Effects of concentrate levels on intestinal fermentation and the microbial profile in Japanese draft horses.
Abstract: In racehorses, feeding a high-concentrate diet could cause abnormal fermentation in the hindgut. This feeding management regime is not suitable for the nutritional physiology of horses. However, studies on the hindgut environment have yet to be reported in Japanese draft horses, so feeding management needs to be investigated in these horses. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a high-concentrate diet on hindgut fermentation in Japanese draft horses. Feces were collected from 20 male Japanese draft horses managed by two stables with different feeding designs (65% weight ratio of concentrate feed, HC; 50% weight ratio of concentrate, MC), and fecal metabolic characteristics and the microbiome were analyzed. Higher lactate concentrations and lower fecal pH levels were observed in the HC group (P=0.0011, P=0.0192, respectively). Fecal microbiome analysis revealed a decrease in microbial diversity (P=0.0360) and an increase in the relative abundance of Streptococcus lutetiensis/equinus/infantarius (P=0.0011) in the HC group. On the other hand, fibrolytic bacteria in the MC group had similarities with Clostridium sacchalolyticum and Ruminococcus albus. This study revealed that overfeeding of concentrates induced abnormal fermentation in the hindgut of Japanese draft horses. This suggests that the establishment of a feeding design based on not only the chemical compositions of feeds but also microbial dynamics is needed.
©2023 The Japanese Society of Equine Science.
Publication Date: 2024-01-18 PubMed ID: 38274554PubMed Central: PMC10806360DOI: 10.1294/jes.34.101Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates the effects of high-concentrate diet on intestinal fermentation and microbial health in Japanese draft horses, showing that excessive concentrate intake can lead to abnormal fermentation and microbial imbalance.
Objective of the Research
- The principal aim of the research was to explore the effects of a high-concentrate diet on the hindgut fermentation in Japanese draft horses.
- Since there is limited research about the hindgut environment in Japanese draft horses, this study attempts to fill in the gap by revealing the overall impact of different feeding designs on the horse’s gut health.
Research Methods and Participants
- The investigators collected fecal samples from 20 male Japanese draft horses managed by two stables.
- The feeding designs of the stables were different: one provided a high concentrate diet that accounted for 65% weight ratio (HC group), and the other provided a moderate-concentrate diet equaling up to 50% weight ratio (MC group).
- They analyzed the fecal metabolic characteristics and the microbiome of the samples to determine the impact of different levels of concentrate in the diet.
Findings
- The study showed that the horses in the HC group experienced higher lactate concentrations and lower fecal pH levels. This is indicative of abnormal fermentation in the hindgut as a result of the high-concentrate diet.
- Microbiome analysis revealed a decrease in microbial diversity and an increase in the relative abundance of Streptococcus lutetiensis/equinus/infantarius, bacteria linked to unbalanced gut flora.
- On the other hand, fibrolytic bacteria in the MC group bore similarities with Clostridium sacchalolyticum and Ruminococcus albus species, beneficial to the gut health of the horses.
Implications
- This research suggests that overfeeding of concentrate leads to abnormal fermentation in the hindgut of Japanese draft horses and impacts their overall health.
- It hints towards the importance of establishing feeding designs based not only on the chemical compositions of feeds but also considering the dynamism of microbial health.
Cite This Article
APA
Yano R, Moriyama T, Fujimori M, Nishida T, Hanada M, Fukuma N.
(2024).
Effects of concentrate levels on intestinal fermentation and the microbial profile in Japanese draft horses.
J Equine Sci, 34(4), 101-109.
https://doi.org/10.1294/jes.34.101 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Graduate School of Animal Husbandry, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
- Veterinary Medical Center, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
- Graduate School of Animal Husbandry, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
- Department of Life and Food Sciences, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
- Department of Life and Food Sciences, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
- Department of Life and Food Sciences, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
- Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
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