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Published on: June 11, 2009
Dietary quercetin and glucoraphanin supplementation improves growth performance and modulates ruminal microbiota in
Rao Li1, Xiuyuan Yu1, Huimei Feng2
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
Introduction:
This study investigated the effects of single or combined dietary supplementation with quercetin (QUE) and glucoraphanin (GRA) on growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity and biochemical parameters, rumen fermentation, and ruminal microbiota of meat sheep.
Methods:
A total of 60 meat sheep (3-4 months old) with similar body weights were randomly divided into four groups, with three replicates per group and five sheep per replicate, and the feeding trial lasted for 35 days. Sheep in the control group (CON) were fed a basal diet. The TG1 group was supplemented with 300 mg/kg QUE; the TG2 group with 200 mg/kg GRA, and the TG3 group with 300 mg/kg QUE plus 200 mg/kg GRA. All additives were supplemented externally without altering the nutritional composition of the basal diet.
Results And Discussion:
The results showed that dietary supplementation with quercetin (QUE) and glucoraphanin (GRA) exerted a significant interactive effect on average daily feed intake (ADFI) of meat sheep (p < 0.05). Serum biochemical analysis revealed a significant interaction between QUE and GRA for serum ALT levels (p < 0.05). In addition, analysis of serum antioxidant indices indicated that QUE and GRA had a significant interactive effect on serum GSH-Px activity (p < 0.05). Notably, significant interactive effects of QUE and GRA were also observed on the relative abundances of Succiniclasticum and Ruminococcus among ruminal microorganisms (p < 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation of QUE and GRA improved the antioxidant capacity of meat sheep. Changes in serum indicators suggested that they might exert potentially beneficial effects on liver function. Meanwhile, the co-supplementation could modulate the relative abundance of several ruminal bacterial genera and produce certain beneficial effects on partial growth-performance and meat quality indicators of meat sheep, which provides preliminary evidence for the combined application of QUE and GRA in meat sheep production.
