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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (9): 169-179.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025399

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Effects of lactic acid bacteria and molasses on the quality and antioxidant activity of Solidago canadensis silage

Yan LEI1,2(), Hai-yang HE1,2, Xian-li TANG1,2, Zhi-fei ZHANG1,2, Lin MU1,2()   

  1. 1.College of Agronomy,Hunan Agricultural University,Changsha 410128,China
    2.Yuelu Mountain Laboratory,Changsha 410128,China
  • Received:2025-09-30 Revised:2025-11-13 Online:2026-09-20 Published:2026-07-27
  • Contact: Lin MU

Abstract:

Solidago canadensis, a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae, exhibits significant potential for development as a functional feed due to its high biomass, and relatively high crude protein and water-soluble carbohydrate contents, as well as its abundance of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids. This study investigated the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum inoculation and molasses addition on the ensiling quality of S. canadensis. A two-factor completely randomized design was adopted, with four molasses addition levels (0, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%) and without or with L. plantarum inoculation (0, 106 cfu·g-1). After ensiling for 30 days, nutritional composition, fermentation quality, and antioxidant activity were evaluated. The results indicated that among treatments with molasses alone, the pH of the 2.0% molasses group (M2L0) was extremely significantly lower than those of M0L0, M0.5L0 and M1L0P<0.01). At the same molasses addition level, inoculation with L. plantarum reduced silage pH and significantly decreased the ratio of ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen. The combined addition of molasses and L. plantarum significantly decreased the contents of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber, while increasing the contents of lactic acid and water-soluble carbohydrates. Furthermore, after ensiling for 30 days, the antioxidant capacity of S. canadensis was significantly enhanced compared with the raw material before ensiling, and the combination of 2.0% molasses and L. plantarum further increased the antioxidant activity compared with the control treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that adding 2.0% molasses and L. plantarum significantly improved the quality and antioxidant activity of the silage. This study provides new insights for utilizing S. canadensis as a livestock feed and offers a novel approach for the ecological management of this invasive plant species.

Key words: Solidago canadensis, molasses, Lactobacillus plantarum, ensiling, silage quality, antioxidant activity