Dried tea residue can alter the blood metabolism and the composition and functionality of the intestinal microbiota in Hu sheep

Liangyong Guo; Shiqiang Yu; Fang Cao; Kaizhi Zheng; Manman Li; Zhenying Peng; Xingyun Shi; Liping Liu

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1289743

Dried tea residue can alter the blood metabolism and the composition and functionality of the intestinal microbiota in Hu sheep

Front Microbiol. 2023 Nov 3:14:1289743. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1289743. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Liangyong Guo^#¹, Shiqiang Yu^#², Fang Cao³, Kaizhi Zheng⁴, Manman Li⁵, Zhenying Peng⁶, Xingyun Shi¹, Liping Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ Huzhou Key Laboratory of Innovation and Application of Agricultural Germplasm Resources, Huzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Huzhou, China.
² Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Nutrition and Animal Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
³ College of Life Science, Huzhou Teachers College, Huzhou, China.
⁴ Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
⁶ Beijing Jingmi Water Diversion Management Office, Beijing, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Ruminant animals face multiple challenges during the rearing process, including immune disorders and oxidative stress. Green tea by-products have gained widespread attention for their significant immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects, leading to their application in livestock production. In this study, we investigated the effects of Dried Tea Residue (DTR) as a feed additive on the growth performance, blood biochemical indicators, and hindgut microbial structure and function of Hu sheep. Sixteen Hu sheep were randomly divided into two groups and fed with 0 and 100 g/d of DTR, respectively. Data were recorded over a 56-day feeding period. Compared to the control group, there were no significant changes in the production performance of Hu sheep fed with DTR. However, the sheep fed with DTR showed a significant increase in IgA (p < 0.001), IgG (p = 0.005), IgM (p = 0.003), T-SOD (p = 0.013), GSH-Px (p = 0.005), and CAT (p < 0.001) in the blood, along with a significant decrease in albumin (p = 0.019), high density lipoprotein (p = 0.050), and triglyceride (p = 0.021). DTR supplementation enhanced the fiber digestion ability of hindgut microbiota, optimized the microbial community structure, and increased the abundance of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes. Therefore, DTR can be used as a natural feed additive in ruminant animal production to enhance their immune and antioxidant capabilities, thereby improving the health status of ruminant animals.

Keywords: Hu sheep; antioxidant; dried tea residue; immune; intestinal microorganisms; serum.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Regional Demonstration Project of the Alliance of Municipal Academy of Agricultural Sciences of Zhejiang Province (grant no. 2023SJLM07) and Key R&D project of Huzhou (grant no. 2021ZD2035).