Abstract
The ability to identify compositional changes in the intestinal microbiota of parasitized hosts is important for understanding the physiological processes that may affect animal productivity. Within the field of host–parasite interactions, many studies have suggested that helminths can influence the microbial composition of their hosts via their immunomodulatory effects. Bovine fascioliasis is a helminthiasis widely studied by immunologists, but with little information available regarding gut microbial communities. Thus, we aimed to describe the composition of the intestinal microbiota of Holstein Fasciola-positive and -negative cattle using parasitological methods and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Bovine fecal samples (n = 65) were obtained from livestock slaughter plants in the Cundi-Boyacense Colombian highlands (a hyperendemic region for bovine fascioliasis) and studied by amplicon-based next-generation 16S-rRNA and 18S-rRNA gene sequencing. From these samples, 35 were Fasciola hepatica-negative and, 30 were F. hepatica-positive in our detection analysis. Our results showed a reduction in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Ascomycota in the Fasciola-positive samples, along with decreased relative abundances of the commensal taxa previously associated with fermentation and digestion processes. However, metabolomic approaches and functional analyzes of the intestinal microbiota are necessary to support these hypothesis. These findings are a small first step in the development of research aimed at understanding how microbial populations in bovines are modulated in liver helminth infections.
Highlights
Intestinal microbiota in animal species of veterinary interest have attracted research attention because of their involvement in physiological processes such as nutrition, health, and animal productivity [1]
Little is known about the numerous other interactions it has with the host and how they might affect the host’s intestinal microbiota
It is possible that F. hepatica, in addition to the previously documented liver alterations, generates changes in the intestinal microbiota that may impact its bovine host
Summary
Intestinal microbiota in animal species of veterinary interest have attracted research attention because of their involvement in physiological processes such as nutrition, health, and animal productivity [1]. Recent research suggests that helminths can alter the composition of the host’s intestinal microbiota via their immunomodulatory effects [5,6,7]. For this reason, attention in the scientific community has been directed to understanding the factors that can alter microbial populations and, in particular, the mechanisms by which helminths interact with the intestinal microbiota [5]
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