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The British journal of nutrition2019; 123(4); 372-382; doi: 10.1017/S0007114519002824

Dietary composition and yeast/microalgae combination supplementation modulate the microbial ecosystem in the caecum, colon and faeces of horses.

Abstract: Starchy diets can induce hindgut dysbiosis in horses. The present study evaluated the impact of a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and microalgae (Aurantiochytrium limacinum) supplementation on caecal, colonic and faecal microbial ecosystem and on blood inflammatory parameters of horses fed high-fibre or high-starch diets. Six fistulated geldings in a 2 × 2 Latin-square design were alternatively supplemented and received during each period 100 % hay (4 weeks) followed by a 56/44 hay/barley diet (3 weeks). Caecal, colonic and faecal samples were collected 4 h after the morning meal three times per diet, at 5-d intervals, to measure bacterial composition and microbial end products. Blood was simultaneously collected for measuring inflammatory markers. The starchy diet clearly modified the microbial ecosystem in the three digestive segments, with an increase of the amylolytic function and a decrease of the fibrolytic one. However, no effect of the diet was observed on the blood parameters. When horses were supplemented, no significant change was found in lipopolysaccharides, PG-E2, serum amyloid A concentrations and complete blood count neither in cellulose-utilising, starch-utilising and lactate-utilising bacteria concentrations nor in the volatile fatty acids and lactate concentrations and pH. Under supplementation, relative abundance of Family XIII Clostridiales increased in caecum and faeces irrespective of diet and relative abundance of Veillonellaceae was higher during the hay/barley diet in colon and faeces. Most variations of faecal bacterial taxa under supplementation were not observed in the hindgut. However, all variations suggested that supplementation could increase fibrolytic function whatever the diet and limit dysbiosis when the horses' diet changed from high fibre to high starch.
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Publication Date: 2019-11-06 PubMed ID: 31690358DOI: 10.1017/S0007114519002824Google 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 investigates how a diet high in fibre or starch, supplemented with yeast and microalgae, affects the gut microbiome of horses and their blood inflammatory parameters. It suggests that while a starchy diet can alter gut bacteria, the yeast and microalgae supplementation could potentially enhance fibre digestion and reduce disruptions in gut balance, regardless of dietary composition.

Study Design and Methodology

  • The researchers utilized six geldings in a 2 × 2 Latin-square design in which they received alternating supplementation.
  • For each cycle, the horses were fed entirely hay for four weeks, followed by a hay/barley diet (56/44 ratio) for three weeks.
  • Caecal, colonic, and faecal samples were collected from the horses four hours after the morning meal, on three occasions per diet at five-day intervals. These samples were used to assess the bacterial composition and microbial end products.
  • Simultaneously, blood samples were taken to measure inflammatory markers.

Findings

  • The research found that the starchy diet did indeed alter the microbial ecosystem across all three digestive segments. It increased ‘amylolytic’ function (starch digestion) and decreased ‘fibrolytic’ function (fibre digestion).
  • However, the diet did not affect the blood parameters.
  • The yeast and microalgae supplementation did not significantly change concentrations of inflammation markers like lipopolysaccharides, PG-E2, serum amyloid A, or the count of cellulose, starch, and lactate-utilising bacteria. VFA (volatile fatty acids), lactate concentrations, and pH levels were similarly unaffected.
  • The supplementation, however, led to an increase in the prevalence of certain bacteria in the caecum and faeces, irrespective of the diet, and in the colon and faeces during the hay/barley diet.

Conclusions

  • Despite changes to the gut bacteria with the addition of diet supplementation, not all of these changes were observed in the hindgut.
  • The data suggests that the yeast/microalgae supplementation might increase the fibrolytic function of the gut, regardless of the dietary starch or fibre levels, and could potentially minimise dysbiosis when horses transition from a high-fibre to a high-starch diet.

Cite This Article

APA
Grimm P, Combes S, Pascal G, Cauquil L, Julliand V. (2019). Dietary composition and yeast/microalgae combination supplementation modulate the microbial ecosystem in the caecum, colon and faeces of horses. Br J Nutr, 123(4), 372-382. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114519002824

Publication

The British journal of nutrition
ISSN: 1475-2662
NlmUniqueID: 0372547
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 123
Issue: 4
Pages: 372-382

Researcher Affiliations

Grimm, Pauline
  • Lab To Field, 21000 Dijon, France.
  • AgroSup Dijon, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Unité Mixte de Recherche Procédés Alimentaires et Microbiologiques (PAM UMR) A 02.102, 21000 Dijon, France.
Combes, Sylvie
  • Génétique, Physiologie et Systèmes d'Elevage (GenPhySE), Université de Toulouse, Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA), Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT), École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), 31320 Castanet Tolosan, France.
Pascal, Géraldine
  • Génétique, Physiologie et Systèmes d'Elevage (GenPhySE), Université de Toulouse, Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA), Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT), École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), 31320 Castanet Tolosan, France.
Cauquil, Laurent
  • Génétique, Physiologie et Systèmes d'Elevage (GenPhySE), Université de Toulouse, Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA), Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT), École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), 31320 Castanet Tolosan, France.
Julliand, Véronique
  • AgroSup Dijon, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Unité Mixte de Recherche Procédés Alimentaires et Microbiologiques (PAM UMR) A 02.102, 21000 Dijon, France.

MeSH Terms

  • Animal Feed / microbiology
  • Animals
  • Cecum / microbiology
  • Colon / microbiology
  • Diet / veterinary
  • Dietary Fiber / analysis
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Ecosystem
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome
  • Horses
  • Microalgae
  • Starch / analysis
  • Yeast, Dried / administration & dosage

Citations

This article has been cited 24 times.
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