The Effects of Feeding Antibiotic on the Intestinal Microbiota of Weanling Pigs

Abstract

This study investigated the use of carbadox in the diet of nursery pigs. Ten pens of weanling piglets were assigned to 2 treatments: one containing carbadox and another without it. From days 21 to 35 of age, the first group of piglets was fed carbadox at 55 mg/kg of diet; followed by 27.5 mg/kg from days 36 to 49; and 0 mg/kg from days 50 to 63. The second group of pigs was fed a control diet without carbadox from days 21 to 63 of age. On days 35, 49, and 63, fecal samples were collected directly from the rectum of 2 piglets in each pen, and the samples were subjected to microbial DNA sequencing and metagenomic functional analysis using the 16S rRNA gene. Feed conversion from days 21 to 63 was improved (P = 0.04) in the group of piglets fed carbadox. Faith's phylogenetic diversity was similar (P = 0.89) for both groups of piglets on day 35, but it was diminished (P = 0.01) in the carbadox-fed group on day 49; however, following the complete removal of carbadox from their diets, this microbial diversity index was once again found to be similar (P = 0.27) in both groups on day 63. Likewise, abundances of Slackia, Peptococcus, Catenibacterium, Coprococcus, and Blautia were all similar between the two groups (P ≥ 0.40) on day 35, but were smaller in the carbadox group (P ≤ 0.05) on day 49; however, on day 63, abundances of all these genera were once again similar (P ≥ 0.29). Metabolic pathways involved in cellular growth, death, and genetic information processing (translation) were found to be similarly expressed in the microbiota of piglets from both groups on day 35 (P ≥ 0.52), but decreased in the carbadox group on day 49 (P ≤ 0.05), and were similar again in both groups on day 63 (P ≥ 0.51). These results revealed that feeding carbadox to piglets during the first 4 weeks after weaning significantly affected their fecal microbiotas; however, 2 weeks after the removal of carbadox, those changes tended to disappear, indicating that the shifts were carbadox-dependent.

Dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis or antibiotics modified intestinal microbiome of weaned pigs under enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection

“…The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was also numerically higher in carbadox group than pigs in control. These observations indicate the impacts of in-feed antibiotics on gut microbiome were immediate (Lourenco et al, 2021). The reduced Lactobacillaceae in feces is consistent with previous research (Gao et al, 2018), suggesting that supplementation of carbadox modified the intestinal environment…”

Anthropogenic disturbance promotes the diversification of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in the gut of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae)

“…Metabolic pathways, such as genetic information processing and human diseases, were significantly enriched in the MPR. Studies have shown that antibiotics can substantially increase the expression of the genetic information processing genes of gut microbes in humans (Francino, 2016) and piglets (Lourenco et al, 2021). These findings are consistent with those of our study, indicating that antibiotic residues can affect the function of plateau pika intestinal flora through horizontal transmission.…”

The Effects of Fucoidan Dietary Supplementation on Growth Performance, Serum Antioxidant Capacity, Immune Function Indices and Intestinal Morphology in Weaned Kids

“…Weaning stress had negative effects on antioxidant capacity, immunity, intestinal morphology and growth performance [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Formerly, antibiotics were widely used to alleviate weaning stress [ 4 ]. However, the ban of antibiotic use in feed worldwide forces researchers to find antibiotic alternatives.…”