Investigations of morphological development, digestive enzymes and microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract in goat kids from birth to adulthood

Abstract

ABSTRACT The development of gastrointestinal tracts in goats after birth is critical for establishment of digestion and absorption function, growth, immunity and health of adults. However, this process from birthday to adulthood is lacking. This study was conducted to determine the anatomical, morphological, physiological and microbiome development of the gastrointestinal tract of Leizhou goats. The weights of rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum increased with age. The weights of each intestinal segment increased with age. The length and width of rumen papilla, muscular thickness, cuticle thickness and wall thickness were significantly increased with developmental stage. Consistently, the villus length and width and crypt depth of the small intestine increased significantly with age. The volatile fatty acids (VFAs) concentration in both rumen and caecum increased with ages. Specifically, VFAs were not detected at birthday rumen, while they showed in caecum. The activities of digestive enzymes in both rumen and caecum had a similar pattern with VFAs. The microbial diversity and composition were distinct between the rumen and caecum after birth. We observed a rapid influx of microbes in rumen and caecum at birthday and gradually changed from 1 month of age to adulthood. This study provides insights into feeding and health maintenance strategies.