High-starch diets alter equine faecal microbiota and increase behavioural reactivity

Bulmer, L.; Murray, Jo Anne; Burns, Neil M.; Garber, A.; Wemelsfelder, Françoise; McEwan, Neil; Hastie, P.M.

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-54039-8

Cited by 33 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Moreover, Destrez, Grimm [36] demonstrated that high-starch diets not only induce changes in hindgut microbiota, but they also linked those changes with behavioural stress, often described as alimentary stress. In agreement with the study of Destrez, Grimm [36], Bulmer, Murray [37] established a correlation between faecal microbial alterations induced by the high-starch diet and behavioral reactivity of the ponies. In human-related research GIT microbes have been shown to modulate eating behavior of the host [38,39].…”

Section: Dietsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…The potential mechanisms to manipulate host behavior include microbial manipulation of reward pathways, production of hormone-like neurochemicals that alter emotional state, changes to taste receptors, and hijacking of neurotransmission via the vagus nerve [38,40]. The alteration in behavior of the horses could be triggered by neuroendocrine changes caused by dietary induced changes to gut microbiota [37]. Moreover, behavioral cues can be potentially used to predict and prevent hindgut disorders caused by nutritional management of the horse [36].…”

Section: Dietmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Factors Influencing Equine Gut Microbiota: Current Knowledge

Garber

Hastie

Murray

2020

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

Self Cite

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Gastrointestinal microbiota play a crucial role in nutrient digestion, maintaining animal health and welfare. Various factors may affect microbial balance often leading to disturbances that may result in debilitating conditions such as colic and laminitis. The invention of next generation sequencing technologies and bioinformatics has provided valuable information on the effects of factors influencing equine gut microbiota. Among those factors are nutrition and management (e.g. diet, supplements, exercise), medical substances (e.g. antimicrobials, anthelmintics, anaesthetics), animal-related factors (breed and age), various pathological conditions (colitis, diarrhoea, colic, laminitis, equine gastric ulcer syndrome) as well as stress-related factors (transportation and weaning). The aim of this review is to assimilate current knowledge on equine microbiome studies, focusing on the effect of factors influencing equine gastrointestinal microbiota. Decrease in microbial diversity and richness leading to decrease in stability; decrease in Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae family members, which contribute to gut homeostasis; increase in Lactobacillus and Streptococcus; decrease in lactic acid utilising bacteria; decrease in butyrate-producing bacteria that have anti-inflammatory properties may all be considered as a negative change in equine gut microbiota. Shifts in Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes have often been observed in the literature in response to certain treatments or when describing healthy and unhealthy animals; however, these shifts are inconsistent. It is time to move forward and use the knowledge now acquired to start manipulating the microbiota of horses.

show abstract

Section: Dietsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Dietmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Influencing Equine Gut Microbiota: Current Knowledge

Garber

Hastie

Murray

2020

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

Self Cite

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…DNA extraction from faecal material was performed using Qiagen QIAamp® Fast DNA Stool Mini Kit (Qiagen, Manchester, England, UK) with slight adaptations [ 18 ]. The 16S library preparation, sequencing and data analysis were performed at Glasgow Polyomics, University of Glasgow using an adapted protocol based on the protocol provided by Illumina (San Diego, CA, USA).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abrupt dietary changes between grass and hay alter faecal microbiota of ponies

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abrupt dietary changes, as can be common when managing horses, may lead to compositional changes in gut microbiota, which may result in digestive or metabolic disturbances. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the faecal microbiota of ponies abruptly changed from pasture grazing ad libitum to a restricted hay-only diet and vice versa. The experiment consisted of two, 14-day periods. Faecal samples were collected on day 0 and days 1-3,7,14 after abrupt dietary change from grass to hay and from hay to grass. Microbial populations were characterised by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina MiSeq platform, 4,777,315 sequences were obtained from 6 ponies. Further analyses were performed to characterise the microbiome as well as the relative abundance of microbiota present. The results of this study suggest that the faecal microbiota of mature ponies is highly diverse, and the relative abundances of individual taxa change in response to abrupt changes in diet. The faecal microbiota of ponies maintained on a restricted amount of hay-only was similar to that of the ponies fed solely grass ad libitum in terms of richness and phylogenetic diversity; however, it differed significantly in terms of the relative abundances at distinct taxonomic levels. Class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales, family Lactobacillaceae, and genus Lactobacillus were presented in increased relative abundance on day 2 after an abrupt dietary change from hay to grass compared to all other experimental days (P <0.05). Abrupt changes from grass to hay and vice versa affect the faecal microbial community structure; moreover, the order of dietary change appears to have a profound effect in the first few days following the transition. An abrupt dietary change from hay to grass may represent a higher risk for gut disturbances compared to abrupt change from grass to hay.

show abstract

“…The equine gut bacterial community is involved in pathology of specific diseases such as equine metabolic syndrome and laminitis (58). The horse behavior was also suggested to be influenced by the gut bacterial community (59).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecogenomics of dsDNA bacteriophages in feces of stabled and feral horses

Babenko

Millard

Kulikov

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The viromes of the mammalian lower gut were shown to be heavily dominated by bacteriophages; however, only for humans were the composition and intervariability of the bacteriophage communities studied in depth. Here we present an ecogenomics survey of dsDNA bacteriophage diversity in the feces of horses (Equus caballus), comparing two groups of stabled horses, and a further group of feral horses that were isolated on an island. Our results indicate that the dsDNA viromes of the horse feces feature higher richness than in human viromes, with more even distribution of genotypes. No over-represented phage genotypes, such as CrAssphage-related viruses found in humans, were identified. Additionally, many bacteriophage genus-level clusters were found to be present in all three geographically isolated populations. The diversity of the horse intestinal bacteriophages is severely undersampled, and so consequently only a minor fraction of the phage contigs could be linked with the bacteriophage genomes. Our study indicates that bacteriophage ecological parameters in the intestinal ecosystems in horses and humans differ significantly, leading them to shape their corresponding viromes in different ways. Therefore, the diversity and structure of the intestinal virome in different animal species needs to be experimentally studied.Short abstract (needed in some journals as eLife)The viromes of the mammalian gut were shown to be heavily dominated by bacteriophages; however, only for humans were the composition and intervariability of the bacteriophage communities studied in depth. Here we present an ecogenomics survey of dsDNA bacteriophage diversity in the feces of horses (Equus caballus), comparing stabled horses, and feral horses that were isolated on an island. The viromes equine fecal viromes feature higher richness than in human viromes, with more even distribution of genotypes. No over-represented phage genotypes were identified. Additionally, many bacteriophage genus-level clusters were found to be present in geographically isolated populations. Only a minor fraction of the phage contigs could be linked with the bacteriophage genomes. Our study indicates that bacteriophage ecological parameters in the intestinal ecosystems in horses and humans differ significantly, leading them to shape their corresponding viromes in different ways.Importance. (needed for mBio)The study presents the first in depth analysis of the composition and variability of the gut dsDNA bacteriophage community in the mammalian species, other than humans. The study demonstrates that the bacteriophage ecology in the gut is substantially different in different animal species. The results also indicate that the genetic diversity of the equine intestinal bacteriophages is immense and almost totally unexplored by the moment.

show abstract

High-starch diets alter equine faecal microbiota and increase behavioural reactivity

Cited by 33 publications

References 48 publications

Factors Influencing Equine Gut Microbiota: Current Knowledge

Factors Influencing Equine Gut Microbiota: Current Knowledge

Abrupt dietary changes between grass and hay alter faecal microbiota of ponies

The ecogenomics of dsDNA bacteriophages in feces of stabled and feral horses

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About