Abstract In this study, Illumina MiSeq was used to investigate the microbial diversity ofwine grapes and soil from three vineyards indifferent localities on the eastern foothills of Helan Mountain in Ningxia, China. The results of 26 samples showed thatthere were 4 fungal phyla with 1107 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 11 bacterial phyla with 4630 OTUs. At the genus level, the dominant fungi in the grapes included Aspergillus, Alternaria, Exobasidum, Aureobasidium, and Cladosporium, while the dominant fungi in the soil included Gibberella, Gliomastix, Coprinellus, Fusarium, and Chaetomium, Chryseobacterium, Mesorhizobium, Pseudomonas, Microbacterium and Acinetobacter were the dominant bacteria in the grapes, while Arthrobacter, Pontibacter, Massilia, Skermanella, and Candiatus-Nitrosocosmicus were the dominant bacteria in the soil. Principal component analysis showed that the microbial diversity differed in the three vineyards from different geographical locations. This study provides a theoretical basis for the utilization and development of the characteristic microorganisms in vineyards.

ABSTRACT We aimed to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus ACCC11073 on the growth performance, oxidation, inflammation, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family genes of rabbits infected with Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) using antibiotic enrofloxacin hydrochloride (EH) as a reference. There were four treatments including negative control, positive control with L. monocytogenes infection on the first day of feeding trial (PC), PC + EH at 40 mg kg−1, and PC + L. acidophilus at 108 CFU kg−1 of diet using 240 weaned growing rabbits. The results showed that L. monocytogenes infection worsened growth performance of rabbits, whereas EH or L. acidophilus supplementation partially recovered body weight gain, but did not reach the levels of the negative control. Listeria acidophilus and EH decreased L. monocytogenes loads in caecum, liver, spleen, and lymph node, serum oxidative markers including diamine oxidase, malondialdehyde, and protein carbonyl, serum IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. The decreased effects of EH on IL-1β and TNF-α were more pronounced than that of the probiotic. Treatments EH and probiotic also de-regulated the mRNA levels of MAPK1, 3, 6, and 14. Listeria acidophilus exhibits a similar effect to EH against L. monocytogenes in rabbits, and the regulation on inflammatory process is via MAPK family genes. The results suggest that L. acidophilus can be used as a feed additive against L. monocytogenes infection.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the effect of Artemisia apiacea Hance supplementation on growth performance, cecal opportunistic bacteria, and antimicrobial defense using 120 rabbits. There were four experimental diets containing a control and A. apiacea Hance added at doses of 25, 50, and 75 g kg−1 of feed. The trial lasted for 70 days. The results showed that diets supplemented with A. apiacea Hance improved feed intake, body weight gain, and feed efficiency. Linear and quadratic responses were found between feed intake and herbal meal doses. For cecal opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, compared with the control treatment, the herb decreased cecal C. perfringens, Gram-negative bacteria, and Salmonella spp. by 9.5 to 56.8%. Linear responses of herb doses were found on the four bacteria and a quadratic response on Salmonella spp. In addition, the herb increased the mRNA levels by 12.6 to 57.8% of cecal defensive peptides, including neutrophil peptide defensing-3a, regenerating family member-3 gamma defensin beta-1, and galectin-4. These genes linearly responded to the herb doses. The obtained data suggest that A. apiacea Hance is effective to improve animal growth by beneficially regulating gut opportunistic bacteria and microbicidal peptide activity.