Rumen Microbial Diversity and Metabolome Analysis Reveals the Effects of Alkaline Metal Ion Complexes on Muscle Quality of Lambs

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with an alkaline metal ion complex (AMIC) on growth performance, meat quality, rumen microbiota, and metabolome in Hu lambs. Fifty lambs were randomly assigned to either a control group (basal diet) or an AMIC group (basal diet + 0.15% AMIC) for 60 days. The results showed that AMIC significantly increased carcass weight, <i>Longissimus dorsi</i> area, crude protein, intramuscular fat, ash content, and meat luminosity (L*). Amino acid profiles and key flavor compounds were elevated, while off-flavor hydrocarbons were reduced. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that AMIC altered rumen microbiota composition, enriching butyrate-producing genera such as Butyrivibrio and Saccharofermentans. Metabolomic analysis identified 398 differentially expressed metabolites, with upregulated pathways including butanoate metabolism and xylene degradation. Correlation analyses indicated strong associations between specific microbial taxa, metabolites, and meat quality traits. These findings suggest that AMIC enhances meat quality by modulating rumen microbial ecology and metabolic pathways, leading to improved nutrient deposition and flavor development. This study provides novel insights into the microbe–metabolite–muscle axis in ruminants and supports the use of AMIC as a dietary strategy for quality lamb production.