Comparative evaluation of Bacillus and Lactobacillus in cottonseed hull fermentation.
4 affiliations
- 1Xinjiang Laboratory of Special Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091, China.
- 2Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830017, China.
- 3Xinjiang Laboratory of Special Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091, China. [email protected].
- 4Xinjiang Laboratory of Special Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Microbial fermentation is an effective approach to improving the nutritional value of cottonseed hulls and alleviating feed resource shortages. However, the interaction mechanisms between Bacillus and Lactobacillus within fermentation systems remain unclear. In this study, a composite Bacillus group (Group B), a composite Lactobacillus group (Group R), and a natural fermentation control group (Group C) were established for a 30-day solid-state fermentation experiment. Physicochemical parameters were measured at multiple time points, and 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing was performed to systematically analyze fermentation quality changes and microbial community succession. It was found that, compared with Groups R and C, Group B exhibited superior performance in degrading antinutritional factors and macromolecular substrates. The degradation rate of free gossypol reached 80.52%, while crude fiber content was reduced by 14.98%. Microbial community structure analysis revealed significant differences in composition among the treatment groups. Functional prediction analysis suggested that Group B was enriched in pathways associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, whereas Group R showed higher representation of pathways related to energy metabolism and cofactor and vitamin biosynthesis. Network analysis demonstrated that the introduction of Bacillus increased microbial network complexity while reducing cooperative interactions, indicating a strong competitive effect during fermentation. LEfSe analysis further revealed that different treatments significantly shaped distinct microbial biomarkers: Group B was enriched in Acinetobacter, Brevibacterium, and Faecalibacterium; Group R was dominated by Acidobacterium and Megasphaera; and Group C was dominated by Enterobacter and Staphylococcus. Correlation analysis revealed that 19 bacterial genera were significantly associated with nutrient transformation indicators, suggesting a strong coupling between microbial structure and functional processes. In summary, Bacillus and Lactobacillus exhibit a functional division of labor, characterized by early-stage degradation and later-stage stabilization during cottonseed hull fermentation. This study provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing microbial consortia and promoting the high-value utilization of agricultural waste.
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BibTeX
@article{li2026comparative,
title = {{Comparative evaluation of Bacillus and Lactobacillus in cottonseed hull fermentation.}},
author = {Kunyi Li and Yang Li and Xin Huang and Huaibing Yao and Gulinigaer Aiyisirehong and Nuerbiya Aibaidula and Weidong Cui and Min Hou},
journal = {BMC microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12866-026-05090-9},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42967977},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comparative evaluation of Bacillus and Lactobacillus in cottonseed hull fermentation.
AU - Kunyi Li
AU - Yang Li
AU - Xin Huang
AU - Huaibing Yao
AU - Gulinigaer Aiyisirehong
AU - Nuerbiya Aibaidula
AU - Weidong Cui
AU - Min Hou
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/05
JO - BMC microbiology
DO - 10.1186/s12866-026-05090-9
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42967977
AB - Microbial fermentation is an effective approach to improving the nutritional value of cottonseed hulls and alleviating feed resource shortages. However, the interaction mechanisms between Bacillus and Lactobacillus within fermentation systems remain unclear. In this study, a composite Bacillus group (Group B), a composite Lactobacillus group (Group R), and a natural fermentation control group (Group C) were established for a 30-day solid-state fermentation experiment. Physicochemical parameters were measured at multiple time points, and 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing was performed to systematically analyze fermentation quality changes and microbial community succession. It was found that, compared with Groups R and C, Group B exhibited superior performance in degrading antinutritional factors and macromolecular substrates. The degradation rate of free gossypol reached 80.52%, while crude fiber content was reduced by 14.98%. Microbial community structure analysis revealed significant differences in composition among the treatment groups. Functional prediction analysis suggested that Group B was enriched in pathways associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, whereas Group R showed higher representation of pathways related to energy metabolism and cofactor and vitamin biosynthesis. Network analysis demonstrated that the introduction of Bacillus increased microbial network complexity while reducing cooperative interactions, indicating a strong competitive effect during fermentation. LEfSe analysis further revealed that different treatments significantly shaped distinct microbial biomarkers: Group B was enriched in Acinetobacter, Brevibacterium, and Faecalibacterium; Group R was dominated by Acidobacterium and Megasphaera; and Group C was dominated by Enterobacter and Staphylococcus. Correlation analysis revealed that 19 bacterial genera were significantly associated with nutrient transformation indicators, suggesting a strong coupling between microbial structure and functional processes. In summary, Bacillus and Lactobacillus exhibit a functional division of labor, characterized by early-stage degradation and later-stage stabilization during cottonseed hull fermentation. This study provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing microbial consortia and promoting the high-value utilization of agricultural waste.
SN - 1471-2180
ER -