The gut microbiota play important roles in the degradation of chemical compounds of herbal medicines (HMs). However, little information regarding the interplay between HMs and the gut microbiota is available. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the composition of the fecal microbiota of young (age, 11 weeks) hens fed a conventional diet containing a crude Astragalus (0.5%) additive for 21 days (group A) vs. controls (group B) that were fed only conventional feed. The fecal contents of 14-week-old hens were collected for DNA extraction, and then the V3 and V4 hyper-variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified and analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology. A distinctive difference in microbial diversity was observed between the two groups. The microbial composition of hens fed a diet supplemented with Astragalus was greater than that of the control group. At the genus level, Lactobacillus was more abundant in group A than group B (p < 0.05). Importantly, this study is the first to report the observation of a novel Romboutsia sp. in the feces of hens. However, Romboutsia was less abundant in group A than group B (17.94 vs. 33.98%, respectively, p < 0.05). The microbial community differed significantly between the two groups at the genus level, suggesting that Astragalus modulates the composition of the fecal microbiota. Based on these differences, these findings provide fresh insights into the application of Astragalus in the poultry industry, as well as a better understanding of the interplay between HMs and the gut microbiota.

In the era of increased antibiotic resistance and ever-stricter control on antibiotic use, it is urgent to develop green, safe, and non-residue alternatives to antibiotics applied to the poultry industry. To this end, we supplied the potential Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) fermented Astragalus in the diet of laying hens, with a final addition of 3‰. Its effects have been assessed on laying performance, egg quality, antioxidant and immunological status, and intestinal microbiota, and are compared to the control group, to the Astragalus group containing 3‰ unfermented Astragalus, and to the L. plantarum group containing 2% L. plantarum [5 × 10⁸ colony-forming unit (CFU) per milliliter (mL)]. During the second half of the experimental period (15 to 28 days), the egg production rate was considerably higher in the fermented Astragalus group than that in the other groups, with the fermented Astragalus group having the lowest feed conversion ratio. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was noted among treatments on egg quality. Fermented Astragalus-treated hens exhibited significantly increased catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in serum, and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum. Furthermore, fermented Astragalus supplementation resulted in a significant increase in ileal microbiota abundance relative to control. In conclusion, feeding laying hens with L. plantarum fermented Astragalus has beneficial effects on production, antioxidant potential, immunity, and ileal microbiota. L. plantarum fermented Astragalus is expected to be a novel feed additive used in poultry production.

The composition and function of the intestinal microbiota play important roles in digestion and degradation of herbal medicines (HMs). However, few studies have examined the relationship between the fecal microbiota and HMs. In this study the effect of unfermented Astragalus (UA) and fermented Astragalus (FA) on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and fecal microbiota was evaluated in broiler chickens. In total, 180 one-day-old broiler chickens (Avian breeds) were randomly assigned to a control (C) group fed a basal diet, an unfermented (U) group fed a basal diet containing 0.5% UA, or a fermented (F) group fed a basal diet containing 0.5% FA, for 42 days. The F/G ratio was lower in F and U groups than in C group from 22 to 42 days (P < 0.05). Glutathione superoxide dismutase, antioxidant capacity, and total superoxide dismutase were higher, whereas malondialdehyde was lower in F group than in C and U groups from 1 to 21 days and from 22 to 42 days (P < 0.05). Fecal microbiota were profiled on an Illumina MiSeq platform following PCR amplification of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. At the genus level Lactobacillus was the most abundant genus on day 7 in F group. Importantly, a potentially pathogenic genus, Enterococcus, was less abundant in the U and F groups than in the C group on day 35 (P < 0.05). These results indicate that dietary supplementation with 0.5% FA has beneficial effects on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters and fecal microbiota of broiler chickens.

The purpose of this study was to examine the fermentation of A. membranaceus by L. plantarum and its effects on broiler chickens. L. plantarum solid-state fermentation was employed to solve the problem of releasing the active components of A. membranaceus. The effect of L. plantarum on astragalus was examined by measuring the contents of protein, carbohydrate, calycoflavone, and formononetin in A. membranaceus before and after fermentation. The effect of A. membranaceus on L. plantarum was demonstrated by detecting the changes in galactosidase in L. plantarum before and after fermentation. Fermented A. membranaceus was fed to broiler chickens, and the indices of growth performance, antioxidants, immune function, and intestinal short-chain fatty acids were recorded. The results showed that the cellulose and pectin on the surface of A. membranaceus were decomposed by L. plantarum solid-state fermentation, and the macromolecular proteins were degraded into small molecules. A. membranaceus increased the content of galactosidase in L. plantarum. Solid-state fermentation increased the contents of functional sugars, calycosin, and formononetin in A. membranaceus. Fermentation of A. membranaceus significantly improved the production performance of broilers as well as the antioxidant index, immune index, intestinal morphology, and intestinal short-chain fatty acid content.

Xanthine oxidase (XOD) is a key target in managing gout. We developed a fermented traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula with strong XOD-inhibitory properties. Several TCMs and probiotics, including Cortex fraxini, Polygonum cuspidatum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Angelica sinensis, and Cassia twig, were selected for potent XOD inhibition. Optimized fermentation (37 °C, pH 7, 3 % inoculum) enhanced bioactive compound transformation, increasing levels of resveratrol and aesculetin. A high-protein, high-calcium diet successfully induced gout in goslings. Supplementation with fermented TCM reduced mortality and improved clinical outcomes by lowering serum uric acid, XOD activity, creatinine, and malondialdehyde, while enhancing antioxidant markers and reducing organ damage. An increased villus-to-crypt ratio indicated improved intestinal morphology. 16S rDNA sequencing showed increased microbial diversity, reduced Proteobacteria, enriched Firmicutes, and greater abundance of beneficial genera such as Enterococcus and Lactobacillus. Overall, fermented TCM exerts preventive effects against gout through biotransformation and gut microbiota modulation, offering organ protection in poultry.

Background: Yupingfeng san is a traditional Chinese medicine formula composed of siler, atractylodes, and astragalus. The herbal medicine fermentation process relies on the role of probiotics. Bacillus coagulans is a probiotic commonly used to ferment food and drugs. It produces a variety of beneficial metabolites during fermentation. However, the study on the interaction between B. coagulans and yupingfeng san is still blank. Methods: During solid-state fermentation of yupingfeng san, we used metabolomics technology and 16S rDNA sequencing to analyze the differential metabolites and microbial flora of B. coagulans at 0, 3, 7, 11, and 15 d, which corresponded to groups A0, B3, B7, B11, and B15, respectively. This research explored the correlation between microorganisms and metabolites in fermented compound Chinese medicine. Results: The results revealed a significant difference in species β diversity between group A0 and the B groups (P < 0.01). At the phylum level, in fermentation groups B3, B7, B11, and B15, the Cyanobacteria relative abundance decreased by 6.69%, 9.09%, 5.74%, and 2.24%, respectively (P < 0.05). The Firmicutes relative abundance increased by 39.73%, 35.65%, 49.09%, and 68.66% (P < 0.05), respectively. The Proteobacteria relative abundance decreased by 39.86% and 26.70%, respectively, in groups B11 and B15 (P < 0.05). The relative abundance of Actinobacteria increased initially with extended fermentation time, and then gradually decreased after reaching its peak in group B7. At the genus level, compared with group A0, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria increased to its highest level of 21.12% in fermentation group B3 and decreased to 9.51% after a fermentation time of 15 d. The abundance of Leuconostoc in fermentation groups B3, B7, and B11 was significantly higher than in group A0 (20.93%, 20.73%, and 21.00%, respectively, P < 0.05). Pediococcus in fermentation groups B3, B7, B11, and B15 was also significantly higher than in group A0 (4.20%, 2.35%, 18.84%, and 52.01%, P < 0.05). Both Pediococcus and Leuconostoc, which belong to lactic acid bacteria, increased fivefold, accounting for a total abundance of 62%. After yupingfeng san fermentation, using nontargeted metabolomics, we identified 315 differential metabolites. This results showed a decrease in the content of alkene and an increase in the contents of acids, lipids, ketones, and amino acids. In addition, in group B3, the contents of quercetin, paeoniflorin-3-O-glucoside, netin, iristin, anthocyanin, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, liquiritin, and isoliquiritin were significantly upregulated. Conclusion: In this study, the composition and metabolic profile of yupingfeng san after the fermentation of B. coagulans were studied, and it was found that the fermentation group showed rich species diversity, in which the abundance of Leuconostoc and Weisseria increased significantly, while the opportunistic pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter decreased significantly. The analysis of metabolic products showed that the contents of acids, lipids and ketones were significantly increased, rich in a variety of beneficial microorganisms and small molecular compounds with antibacterial effects, and these changes worked together to inhibit the growth of pathogens and maintain intestinal health. The study not only helps to elucidate the assembly mechanism and functional expression of microorganisms after Chinese traditional medicine fermentation, but also provides a solid scientific basis for the development of efficient and safe micro-ecological feed additives.