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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / Changes in the faecal microbiota of horses and ponies during...
PloS one2020; 15(3); e0230015; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230015

Changes in the faecal microbiota of horses and ponies during a two-year body weight gain programme.

Abstract: Obesity is a major health concern in many domesticated equids animals since it is related to metabolic abnormalities such as insulin dysregulation, hyperlipidaemia or laminitis. Ponies especially are known as "easy keepers" and are often affected by obesity and its related metabolic disorders. Research in the last decade indicated that the intestinal microbiota may play an important role in the development of obesity, at least in humans. Therefore, the objective of our study was to characterize changes in the faecal microbiota during a two-year weight gain programme which compared ponies and warmblood horses. For this purpose, 10 Shetland ponies and ten warmblood horses were fed a ration which provided 200% of their maintenance energy requirement over two years. Feed intake, body weight, body condition and cresty neck score were recorded weekly. At three standardized time points faecal samples were collected to characterize the faecal microbiota and its fermentation products such as short chain fatty acids and lactate. Next generation sequencing was used for the analysis of the faecal microbiota. During body weight gain the richness of the faecal microbiota decreased in ponies. Besides changes in the phylum Firmicutes in ponies that were already described in human studies, we found a decrease of the phylum Fibrobacteres in horses and an increase of the phylum Actinobacteria. We were also able to show that the phylum Fibrobacteres is more common in the microbiota of horses than in the microbiota of ponies. Therefore, the fibrolytic phylum Fibrobacteres seems to be an interesting phylum in the equine microbiota that should receive more attention in future studies.
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Publication Date: 2020-03-19 PubMed ID: 32191712PubMed Central: PMC7082044DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230015Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • 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 study analyses changes in the gut bacteria of horses and ponies during a two-year regime of excessive feeding. The research particularly focuses on the impact of obesity on the fecal microbiota of these animals and its similarities to human obesity patterns.

Research Objective

  • The primary objective of this study was to examine the changes in the faecal microbiota during a two-year weight gain program in Shetland ponies and warmblood horses.

Research Methodology

  • Ten ponies and ten horses were put on a high energy diet, getting 200% of their maintenance energy requirement for two years.
  • The researchers monitored and recorded the subjects’ feed intake, body weight, body condition, and cresty neck score weekly.
  • Fecal samples were collected at three standardized time intervals to identify and characterize the faecal microbiota and its fermentation products such as short-chain fatty acids and lactate. Next-generation sequencing was used for this analysis.

Research Findings

  • The richness of the faecal microbiota (the variety of bacterial species) decreased in ponies during weight gain.
  • There were notable changes in the phylum Firmicutes in ponies, congruent with previous findings from human obesity studies.
  • They observed a decrease in the phylum Fibrobacteres (fiber-digesting bacteria) in horses and an increase in phylum Actinobacteria.
  • The researchers discovered that the fibrolytic phylum Fibrobacteres was more common in horses than in ponies.

Conclusion and Future Scope

  • This study highlights the impact of excessive dietary energy intake on the gut bacteria composition in ponies and horses, where the fibrolytic phylum Fibrobacteres played a critical role.
  • The researchers suggest a need for further investigation into the equine microbiota, particularly focusing on the fiber-digesting bacterial phylum, Fibrobacteres, and its role in equine health and metabolic disorders.

Cite This Article

APA
Langner K, Blaue D, Schedlbauer C, Starzonek J, Julliand V, Vervuert I. (2020). Changes in the faecal microbiota of horses and ponies during a two-year body weight gain programme. PLoS One, 15(3), e0230015. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230015

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 3
Pages: e0230015

Researcher Affiliations

Langner, Katharina
  • Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Blaue, Dominique
  • Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Schedlbauer, Carola
  • Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Starzonek, Janine
  • Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Julliand, Veronique
  • PAM UMR A 02.102, AgroSup Dijon, Université Bourgogne Franche- Comte, France.
Vervuert, Ingrid
  • Institute of Animal Nutrition, Nutrition Diseases and Dietetics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Fatty Acids, Volatile / metabolism
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Horses
  • Lactic Acid / metabolism
  • Microbiota
  • Weight Gain

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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