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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / Abrupt dietary changes between grass and hay alter faecal mi...
PloS one2020; 15(8); e0237869; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237869

Abrupt dietary changes between grass and hay alter faecal microbiota of ponies.

Abstract: Abrupt dietary changes, as can be common when managing horses, may lead to compositional changes in gut microbiota, which may result in digestive or metabolic disturbances. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the faecal microbiota of ponies abruptly changed from pasture grazing ad libitum to a restricted hay-only diet and vice versa. The experiment consisted of two, 14-day periods. Faecal samples were collected on day 0 and days 1-3,7,14 after abrupt dietary change from grass to hay and from hay to grass. Microbial populations were characterised by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina MiSeq platform, 4,777,315 sequences were obtained from 6 ponies. Further analyses were performed to characterise the microbiome as well as the relative abundance of microbiota present. The results of this study suggest that the faecal microbiota of mature ponies is highly diverse, and the relative abundances of individual taxa change in response to abrupt changes in diet. The faecal microbiota of ponies maintained on a restricted amount of hay-only was similar to that of the ponies fed solely grass ad libitum in terms of richness and phylogenetic diversity; however, it differed significantly in terms of the relative abundances at distinct taxonomic levels. Class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales, family Lactobacillaceae, and genus Lactobacillus were presented in increased relative abundance on day 2 after an abrupt dietary change from hay to grass compared to all other experimental days (P <0.05). Abrupt changes from grass to hay and vice versa affect the faecal microbial community structure; moreover, the order of dietary change appears to have a profound effect in the first few days following the transition. An abrupt dietary change from hay to grass may represent a higher risk for gut disturbances compared to abrupt change from grass to hay.
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Publication Date: 2020-08-18 PubMed ID: 32810164PubMed Central: PMC7446798DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237869Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research study examines how abrupt diet changes from grass to hay and vice versa affect the composition of gut bacteria in ponies, suggesting that such sudden changes can cause significant shifts in the gut microbiota that may potentially lead to digestive or metabolic problems.

Overview of the Study

  • The central aim of the research was to identify how abrupt dietary changes from pasture grazing to a restricted hay-only diet, as well as the opposite shift, affect the fecal microbiota of ponies.
  • The experiment consisted of two periods of 14 days each, during which fecal samples were collected from 6 ponies and examined, particularly focusing on microbial populations and their relative abundance.
  • For the examination, the researchers used genetic sequencing technique to identify the different types of bacteria present in the sample.

Key Findings

  • The results suggested that the gut microbiota of mature ponies is significantly diverse and its composition changes in response to abrupt dietary changes.
  • The microbiota of ponies was similar whether on a restricted hay-only diet or a grass diet in terms of richness and phylogenetic diversity. However, significant differences were observed in the relative populations of distinct bacteria types at different taxonomic levels.
  • The study found that within two days of a sudden change from hay to grass diet, certain bacteria (Class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales, family Lactobacillaceae, and genus Lactobacillus) showed an increased presence.
  • The relative proportions of these bacterial populations changed significantly in the first few days following the diet transition.

Conclusions and Implications

  • The research concluded that sudden dietary changes indeed affect the gut microbiota in ponies and can potentially lead to digestive or metabolic disturbances.
  • The order of the dietary change appeared to have a more profound effect, specifically, a sudden dietary change from hay to grass seemed to carry a higher risk for gut disturbances, as compared to a change from grass to hay.
  • These findings have important implications for horse management and dietary practices

Cite This Article

APA
Garber A, Hastie P, McGuinness D, Malarange P, Murray JA. (2020). Abrupt dietary changes between grass and hay alter faecal microbiota of ponies. PLoS One, 15(8), e0237869. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237869

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 8
Pages: e0237869
PII: e0237869

Researcher Affiliations

Garber, Anna
  • AB Vista, Marlborough, United Kingdom.
Hastie, Peter
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
McGuinness, David
  • University of Glasgow, Glasgow Polyomics, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Malarange, Pauline
  • EPLEFPA des Combrailles, Saint Gervais D'Auvergne, Puy-de-Dôme, France.
Murray, Jo-Anne
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / classification
  • Bacteria / genetics
  • Biodiversity
  • Diet / veterinary
  • Discriminant Analysis
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Horses / microbiology
  • Microbiota / genetics
  • Phylogeny
  • Poaceae
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
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