Lactic acid bacterial inoculant effects on the vitamin content of alfalfa and Chinese leymus silage

Abstract

ObjectiveInformation regarding the vitamin content of silage is limited. This study investigated the changes in the vitamin content of alfalfa and Chinese leymus silages with or without a lactic acid bacterial inoculant.MethodsAlfalfa at the early flowering stage and Chinese leymus at the full-bloom stage were harvested. The treatments for each forage type were control (deionized water only) and 1×106 colony-forming units Lactobacillus plantarum (LP)/g fresh matter. After 45 days of ensiling, all silages were sampled for evaluating the vitamin content, fermentation quality and chemical composition.ResultsThe LP inoculant decreased the pH value and ammonia nitrogen content of the alfalfa and Chinese leymus silages and significantly (p<0.05) increased the lactic acid, acetic acid concentrations and Flieg’s points. Prior to ensiling, the levels of five B-group vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine) and α-tocopherol in alfalfa were significantly (p<0.01) higher than those in Chinese leymus. Ensiling decreased the levels of the five B-group vitamins in both alfalfa and Chinese leymus while increasing the α-tocopherol content of Chinese leymus. The thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid levels in the LP-treated silage were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those in the untreated silage for the alfalfa and Chinese leymus. The α-tocopherol content in the LP-treated alfalfa silage was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in the untreated alfalfa silage. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in pyridoxine content between the untreated and LP-treated silages for both forages.ConclusionWith or without LP inoculation, the levels of the five B-group vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine) in alfalfa and Chinese leymus decreased after 45 days of ensiling, while the α-tocopherol content of Chinese leymus increased. The LP inoculant improved the fermentation quality of both the alfalfa and Chinese leymus silages but increased the thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid loss in the two forages after fermentation.

Effects of Ferulic Acid Esterase-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria and Storage Temperature on the Fermentation Quality, In Vitro Digestibility and Phenolic Acid Extraction Yields of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Silage

“…The NH 3 -N content was analyzed using the sodium hypochlorite and phenol method [ 23 ]. To assess the quality of sorghum silage, Flieg’s point was calculated based on the dry matter (DM) content and pH value of the sorghum silage [ 24 ].…”

Nutritional Quality and In Vitro Rumen Fermentation Characteristics of Silage Prepared with Lucerne, Sweet Maize Stalk, and Their Mixtures

“…With the fast development of animal husbandry, the demand for top-quality green fodder is substantially increasing in China. At present, lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) has become an important feed for ruminant animals due to the fact of its high content of crude protein (CP), minerals, and vitamins [1,2]. Lucerne is seasonally harvested and feeding this fresh fodder to ruminants throughout the year is impossible to accomplish.…”

Effect of commercially purified deoxynivalenol and zearalenone mycotoxins on microbial diversity of pig cecum contents

“…The piglet body provides a tolerant habitat and nutrients for bacterial colonization and growth, in return, probiotics generally generate prebiotics such as short-chain fatty acids and bacteriocins that can improve growth, and decrease the risk of enteric diseases caused by pathogens or toxins, while also enhancing the host feed utilization capacity. Furthermore, Walter [ 31 ] indicated that autochthonous Lactobacillus are often used as probiotics due to their natural capacity to survive harsh physiological conditions, including the acidic stomach, pancreatic enzymes, and bile salts during their passage through the GI tract [ 32 , 33 ]. These Lactobacillus probiotic bacteria were also selected for their capacity to adhere to mucus and epithelial cells, as these characteristics are required for their effective colonization of the gut’s mucosal and epithelial layer and to increase their competitiveness against pathogens [ 34 ].…”