Abstract
The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) supplementation on metabolic profile and microbiota in ruminal content and feces of lactating dairy cows under heat stress (HS). Forty-eight lactating Holstein cows (154 ± 13.6 days in milk) were assigned randomly to four treatments (n = 12), to receive 0, 15, 20, or 25 g/day of commercial NCG (proportion: 97.7%) for the period of 60 days. The recorded ambient temperature-humidity index (THI) suggested that the cows were exposed to HS for almost the entire experimental period (average THI: 80.6). Samples of ruminal content and feces were collected at the end of the trial (day 60) to determine the biological effects of NCG supplementation on metabolome and microbiota using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing techniques, respectively. Results showed that NCG supplementation enhanced the levels of ruminal microbial protein, total volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and the molar proportion of propionate in the rumen, but lowered the ruminal pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH(3)-N), and the ratio of acetate to propionate. NCG at doses of 20 and 25 g/day reduced the community richness and diversity of ruminal microbiota with the decrease of Shannon and Simpson diversity. Compositions of ruminal and fecal microbiotas were altered by NCG, and the PICRUSt results revealed that metabolic pathways of the bacteria, such as amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and pyruvate metabolism, were enriched in NCG groups. Distinct changes in the metabolomic profile of ruminal fluid were observed between the control and NCG groups. Changes of 26 metabolites mainly involved in arginine metabolism, glutamate metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism were observed associated with NCG supplementation. These results provided new insights into the effects of NCG on metabolomic profile and microbiota in ruminal content and feces, and the optimal dose of NCG supplemented to dairy cows was 20 g/hd/day, which contributed to understanding the effects of NCG on HS in lactating dairy cows.