Abstract
Gut microbiota plays an important role in host health and nutrient digestion of animals. Probiotics have become one of effective alternatives to antibiotics enhancing animal health and performance through modulating gut microbiota. Previously, our research demonstrated that dietary Enterococcus Faecalis UC-100 substituting antibiotics enhanced growth and health of weaned pigs. To investigate the alterations of microbiota in the distal gut of pigs fed E. faecalis UC-100 substituting antibiotics, this study assessed fecal microbiota in pigs from different dietary treatments: the basal diet group, the E. faecalis group, and the antibiotic group on d 0, 14, and 28 of feeding through 16 S rRNA sequencing. Twenty-one phyla and 137 genera were shared by all pigs, whereas 12 genera were uniquely identified in the E. faecalis group on d 14 and 28. Bacterial abundance and diversity in the E. faecalis group, bacterial diversity in the antibiotic group, especially abundances of Fibrobacteres phylum and 12 genera in the E. faecalis group and antibiotics group were lower than that in the basal diet group on d 28. These results showed that microbial shifts in the porcine gut in response to diets containing E. faecalis were similar to the response to which containing antibiotics.
Highlights
The large and diverse gut microbiota plays an important role in nutrient digestion and health of the host[1,2,3,4]
Considering that gut microbiota plays an important role in nutrient digestion and health of the host animals[1,2,3,4], and many probiotics can promote animal growth and health through modulating gut microbiota[2,8,9,10], it is hypothesized that E. faecalis UC-100 exerts growth and health promoting effect by altering gut microbiota in pigs
Most operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were shared among groups at the same age, only 953 and 749 OTUs were uniquely identified in pigs from the E. faecalis group on d 14 and 28 of feeding, respectively (Fig. S1A)
Summary
The large and diverse gut microbiota plays an important role in nutrient digestion and health of the host[1,2,3,4]. Efforts to find alternatives to antibiotics are being implemented to preserve the efficacy of current antimicrobials Probiotics and their metabolites have been suggested as the most desirable alternatives to support animal health, and as an effective way to promote growth through modulating gut microbiota in livestock[2,8,9,10]. Seeking effective probiotic bacteria as an alternative to antibiotics and untangling how these probiotics might affect host intestinal microbiota and immunity to improve the health and performance are essential steps for the successful application of probiotics in pig production[11]. The objective of this study was to investigate alterations of microbiota in the porcine distal gut in response to dietary treatment of E. faecalis UC-100 as alternatives to antibiotics
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
