Ensiling vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata) residue with Lactobacillus plantarum inoculant as an animal unconventional fodder

The study aimed to evaluate the application of silage fermentation in storing vine tea residue. Dynamic of fermentation-related product, chemical component and bacterial community of silage with or without Lactobacillus plantarum F1 inoculant were analyzed. The results showed that F1 treatment had a significant (P<0.05) impact on the lactic acid and ammoniacal nitrogen concentrations and pH value. Total phenols were well preserved in both treatments. After 30 days of ensiling, L. plantarum occupied the majority of Lactobacillus genus (more than 95%) in all silage samples. Spearman revealed a positive (P<0.01) correlation between lactic acid content and Lactobacillus. Overall, ensiling vine tea residue with L. plantarum can effectively preserve the nutritional attributes and total phenols, which offers a new insight into utilizing vine tea residue.