Effects of a Tithonia diversifolia and Senna spectabilis extract supplement on rumen microbiota of Hair Lambs

The use of natural extracts is a promising alternative to antibiotic feed additives in ruminant nutrition. Bioactive compounds such as tannins and flavonoids are known to modulate ruminal microbiota. This study evaluated the effects of a Senna spectabilis (SE) and Tithonia diversifolia (TD) extract supplemention on the rumen microbiota of Hair Lambs. Sixteen male crossbred hair lambs were randomly assigned to four treatments (n=4): control (CG), monensin (MG), SE, and TD. Microbial diversity and composition were assessed using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bacterial richness was reduced in the MG group, while SE and TD had no significant effect on overall microbial community structure (p > 0.05). The rumen microbiota was dominated by Firmicutes (38.87%), Bacteroidota (37.86%), and Proteobacteria (17.52%), with Prevotella as the most abundant genus (24.87%). Prevotella abundance was significantly higher in MG compared to other treatments (p = 0.019), although the difference between MG (35.39%) and SE (27.02%) was not significant (p > 0.05). Ruminobacter was more abundant in CG (7.30%) and significantly lower in SE (0.78%) (p = 0.0227). Average abundances in MG and TD were 2.26% and 2.76%, respectively. TD supplementation resulted in lower animal performance and limited microbial modulation. Overall, these findings provide a detailed characterization of the ruminal microbiota in hair lambs and suggest that Senna spectabilis extract may serve as a natural alternative to monensin for modulating rumen microbial communities and potentially improving animal productivity.