Impact of Panax notoginseng Residue on Rumen Microbial Community, Blood Biochemical Parameters and Growth Performance in Cattle: A Preliminary Study on Its Potential as a Feed Resource

This study aimed to investigate the effects of adding different proportions of <i>Panax notoginseng</i> residue (PNR) to the diet on the rumen microbial community structure, blood biochemical indices, and growth performance of Wenshan cattle. Fifteen Wenshan cattle with an average weight of 392.30 ± 22.57 kg were randomly divided into three groups, a control group, a 3% PNR group, and a 6% PNR group, with five cattle in each group, for a 100-day feeding trial. The results show that adding PNR to the diet modulates the abundance and diversity of rumen microorganisms in Wenshan cattle, primarily affecting the relative abundances of key bacterial phyla such as Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, the relative abundances of Fibrobacter and Butyrivibrio exhibited trends of either decreasing and then increasing or increasing then decreasing with the amount of PNR added, indicating a complex regulatory effect of PNR on the rumen microbial community. The addition of PNR decreased blood glucose and blood lipid levels in Wenshan cattle. Moreover, PNR addition also increased the average daily weight gain of Wenshan cattle, demonstrating its positive effect on enhancing growth performance. In summary, PNR, as a feed resource, has potential application value in the feeding of Wenshan cattle. It not only regulates the rumen microbial community structure and improves metabolic health but also effectively enhances animal growth performance.