Abstract
BackgroundCooked bean powders are a promising novel protein and fiber source for dogs, which have demonstrated potential to alter microbial composition and function for chronic disease control and prevention. This study aimed to determine the impact of cooked navy bean powder fed as a staple food ingredient on the fecal microbiome of healthy adult pet dogs.Methodology/Principal FindingsFecal samples from healthy dogs prior to dietary control and after 4 wk of dietary treatment with macro- and micronutrient matched diets containing either 0 or 25% cooked navy beans (n = 11 and n = 10, respectively) were analyzed by 454-pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. There were few differences between dogs fed the control and navy bean diets after 4 wk of treatment. These data indicate that there were no major effects of navy bean inclusion on microbial populations. However, significant differences due to dietary intervention onto both research diets were observed (i.e., microbial populations at baseline versus 4 wk of intervention with 0 or 25% navy bean diets). After 4 wk of dietary intervention on either control or navy bean diet, the Phylum Firmicutes was increased and the Phyla Actinobacteria and Fusobacteria were decreased compared to baseline.ConclusionsNo negative alterations of microbial populations occurred following cooked navy bean intake in dogs, indicating that bean powders may be a viable protein and fiber source for commercial pet foods. The highly variable microbial populations observed in these healthy adult pet dogs at baseline is one potential reason for the difficulty to detect alterations in microbial populations following dietary changes. Given the potential physiological benefits of bean intake in humans and dogs, further evaluation of the impacts of cooked navy bean intake on fecal microbial populations with higher power or more sensitive methods are warranted.
Highlights
A more in depth understanding of the companion canine microbiome, including the phylogenetic structure, functional capacity, and how they are altered by diet, is needed
The highly variable microbial populations observed in these healthy adult pet dogs at baseline is one potential reason for the difficulty to detect alterations in microbial populations following dietary changes
Body condition score is a semiquantitative assessment of body composition based on palpation and visual assessment that has been demonstrated to correlate with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) evaluations of body fat content in dogs [10]
Summary
A more in depth understanding of the companion canine microbiome, including the phylogenetic structure, functional capacity, and how they are altered by diet, is needed. Few studies have examined the impact of diet on canine fecal microbial populations utilizing 454-pyrosequencing and metagenomic techniques [2,3,4,5] Most of these studies have focused on alterations by dietary fibers, prebiotics, and synbiotics. We have demonstrated that cooked bean intake regulated lipid metabolism during weight loss in overweight and obese dogs [8] It is unknown how navy beans, when used as a major source of protein and fiber in the diet Cooked bean powders are a promising novel protein and fiber source for dogs, which have demonstrated potential to alter microbial composition and function for chronic disease control and prevention. This study aimed to determine the impact of cooked navy bean powder fed as a staple food ingredient on the fecal microbiome of healthy adult pet dogs
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