Changes in the rumen microbiota community in ketosis cows during propylene glycol treatment

Ketosis, a common metabolic disorder in dairy cattle, occurs during early lactation and leads to higher concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), and is generally believed to be caused by excessive negative energy balance (NEB). Propylene glycol (PG), a gluconeogenic precursor, has been proved to promote gluconeogenesis and alleviate NEB. Oral administration of PG is widely considered one of the most effective therapeutic options for treating ketosis. Thus, in this study, we assessed the effects of PG on rumen microbiota via 16S rDNA analysis. The results show that one dose (500 mL) of PG treatment could rapidly reduce the blood BHBA level in ketosis cows by increasing the level and proportion of propionate in the rumen. Meanwhile, PG also had certain effects on the rumen bacterial community. Compared with before treatment, the relative abundances of Prevotella, Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-001 and Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 increased significantly, while those of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Butyrivibrio and Saccharofermentans significantly decreased. LEfSe analysis revealed that after PG treatment, only Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was enriched in the rumen fluid at the genus level. In conclusion, the present study indicates that ketosis is accompanied by alterations in the rumen microbiota community. PG treatment changes the composition of rumen microbiota to a healthier state and contributes to rapid recovery from ketosis. These results support the usage of PG for treating such metabolic diseases that challenge high-yield cows due to their minimized cost and maximized safety without any adverse events.