Abstract
Weaning is a stressful time for piglets, often leading to weight loss and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. A leading cause for these post-weaning problems is enteric dysbiosis and methods to improve piglet health at this crucial developmental stage are needed. This study aimed to determine whether an enteric dysbiosis caused by weaning could be corrected via a faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy piglets from a previous wean. Two or four focal piglets per litter were assigned to one of two treatments; FMT two days post weaning (n = 21; FMT) or a control which received saline two days post weaning (n = 21; CON). FMT consisted of homogenised donor faeces administered orally at 3 mL/kg. Weaning occurred at 18 days of age and weights and faecal samples were collected on days 18, 20, 24 and 35. 16S rRNA amplicon analysis was used to assess the faecal microbiota of piglets. FMT increased Shannon’s diversity post weaning (p < 0.001) and reduced the scratch score observed at 24 days of age (p < 0.001). The bacterial populations significantly differed in composition at each taxonomic level. In FMT pigs, significant increases in potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli were observed. However, increases in beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus mucosae and genera Fibrobacteres and Bacteroidetes were also observed in FMT treated animals. To our knowledge, this is the first study to observe a significant effect on piglet faecal microbiota following a single FMT administered post weaning. Therefore, FMT post weaning can potentially alleviate enteric dysbiosis.
Highlights
Weaning is one of the most stressful times in a piglet’s life
Our data support the hypothesis that weaning stress would cause enteric dysbiosis that is corrected through faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) post weaning and, to our knowledge, this is the first study investigating FMT in pigs that has demonstrated an effect after a single FMT post weaning
Our findings document that FMT significantly affected the piglet’s microbiota post weaning and reduced the scratch scores observed at 24 days of age
Summary
Weaning is one of the most stressful times in a piglet’s life. It involves separation from the sow, a change in diet from primarily milk to solid feed and the mixing of litters [1]. While ZnO provides benefits to piglets by reducing PWD and increasing growth performance, it is an environmental pollutant and as such its use is restricted in some countries [6]. Both antibiotics and high levels of ZnO are associated with antimicrobial resistance [7] and this necessitates the development of alternatives
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