Effects of Alhagi camelorum Fisch polysaccharide from different regions on growth performance and gastrointestinal microbiota of sheep lambs

Zulikeyan Manafu; Zhenping Zhang; Xieraili Malajiang; Saifuding Abula; Qingyong Guo; Yi Wu; Adelijaing Wusiman; Batur Bake

doi:10.3389/fphar.2024.1379394

Effects of Alhagi camelorum Fisch polysaccharide from different regions on growth performance and gastrointestinal microbiota of sheep lambs

Front Pharmacol. 2024 Apr 30:15:1379394. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1379394. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Zulikeyan Manafu^{1

2}, Zhenping Zhang², Xieraili Malajiang¹, Saifuding Abula², Qingyong Guo², Yi Wu³, Adelijaing Wusiman², Batur Bake¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China.
² Xinjiang Key Laboratory of New Drug Study and Creation for Herbivorous Animal, College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China.
³ College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.

Abstract

Polysaccharides derived from Alhagi camelorum Fisch possess diverse activities, making them a potential prebiotic candidates for enhancing lamb health. This study investigated the immunomodulatory effects of Alhagi camelorum Fisch polysaccharides from Aksu (AK) and Shanshan (SS) regions on sheep lambs. The results showed that sheep lambs in the SS group exhibited significantly increased (p < 0.05) average daily gain, levels of growth hormone (GH), insulin (INS), IgA and IgM, and cytokines IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α and IFN-γ compared to those in the control check (CK) group. Moreover, the SS treatment significantly increased the diversity and abundance of beneficial bacteria, while concurrently diminishing the prevalence of harmful bacteria. Additionally, it modulated various metabolic pathways, promoted lamb growth, improved immunity, reduced the risk of gastrointestinal disease and improved the composition of gastrointestinal microbiota. In summary, our findings highlight the potential of SS treatment in enhancing gastrointestinal health of sheep lambs by improving intestinal function, immunity, and gut microbiome. Consequently, these results suggest that Alhagi camelorum Fisch polysaccharides derived from Shanshan regions holds promising potential as a valuable intervention for optimizing growth performance in sheep lambs.

Keywords: Alhagi camelorum Fischa polysaccharides; gastrointestinal microbiota; growth performance; intestinal immunity; sheep lambs.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This project was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2021YFD1600702-3), “Three rural” backbone personnel training project, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region science and technology entrepreneurship action project.