Abstract
BackgroundAn association between equine gastrointestinal disease causing colic signs and changes in faecal bacterial microbiota has been identified. The reasons for these changes and their clinical relevance has not been investigated. Withholding feed, which is an integral part of managing horses with colic, may contribute to the observed changes in the microbiota and impact interpretation of findings in horses with colic. Study objectives were, therefore, to determine the effect of withholding feed for 24 h on equine faecal bacterial microbiota in healthy mares to differentiate the effects of withholding feed from the changes potentially associated with the disease.ResultsSpecies richness and Shannon diversity (alpha diversity) were significantly lower at the late withheld (10–24 h post withholding feed) and early refed (2–12 h post re-feeding) time points compared to samples from fed horses (P < 0.01). Restoration of species richness and diversity began to occur at the late refed (18–24 h post re-feeding) time points. Horses having feed withheld had a distinct bacterial population compared to fed horses (beta diversity). Bacteroidetes BS11 and Firmicutes Christensenellaceae, Christensenella, and Dehalobacteriaceae were significantly increased in horses withheld from feed primarily during the late withheld and early refed time points. Bacteroidetes Marinilabiaceae and Prevotellaceae, Firmicutes Veillonellaceae, Anaerovibrio, and Bulleidia, and Proteobacteria GMD14H09 were significantly decreased in horses with feed withheld at late withheld, early refed, and late refed time periods (P < 0.01). Changes in commensal gut microbiota were not significant between groups.ConclusionsWithholding feed has a significant effect on faecal bacterial microbiota diversity and composition particularly following at least 10 h of withholding feed and should be taken into consideration when interpreting data on the equine faecal bacterial microbiota in horses.
Highlights
An association between equine gastrointestinal disease causing colic signs and changes in faecal bacterial microbiota has been identified
Sequencing information A total of 23,212,335 million raw reads were generated from a total of 392 samples
The mean values of relative abundance of genera that were detected at various time points in both horses that received full access to feed and horses that were withheld from feed are presented (Supplementary Table S3)
Summary
An association between equine gastrointestinal disease causing colic signs and changes in faecal bacterial microbiota has been identified. The reasons for these changes and their clinical relevance has not been investigated. Some of the differences in the microbiota observed in horses admitted for colic (compared to an elective surgical procedure) were consistent with gastrointestinal disease in horses and other species including humans [10,11,12,13,14]. Horses presenting for colic appear to have a microbiota that is distinct from horses without apparent gastrointestinal disease These findings could potentially contribute to our understanding of the causes of colic and lead to prevention strategies and treatment options. Withholding feed may affect the faecal microbiota and its effect needs to be determined in healthy horses to better interpret studies on the microbiota of horses with colic
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