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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1483680
This article is part of the Research Topic Unravelling the Unknown of the Rumen Microbiome: Implications for Animal Health, Productivity, and Beyond View all 13 articles

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Improve Lactation and Metabolism in Dairy Goats by Modulating the Rumen Microbiota

Provisionally accepted
Shan Xie Shan Xie 1,2Zaixiang Ying Zaixiang Ying 1,2Ziqing Xiu Ziqing Xiu 3Yawang Sun Yawang Sun 3Qinlin Yang Qinlin Yang 4Hanyu Gao Hanyu Gao 1,2Wenqiao Fan Wenqiao Fan 1*Yongjiang Wu Yongjiang Wu 1*
  • 1 Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing, China
  • 2 Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou, Chongqing Municipality, China
  • 3 Southwest University, Chongqing, Chongqing Municipality, China
  • 4 Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant Cultivation, Nanchuan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study aims to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with ZnONPs on lactation, rumen microbiota, and metabolomics in dairy goats. Twenty Guanzhong dairy goats, with comparable milk yields and in the mid-lactation stage, were randomly divided into two groups, with 10 goats in each group. The control group was fed a standard diet, while the ZnONPs group received the control diet plus 30 mg ZnONPs/kg DM. The pre-trial period lasted for 7 days, followed by a trial period of 30 days. The results showed that the addition of ZnONPs increased the milk yield and milk fat content (p < 0.05). The results of rumen microbial sequencing showed that the Chao1, Observed species, and PD_whole_tree indices of the ZnONPs group were higher than those of the control group. The addition of ZnONPs altered the composition of the rumen microbiota, increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria (Prevotella and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group) and decreasing the abundance of the harmful bacterium Sediminispirochaeta. Non-Targeted metabolomics analysis identified a total of 261 differential metabolites between the two groups, indicating changes in rumen metabolism. Further correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between beneficial bacteria (Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group and Anaeroplasma) and metabolites such as nicotinamide riboside, inosine, and guanosine (p < 0.05). Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between milk yield and beneficial bacteria (RF39 and Clostridia vadinBB60 group), as well as between milk fat content and Quinella (p < 0.05). In summary, ZnONPs supplementation can improve the structure of the rumen microbiota in dairy goats, positively influencing milk yield, milk composition, and metabolism.

    Keywords: Zinc oxide nanoparticles, Dairy goats, Lactation, rumen microbiota, Metabolomics

    Received: 20 Aug 2024; Accepted: 18 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Xie, Ying, Xiu, Sun, Yang, Gao, Fan and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Wenqiao Fan, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing, China
    Yongjiang Wu, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.