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Changes in physico-chemical characteristics and viable bacterial communities during fermentation of alfalfa silages inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum

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Abstract

This study investigated the effect of inoculating Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum PS-8 in fermentation of alfalfa silages. We monitored the fermentation characteristics and bacterial population dynamics during the ensiling process. PacBio single molecule real time sequencing was combined with propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment to monitor the viable microbiota dynamics. We found that inoculating L. plantarum PS-8 may improve the silage quality by accelerating acidification, reducing the amounts of clostridia, coliform bacteria, molds and yeasts, elevating the protein and organic acid contents (except butyrate), and enhancing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) while suppressing harmful microorganisms. Some significant differential abundant taxa were found between the PMA-treated and non-treated microbiota. For example, the relative abundances of L. brevis, L. plantarum, and Pediococcus pentosaceus were significantly higher in the PMA-treated group than the non-PMA-treated group, suggesting obvious differences between the viable and non-viable microbiota. It would thus be necessary to distinguish between the viable and non-viable microbial communities to further understand their physiological contribution in silage fermentation. By tracking the dynamics of viable microbiota in relation with changes in the physico-chemical parameters, our study provided novel insights into the beneficial effects of inoculating L. plantarum PS-8 in silage fermentation and the physiological function of the viable bacterial communities.

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Data availability

The sequence data reported in this study have been deposited in the MG-RAST database (accession no. mgp86367).

Code availability

Not applicable.

Abbreviations

PMA:

Propidium monoazide

DM:

Dry matter

CP:

Crude protein

ADF:

Acid detergent fiber

NDF:

Neutral detergent fiber

SP:

Soluble protein

NH3-N:

Ammonia nitrogen

LA:

Lactic acid

AA:

Acetic acid

BA:

Butyric acid

GABA:

γ-Aminobutyric acid

PLA:

Phenyl lactic acid

SD:

Standard deviation

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the workers of Knight’s Dairy Zhandanzhao Ranch for their technical help in assisting the experiments.

Funding

This research was supported by China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA and the Inner Mongolia Science and Technology Major Projects.

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  1. Chenxia Cao and Weichen Bao have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaoaruda Road 306, Hohhot, 010018, People’s Republic of China

    Chenxia Cao, Weichen Bao, Weicheng Li, Feiyan Zhao, Lai-yu Kwok, Wenyi Zhang & Heping Zhang

  2. Key Laboratory of Dairy Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, People’s Republic of China

    Chenxia Cao, Weichen Bao, Weicheng Li, Feiyan Zhao, Lai-yu Kwok, Wenyi Zhang & Heping Zhang

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Contributions

HPZ designed the study. CXC prepared the first draft. LYK critically evaluated and edited the manuscript. WCB and WYZ performed the bioinformatic analysis. WCL, FYZ, CXC, WCB conducted the experiments. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Heping Zhang.

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Cao, C., Bao, W., Li, W. et al. Changes in physico-chemical characteristics and viable bacterial communities during fermentation of alfalfa silages inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 37, 127 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-021-03095-2

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