer. Plants also harbor an endophytic fungus (Epichloe coenophiala), which produces alkaloids that are toxic to cattle. Adding summer-productive forages to fescue-based systems may benefit animal production by providing extra herbage and diluting fescue toxins. A three-year study was conducted in Virginia, USA to determine animal and vegetation responses when alfalfa (Medicago sativa) or Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don) swards were established into tall fescue pastures. Average daily gain (ADG) of steers and seasonal herbage mass dynamics were monitored from 2016 to 2018. Forage and weed species composition measurements were collected to address a secondary objective that sericea might suppress weeds through allelopathy. Steer performance was acceptable (0.73 kg d−1 ADG), but interseeded legumes did not improve weight gain. Steers avoided sericea plants, and this resulted in greater herbage mass accumulation in summer compared with other treatments. Alfalfa was selectively grazed and cover decreased to almost zero by year 3, while sericea cover increased to over 82%. We found little evidence that sericea was allelopathic against weeds. Neither summer-productive legume species proved to be satisfactory in improving summer animal performance in this tall fescue-based grazing system.

Supplementation of Oilseeds to an Herbage Diet High in Condensed Tannins Affects Methane Production with Minimal Impact on Ruminal Fermentation in Continuous Culture

Condensed tannins (CT) have been observed to reduce enteric CH4 production when added to ruminant diets. However, high concentrations of CT in forages such as sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don) may depress nutrient digestibility. Oilseed crops, high in lipid concentration, also reduce enteric CH4 via toxicity to methanogenic bacteria with less depression of nutrient digestibility. However, it is unclear whether combining these two feeds would result in even greater decreases in CH4 without impairing ruminal fermentation. This study used an in vitro continuous culture fermentor system to determine if supplementation of ground oilseeds would further reduce enteric CH4 production while improving nutrient digestibility of high-CT forages. The experimental design was a 4 × 4 Latin square, with four diets containing (dry matter basis) 45% orchardgrass (OCH; Dactylis glomerata L.), 45% sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don), and 10% oilseed supplements, using canola (CAN; Brassica napus L.), soybean (SOY; Glycine max L.), sunflower (SUN; Helianthus annuus L.), or a mix of all three species (MIX; in equal proportions). Fermentors were fed 82 g of dry matter/d in four equal feedings over four 10 d periods. Methane was recorded every 10 min, and effluent samples were analyzed for pH, volatile fatty acids, dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber to determine apparent and true nutrient digestibilities. The CAN, SUN, and MIX diets had greater concentrations of crude fat (7–8 g/kg) than the SOY diet (5.7 g/kg), which contributed to the greater reduction in enteric CH4 production in those diets (13–27 mg/d) compared to the SOY diet (84 mg/d). Apparent and true nutrient digestibilities were not affected by the addition of ground oilseeds. While N intake increased concomitant with crude protein increases in the diets, there were no additional effects on N flows. While supplementing a high-CT diet with any of the three oilseeds (canola, soybean, sunflower, or a mixture of the three oilseeds) reduced total CH4 emission without depressing nutrient digestibility, canola and mixes containing canola were most effective. Further research is needed in vivo to evaluate whether these results translate to greater feed efficiency and animal production.

Invasion of a non‐native forb reduces flammability in a fire‐dependent ecosystem

AbstractFire and grazing are two of the most common global disturbances that maintain and promote many grassland ecosystems worldwide. The presence of non‐native, invasive plant species can alter fire regimes through changes in fuel properties that affect native vegetation in many ecosystems and are a leading threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), a non‐native, invasive forb frequently present in many North American tallgrass prairies, may reduce flammability by altering the fuel bed moisture and structural characteristics to reduce fire in this fire‐dependent ecosystem. The goal of this research was to examine the influence of sericea lespedeza on fuel bed structure, moisture, and flammability compared to native grassland fuels. Fuel bed burning trials, conducted in a controlled laboratory setting, tested for the effect of fuel load mass of native grass and sericea lespedeza litter, proportion of sericea fuel load, and fuel moisture content on flammability metrics. Regardless of moisture content, sericea lespedeza reduced flammability and reduced maximum fire temperatures by as much as 500°C. Sericea lespedeza poses a major threat to North American tallgrass prairies by decreasing flammability of fuel beds through increased fuel bed density and moisture retention.

Health Benefits of Avicularin in the Medicine Against Cancerous Disorders and other Complications: Biological Importance, Therapeutic Benefit and Analytical Aspects

Background: Herbal drugs and their derived phytochemicals have been used in medicine for the preparation of different types of pharmaceutical products. Pure phytochemicals including flavonoids, alkaloids and terpenoids have been used in medicine for the treatment of different types of human disorders including cancerous disorders. Flavonoids have been well known in medicine for their anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-aging and cardioprotective potential. Avicularin, also called quercetin-3-α-l-arabino furanoside, is a pure flavonoid, a class of phytochemicals, found to be present in Lindera erythrocarpa and Lespedeza cuneata. Avicularin has been well known in medicine for its anti-cancer properties. Methods: In the present work, scientific data of avicularin have been collected from different databases such as Google, PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar and Scopus and summarized with reference to medicinal importance, pharmacological activities and analytical aspects of avicularin. The present review summarized the health beneficial properties of avicularin in medicine through data analysis of various scientific research works. Further analytical progress in medicine for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of avicularin in medicine has been also discussed in the present work. Results: Scientific data analysis of different literature work revealed the biological importance of flavonoid class of phytochemical ‘avicularin’ in medicine. Scientific data analysis revealed that avicularin was found to be present in the Lindera erythrocarpa, Lespedeza cuneata, Rhododendron schlipenbachii and Psidium guajava. Avicularin has been well known in medicine for its anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor and hepatoprotective activities. Avicularin protects cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and induces cytotoxicity in cancer lines and tumor tissues. Avicularin has positive influence on human hepatocellular carcinoma and inhibits intracellular lipid accumulation. The role of avicularin in rheumatoid arthritis has been also established with its underlying molecular mechanisms in the scientific work. Recent interest in avicularin has focused on pharmacological investigations for its anti-cancer activity in the medicine. Conclusion: The present work signified the biological importance of avicularin in medicine through its medicinal uses, pharmacological activities and analytical aspects in the biological system.

Mapping invasive alien species in grassland ecosystems using airborne imaging spectroscopy and remotely observable vegetation functional traits

Lespedeza cuneata (sericea lespedeza; hereafter “sericea”) is an invasive species brought to the U.S. from East Asia in the 1890s to be used as forage. However, it has now become a growing ecological and economic threat in grasslands of several states in the U.S. southern Great Plains including Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Here, we demonstrate the capability of airborne imaging spectroscopy to map sericea in a large natural grassland within the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, the largest protected tallgrass prairie in the world, located in northeastern Oklahoma. Through this research, we investigated which remotely observable vegetation functional traits (referring to biochemical, physiological, and structural traits) contribute to distinguishing sericea from co-occurring native species and whether we can detect sericea remotely through quantifying these functional traits using imaging spectroscopic data (also known as hyperspectral data). To achieve these objectives, full-range airborne hyperspectral data with spatial resolution of 1 m were collected from the study area in August 2020. In addition, a total of 12 vegetation functional traits were measured through field sampling for model development. We first identified functional traits that contributed to separating sericea from other species, and then used them in a classification model to detect sericea in our study site. We found total carotenoids (sum of neoxanthin, violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, zeaxanthin, and lutein), chlorophyll a + b (sum of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b), total nitrogen, canopy height, potassium, and magnesium as the main functional traits contributing to the detection of sericea; an overall classification accuracy of approximately 94% was reported. However, the proposed approach overestimated sericea cover in species-rich plant communities. Overall, our findings demonstrated an essential role for airborne remote sensing in 1) direct mapping of invasive plants and 2) quantifying functional traits associated with success strategies of invasive species. Eventually, experiments like ours can aid in developing large-scale and science-driven management practices to both identify the current extent, and to control the spread of invasive species in grasslands and similar short-stature environments. This will not only improve management practices but will have major societal and economic benefits.

Efficacy of a Preemergence Herbicide Following Postemergence Control to Reduce Sericea Lespedeza in Old Fields Managed for Northern Bobwhite

Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata; hereafter, sericea) is a nonnative forb that commonly invades sites managed for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite). Sericea can reduce habitat quality for bobwhite as it outcompetes native plants that provide forage and cover. Bobwhite eat sericea seed, but seed are relatively indigestible and may limit nutrition intake and reduce the fecundity rate. Postemergence herbicides, including glyphosate, triclopyr, and fluroxypyr+triclopyr, control standing sericea, but do not provide preemergence control, which would increase long-term control because sericea annually produces large amounts of hard seed with high dormancy rates. Imazapic is labeled to provide preemergence control, but no study has evaluated preemergence applications of imazapic following postemergence herbicides to control sericea and promote native plants important for bobwhite. Additionally, data evaluating various rates of imazapic to control sericea are lacking. We currently are evaluating the efficacy of glyphosate and fluroxypyr+triclopyr, applied alone post-emergence and in conjunction with 3 preemergence rates of imazapic, to reduce coverage of sericea at 4 sites in Tennessee and Alabama, USA. We split each site into 8 treatment units and control and assigned the following treatments: glyphosate, fluroxypyr+triclopyr, glyphosate with 48, 96, and 144 ml/ha (4, 8, and 12 oz/acre) imazapic, and fluroxypyr+triclopyr with 48, 96, and 144 ml/ha imazapic. We applied 767 ml/ha (2 qt/acre) glyphosate and 192 ml/ha (16 oz/acre) fluroxypyr+triclopyr in August 2018 to control established sericea. We measured coverage of native forbs, native grasses, and sericea during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons to determine the efficacy of treatments on sericea and the native plant community. Both glyphosate and fluroxypyr+triclopyr reduced sericea coverage 1 and 2 growing seasons following treatment, but we documented no difference in reduction of sericea coverage between postemergence treatments. We will apply imazapic in March 2021 at 3 different rates to determine whether a preemergence application improves sericea control. Our results on the effectiveness of a preemergence application after postemergence applications should provide valuable information to managers trying to control sericea on lands managed for bobwhite.

Managing an Invasive Species While Simultaneously Conserving Native Plant Diversity

Management for invasive species is usually done with the intent of maintaining or enhancing one or several ecosystem services. On rangeland landscapes, management is often focused on provisioning services (e.g., livestock) but can also include maintaining biodiversity. Rangeland landscapes are often large and complex, suggesting understanding the invasion and management efforts is best done at multiple scales. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata [Dum.-Cours] G. Don) management practices on two study areas that were focused on managing livestock and promoting biodiversity simultaneously. At one study area, an experiment containing 134 different prescribed fires was evaluated for 19 yrs comparing pyric herbivory with traditional rangeland management with fire and grazing on sericea lespedeza invasion. The second area had a 21-yr observational study across 16 000 ha with 541 different prescribed burns and on the effects of pyric herbivory and herbicide applications on sericea lespedeza. We found support that pyric herbivory with cattle (Bos spp.) or bison (Bos bison) contributed to long-term invasion mitigation for sericea lespedeza, whereas we found no support that other management practices added to the mitigation provided by pyric herbivory. We found no support for a season of fire effect and/or herbicide control. These practices only provided short-term sericea management (1 yr). Pyric herbivory remains the only viable management action that can reduce the rate of invasion and use this invasive forage legume for livestock production at actual management scales. This study demonstrates the importance of developing large-scale studies of realistic treatments that integrate practices such as fire, grazing, and herbicides to understand the effects of invasion and control efforts on rangelands with multiple objectives.

Phytochemical Constituents Identified from the Aerial Parts of Lespedeza cuneata and Their Effects on Lipid Metabolism during Adipocyte Maturation

Lespedeza cuneata, belonging to Fabaceae, is well-known as Chinese bushclover, and it has been used in traditional folk medicines for the treatment of disorders, such as diabetes, hematuria, and insomnia. As part of continuing research projects to discover interesting natural compounds with biological activities from Korean medicinal plants, the phytochemical investigation of L. cuneata resulted in the isolation of five chemical constituents: α-tocopherol (1), 7a-methoxy-α-tocopherol (2), 13(R)-hydroxy-octadeca-(9Z,11E,15Z)-trien-oic acid (3), α-dimorphecolic acid (4), and lupeol (5). The structural determination of the isolated compounds was elucidated from data gathered through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Until now, this study is the first to report these five compounds from the plant L. cuneata. Moreover, these isolated compounds (1–5) were evaluated for their anti-adipogenesis effects and their role in lipid metabolism during adipocyte maturation. As a result, the upregulation of mRNA expression levels of Fabp4 from 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes treated with compounds 3 and 4 demonstrated that these compounds efficiently induced adipocyte differentiation. Furthermore, compounds 3 and 4 were found to regulate lipid metabolism by the induction of lipolytic and of lipogenic gene expressions. Therefore, experimental data from these findings supported that the compounds 3 and 4 induce the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes and regulate lipid metabolism.

Effects of an array of dietary treatments and length of feeding on ruminal methane emission and other variables in hair sheep

Eighteen Katahdin sheep ewes (initial body weight [BW] = 73.7 ± 1.76 kg and age = 5.2 ± 0.56 yr) and 18 St. Croix ewes (54.7 ± 1.33 kg BW and 4.1 ± 0.42 yr) were used in an experiment to determine effects of dietary level of Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata; 5.8% condensed tannins and 10.3 % crude protein, dry matter [DM] basis) and other supplemental ingredients on BW, feed intake, digestion, energy metabolism, ruminal methane emission, and levels of blood and ruminal fluid constituents. Diets were consumed ad libitum and included a concentrate supplement at approximately 0.45 % BW (DM). Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) was the basal forage for control (CON), ionophore (ION; lasalocid at 33 mg/kg DM), coconut oil (3%; CCO), and soybean oil (3%; SBO) diets, and forage in moderate- and high-lespedeza diets was a 1:1 mixture of alfalfa and lespedeza and all lespedeza, respectively (ALF:LES and LES, respectively). There were four 6-wk periods, with digestion assessed in wk 4 and measures with a respiration calorimetry system in wk 5. Although there was a three-way interaction involving dietary treatment, breed, and period, average forage intake was greater for LES than for CON, ION, CCO, SBO (P < 0.05), and ALF:LES (P = 0.062; 988, 1072, 1265, 987, 951, and 1057 g/day for CON, ALF:LES, LES, ION, CCO, and SBO, respectively; standard error of the mean [SEM] = 69.4). Dietary level of lespedeza had marked effects (P < 0.05) on digestion of organic matter [OM] (69.2, 57.6, 50.3, 66.3, 66.0, and 68.7 %; SEM = 1.57) and nitrogen (78.3, 65.3, 46.8, 71.4, 73.9, and 75.7 %; SEM = 1.81), with digestible OM intake numerically lower (P > 0.05) for diets with lespedeza and for ION (697, 607, 589, 598, 635, and 690 g/day for CON, ALF:LES, LES, ION, CCO, and SBO, respectively; SEM = 50.4). There was a treatment by period interaction (P < 0.05) in ruminal methane emission relative to digestible energy intake, but overall, emission was greatest among treatments (P < 0.05) for CON (12.33, 9.92, 10.24, 10.41, 8.91, and 8.66 % for CON, ALF:LES, LES, ION, CCO, and SBO, respectively; SEM = 0.730). Average daily gain (ADG) was greatest among treatments (P < 0.05) for SBO (54, 28, 18, 40, 56, and 98 g; SEM = 13.2). Many findings are not closely aligned with those of previous studies with goats. For example, effects of lespedeza on feed intake and ruminal methane emission were greater in the first than second half of the experiment, though interactions observed could not be clearly attributed to factors such as microbial adaptation. The effect of the SBO diet on ADG with the alfalfa-based diet deserves future research attention.

PSXII-27 Effects of Sericea lespedeza on methane emission and health status in grazing Boer goat wethers

Abstract The objective was to determine effects of feeding 12 yearling Boer goat wethers Sericea lespedeza as supplemental pellets or grazed forage on ruminal methane emission and health status compared with grazing grass-based pasture and supplemental forage-concentrate pellets. There were 4 5-wk periods in the late spring and summer. Periods 1–3 were on a 0.7-ha native grass pasture and period 4 was on a 1.1-ha pasture of Sericea lespedeza. A forage-concentrate pellet was supplemented in period 1 (CON1), 3 (CON2), and 4 (SL-P), and pelleted Sericea lespedeza (Sims Brothers Inc., Union Springs, AL) was given in period 2 (SL-S). Pellets were supplemented and ruminal methane emission was measured with a small ruminant GreenFeed unit (C-Lock, Rapid City, SD). Pellets were dispensed up to 30 times daily, with 6 sessions of 5-9-g bait drops and a 2.5-h session interval. Body weight at the end of periods generally increased as period advanced (35.7, 38.8, 37.9 and 41.1 kg for CON1, SL-S, CON2, and SL-P, respectively; SEM=1.08). Sericea lespedeza decreased methane emission (P &amp;lt; 0.05), with pasture grazing having greater effect than pellet supplementation (43.7, 36.2, 40.9, and 32.5 g/d for CON1, SL-S, CON2, and SL-P, respectively; SEM=0.84). Likewise, SL consumption decreased FAMACHA score (P &amp;lt; 0.05), with a similar effect for both SL forms (3.28, 2.95, 3.21, and 2.86 for CON1, SL-S, CON2, and SL-P, respectively; SEM=0.061). Body condition score was similar among periods (2.65, 2.64, 2.68, and 2.67 for CON1, SL-S, CON2, and SL-P, respectively; SEM=0.022). In conclusion, the effect of consumption of SL on methane emission probably relates to condensed tannins and greater impact of SL-P could involve a higher dietary level. Similarly, inclusion of SL in meat goat diets has potential to decrease the parasite load and thereby improve health status, also presumably because of bioactive condensed tannins.

High-Condensed Tannin Diet and Transportation Stress in Goats: Effects on Physiological Responses, Gut Microbial Counts and Meat Quality.

Simple SummaryPreslaughter management of goats can affect their welfare and productivity, as well as the resultant product quality. Inclusion of high-condensed tannin ingredients in the diet and minimizing stress can improve meat quality and safety in goats. This study was conducted to determine the effects of transportation stress and sericea lespedeza hay diet on physiological responses, gastrointestinal microbial populations, and meat quality in Spanish goats. Although transportation stress influenced physiological responses, it did not influence muscle pH, which is an important variable that affects the eating quality of meat. Sericea improved anti-inflammatory property and decreased microbial counts in the rumen and rectum of goats. There is evidence that feeding high-condensed tannin diet could be beneficial in meat goat production.Feeding condensed tannin (CT)-containing diets such as sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) and reducing stress have been reported to improve meat quality and food safety in goats. In a completely randomized design with split-plot, thirty-six uncastrated male Spanish goats were assigned to 3 dietary treatments (n = 12/treatment): ground ‘Serala’ sericea lespedeza hay (SER), bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay (BG), or bermudagrass hay—dewormed goats (BG-DW; Control) at 75% of intake, with a corn-based supplementation (25%) for 8 weeks. Prior to slaughter, goats were either transported for 90 min to impose stress or held in pens. Basophil counts were lower (p < 0.01) in the SER group compared to BG or BG-DW groups suggesting a better anti-inflammatory capacity due to polyphenols in the SER diet. Compared to BG-DW group, cortisol level was higher (p < 0.05) and norepinephrine was lower (p < 0.05) in the SER group. The SER group had the lowest aerobic plate counts (APC) in both rumen and rectum (p < 0.01). Longissimus dorsi muscle initial pH was not affected by diet or stress. Feeding sericea hay to goats may have beneficial effects, such as enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties during stress and reduced gut microbial counts, without changing meat quality characteristics.

Meta-analysis of the effects of dietary inclusion of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) forage on performance, digestibility, and rumen fermentation of small ruminants

For more than 20 years, the nutraceutical forage sericea lespedeza ‘AU-grazer’ (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) has been used as an alternative to anthelmintic drugs for controlling gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants, but with little attention to animal performance. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of SL on performance, digestibility, and rumen fermentation of small ruminants using a meta-analytic approach. A total of 24 peer-reviewed manuscripts (sheep = 6 and goats = 18) from 2000 to 2020 met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. Raw mean differences between dietary SL and control treatments weighted by inversed variance were compared with a robust variance estimation. Diet characteristics like crude protein content, NDF content, condensed tannin (CT) content, and inclusion level of SL in the diet (0% to 100%) were used as covariates in a metaregression and subgrouping analysis. Compared to the control, dietary inclusion of SL decreased (P < 0.05) total-tract digestibility by 12% (DMD) and average daily gain (ADG) by 17.7%, but no effects were observed in dry matter intake. Likewise, dietary SL reduced (P < 0.05) molar proportion of acetate (68.88 vs 71.8%), but increased butyrate (10.3 vs 9.2%) and propionate (17.9 vs 16.8%) molar proportions in the rumen. Consequently, dietary SL reduced CH4 emissions by 38% compared to the control. Despite the high heterogeneity in the response variables (I2 > 50), no significant bias was detected (funnel test; P > 0.05). The dose-response analysis revealed that SL-based diets should not include more than 60% in the diet to prevent negative effects in DMD and ADG. Likewise, low inclusion level of SL in the diet (from 30 to 40%) linearly increased propionate concentrations in the rumen but reduced CH4 emissions. In addition to the nutraceutical benefits of this forage, SL inclusion improved rumen fermentation (increased propionate, reduced CH4) at low rates of inclusion, but reduced ADG in small ruminants at higher rates, with these effects minimized if dietary inclusion rate for SL is 60% or less. Further research is needed to determine the optimum inclusion rate to balance nutritional and pharmaceutical effects of SL in the diet of small ruminants.

Arachis hypogaea L. from Acid Soils of Nanyang (China) Is Frequently Associated with Bradyrhizobium guangdongense and Occasionally with Bradyrhizobium ottawaense or Three Bradyrhizobium Genospecies.

Henan Province is a major area of peanut production in China but the rhizobia nodulating the crop in this region have not been described. A collection of 217 strains of peanut rhizobia was obtained from six field sites across four soil types in Henan Province, North China, by using peanut as a trap host under glasshouse conditions. The 217 strains separated into 8 distinct types on PCR-RFLP analysis of their IGS sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA, recA, atpD, and glnII genes of 11 representative strains of the 8 IGS types identified Bradyrhizobium guangdongense, B. ottawaense and three novel Bradyrhizobium genospecies. Bradyrhizobium guangdongense was dominant, accounting for 75.0% of the total isolates across the field sites while B. ottawaense covered 5.1% and the three novel Bradyrhizobium genospecies 4.1 to 8.8% of the total. The symbiosis-related nodA and nifH gene sequences were not congruent with the core genes on phylogenetic analysis and separated into three groups, two of which were similar to sequences of Bradyrhizobium spp. isolated from peanut in south-east China and the third identical to that of B. yuanmingense isolated from Lespedeza cuneata in northern China. A canonical correlation analysis between the distribution of IGS genotypes and soil physicochemical characteristics and climatic factors indicated that the occurrence of IGS types/species was mainly associated with soil pH and available phosphorus.

A 90-day Repeated Oral Dose Toxicity Study of Mixed Extract of Fenugreek Seeds and Lespedeza Cuneata in Rats

This study was aimed at assessing the safety of a mixed extract of fenugreek seeds and Lespedeza cuneata (YHM), which effectively relieves male menopausal symptoms. To this end, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the following groups and repeatedly administered YHM orally for 90 days: control, low-dose (500 mg/kg/day), intermediate-dose (1,000 mg/kg/day), and high-dose (2,000 mg/kg/day) groups. The animals were monitored for general symptoms; their body weights and electrolyte levels were measured; and urinalysis, blood chemistry and biochemistry tests, and histopathological tests were performed to assess the toxicity of YHM. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of YHM was 2,000 mg/kg/day for all male and female rats. While in the YHM-administered and control groups, most parameters were within the normal range; some rats in the high-dose group showed changes not induced by the test substance but which may be specific to an individual animal or may occur naturally. Thus, on the basis of our findings, we consider that YHM may be a safe, non-toxic substance for alleviating male menopausal symptoms.

Methane emissions and δ13C composition from beef steers consuming increasing proportions of sericea lespedeza hay on bermudagrass hay diets.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different proportions of 'Au Grazer' sericea lespedeza [SL, Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don], a legume rich in condensed tannins (CT), on nutrient intake and digestibility, and to estimate methane (CH4) emissions and 13C isotopic composition (δ13CCH4) from beef steers consuming a forage-based diet. Twenty-five Angus-crossbred steers were distributed in a randomized complete block design (344 ± 48 kg initial BW), and randomly assigned to one of five treatments: 0SL, 25SL, 50SL, 75SL, and 100SL, diets containing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of SL hay, respectively, mixed with 'Tifton-85' bermudagrass hay (Cynodon spp.). The study was carried out for two experimental periods of 21-d each. The statistical model included the fixed effect of treatment and random effects of block, experimental period, and their interaction. Apparent total tract digestibility of crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber was linearly decreased (P < 0.001) by the inclusion of SL. No effects were observed for total CH4 emissions per day, nor for CH4 relative to organic matter intake or digestible organic matter with the inclusion of SL. However, emission of CH4 in relation to intake of CT was affected by treatment (P < 0.001). A linear (P < 0.001) decrease and a quadratic effect (P < 0.001) were observed for δ13C of diets and gas, respectively, in which diets and enteric CH4 with greater inclusion of SL were more depleted in 13C. Moreover, the difference in δ13C between diets and gas (Δδ13C) had a linear decrease (P = 0.001) with the inclusion of SL. The model developed to predict the C3 proportions in the enteric CH4 fitted to predicted values (P < 0.0001). Therefore, greater proportions of SL resulted in lesser CH4 emission when CT intake was considered and the isotopic composition from enteric CH4 was able to predict the contribution of SL in the emissions.