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Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire2023; 87(2); 97-104;

Effect of dietary iron supplementation on the equine fecal microbiome.

Abstract: Iron is an essential element for all living organisms, including bacteria, as several virulence factors and replication components are influenced by iron concentration. The objective of this study was to determine whether the composition and diversity of the fecal microbiota of adult horses are affected by supplemental dietary iron. Ten clinically healthy horses were randomly divided into a control and an iron-supplemented group ( = 5). The treated group was supplemented with oral ferrous sulphate monohydrate (720 ppm of iron), whereas the control group received 320 ppm of iron daily for 15 d. Fecal samples were collected before and 5, 10, 15, and 30 d after supplementation and frozen at -80°C. DNA was sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq platform and data were analyzed using the software Mothur and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe). Iron supplementation caused no change in the overall composition of the fecal microbiota, but some minor changes were observed in the low-abundant bacteria, as well as an increased diversity after 15 d of supplementation. Significant differences in community composition of the fecal microbiota over time were observed in both groups, highlighting the importance of a control group, as there are variables that cannot be controlled in microbiome studies. Le fer est un élément essentiel pour tous les organismes vivants, y compris les bactéries, car plusieurs facteurs de virulence et composants de réplication sont influencés par la concentration en fer. L’objectif de cette étude était de déterminer si la composition et la diversité du microbiote fécal des chevaux adultes sont affectées par la supplémentation en fer alimentaire. Dix chevaux cliniquement sains ont été divisés au hasard en un groupe témoin et un groupe supplémenté en fer, = 5 par groupe. Le groupe traité a reçu un supplément oral de sulfate ferreux monohydraté (720 ppm de fer) et le groupe témoin a reçu 320 ppm de fer par jour pendant 15 jours. Des échantillons fécaux ont été prélevés avant la supplémentation et 5, 10, 15 et 30 jours après la supplémentation puis congelés à −80 °C. L’ADN a été séquencé à l’aide de la plateforme Illumina MiSeq et les données ont été analysées à l’aide des logiciels Mothur et analyse de la fonction discriminante linéaire taille de l’effet LefSe. La supplémentation en fer n’a provoqué aucun changement dans la composition du microbiote fécal, mais certains changements ont été observés chez les bactéries peu abondantes, ainsi qu’une augmentation de la diversité après 15 jours de supplémentation. Au fil du temps, des différences significatives dans la composition de la communauté bactérienne ont été observées dans les deux groupes, soulignant l’importance d’un groupe témoin, car il existe des variables qui ne peuvent être contrôlées dans les études sur le microbiome.(Traduit par les auteurs).
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Publication Date: 2023-04-07 PubMed ID: 37020575PubMed Central: PMC10069153
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  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Veterinary
  • Journal Article

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.

This article examines the impact of iron supplements on the composition and diversity of the fecal microbiota (array of gut bacteria) in adult horses. The study found minor changes in less abundant bacteria and an increase in diversity following 15 days of supplementation, suggesting some effect of iron supplementation.

Study Design and Methodology

  • The study involved ten clinically healthy horses, split into two groups randomly: a control group and an iron-supplemented group, with 5 horses in each group. The control group received 320 ppm of iron daily for 15 days, while the iron-supplemented group received 720 ppm iron daily in the form of oral ferrous sulphate monohydrate.
  • Fecal samples were collected from the horses before starting the iron supplementation, and then at intervals of 5, 10, 15, and 30 days following the start of the supplementation. These samples were preserved at -80°C for further analyses.
  • To evaluate the composition and diversity of the fecal microbiota, DNA sequencing was performed on the collected samples using the Illumina MiSeq platform.
  • The sequencing data were analyzed using Mothur and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with effect size (LEfSe) software. These tools enabled detailed analysis of fecal microbiota, including their overall composition and diversity.

Results and Findings

  • Iron supplementation did not significantly impact the overall composition of the fecal microbiota in the horses. This means that the types of bacteria in the gut of the horses did not seem affected by the iron supplementation.
  • However, minor changes were observed in the less abundant bacteria. This suggests that iron supplementation might have subtly influenced some types of bacteria that are not as common in the horse’s gut.
  • An increased diversity of fecal microbiota was observed after 15 days of iron supplementation. This increase in diversity indicates that iron supplementation can influence the gut ecosystem, allowing a wider variety of bacteria to flourish.
  • Significant differences in the composition of fecal microbiota over time were observed in both groups. These changes emphasize the importance of using a control group in such studies, as there are variables that cannot be controlled in microbiome studies.

Conclusion

  • While the study found that iron supplementation in horses does not significantly change the composition of the fecal microbiota, it did cause minor changes in less abundant bacteria and increased its diversity.
  • This implies that, to some extent, dietary intake can influence the microbiota profile in horses. However, more detailed studies are required to understand the scope and implications of these effects.

Cite This Article

APA
Arantes JA, Borges AS, Zakia LS, Surette MG, Weese JS, Costa MC, Arroyo LG. (2023). Effect of dietary iron supplementation on the equine fecal microbiome. Can J Vet Res, 87(2), 97-104.

Publication

Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire
ISSN: 1928-9022
NlmUniqueID: 8607793
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 87
Issue: 2
Pages: 97-104

Researcher Affiliations

Arantes, Julia Assis
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil (Arantes); Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil (Borges); Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Zakia, Weese, Arroyo); Department of Medicine, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Surette); Department of Biomedicine, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Q (Costa).
Borges, Alexandre Secorun
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil (Arantes); Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil (Borges); Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Zakia, Weese, Arroyo); Department of Medicine, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Surette); Department of Biomedicine, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Q (Costa).
Zakia, Luiza Stachewski
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil (Arantes); Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil (Borges); Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Zakia, Weese, Arroyo); Department of Medicine, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Surette); Department of Biomedicine, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Q (Costa).
Surette, Michael Gordon
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil (Arantes); Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil (Borges); Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Zakia, Weese, Arroyo); Department of Medicine, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Surette); Department of Biomedicine, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Q (Costa).
Weese, Jeffrey Scott
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil (Arantes); Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil (Borges); Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Zakia, Weese, Arroyo); Department of Medicine, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Surette); Department of Biomedicine, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Q (Costa).
Costa, Marcio Carvalho
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil (Arantes); Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil (Borges); Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Zakia, Weese, Arroyo); Department of Medicine, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Surette); Department of Biomedicine, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Q (Costa).
Arroyo, Luis Guillermo
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil (Arantes); Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil (Borges); Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Zakia, Weese, Arroyo); Department of Medicine, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Surette); Department of Biomedicine, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Q (Costa).

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Iron, Dietary / pharmacology
  • Iron
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Microbiota
  • Bacteria / genetics
  • Dietary Supplements

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