Dataset Information

Experimental crossover study on the effects of withholding feed for 24?h on the equine faecal bacterial microbiota in healthy mares.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An association between equine gastrointestinal disease causing colic signs and changes in faecal bacterial microbiota has been identified. The reasons for these changes and their clinical relevance has not been investigated. Withholding feed, which is an integral part of managing horses with colic, may contribute to the observed changes in the microbiota and impact interpretation of findings in horses with colic. Study objectives were, therefore, to determine the effect of withholding feed for 24?h on equine faecal bacterial microbiota in healthy mares to differentiate the effects of withholding feed from the changes potentially associated with the disease.

Results

Species richness and Shannon diversity (alpha diversity) were significantly lower at the late withheld (10-24?h post withholding feed) and early refed (2-12?h post re-feeding) time points compared to samples from fed horses (P?ConclusionsWithholding feed has a significant effect on faecal bacterial microbiota diversity and composition particularly following at least 10?h of withholding feed and should be taken into consideration when interpreting data on the equine faecal bacterial microbiota in horses.

SUBMITTER: Willette JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7786913 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Experimental crossover study on the effects of withholding feed for 24 h on the equine faecal bacterial microbiota in healthy mares.

Willette Jaclyn A JA Pitta Dipti D Indugu Nagaraju N Vecchiarelli Bonnie B Hennessy Meagan L ML Dobbie Tamara T Southwood Louise L LL

BMC veterinary research 20210105 1

<h4>Background</h4>An association between equine gastrointestinal disease causing colic signs and changes in faecal bacterial microbiota has been identified. The reasons for these changes and their clinical relevance has not been investigated. Withholding feed, which is an integral part of managing horses with colic, may contribute to the observed changes in the microbiota and impact interpretation of findings in horses with colic. Study objectives were, therefore, to determine the effect of wit ...[more]

PMID: 33402190

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Project description:Background:Periparturient mares are at increased risk of colic including large colon volvulus, which has a high mortality rate. Alterations in colonic microbiota related to either physiological or management changes, or both, that occur at this time have been suggested as potential causes for increased colic risk in this population of horses. Although the effect of management changes on the horse faecal microbiota has been investigated, limited work has been conducted to investigate changes in faecal microbiota structure and function in the periparturient period. The objectives of the current study were to investigate temporal stability of the faecal microbiota and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the faecal metabolome in periparturient mares. Methods:Faecal samples were collected weekly from five pregnant mares from 3 weeks pre-foaling to 7 weeks post-foaling. The microbiome data was generated by PCR amplification and sequencing of the V1-V2 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA genes, while the VOC profile was characterised using headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Results:The mare faecal microbiota was relatively stable over the periparturient period and most variation was associated with individual mares. A small number of operational taxonomic units were found to be significantly differentially abundant between samples collected before and after foaling. A total of 98 VOCs were identified. The total number of VOCs did not vary significantly between individual mares, weeks of sample collection and feeds available to the mares. Three VOCs (decane, 2-pentylfuran, and oct-2-ene) showed significant increase overtime on linear mixed effects modelling analysis. These results suggest that the mare faecal microbiota is structurally and functionally stable during the periparturient period. The findings also suggest that if changes in the gut microbiota are related to development of colic postpartum, altered risk may be due to inherent differences between individual mares. VOCs offer a cost-effective means of looking at the functional changes in the microbiome and warrant further investigation in mares at risk of colic.