# Regulatory Effects of Alhagi Honey Small-Molecule Sugars on Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota of Lambs

## TL;DR

This study shows that feeding Alhagi honey sugars to lambs improves their growth, immunity, and gut health by boosting beneficial bacteria and antioxidants.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that high-dose Alhagi honey small-molecule sugars enhance lamb growth and intestinal health through immune and microbial regulation.

## Key findings

- High-dose AHAS increased lamb weight gain and growth performance significantly.
- AHAS supplementation boosted serum antioxidants, antibodies, and cytokines in lambs.
- AHAS increased beneficial gut bacteria and short-chain fatty acid production.

## Abstract

Plant sugars have a good effect on promoting animal body development and immune function. This study confirmed that AHAS feeding in unweaned lambs can effectively promote the growth performance of lambs, enhance antioxidant activity, promote the secretion of antibodies and cytokines, increase the abundance of intestinal beneficial bacteria, reduce the number of harmful bacteria, and effectively promote the secretion of intestinal short-chain fatty acids.

The present study was designed to assess the impact of Alhagi honey small-molecule sugars (AHAS) on Hu lambs. Therefore, in this study, AHAS low-dose (AHAS-L, 200 mg/ kg per day), AHAS medium-dose (AHAS-M, 400 mg/kg per day), and AHAS high-dose (AHAS-H, 800 mg/kg per day) were administered to Hu lambs to investigate the regulatory effects of AHAS on growth performance, oxidation index, immune system enhancement, and intestinal microbiota. The results showed that lambs in the AHAS-H group exhibited significantly increased in average daily weight gain, and growth performance compared to those in the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, AHAS-H supplementation resulted in increased levels of serum antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH-Px, and T-AOC), serum antibodies (IgA, IgG, and IgM), and cytokines (IL-4, 10,17, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, it increased the quantity and richness of beneficial bacteria at such as Sphingomonas, Ralstonia, and Flavobacterium, activating various metabolic pathways and promoting the production of various short-chain fatty acids. In summary, our findings highlight the potential of AHAS-H treatment in enhancing intestinal health of lambs by improving intestinal function, immunity, and related metabolic pathways. Consequently, these results suggest that AHAS holds promising potential as a valuable intervention for optimizing growth performance and intestinal health in lambs.