Healthy Gut Microbiome Composition Enhances Disease Resistance and Fat Deposition in Tibetan Pigs

Abstract

The gut microbiota is involved in a range of physiological processes in animals, and modulating the microbiome composition is considered a novel target for identifying animal traits. Tibetan pigs show better fat deposition and disease resistance compared to Yorkshire pigs. However, studies investigating the correlation between favorable characteristics in Tibetan pigs and the gut microbial community remain scarce. In the current study, 1,249,822 high-quality sequences were obtained by amplicon sequencing of the colon contents of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs. We found that at the boundary level, the abundance and relative abundance of colon bacterial community in Tibetan pigs were higher than that in Yorkshire pigs (P > 0.05). Phylum level, Firmicutes were the dominant colonic microflora of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs, and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroides in Tibetan pigs was slightly higher than in Yorkshire pigs. Actinobacteria and Spirobacteria were significantly higher in Tibetan pigs than in Yorkshire pigs (P < 0.05). At the genus level, the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Bacteriologist, which are related to disease resistance, was significantly higher than that in Yorkshire pigs in Yorkshire pigs. In conclusion, the composition and abundance of colonic intestinal microflora in Tibetan pigs were closely related to their superior traits. Bifidobacteria, Ruminococcaceae, and Family-XIII-AD3011-Group are conducive to improving disease resistance in Tibetan pigs. Lactobacillus and Solobacterium were observed to be the main bacterial communities involved in fat deposition in Tibetan pigs. This study will provide a new reference for the development and utilization of Tibetan pigs in future.

Comparative Analysis of Structural Composition and Function of Intestinal Microbiota between Chinese Indigenous Laiwu Pigs and Commercial DLY Pigs

“…Tibetan pigs are an indigenous fatty pig breed in high-altitude and cold areas of China and are raised mainly through stabling and half-stabling feeding with a fiber-rich diet [ 39 ]. A study of the gut microbiome in Tibetan pigs indicated that Bifidobacteria, Ruminococcaceae, and Family-XIII-AD3011-Group were conducive to improving disease resistance in Tibetan pigs, and Lactobacillus and Solobacterium were observed to be the main bacterial communities involved in fat deposition in Tibetan pigs [ 38 ].…”

Panax notoginseng stems and leaves affect microbial community and function in cecum of duzang pigs

“…In cecal and colonic contents of rats, negative correlations between the Family XIII AD3011 group and acetic acid ( Shi et al, 2020 ). In another study, the Family XIII AD3011 group was conducive to improving disease resistance in Tibetan pigs ( Shang et al, 2022 ). Pediococcus has been shown to be effective in the production of antimicrobial peptides with applications in the food and health industries ( Todorov et al, 2022 ).…”

Effects of dietary L-Citrulline supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, and fecal microbial composition in finishing pigs

“…The composition of the gut microbiota is significantly influenced by dietary factors. Through its intricate interactions with the host, the gut microbiota exerts a profound influence on various aspects of host physiology, including the maintenance of homeostasis, organ development, metabolic processes, and immune response ( Fouhse et al, 2016 ; Shang et al, 2022 ). According to the PCoA result, the two groups were clearly separated, suggesting significant influences in bacterial composition among the L-Cit group.…”