Abstract
The occurrence of diarrhea in Tibetan piglets is highly notable, but the microorganisms responsible are yet unclear. Its high incidence results in serious economic losses for the Tibetan pig industry. Moreover, the dynamic balance of intestinal microflora plays a crucial role in maintaining host health, as it is a prime cause of diarrhea. Therefore, the present study was performed to analyze the characteristics of bacterial microbiota structure in healthy, diarrheal and treated weaned piglets in Tibet autonomous region for providing a theoretical basis to prevent and control diarrhea. The study was based on the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and gut microbiota functions following the metagenome analysis of fresh fecal samples (n = 5) from different groups. The Shannon and Simpson indices differed substantially between diarrheal and treated groups (p < 0.05). According to our findings, the beta diversities, especially between healthy and diarrheal groups, were found different. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla in three groups. Furthermore, the abundance of Fusobacteria in the diarrheal group was higher than the other groups. The dominant genera in the diarrheal group were Fusobacterium, Butyricimonas, Sutterella, Peptostreptococcus, and Pasteurella. Moreover, Lactobacillus, Megasphaera and Clavibacter were distinctly less abundant in this group. It is noteworthy that the specific decrease in the abundance of pathogenic bacteria after antibiotic treatment in piglets was noticed, while the level of Lactobacillus was evidently increased. In conclusion, fecal microbial composition and structure variations were discovered across the three groups. Also, the ecological balance of the intestinal microflora was disrupted in diarrheal piglets. It might be caused by a reduction in the relative number of beneficial bacteria and an increase in the abundance of pathogenic bacteria. In the context of advocating for non-resistant feeding, we suspect that the addition of probiotics to feed may prevent early-weaning diarrhea in piglets. Moreover, our findings might help for preventing diarrhea in weaned Tibetan piglets with a better understanding of microbial population dynamics.
Highlights
The Tibetan pig is a valuable indigenous specie, as it is the only one that can survive in China’s high altitude
Pathogenic bacteria, stress, management factors and excessive feed intake are associated with piglet diarrhea [16]
This study evaluated the fecal microflora structure in healthy, diarrheal and treated piglets of Tibet autonomous region
Summary
The Tibetan pig is a valuable indigenous specie, as it is the only one that can survive in China’s high altitude. Under long-term harsh environmental conditions, Tibetan pigs have developed resistance against cold and diseases by developing different characteristics. These characteristics have made them indispensable for pig production in the plateau [2]. Weaning is often used in intensive pig production, both at home and on farms [3]. Weaning is an important turning point for piglet’s growth to reduce the rate of vertical disease transmission and helps in the overall improvement of a pig farm. Earlier weaning caused psychological, environmental and nutritional stress in piglets, which induced diarrhea, dystrophia and slow growth [4] resulting in significant economic losses for the pig industry. The imperfect immune system of the piglets, environmental changes, dietary changes, and improper feeding methods are conducive to the invasion of pathogenic strains, e.g., Escherichia coli [6]
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