Gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota play an important role in promoting growth in piglets. However, studies on microbiota composition at various growth stages are lacking. We measured body weights of Jinfen White and Mashen piglets every 7 days and collected their fecal samples by rectal swabbing at nine time points during suckling (1–28 days) and nursery (35–70 days) stages to gain insight into microbiota variability during piglet growth. The fecal microbiota were characterized via 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze the effects of microbial diversity on piglet growth and development preliminarily. The results showed that although the two breeds of piglets have similar body weights at birth, weaned Jinfen White piglets demonstrated a significantly greater body weight and daily weight gain than weaned Mashen piglets (P < 0.01). A total of 1,976 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 27 phyla and 489 genera were uncovered, in which the highest numbers of OTUs belong to the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, and Prevotellaceae NK3B31 groups accounting for 12.4, 8.8, and 5.8% of OTUs, respectively, showed relatively high abundance at the genus level. Nine sampling time points were divided into three growth stages, namely, immediate postfarrowing (1 day old), suckling (7, 14, and 21 days old), and nursery (28, 35, 49, 63, and 70 days old), on the basis of the results of microbial diversity, principal coordinate, and co-occurrence network analyses. In addition, it identified 54 discriminative features in the microbiota between two breeds of piglets by LEfSe analysis, in which 17 genera enriched the microbiota community of Jinfen White piglets. Finally, abundances of 29 genera showed significant positive correlations with body weights and daily weight gain of piglets. Conversely, abundances of 12 genera demonstrated significant negative correlations with body weights of piglets. The results of our study will provide a theoretical basis for succession patterns in fecal microbiota of piglets and suggest the need for meticulous management of piglets in pig production.
Intestinal microbiota significantly influences the intake, storage, and utilization of body nutrients, as well as animal growth and development. The establishment of microbiota is affected by many factors, such as delivery and feeding modes, antibiotics, disease, and the surrounding environment. In this study, we selected Chinese indigenous Mashen and Jinfen White pigs as the study subjects. To explore the source and factors affecting the piglet intestinal microbiota, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to analyze the microbial composition of the feces, saliva, vaginal secretions, and colostrum of parturient sows, feces and saliva of newborn piglets, and surrounding environment samples. The results showed that the microbiota of the saliva of sows and piglets is structurally similar to that of the environment and is dominated by the phylum Proteobacteria, including Acinetobacter, Actinomyces, and Pseudomonas. The core genus in the vaginal secretions and colostrum of sows was Pseudomonas. Among the fecal samples, the core bacterial genera in sows before and after delivery were Clostridium sensu_stricto_1 and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, while in piglets at 1 d of age, Pseudomonas and Escherichia-Shigella were most abundant. These results indicate that microbiota in feces, colostrum, and vaginal secretions of sows more easily colonized piglet intestines through a symbiotic effect. The environmental and salivary microbiota could also affect the early colonization and succession of the intestinal microbiota of piglets to some extent. This study provides a theoretical basis for sow delivery protection and early nursing of piglets and background for the research and development of microbial agents to improve piglet intestinal health.
Intestinal microbiota can affect the intake, storage, and absorption of nutrients in the body, thereby greatly impacting the growth and development of animals. In addition to diet, the breed and growth stages of pigs could also affect changes in the intestinal microbiota. However, research on the developmental changes in the ileum microbiota of piglets remains unclear. In this study, the ileum microbiota of Jinfen White and Mashen piglets at different developmental stages were investigated using 16S rRNA sequencing. Physiologically, the villus height of the ileum decreased, and the crypt depth increased during the development of the two pig breeds. Additionally, the serum antioxidant factors in the Jinfen White piglets were significantly higher than in the Mashen piglets at the end of the nursing stage. A total of 690 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 21 phyla and 286 genera were identified, of which Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla during the development of both the Jinfen White and Mashen piglets, accounting for ∼90% of all OTUs. Further research revealed differences in dominant bacteria between the two breeds. With increasing age, the ileum microbial diversity increased, and in both the pig breeds, the proportion of Firmicutes increased, whereas the proportion of Proteobacteria decreased. Additionally, different samples were characterized by specific genera, and different Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were predicted at certain developmental stages. Finally, the correlation between the ileum microbiota and physiological features was analyzed, and it was suggested that the host and environmental factors play important roles in the formation of the microbial community structure in piglets. In summary, we delineated the structure, function, and differences in ileum microbiota between Jinfen White and Mashen piglets during different growth stages. This study helps to understand the development of the intestinal microbiota in local and hybrid pig breeds.
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