Silage inoculated with homofermentative lactic acid bacteria exhibits superior nutritional quality and improves ruminant production performance. However, the mechanisms by which the inoculated silage modulates microbial and metabolic alterations along the rumen-mammary gland axis remain unclear. Here, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BX62 inoculation enhanced silage quality and flavonoid content through reshaping the microbiome, which promotes carbohydrate-active enzyme secretion. Feeding the silage to dairy goats modulated ruminal microbiota through changes in silage flavonoid, fiber, and crude protein contents. Notably, increased flavonoid intake enriched ruminal flavonoid-degrading bacteria, leading to enhanced flavonoid transformation, fiber degradation, and pyruvate-centered carbohydrate metabolism, promoting acetate production. The increased ruminal acetate and upregulated expression of mammary lipogenic genes ultimately improved milk fat synthesis. Our findings reveal how L. plantarum links silage quality to rumen function and mammary gland metabolism, offering a mechanistic basis for improving lactation performance of dairy goats via modulating silage fermentation.
(24574) et al. (Sat,) studied this question.