Host metabolome and faecal microbiome shows potential interactions impacted by age and weaning times in calves

Abstract

Background Calves undergo nutritional, metabolic, and behavioural changes from birth to the entire weaning period. An appropriate selection of weaning age is essential to reduce the negative effects caused by weaning-related dietary transitions. This study monitored the faecal microbiome and plasma metabolome of 59 female Holstein calves during different developmental stages and weaning times (early vs. late) and identified the potential associations of the measured parameters over an experimental period of 140 days. Results A progressive development of the microbiome and metabolome was observed with significant differences according to the weaning groups (weaned at 7 or 17 weeks of age). Faecal samples of young calves were dominated by bifidobacterial and lactobacilli species, while their respective plasma samples showed high concentrations of amino acids (AAs) and biogenic amines (BAs). However, as the calves matured, the abundances of potential fiber-degrading bacteria and the plasma concentrations of sphingomyelins (SMs), few BAs and acylcarnitines (ACs) were increased. Early-weaning at 7 weeks significantly restructured the microbiome towards potential fiber-degrading bacteria and decreased plasma concentrations of most of the AAs and SMs, few BAs and ACs compared to the late-weaning event. Strong associations between faecal microbes, plasma metabolites and calf growth parameters were observed during days 42–98, where the abundances of Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and Blautia were positively correlated with the plasma concentrations of AAs, BAs and SMs as well as the live weight gain or average daily gain in calves. Conclusion The present study reported that weaning at 17 weeks of age was beneficial due to higher growth rate of late-weaned calves during days 42–98 and a quick adaptability of microbiota to weaning-related dietary changes during day 112, suggesting an age-dependent maturation of the gastrointestinal tract. However, the respective plasma samples of late-weaned calves contained several metabolites with differential concentrations to the early-weaned group, suggesting a less abrupt but more-persistent effect of dietary changes on host metabolome compared to the microbiome.

Essential oil supplementation in milk replacers: short- and long-term impacts on feed efficiency, the faecal microbiota and the plasma metabolome in dairy calves

“…31 Of the four bacteria genera whose abundance was decreased in EO calves at T1 (e.g., Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Faecalibacterium, Blautia and Alloprevotella), bacteria belonging to genera such as Faecalibacterium and Blautia dominate the faeces of pre-weaned calves. 32 A higher abundance of Faecalibacterium has been associated with a lower sensitivity to neonatal diarrhoea. 33,34 We may then speculate that decreasing the abundance of Faecalibacterium genus when feeding EO might expose the calves to an increased risk of developing gut alterations related to body weight and ADG.…”

Feeding an unsalable carrot total-mixed ration altered bacterial amino acid degradation in the rumen of lambs

“…However, while this study profiled the rumen microbial, plasma and liver metabolites, ruminal tissue metabolites were not profiled. Therefore, functional prediction analyses were conducted utilising the CowPI platform for rumen microbes to predict rumen-associated metabolic pathways 40 , providing information which may explain the noted superior lamb performance.…”

Transfer of β‐agonists from animal feed into Tricholoma gambosum through manure

“…Compared to feed, meat, and liver samples, T. gambosum may have a more complex sample matrix, which could be attributed to the culture medium. Manure‐derived culture media can contain some coeluting interfering degraded substances, such as peptides, biogenic amines, and other microbial metabolites [40]. Thus, both biodegradation and matrix effects might have resulted in differences in the transfer rate from feed to T. gambosum , resulting in trace or even nonmeasurable levels of the three β‐agonists in T. gambosum .…”