Twenty-one healthy multiple parity (4-5 parity) goat does (3-4 years; pregnant for 115 d) with an average body weight (32. 81 ± 4. 26 kg) were allotted in a completely randomized design with 3 levels of purple corn anthocyanin (PCA) at 0 (CON), 50 mg/kg (LA), and 100 mg/kg (HA) dry matter in the total mixed ratio (TMR). Each treatment had 7 replicates, and each replicate had 1 goat doe. The experimental TMR diets were fed ad libitum for 56 d, the preparation period was 14 d, and the formal experimental period was 42 d. The results revealed that the dry matter intake in the HA group was significantly lower than that in the CON and LA groups (P < 0. 05). Compared with the CON group, maternal body weight post-kidding in the LA and HA groups were significantly greater at 0 d (P < 0. 05). The glutathione peroxidase concentration in the LA group was significantly greater than that in the CON group (P < 0. 05), whereas the LA group presented lower malondialdehyde, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and nonesterified free fatty acid contents (P < 0. 05). Compared with the CON group, the addition of 50 and100 mg/kg PCA had significantly lower levels of ammonia nitrogen and propionic acid and significantly higher levels of acetic acid, acetic acid/propionic acid, xylanase and avicelase (P < 0. 05). Dietary supplementation with 50 mg/kg PCA significantly decreased the relative abundance of the phyla Bacillota, Actinomycetota, CandidatusThermoplasmatota, Thermodesulfobacteriota, Chloroflexota, and Synergistota and the species Aristaeella, Eubacterium, Butyrivibrio, Solobacterium, Blautia, and Mogibacterium (P < 0. 05). The inclusion of 50 mg/kg PCA resulted in significant enrichment of ruminal fluid carbohydrate metabolism (P < 0. 05). Taken together, the results of the current study revealed that dietary supplementation with PCA improves plasma antioxidant status, lipid metabolism, ruminal fluid fermentation, cellulase activity, bacteria and functions in perinatal goats. • In this study, the effects of dietary anthocyanin were evaluated in goat does. • A diet with anthocyanin enhances antioxidant activity and decreases lipid metabolism. • Dietary anthocyanins improve rumen fermentation in goats. • Dietary supplementation with anthocyanins improves the abundance and function of bacteria in the rumen.
Lu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.