Dietary modulation of the rumen microbiome drives the expression of metabolic and methanogenic pathways in <i>Bos indicus</i>
Understanding how diet modulates the functional activity of the rumen microbiome is essential for developing strategies to mitigate methane emissions in cattle. This study provides novel insights into how feeding agro-industrial by-products to Nelore cattle (<i>Bos indicus</i>), a key tropical beef breed, reshapes the functional profile of the rumen microbiome. Although no taxonomic shifts were detected, animals fed the by-product diet exhibited a greater number of microbial functions associated with lower methane production potential. These findings suggest that diet-driven modulation of microbial metabolism could contribute to strategies aimed at reducing methane emissions. Moreover, the use of by-products supports circular economy principles, enhancing the sustainability and economic resilience of tropical livestock systems. This work emphasizes the importance of examining the active microbiome through RNA rather than solely profiling taxonomic composition without considering microbial activity. It also contributes to unveiling microbial functions to support future methane mitigation and sustainable feeding strategies.
Authors
- Bruno Gabriel Nascimento Andrade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2481-401X)
- Thiago Iamada Porto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8984-2156)
- Priscila Silva Neubern de Oliveira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7202-3629)
- Adhemar Zerlotini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7739-0284)
- Jennifer Jéssica Bruscadin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3446-9419)
- Júlio César Pascale Palhares (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9757-3061)
- Luciana Correia de Almeida Regitano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9242-8351)
- S. R. de Medeiros (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3331-4236)
- Le Luo Guan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8420-4371)
- Liliane Costa Conteville (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2083-4371)
- A. Berndt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8976-2399)
- Juliana Virginio da Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0026-9347)
- Gérson Barreto Mourão (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0990-4108)
- Luiz Lehmann Coutinho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7266-8881)
- Tainã Figueiredo Cardoso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6038-7521)
Institutions
- Southeastern University (US)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos (BR)
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR)
- Munster Technological University (IE)
- ID Genomics (United States) (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- mSphere
- Published
- 2025-10-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/msphere.00535-25
- Primary Topic
- Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico