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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Volume 16 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1528298
This article is part of the Research Topic Unravelling the Unknown of the Rumen Microbiome: Implications for Animal Health, Productivity, and Beyond View all 16 articles
Impact of Oat Grain Supplementation on Growth Performance, Rumen Microbiota, and Fatty Acid Profiles in Hu Sheep
Provisionally accepted
Xiaoqi Ren 1
Liwei Wang 2
Chuanzong Yu 2* Jianghong An 2*
Shaoyin Fu 2 Hua Sun 2* Mengran Zhao 2* Rigele Te 2* Jingda Yuan 1* Yongbin Liu 3* Jiangfeng He 2*- 1 Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
- 2 Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
- 3 Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
The intestinal microbiota plays a vital role in animal growth and development. In this study, we explored the impact of oat grain dietary supplementation on growth performance, intestinal microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and fatty acids (FAs) in Hu sheep. Thirty-two Hu lambs were randomly assigned to a control group (RC) or an oat grain-supplemented group (RO). After 90 days on their respective diets, rumen digesta were collected from six randomly selected Hu lambs per group to assess microbial diversity, SCFAs, and FAs. The RO diet significantly enhanced growth in Hu sheep (P < 0.01) and increased α-diversity, as indicated by Chao1 and Shannon indices. Core phyla in both groups were Firmicutes and Bacteroidota, with predominant genera including Prevotella, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and F082. Oat grain supplementation led to significant shifts in microbial composition, increasing the abundance of Acidobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteriota, and Subgroup_2, while decreasing Bacteroidota and Oscillospiraceae (P < 0.05). The RO group also exhibited lower levels of isobutyric and citraconic acids but higher levels of azelaic acid (P < 0.05). These results indicate that oat grain supplementation enhances beneficial rumen microbes and optimizes FA and SCFA composition, thereby promoting weight gain in Hu sheep.
Keywords: Oat grain, Hu sheep, growth performance, intestinal microbiota, SCFAs, Fas
Received: 15 Nov 2024; Accepted: 07 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ren, Wang, Yu, An, Fu, Sun, Zhao, Te, Yuan, Liu and He. 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:
Chuanzong Yu, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Jianghong An, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Hua Sun, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Mengran Zhao, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Rigele Te, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Jingda Yuan, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Yongbin Liu, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Jiangfeng He, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
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