Characterization of Microbial Population in the Nasal Cavity of Pigs during Post‐Weaning in Response to Probiotic Supplementation

Abstract

Probiotics are commercially available for human consumption. Although it is a common dietary supplement, it has not been approved by the FDA. Probiotics are advertised to affect microbial population in the gastrointestinal system and improve immunity. Additionally, probiotic supplements have been used as an alternate growth and health promoter in domestic animals, such as pigs. However, the definitive effects of probiotic supplementation on these parameters are unknown. The objective of this study was to characterize the microbial population profile of the nasal cavity in post‐weaning pigs in response to probiotic supplementation. Nasal swipes were collected from 5 pigs that were fed with commercial feed containing mannan‐oligosaccharides plus β‐glucans and essential oils for 43 days. Additional samples were collected from 5 pigs that were fed with the identical commercial feed with essential oils alone for the same duration. DNA was isolated from each nasal swipe and V3/V4 region of 16s rDNA was amplified using PCR. Each PCR product was indexed. The indexed PCR products were sequenced to characterize the microbial population profile of each pig. DNA was successfully isolated and amplified for each sample. An analysis of the microbial population profile of each sample is being completed as well as an examination of whether the probiotic supplementation affects the microbial population profile in the nasal cavities of the pigs. In the future, effects of maternal probiotic supplementation on microbial population of piglets during weaning period and their effects on post‐weaning immune and stress responses will be examined.Support or Funding InformationKansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (NIH/NIGMS Grant #P20GM103418)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.