Comparative Evaluation of the Ileum Microbiota Composition in Piglets at Different Growth Stages

Abstract

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.

Dietary inclusion of High Amylose Cornstarch Increased Cecal digesta Lactobacillus and Terrisporobacter and Decreased Streptococcus Genera of Weanling Pigs

“…There is evidence that Firmicutes are efficient producers of butyrate 38 . Firmicutes are the most abundant bacteria inhabiting the gut and play a role in the metabolism of energy from the host, which may lead to increased fat accumulation in pigs, as proposed by others 39,40 , but this was not evaluated in the present work. Interestingly, the proportion of Actinobacteriota was abundant in the combined treatment of 40% HA-starch and 40%CPCC group and the individual treatment group of 40%HA-starch.…”

Maternal tributyrin supplementation in late pregnancy and lactation improves offspring immunity, gut microbiota, and diarrhea rate in a sow model

“…The present study found that the addition of 0.05% tributyrin increased the GE and fat digestibility of lactating sow. This shows that tributyrin supplementation can effectively regulate the intestinal microbial community to affect nutrient digestibility, thus greatly influencing the growth and development of animals ( Lu et al, 2021 ). In our study, the TB group decreased predicted functions“Nitrate_respiration,” which is related to aerobic respiration, were observed in the sows.…”

Dynamic Changes in the Gut Microbial Community and Function during Broiler Growth

“…In terms of intestinal microbial diversity, in humans, alpha diversity gradually increases with growth and development before the age of 5 years; however, there is a decrease in gut microbial diversity from 18 to 80 years of age ( 26 , 27 ). Some investigators studied the intestinal flora of pigs on days 1, 28, and 70 and found that with the increase of age, the microbial diversity of the ileum increased, the proportion of Firmicutes increased, and the proportion of Proteobacteria decreased in Jinfen white pigs and Mashen pigs ( 28 ). Microbial diversity tends to increase in chicken embryos up to week 4, peaking at approximately days 14 and 28 for the foregut and hindgut, respectively, and then remaining stable or decreasing slightly thereafter ( 22 , 23 ).…”