Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria Inoculants on Fermentation Quality, Bacteria Communities and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Whole-Crop Corn Silage

Feed is an important source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in animals and products, posing significant potential risks to human health and the environment. Ensiling may present a feasible method for reducing ARGs in animal feed. This study involved the addition of four types of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants, <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> (LP), <i>Pediococcus acidilactici</i> (P), <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> (E), and <i>Ligilactobacillus salivarius</i> (LS), to whole-crop corn silage to investigate changes in ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and their transmission risks during ensiling. The results indicated that the addition of LAB significantly reduced the ammonia nitrogen content and pH value of whole-crop corn silage, inhibited the growth of harmful microorganisms, and increased the lactic acid content (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The improvement effect was particularly pronounced in the P treatment group. Natural fermentation plays a significant role in reducing ARG abundance, and the addition of different types of lactic acid bacteria helps reduce the abundance of both ARGs and MGEs. Specifically, the LS treatment group exhibited a significant decrease in MGE abundance, potentially reducing the horizontal transmission risk of ARGs. Furthermore, variations in ARG abundance within different LAB strains were detected, showing a consistent trend with that in silage. ARGs and MGEs were correlated with the fermentation parameters and microbial communities (<i>p</i> < 0.05). This suggests that adding LAB with low levels of ARGs to silage can effectively reduce ARG contamination. Bacterial community structure, MGEs, and fermentation quality may act as driving forces for the transfer and dissemination of ARGs in the silage ecosystem.