Moringa oleifera leaf ethanolic extract benefits cashmere goat semen quality via improving rumen microbiota and metabolome.

Background: Artificial insemination (AI) is an effective reproductive technique to improve the performance of cashmere goats and prevent the spread of diseases, and the quality of the semen determines the success of AI. The potential of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) and Moringa oleifera leaf ethanolic extract (MOLE) to improve semen quality has been reported, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. For the purpose, 18 mature male cashmere goats were randomly assigned into three groups: the control (CON), MOLP, and MOLE groups. The CON group received distilled water orally; the MOLP group was orally treated with 200 mg/kg body weight (BW) MOLP; and the MOLE group was orally treated with 40 mg/kg BW MOLE. Results: Results showed that MOLE contained long-chain fatty acids and flavonoids. Treatment with MOLP and MOLE increased the activities of the serum catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase (P < 0.05), enhanced the total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05), and reduced the serum malondialdehyde level (P < 0.05). At the same time, MOLE increased the contents of serum gonadotropin releasing hormone and testosterone (P < 0.05). Moreover, MOLE significantly increased sperm concentration, motility, and viability (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, MOLE raised the Chao1 index (P < 0.05) and altered the composition of the rumen microbiota; it also raised the relative abundance of Treponema (P < 0.05) and Fibrobacter (P < 0.05) and reduced the relative abundance of Prevotella (P < 0.1). Correlation analysis revealed the genus Prevotella was significantly negatively correlated with sperm concentration, as well as sperm motility and viability. Furthermore, MOLE significantly increased the rumen levels of the steroid hormones testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (P < 0.05), as well as the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) alpha-Linolenic acid, gamma-Linolenic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and 9-S-Hydroperoxylinoleicacid (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Oral MOLE supplementation can improve semen quality by increasing the antioxidant capacity and altering the rumen microbiota and metabolites of cashmere goats. Moreover, the MOLP supplementation could enhance the antioxidant capacity of cashmere goats.

Cysteamine-supplemented diet for cashmere goats: A potential strategy to inhibit rumen biohydrogenation and enhance plasma antioxidant capacity.

Cysteamine (CS), as a feed supplement, can increase the level of growth hormone (GH) in the blood, promote animal growth. However, little attention has been paid to the effects of CS on the rumen microbiome and metabolic profile in cashmere goats. This study aimed to assess the effects of rumen microbiota, metabolites, and plasma antioxidative capacity induced by CS supplementation in cashmere goats. We selected 30 Inner Mongolia white cashmere goat ewes (aged 18 months), and randomly separate the goats into three groups (n = 10 per group) to experiment for 40 days. Oral 0 (control group, CON), 60 (low CS, LCS), or 120 mg/kg BW-1 (high CS, HCS) coated CS hydrochloride every day. Using 16S and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we identified 12 bacterial and 3 fungal genera with significant changes among the groups, respectively. We found a significant increase in rumen NH3-N and total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentrations in the LCS and HCS groups compared with the CON. With untargeted LC-MS/MS metabolomics, we screened 59 rumen differential metabolites. Among the screened metabolites, many unsaturated and saturated fatty acids increased and decreased with CS treatment, respectively. CS supplementation increased the levels of plasma total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), GH, and insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the abundance of U29-B03, Lactococcus, and Brochothrix were positively associated with the levels of δ2-THA, TVFA and antioxidant capacity. In conclusion, CS significantly affected rumen microbiota and fermentation parameters, and ultimately inhibited the biohydrogenation of rumen metabolites, enhanced plasma antioxidant capacity, and regulated some hormones of the GH-IGF-1 axis. This study provides an overall view into the CS application as a strategy to improve health production in cashmere goats.

Feeding Sheep Cobalt and Oregano Essential Oil Alone or in Combination on Ruminal Nutrient Digestibility, Fermentation, and Fiber Digestion Combined With Scanning Electron Microscopy.

The feeding of Co lactate (Co), an essential oil blend (EO; oregano), or a combination of Co and EO (EOC) may improve nutrient digestion of corn silage-based rations. In four separate studies, Co, EO, or EOC was fed at 0, 4, and 7 g/days to nine rumen fistulated rams arranged in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. The fourth study evaluated the carrier at 0, 4, and 7 g/day. In each ram, fresh ensiled corn silage, leaf, and husk were placed in individual nylon bags inserted through the ruminal cannula and removed after 48 h. Rams fed increasing carrier rates demonstrated similar (P > 0.10) nutrient digestibilities and ruminal pH and volatile fatty acid concentrations. Feeding Co at 4 and 7 g/day increased (P < 0.05) digestibility of DM (59.4, 63.9, and 62.4% for 0, 4, and 7 g/day, respectively), NDF (59.4, 63.9, and 62.4%), and hemicellulose (HC; 56.2, 63.6, and 65.9%) compared with rams fed 0 g/day, while CP digestibility (46.4, 49.9, and 57.8%) was improved (P < 0.05) in rams fed 7 g/day compared with those fed 0 and 4 g/day. Rams fed 4 g/day EO digested greater (P < 0.05) HC (64.1, 71.4, and 69.1%) than rams fed 0 g/day, while rams fed 7 g/day were intermediate and similar (P > 0.10). Rams fed the EOC combination at 4 and 7 g/day demonstrated greater (P < 0.05) digestibilities of DM (57.7, 60.0, and 60.0%), NDF (21.4, 28.8, and 27.7%), and ADF (24.3, 33.3, and 34.4%) than rams fed 0 g/day. The SEM and SM techniques visually demonstrated minor evidence of husk and leaf digestibility in rams across the three experiments when fed 0 g/day of Co, EO, or EOC; rams fed 4 g/day of Co, EO, or EOC exhibited varying visual signs of leaf digestion with some palisade tissue, spongy tissue, and whole vein structure remaining, while in rams fed 7 g/day, only the vein structure remained. Results demonstrated that feeding Co, EO, or EOC at 4 or 7 g/day enhanced ruminal nutrient digestion and fermentation parameters, which was visually confirmed via SEM and SM.