Morrison, Philippa K, Newbold, Charles J, Jones, Eleanor, Worgan, Hilary J, Grove-White, Dai H 
ORCID: 0000-0002-5969-5535, Dugdale, Alexandra H, Barfoot, Clare, Harris, Patricia A and Argo, Caroline McGregor
(2020)
The equine gastrointestinal microbiome: impacts of weight-loss.
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH, 16 (1).
78-.
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The equine gastrointestinal microbiome impacts of weight-loss.pdf - Published version Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
<h4>Background</h4>Obesity is an important equine welfare issue. Whilst dietary restriction is the most effective weight-loss tool, individual animals range in their weight-loss propensity. Gastrointestinal-derived bacteria play a fundamental role in host-health and have been associated with obesity and weight-loss in other species. This study evaluated the faecal microbiome (next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes) of 15 obese Welsh Mountain pony mares, in the same 11-week period across 2 years (n = 8 Year 1; n = 7 Year 2). Following a 4-week acclimation period (pre-diet phase) during which time individuals were fed the same hay to maintenance (2% body mass (BM) as daily dry matter (DM) intake), animals underwent a 7-week period of dietary restriction (1% BM hay as daily DM intake). Faeces were sampled on the final 3 days of the pre-diet phase and the final 3 days of the dietary restriction phase. Bacterial communities were determined using Next Generation Sequencing of amplified V1-V2 hypervariable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA.<h4>Results</h4>Losses in body mass ranged from 7.11 to 11.59%. Changes in the faecal microbiome composition following weight-loss included a reduction in the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Tenericutes and a reduction in indices of bacterial diversity. Pre-diet diversity was negatively associated with weight-loss. Pre-diet faecal acetate concentration was a strong predictor of subsequent weight-loss and negatively associated with Sphaerochaeta (Spirochaetes phylum) abundance. When animals were divided into 3 groups (high, mid, low) based overall weight loss, pre-diet bacterial community structure was found to have the greatest divergence between the high and low weight-loss groups (R = 0.67, p < 0.01), following PERMANOVA and ANOSIM analysis.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Weight-loss in this group of ponies was associated with lower pre-diet faecal bacterial diversity and greater pre-diet acetate concentration. Overall, these data support a role for the faecal microbiome in weight-loss propensity in ponies and provide a baseline for research evaluating elements of the faecal microbiome in predicting weight-loss success in larger cohorts.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Equine, equine obesity, Weight-loss, Insulin dysregulation, Faecal microbiome, Apparent digestibility, Volatile fatty acid, Biomarkers |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Jun 2021 13:12 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Jan 2024 09:41 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12917-020-02295-6 |
| Open Access URL: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02295-6 |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3126592 |
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