›› 2019, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (3): 690-702.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2019.03.007

• Animal Nutrition and Feed Science • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effect of Supplemented with Rumen-protected 5-hydroxytryptophan on Melatonin Content and Microbial Communities in Intestinal Tract Digesta of Sheep

ZHAO Fang, WANG Gen, ZHAO Guodong, GAO Chao, LI Xiaobin, MA Chen, YANG Kailun   

  1. Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Meat & Milk Production Herbivore Nutrition, College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
  • Received:2018-09-26 Online:2019-03-20 Published:2019-03-20

Abstract:

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of rumen protected 5-hydroxytryptophan (RPT-5-HTP) supplementation on melatonin content and microbial communities in gastrointestinal tract digesta of sheep,and explored the possibility of regulating sheep gastrointestinal tract microbial communities by RPT-5-HTP.Fifteen Kazak sheep which were 3 year old,average body weight (47.79±3.70) kg were chosen and divided into 3 groups:Control group,groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ.All sheep were fed with 12 g/(kg·BW) powder concentrate,1.8 kg corn silage every day,and had free continuous access to mixed hay.Additionally,each sheep in groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ was fed with RPT-5-HTP 111,222 mg/(kg·BW),respectively.The supplementary feeding experiment lasted for 25 d.At the end of the experiment,all sheep were slaughtered after the morning feeding (6 h),and the contents of jejunal,ileal,colonic and cecal digesta were taken to determine melatonin content and microflora structure.The results showed that the melatonin concentration in colonic digesta content of groups Ⅰ and jejunal and colonic digesta of groups Ⅱ were extremely significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.01),and that in ileal and cecal digesta of groups Ⅰ,Ⅱ were lower than control group,but there was no significant differences among three groups (P>0.05).The ACE and Chaol indexes of bacterial flora in the jejunal,cecal digesta of groups Ⅰ,Ⅱ were lower than those in control group (P>0.05).Compared with the control group,the bacterial diversity in cecal and colonic digesta were not significantly different at the levels of phylum and genus (P>0.05).The relative abundance of Firmicutes in the jejunal digesta was significantly increased in group Ⅰ (P<0.05),and the relative abundance of Tenericutes in group Ⅰ was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05).At the genus level,the relative abundance of Aeriscardovia in the jejunal digesta of group Ⅱ was increased (P<0.05).The relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae-NK4A214 in ileal digesta of groups Ⅰ,Ⅱ were significantly increased (P<0.05),while relative abundance of Clostridium-sensu-stricto and Romboutsia were significantly decreased (P<0.05).In conlusion,the RPT-5-HTP could increase melatonin concentration in the colonic digesta,but had no significant effect on the bacterial diversity of the gastrointestinal tract.

Key words: sheep; gastrointestinal tract; digesta; RPT-5-HTP; melatonin; bacterial diversity

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