Supplementing Diets with <i>Agriophyllum squarrosum</i> Reduced Blood Lipids, Enhanced Immunity and Anti-Inflammatory Capacities, and Mediated Lipid Metabolism in Tan Lambs
Dan Jiao,
Yanping Liang,
Shanshan Zhou,
Xiukun Wu,
Abraham Allan Degen,
Jonathan Hickford,
Huitong Zhou,
Haitao Cong,
Xinxin Shi,
Xiaofei Ma,
Guo Yang
Affiliations
Dan Jiao
Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Department of Ecology and Agriculture Research, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yanping Liang
Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Department of Ecology and Agriculture Research, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
Shanshan Zhou
Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanxi Institute of Science and Technology, Jincheng 048000, China
Xiukun Wu
Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Department of Ecology and Agriculture Research, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
Abraham Allan Degen
Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Beer Sheva l8410500, Israel
Jonathan Hickford
Gene-Marker Laboratory, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
Huitong Zhou
Gene-Marker Laboratory, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
Haitao Cong
Shandong Huakun Rural Revitalization Institute Co., Ltd., Jinan 250000, China
Xinxin Shi
Dongying Modern Animal Husbandry Development Service Center, Dongying 250100, China
Xiaofei Ma
Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Department of Ecology and Agriculture Research, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
Guo Yang
Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Department of Ecology and Agriculture Research, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
Agriophyllum squarrosum (sand rice), a widespread desert plant, possesses anti-hyperglycemic and anti-inflammatory properties, and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many years. However, its effects on ruminants are unknown. To fill this gap, we examined the effects of A. squarrosum on the immune and anti-inflammatory responses of lambs. A total of 23, 6-month-old Tan ewe-lambs (27.6 ± 0.47 kg) were divided into four groups and offered a basic diet (C—control), or a diet that contained 10%, 20%, or 30% A. squarrosum, on a dry matter basis, for 128 days. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol were lower (p = 0.004) in the 30% supplemented lambs than controls, while concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were lower (p = 0.006) in the 10% and 20%, but not in 30% supplemented lambs than controls. Serum-cortisol concentrations were lower (p = 0.012) in the 30% supplemented lambs and free fatty acid concentrations were higher in the 10% and 20% supplemented lambs than in control lambs (p A. squarrosum decreased (p p A. squarrosum also enriched immune and anti-inflammatory related and lipid and glucose-metabolic pathways and associated differentially expressed gene expressions in adipose tissue. A total of 10 differential triacylglycerol, 34 differential phosphatidylcholines and seven differential phosphatidylethanolamines decreased in the diet with 30% supplementation, when compared to the other diets. Finally, adipocyte-differentiation genes, and immune and inflammatory response-related gene expression levels decreased in lamb adipocytes cultured with an aqueous A. squarrosum extract. In conclusion, supplementing lamb diets with A. squarrosum reduced blood lipids, enhanced immunity and anti-inflammatory capacities, and mediated lipid metabolism in adipose tissue and adipocytes of Tan lambs. A level of approximately 10% is recommended, but further research is required to determine the precise optimal level.
