Transcriptomic analysis reveals the molecular mechanisms of rumen wall morphological and functional development induced by different solid diet introduction in a lamb model

Table 2 The effect of alfalfa hay or concentrate starter on ruminal fermentation and blood parameter of pre-weaned lambs¹

Item	M	MH	MC	SEM	P-value
Ruminal fermentation parameter
pH	6.60^a	6.85^a	5.14^b	0.17	< 0.001
Total VFA, mmol/L	8.36^c	99.53^b	174.38^a	14.57	< 0.001
Acetate, mmol/L	4.21^c	67.43^b	94.60^a	8.93	< 0.001
Propionate, mmol/L	2.20^c	22.89^b	43.50^a	3.76	< 0.001
Isobutyrate, mmol/L	0.43^b	0.92^a	0.48^b	0.06	< 0.001
Butyrate, mmol/L	0.81^c	6.46^b	29.34^a	3.19	< 0.001
Isovalerate, mmol/L	0.55^b	0.80^a	0.51^b	0.04	0.007
Valerate, mmol/L	0.17^c	1.03^b	5.95^a	0.58	< 0.001
Acetate: propionate	2.00	3.05	2.24	0.20	0.069
NH₃-N, mmol/L	11.45^a	3.09^b	4.41^b	0.89	< 0.001
MCP, mg/mL	0.20^c	0.81^b	3.02^a	0.29	< 0.001
Blood parameter
Glucose, mmol/L	6.56	5.95	6.71	0.25	0.438
Insulin, μIU/mL	44.41	42.07	37.09	2.90	0.554
IGF-1, ng/mL	392.06	358.67	346.80	17.01	0.588
BHBA, mmol/L	0.31	0.47	0.58	0.05	0.125

¹Values are shown as means ± pooled SEM, n = 8. Mean values within a column with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (P < 0.05). M goat milk group, MH goat milk plus alfalfa hay group, MC goat milk plus concentrate diet group, VFA volatile fatty acids, MCP microbial crude protein, IGF-1 insulin-like growth factor 1, BHBA β-hydroxybutyric acid

ISSN: 2049-1891