Evaluating the association between body weight and the intestinal microbiota of weaned piglets via 16S rRNA sequencing

Abstract

Due to the ban on the use of antimicrobial growth promoters in livestock feeds, understanding the relationship between intestinal microbiota and the physiology of the host has become very important for improving livestock performance. In this study, we investigated the relationship between intestinal microbiota and body weights of weaned piglets. Lighter (n = 9) and heavier (n = 9) 9-week-old weaned piglets were selected from approximately one hundred individuals based on their body weights. Their fecal microbial communities were analyzed by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The microbial richness estimators of the heavier piglets were significantly higher than those of the lighter piglets. At the phylum level, the microbiota of the heavier group had significantly higher levels of Firmicutes and a higher Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio than that of the lighter group. At the genus level, the levels of several genera, such as Anaerococcus and Lactococcus, were significantly different in the two groups. In particular, the lighter group had significantly higher levels of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, such as Anaerotruncus and Bacteroides, compared with those of the heavier group. Moreover, the levels of bacteria expressing the components of several metabolic pathways were significantly different in the two groups. The microbiota of the heavier group had a significantly higher involvement in three KEGG pathways concerned with xenobiotic degradation than that of the lighter group. These results may provide insights into host-microbe interactions occurring in the piglet intestine and will be useful in establishing a strategy for improving growth performance in the swine industry.

Effect of cereal soaking and carbohydrase supplementation on growth, nutrient digestibility and intestinal microbiota in liquid-fed grow-finishing pigs

“…Although a number of recent studies have reported bacterial taxa that are associated with body weight (52) and feed efficiency (7,8,53,54) in pigs, to our knowledge, ileal abundance of these bacterial taxa has not been associated with growth parameters to date. However, in line with our findings, a higher abundance of Lactococcus was previously observed in the faeces of lighter body weight pigs 55 . In humans, LAB are traditionally seen as having a positive impact on the host 56 .…”

Bacillus subtilis Strain DSM 29784 Modulates the Cecal Microbiome, Concentration of Short-Chain Fatty Acids, and Apparent Retention of Dietary Components in Shaver White Chickens during Grower, Developer, and Laying Phases

“…These microbes are associated with gut health (52) by modulating the immune system (43,53,54), improving metabolic efficiency (13,55), and reducing colonization by undesirable microbes (56). Studies in pigs (57,58) and humans (59,60) have identified different genera of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as key indicators of growth performance based on the differences in their ability to harvest energy. Most members of Bacteroidetes help to promote intestinal digestion, nutrient utilization (51) and hind gut fermentation of substrates to produce SCFA (61), as well as promoting the conversion of the absorbed SCFA to more complex compounds in the liver (55).…”

Prebiotic effects of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) fiber on cecal bacterial composition, short-chain fatty acids, and diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets

“…For species similarities and diversity, the alpha diversity analysis using the Shannon diversity index, Simpson diversity, Chao 1 richness, and observed species richness were used. The principal component analysis (PCA) was performed at the genus level, 43 and the results were visualized using the Statistical Analysis of Metagenomics Proles (STAMP) version 2.13 program. 44 The linear discriminant analysis coupled with effect size (LEfSe) was performed to identify the bacterial taxa differentially represented between groups at the genus or higher taxonomy levels.…”