Data_Sheet_1_Effects of Leymus chinensis hay and alfalfa hay on growth performance, rumen microbiota, and untargeted metabolomics of meat in lambs.docx

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to compare the effects of Leymus chinensis hay and alfalfa hay as the roughage on the rumen bacterial and the meat metabolomics in lambs.MethodsFourteen male lambs were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments (one group was fed with concentrate and Leymus chinensis hay; another was fed with concentrate and alfalfa hay) with seven replicates per treatment. The feeding experiment lasted for 60 days. Lambs were slaughtered at the end of the feeding experiment. Growth performance, carcass performance, and weights of various viscera were determined. The longissimus dorsi and rumen contents were collected for untargeted metabolomics and 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing analysis, respectively.ResultsThe lambs fed with alfalfa hay showed a significantly increased in average daily gain, carcass weight, dressing percentage, loin-eye area, and kidney weight. Feeding Leymus chinensis hay and alfalfa hay diets resulted in different meat metabolite deposition and rumen bacterial communities in the lambs. The relative abundance of phyla Fibrobacteres, Bacteroidetes, and Spirochaetes were greater in the Leymus Chinensis hay group, while, the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia were greater in the alfalfa hay group. Based on untargeted metabolomics, the main altered metabolic pathways included alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism. Several bacteria genera including BF31, Alistipes, Faecalibacterium, Eggerthella, and Anaeroplasma were significantly correlated with growth performance and meat metabolites.ConclusionAlfalfa hay improved growth performance and carcass characteristics in lambs. Leymus chinensis hay and alfalfa hay caused different meat metabolite deposition by modifying the rumen bacterial community. These findings will be beneficial to future forage utilization for sheep growth, carcass performance, and meat quality improvement.

本研究旨在比较中华羊草干草与苜蓿干草作为粗饲料对羊瘤胃细菌和肉质代谢组的影响。研究方法：将14只雄性羊随机分配到两种饲料处理（一组以浓缩饲料和中华羊草干草为食；另一组以浓缩饲料和苜蓿干草为食），每组处理设置7个重复。饲养实验持续60天。在饲养实验结束时屠宰羊只，测定其生长性能、胴体性能以及各种脏器的重量。收集背最长肌和瘤胃内容物分别进行非靶向代谢组学和16S rDNA扩增子测序分析。研究结果：以苜蓿干草为食的羊只平均日增重、胴体重、屠宰率、腰眼面积和肾脏重量均显著提高。中华羊草干草和苜蓿干草饲料导致羊只肉质代谢物沉积和瘤胃细菌群落不同。在中华羊草干草组中，Fibrobacteres、Bacteroidetes和Spirochaetes门类的相对丰度较高，而在苜蓿干草组中，Firmicutes、Proteobacteria、Fusobacteria和Verrucomicrobia门类的相对丰度较高。基于非靶向代谢组学分析，主要改变的代谢通路包括丙氨酸、天冬氨酸和谷氨酸代谢、D-谷氨酰胺和D-谷氨酸代谢、苯丙氨酸代谢、氮代谢和酪氨酸代谢。BF31、Alistipes、Faecalibacterium、Eggerthella和Anaeroplasma等几个细菌属与生长性能和肉质代谢物显著相关。结论：苜蓿干草改善了羊只的生长性能和胴体特征。中华羊草干草和苜蓿干草通过改变瘤胃细菌群落导致羊只肉质代谢物沉积不同。这些发现将有助于未来提高羊草利用效率，促进羊只生长、胴体性能和肉质品质的提升。