The stems and leaves of <i>Panax notoginseng</i> reduce the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes by regulating intestinal microbiota in Duzang pigs

In order to study the distribution characteristics of intestinal microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in Duzang pigs after adding stems and leaves of <i>Panax notoginseng</i> to the feed, the characteristics of intestinal microbiota were explored by metagenomic sequencing, and 14 ARGs and 2 integrase genes were detected by qPCR. The results showed that the addition of stems and leaves of <i>P. notoginseng</i> increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes, <i>Lactobacillus</i> and <i>Pediococcus</i> in the cecum of Duzang pigs. A total of 10 ARGs and 2 integrase genes were detected in the cecal contents of pigs. The addition of stems and leaves of <i>P. notoginseng</i> reduced the relative abundance of total ARGs, <i>ermB</i>, <i>tetO</i> and <i>tetW</i> in the cecum of Duzang pigs. The results of network analysis showed that multiple genera were potential hosts of ARGs. The addition of stems and leaves of <i>P. notoginseng</i> may reduce the relative abundance of ARGs by reducing the relative abundance of genera such as <i>Corynebacterium</i> and <i>Flavonifractor</i>, thereby reducing the risk of ARGs spread. This study provides a theoretical basis for the rational use of stems and leaves of <i>P. notoginseng</i> to control ARGs.