Effect of lactic acid bacteria preparations on calf fecal flora

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of lactic acid bacteria preparations on microbial diversity and community structure of calves. On days 1 and 7 of the trial period, feces were collected into sterile tubes and labeled (Day 1: control group D1DZ, experimental group D1SY, and Day 7: control group D7DZ, experimental group D7SY). Twenty Angus calves (150±10 kg) were selected and randomly divided into two groups of 10 calves each. The control group fed a basal diet. In addition to feeding the basal diet, the experimental group was given 15 mL lactobacillus preparation orally at 09:00 and 16:00 h every day. Calves were allowed free feeding and drinking water. All other feeding environments and management conditions remained consistent with the experiment lasting for seven days. At the end of the experiment, the fecal microflora of the calves was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing techniques. The 16S rRNA analysis data were processed using the Excel 2007 software and analyzed by the IBM SPSS statistical software (Statistical Analysis System, version 22). The Alpha diversity index analysis showed that the Chao and the Ace indices were significantly different after feeding supplemented with lactic acid bacteria. The PCA analysis showed that the fecal flora structure differed significantly after supplementation with the lactic acid bacteria preparation. Further analysis showed that the lactic acid bacteria increased Firmicutes, Patescibacteria, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Clostridium_ sensu_stricto_1, and prevotellaceae_UCG-003 in the feces. Therefore, we speculate that lactic acid bacteria preparations play an important role in animal production and are beneficial to the diversity of the fecal microflora of the calves.

Growth Performance and Fecal Microbiota of Dairy Calves Supplemented with Autochthonous Lactic Acid Bacteria as Probiotics in Mexican Western Family Dairy Farming

“…The current results suggest that probiotic supplementation regulates the bacterial community composition in the intestine of calves, particularly in 6BY + 6BZ-supplemented calves (mainly in terms of diversity at the genus level) that may promote the absorption of nutrients in diets [ 37 ]. It has been reported that feeding lactic acid bacteria preparations for one day affects the microbial species composition of the feces of calves through β diversity data analysis using multivariate statistical tools such as principal component analysis [ 64 ]. Additionally, Fan et al [ 65 ] reported that the β diversity of fecal microbiota of Holstein dairy calves was influenced by the supplementation with milk replaced with ethoxyquin, improving early rumen microbial development; this suggests that the interactions among different bacteria genera might play an essential role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis in the gut of newborn calves; moreover, the major impact on microbiota composition and diversity is directly related to the combined probiotic supplementation [ 65 ].…”

The Stool Microbiome in African Ruminants: A Comparative Metataxonomic Study Suggests Potential for Biogas Production

“…According to results from previous studies on cow rumen fluid, Prevotellaceae and Fibrobacter can be found at frequencies of around 28% and 12%, respectively [30,31,37,45]. However, in ruminant fecal samples, Prevotellaceae and Fibrobacter are usually present in a rather low abundance, reaching between 0.4% and 1.4% [22,35,40,46]. Furthermore, with a similar function to Fibrobacter, members of Atopostipes are hydrolytic bacteria which promote the hydrolysis of cellulose and lignin contents to produce simple sugars [47,48].…”

“…According to Wang (2023) and Liu (2022), who compared the rumen microbial communities between Yaks and Qaidam cattle, the relative abundance of the Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and the Christensenellaceae_R-7_group in Yaks was revealed to be higher, reaching 10.6% and 8.0%, respectively [39]. On the other hand, Dong (2023) found a lower abundance of the Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group (7.06%) and the Christensenellaceae_R-7_group (5.27%) when studying cow fecal flora [40]. In the same line of study, Mutungwazi (2022) compared four animal manures which are routinely used as inoculum in anaerobic digestion and revealed a lower abundance of the Christensenellaceae_R-7_group for pig (1.4%), horse (0.4%), chicken (0.2%), and cow (4.6%), and no significant presence of the Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group [17].…”