Impacts of cellulase and xylanase addition on antibiotic resistance and microbial community during dairy manure composting

Abstract

Background Composting is a transformation and biodegradation process that converts organic biomass into valuable products while also removing antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Promoting lignocellulose biodegradation is essential for enhancing composting efficiency and improving the quality of compost derived from agricultural organic waste. This study aims to explore the effects of cellulase and xylanase on the composting process of cow manure, with a focus on their impact on key physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Methods Dairy manure compost was carried out for 30 days with cellulase and xylanase treatment. The physicochemical characteristics (pH, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), germination index (GI), humic acid (HA), and fulvic acid (FA)) of the compost samples were measured, along with enzymatic activities, including cellulase activity (CA), urease activity (UA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and dehydrogenase activity (DHA). Furthermore, bacterial communities and ARGs were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and high-throughput quantitative PCR. Additionally, network properties, redundancy analysis, and variation partitioning analysis were conducted. Results Enzyme additions significantly enhanced composting efficiency, which improved temperature regulation and increased nitrogen content. Cellulase notably accelerated the degradation of organic matter, enhanced microbial diversity, and reduced ARG abundance, while xylanase played a crucial role in stabilizing pH and temperature during the later stages, facilitating nitrogen retention and compost maturity. Additionally, microbial community dynamics were closely linked to ARG patterns, indicating that enzymatic treatments can optimize composting processes while mitigating the spread of resistance genes. Conclusion The findings highlight the complementary roles of these enzymes in improving composting outcomes and suggest strategies for sustainable waste management. These findings provide valuable insights for improving the composting efficiency and quality of compost derived from agricultural organic waste.