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Open AccessArticle
Impact of Heat Stress on Rumen Fermentation Patterns and Microbiota Diversity and Its Association with Thermotolerance in Indigenous Goats
1
Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Bangalore 560030, India
2
Centre for Translational Research, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Kurumbapet 605009, India
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Fermentation 2025, 11(8), 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11080450 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 5 June 2025
/
Revised: 30 July 2025
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Accepted: 31 July 2025
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Published: 1 August 2025
Abstract
Goats are considered to be the ideal climate-resilient animal species in the tropics. Fewer studies are documented assessing the heat stress response of caprine ruminal microbiota, which can also be a crucial indicator of the resilience and/or adaptability of animals. This study was conducted to comparatively assess the heat stress responses of two indigenous goat breeds, Nandidurga and Bidri, based on changes associated with the rumen fermentation pattern and distribution pattern of rumen microbiota. A total of 24 adult animals were randomly allocated into four groups of six animals each, NC (n = 6; Nandidurga control), NHS (n = 6; Nandidurga heat stress), BC (n = 6; Bidri control) and BHS (n = 6; Bidri heat stress). The animals were reared in climate chambers for a duration of 45 days wherein the NC and BC animals were maintained under thermoneutral temperature while the NHS and BHS animals were subjected to simulated heat stress. Heat stress was observed to significantly reduce the rumen ammonia, extracellular CMCase, intracellular carboxy methyl cellulase (CMCase) and total CMCase both in Nandidurga and Bidri goats. In addition to this, a significant reduction in acetate, propionate and total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) was observed in Nandidurga goats. The V3–V4 16s rRNA sequencing further revealed a significant alteration in the rumen microbiota in heat-stressed Nandidurga and Bidri goats. While both the breeds exhibited nearly similar responses in the rumen microbial abundance levels due to heat stress, breed-specific differences were also observed. Furthermore, the LEFSe analysis revealed a significant alteration in the abundances of microbes at the genus level, which were observed to be relatively greater in Bidri goats than Nandidurga goats. Furthermore, these alterations were predicted to impair the functional pathways, especially pathways associated with metabolism. This study therefore provided an insight into the rumen microbial dynamics in heat-stressed goats. Though both the breeds exhibited excellent resilience to the subjected heat stress, there were relatively less ruminal alterations in Nandidurga goats than in Bidri goats.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Silpa, M.V.; Sejian, V.; Devaraj, C.; Sahoo, A.; Bhatta, R.
Impact of Heat Stress on Rumen Fermentation Patterns and Microbiota Diversity and Its Association with Thermotolerance in Indigenous Goats. Fermentation 2025, 11, 450.
https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11080450
AMA Style
Silpa MV, Sejian V, Devaraj C, Sahoo A, Bhatta R.
Impact of Heat Stress on Rumen Fermentation Patterns and Microbiota Diversity and Its Association with Thermotolerance in Indigenous Goats. Fermentation. 2025; 11(8):450.
https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11080450
Chicago/Turabian Style
Silpa, Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan, Veerasamy Sejian, Chinnasamy Devaraj, Artabandhu Sahoo, and Raghavendra Bhatta.
2025. "Impact of Heat Stress on Rumen Fermentation Patterns and Microbiota Diversity and Its Association with Thermotolerance in Indigenous Goats" Fermentation 11, no. 8: 450.
https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11080450
APA Style
Silpa, M. V., Sejian, V., Devaraj, C., Sahoo, A., & Bhatta, R.
(2025). Impact of Heat Stress on Rumen Fermentation Patterns and Microbiota Diversity and Its Association with Thermotolerance in Indigenous Goats. Fermentation, 11(8), 450.
https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11080450
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