Changes in the faecal microbiota of mares precede the development of post partum colic.

The study investigates how changes in the microbiome (distinct communities of bacteria) in mares’ feces during pregnancy can help predict the onset of gastrointestinal issues after giving birth, also known as post partum colic. The researchers discovered that the microbiomes of pregnant mares showed significant changes and the high relative presence of certain bacteria could possibly indicate a doctor the possibility of colic.

Research Methodology

• The researchers embarked on a case-control study.
• They collected fecal samples from mares before and after birth at three farms located in central Kentucky.
• A technique called next-generation sequencing was used to analyze the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene in all the samples collected.
• They compared samples from 13 mares who developed colic, 13 who did not, and 5 non-pregnant controls.

Results

• Over 4.5 million sequences were evaluated from the 85 samples, each hosting a variety of microorganisms.
• Twenty-five phyla were identified, but only four—Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria—showed presence at an abundance of 1% or greater.
• There was a difference in the microbial community between non-pregnant mares and late-term mares; however, the difference was mainly in community membership and structure and not in the relative abundance of the major phyla.
• The process of giving birth and the post birth period had minimal impact on the fecal microbiome.
• The fecal samples obtained from mares prior to colic episodes had a significantly higher relative abundance of Proteobacteria (8.2%, P = 0.0006) compared with those samples from mares that did not develop colic (3.7%).

Conclusion

• The study concluded that foaling has minimal effects on the mares’ fecal microbiota. However, numerous changes in the microbiota were noticed before the development of colic.
• It seems that the presence of certain bacteria such as Firmicutes (particularly Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae) and Proteobacteria and could act as indicators of a future colic.
• The detection of these changes could help in predicting and possibly preventing colic.

This research is crucial as it opens up the possibility of using the fecal microbiome as a diagnostic tool for predicting post birth gastrointestinal issues in mares. Further studies would be beneficial in validating and clarifying these findings.