Hindgut microbes, fermentation and their seasonal variations in Hokkaido native horses compared to light horses

Abstract

Fecal bacteria and protozoa of Hokkaido native horses and light horses were enumerated to compare seasonal variation in hindgut microbes and fermentation between the two breeds. Fecal samples were collected in winter and summer from eight horses (four for each breed) that had been reared together under the same conditions after birth (on woodland pasture in winter and on grassland pasture for the rest of the year). Total fecal bacteria counts for both breeds showed temporal variation, with the highest levels occurring in summer (P<0.05). For both breeds, Gram-negative rods were the major constituents (58–69%) and showed higher counts in winter (P<0.05) than in summer. Total protozoa counts in both breeds were lower in winter than in summer (P<0.05). The proportion of large cellulolytic protozoa such as Cochliatoxum periachtum was increased (P<0.05) in winter, and this tended to be more pronounced in native horses. Although total volatile fatty acids (VFA) in feces were lower in winter (P<0.05), the reduction was smaller in native horses (P<0.05). Fecal VFA pattern showed a shift toward more acetate and less propionate production in winter regardless of the horse breed. Evaluation of digestive tract organs in 12 animals showed that the relative weight of the colon in body weight or total digestive tract weight is larger in native horses than in light horses (P<0.05). The present results suggest that hindgut microbial adaptation to winter diets occurs to a greater extent in native horses, as partly characterized by advantages in anatomy

Variation in the hindgut microbial communities of the Florida manatee,Trichechus manatus latirostrisover winter in Crystal River, Florida

“…Temporal variation in microbial biota, directly related to available forage and forage quality, has been recorded in other mammalian herbivores including red deer, cattle and horses (Hobson et al, 1975;Dierenfeld, 1997;Kocherginskaya et al, 2001;Kobayashi et al, 2006). The maintenance of a highly diverse microbial biota in Florida manatees throughout a period of potential nutritional and thermal stress was surprising.…”

A comparison of the microbiome and the metabolome of different regions of the equine hindgut

“…The gut microbiota is also involved in the health status of the horse. Information relating to the quantification, characterisation and metabolic activity of the microbial population in the horse GIT is limited (Julliand et al, 1999;Daly et al, 2001;Kobayashi et al, 2006;Milinovich et al, 2008;Yamano et al, 2008;Murray et al, 2009), whilst the effect that the microbial population has on the overall nutritional and health status of the horse is also largely unknown (Maczulak et al, 1985;Daly et al, 2001;Kobayashi et al, 2006;Hastie et al, 2008). Similarly in humans, irritable bowel syndrome is associated with a disturbance of the microbes involved in H 2 and lactate metabolism with significantly lower levels of bifidobacteria, lactobacilli as well as lactate-utilising bacteria and a large increase in sulphate-reducing bacteria (Chassard et al, 2006).…”

Comparative Analysis of the Methanogen Diversity in Horse and Pony by UsingmcrAGene and Archaeal 16S rRNA Gene Clone Libraries

“…The composition of the microbiota in the hindgut of equine could depend on the hindgut capacity as a reflection of body size or even horse breed [9]. …”