This study investigated the effects of dandelion on the ruminal metabolome and microbiome in lactating dairy cows. A total of 12 mid-lactation dairy cows were selected and randomly classified into two groups, supplementing dandelion with 0 (CON) and 200 g/d per cow (DAN) above basal diet, respectively. Rumen fluid samples were collected in the last week of the trial for microbiome and metabolome analysis. The results showed that supplementation of DAN increased the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, acetate, and butyrate significantly. The rumen bacterial community was significantly changed in the DAN group, with Bacterioidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria being the main ruminal bacterial phyla. The abundance of Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, UCG_005, and Christensenellaceae_R_7_group were relatively higher, whereas that of Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG_002 and Dialister were lower in the DAN than those in the CON. Metabolomics analysis showed that the content of d-glucose, serotonin, ribulose-5-phosphate, and d-glycerate were higher in the DAN group. These metabolites were enriched in the starch and sucrose metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, tryptophan metabolism, and glycerolipid metabolism. The ribulose-5-phosphate and d-glycerate were correlated with Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, UCG_005, and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group positively. This study demonstrated that the supplementation of dandelion impacts the ruminal microorganisms and metabolites in a way that rumen fermentation was enhanced in lactating dairy cows.
Keywords: dairy cows; dandelion; metabolome; microbiome; rumen fermentation.