Editorial: Gut Microbiome Modulation in Ruminants: Enhancing Advantages and Minimizing Drawbacks

Abstract

Historically, the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was considered an organ solely equipped for the digestion and absorption of nutrients. However, the GIT harbors the largest population of immune cells and microbes that outnumber the entire host cells. Therefore, there is a general consensus that a healthy gut leads to healthy ruminants with optimal performance. In this context, the rumen is perhaps the most diverse and complex microbial ecosystem harbored in the GIT of animals. This microbial community consisting of symbiotic bacteria, archaea, protozoa, fungi, and phages provides an evolutionary advantage for ruminants, which allows them to utilize lignocellulosic materials and non-protein nitrogen to produce high quality foods. As a result, ruminants are capable of digesting a wide range of forages, decreasing the competition for human-edible foods. However, rumen microbial fermentation has some drawbacks: proteolysis carried out by protozoa and certain bacterial species can lead to low nitrogen efficiency Similarly, CH 4 formation in the rumen by the methanogenic archaea is wasteful in terms of feed energy loss as well as contributes to climate change. Moreover, rumen fatty acid biohydrogenation by rumen microbes leads to more saturated fat in ruminants' milk and meat in comparison to monogastric animals. Thus, understanding the interactions between the gut microbiome, diet, host genetics, and health are key to develop new strategies to meet consumers' demands for better food quality, animal health, and a more environmentally friendly and efficient animal production. This Research Topic aimed to propose nutritional and other rumen manipulation strategies and other insights to enhance the advantages, and to minimize the drawbacks, of the ruminant digestive physiology by modifications of the gut microbiome and its functionality.

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