Dietary L-Citrulline Supplementation Promotes Rumen Development and Modulates the Microbiota-Metabolome Axis in Suckling Hu Lambs
L-citrulline at 2 g/day improved rumen morphometry, starter intake, and volatile fatty acid profile in suckling lambs, without a statistically significant effect on body weight gain.
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What the study showed
L-citrulline supplementation increased average daily starter intake by 25.96% and improved rumen morphometric parameters including weight, volume, papillary length, width, density, and epithelial thickness. Propionate increased by 37.64% (p < 0.001) and total VFAs were higher in the supplemented group. Average daily gain showed a 20% numerical increase that did not reach statistical significance.
How it was done
Twenty male Hu lambs were randomly allocated to two groups (n = 10) over 45 days; six animals per group were slaughtered for rumen morphometry, 16S rRNA sequencing, GC-FID VFA quantification, and untargeted LC-MS metabolomics.
Risk of bias
Very small sample size (n = 10 per group, n = 6 for biological endpoints); study restricted to males of a single breed; 42-day duration limits inferences about persistent effects. The abstract does not report complete microbiota and metabolomics data.
What this study does NOT prove
The study does not prove improvement in final productive performance nor demonstrates a causal mechanism between microbiota, metabolome, and rumen development.
In clinical practice
Preliminary findings in a specific animal model; extrapolation to other breeds, females, or different management practices is not supported by the available data.
Limitations
Very small sample size (n = 10 per group, n = 6 for biological endpoints); study restricted to males of a single breed; 42-day duration limits inferences about persistent effects. The abstract does not report complete microbiota and metabolomics data.
Technical appendix
Version history
- 1.0 · 2026-07-27 — Auto-generated under Evidence Standard v1.0
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