Citrus flavonoid extracts alter the profiling of rumen antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors of dairy cows

Citrus flavonoid extracts (CFE) have the potential to reduce rumen inflammation, improve ruminal function, and enhance production performance in ruminants. Our previous studies have investigated the effects of CFE on the structure and function of rumen microbiota in dairy cows. However, it remains unclear whether CFE affects the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) and virulence factors genes (VFG) in the rumen. Therefore, metagenomics was used to identify the rumen ARG and VFG in lactating dairy cows fed with CFE diets. The results showed that CFE significantly reduced the levels of Multidrug and Antiphagocytosis in the rumen (