Effect of High Sulfur Diet on Rumen Fermentation, Microflora, and Epithelial Barrier Function in Steers
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Background: Sulfur is essential for maintaining animal health and functional processing, but high sulfur in the diet can be toxic. The underlying mechanism for this toxicity is not clear in ruminants. Thus, we conducted experiments to evaluate the effect of excessive sulfur on rumen fermentation, microflora, and epithelial barrier function in steers through in vitro gas production and animal feeding trials.Results: The results showed that increasing the level of sulfur in substrates, decreased the total gas and methane production linearly while increasing the hydrogen sulfide gas (P<0.01). Though the high sulfur diet did not affect the rumen fermentation parameters (P>0.05), the volatile fatty acid concentration, especially the butyric acid, was increased by extra sulfur (P<0.01). Sulfur content in the diet had no significant effect (P>0.05) on most of the rumen microbes, expect Desulfovibrio, one of the major sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the rumen, whose population increased by adding extra sulfur (P<0.001). Changes in the morphology of rumen epithelium and thickening of the total epithelial layer were mainly attributed to the increase in the acanthosis cell layer and stratum basale (P<0.05). Also, the relative expression of two tight junction protein regulating genes, CLDN-1 and TJP1, were reduced with an increase in sulfur level in the diet (P<0.05).Conclusion: These results indicate that excessive sulfur in the diet can change the type of rumen fermentation, sulfate metabolism and SRB population, and the rumen epithelial barrier function.
Source: Animals
DOI: 10.3390/ani11092545
Authors: Hao Wu, Yan Li, Qingxiang Meng, Zhenming Zhou
Language: English
Subfield: Agronomy and Crop Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,944
OpenAlex ID: W3136911420