AUTHOR=Tian Xing-Zhou , Li Jia-Xuan , Luo Qing-Yuan , Zhou Di , Long Qing-Meng , Wang Xu , Lu Qi , Wen Gui-Lan 

TITLE=Effects of Purple Corn Anthocyanin on Blood Biochemical Indexes, Ruminal Fluid Fermentation, and Rumen Microbiota in Goats

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.715710

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2021.715710

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>The objective of this study was to observe the effects of anthocyanin from purple corn on blood biochemical indexes, ruminal fluid fermentation parameters, and the microbial population in goats. A total of 18 Qianbei Ma wether kids (body weight, 21.38 ± 1.61 kg; mean ± standard deviation) were randomly assigned to three groups using a completely randomized design. The group diets were: (1) control, basal diet, (2) treatment 1 (LA), basal diet with 0.5-g/d purple corn pigment (PCP), and (3) treatment 2 (HA), basal diet with 1-g/d PCP. The results showed that supplementation of PCP anthocyanin increased (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) crude protein and gross energy digestibilities compared to the control. Compared to the control group, the inclusion of anthocyanin-rich PCP led to significantly increased (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) plasma reduced glutathione and peroxidase concentrations. Goats receiving PCP had increased (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) ruminal fluid acetic acid and a higher ratio of acetate to propionate, while the propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, isobutyric acid, and isovaleric acid levels had decreased (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). There was no significant difference (<italic>P</italic> &gt; 0.05) in ruminal fluid alpha bacterial diversity among the three groups. At the phylum level, the feeding of PCP had significant effect (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) on the abundances of <italic>Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Elusimicrobiota</italic>, WPS-2, and <italic>Cyanobacteria</italic>. At the genus level, HA group had lower (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) <italic>Prevotellaceae</italic>_NK3B31_group abundance compared to the other groups. In addition, significant differences (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) were also observed for the ruminal fluid <italic>Eubacterium</italic>_nodatum_group, <italic>Amnipila, Ruminiclostridium</italic>, U29-B03, unclassified_c_<italic>Clostridia, Pyramidobacter, Anaeroplasma</italic>, UCG-004, <italic>Atopobium</italic>, norank_f_norank_o_<italic>Bradymonadales, Elusimicrobium</italic>, norank_f_norank_o_norank_c_norank_p_WPS-2, norank_f_<italic>Bacteroidales</italic>_UCG-001, and norank_f_norank_o_<italic>Gastranaerophilales</italic> among all groups. Taken together, the inclusion of anthocyanin-rich PCP increased the antioxidant potential, improved rumen volatile fatty acids, and induced a shift in the structure and relative abundance of ruminal microbiota in growing goats.</p>