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Home / Equine Research Bank / BMC Vet Res / Effects of steam-flaked grains on foals’ growth and fa...
BMC veterinary research2021; 17(1); 293; doi: 10.1186/s12917-021-02994-8

Effects of steam-flaked grains on foals’ growth and faecal microbiota.

Abstract: There is little objective information concerning the effect of steam-flaked grains on foal's growth performance and faecal microbiota. To determine the effects of steam-flaked grains on foal's growth performance and faecal microbiota, faecal samples were collection from 18 foals which had been fed either corn, oat or barley diets over the 60 days of the experiment. Body weight and conformation measurements were collected. Next-generation sequencing of the V3 + V4 region of the 16 S rRNA gene was used to assess the microbial composition of faeces. Alpha diversity, Venn graph, Relative abundance and beta diversity are presented. Results: There was a significantly higher larger increase in the body weight of those foals fed barley compared to either corn or oats. There were also significant changes in the Alpha diversity of the gut microbiota. The Shannon and Simpson indices were significantly higher in the barley fed group than those fed corn or oats. The Chao1 index was significantly higher in the oat fed group than the corn or barley fed groups. There were significant changes in the relative abundance of bacteria in the microbiota in terms of phylum, family and genus. The histogram of LDA value distribution showed that the 12 statistically different biomarkers of the bacteria were present. Tax4Fun function annotation clustering heat map showed that functional information was detected from 26 species of bacteria in faecal samples from the foals. Conclusions: Differences by starch sources were found in overall growth of the foals and in the faecal microbiota if either supplementary corn, oat or barley was fed. Further studies are required to determine the potential impact of the changes in the microbiota on the health and development of foals fed cereal starch of different sources.
© 2021. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2021-09-04 PubMed ID: 34481494PubMed Central: PMC8418754DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02994-8Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 research investigated the impact of feeding steam-flaked grains (corn, oat, or barley) on the growth and gut microbiome of foals. Results indicated that diet alterations significantly influenced both the foals’ growth, with barley-fed foals gaining more weight, and the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota.

Research Methodology

  • The study was conducted on 18 foals, partitioned into three groups, each receiving a diet of steam-flaked corn, oats, or barley over a 60 day period.
  • Body weight and conformation measurements were taken to assess growth performance.
  • Faecal samples were collected to determine the effect on the faecal microbiota.
  • Next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene markers in the collected samples was performed for microbial identification and diversity analysis. This method allows for accurate profiling of gut microbiota.

Research Findings

  • Foals fed on barley had a significantly higher increase in body weight compared to those fed corn or oats.
  • There were noticeable differences in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota based on the type of grain consumed.
  • Several diversity indices (including Shannon and Simpson) were significantly higher in the barley-fed group, indicating more diverse microbiota.
  • The Chao1 index, another measure of diversity, was significantly higher in oat-fed foals than those fed with corn or barley.
  • There were variations in the relative abundance of bacteria on the phylum, family and genus levels, depending on the type of grain fed.
  • The distribution of Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) values indicated the presence of 12 statistically different bacterial biomarkers among the groups.
  • Functional annotation, using Tax4Fun function, detected information from 26 bacterial species in the foals’ faecal samples. This function helps understand the potential roles of these bacteria within the gut.

Conclusion

  • The study found differences in the overall growth of the foals and the diversity and composition of the faecal microbiota, based on the source of starch in their diet (corn, oat or barley).
  • This preliminary study points out that diet modifications can influence the development and health of foals through changes in body growth and gut microbial diversity.
  • However, further studies are needed to better interpret the potential impact of microbiota changes on the health and development of foals due to varying cereal starch sources.

Cite This Article

APA
Li XB, Huang XX, Zang CJ, Ma C, Chen KX, Zhao GD, Li Q, Li XY, Zhang WJ, Yang KL. (2021). Effects of steam-flaked grains on foals’ growth and faecal microbiota. BMC Vet Res, 17(1), 293. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-021-02994-8

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 17
Issue: 1
Pages: 293
PII: 293

Researcher Affiliations

Li, Xiao Bin
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China.
Huang, Xin Xin
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China.
Zang, Chang Jiang
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China.
Ma, Chen
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China.
Chen, Kai Xu
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China.
Zhao, Guo Dong
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China.
Li, Qian
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China.
Li, Xuan Yue
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China.
Zhang, Wen Jie
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China.
Yang, Kai Lun
  • College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Herbivore Nutrition for Meat & Milk Production, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, 830052, Urumqi, China. 1196129362@qq.com.

MeSH Terms

  • Animal Feed / analysis
  • Animals
  • Avena
  • Bacteria / classification
  • Diet / veterinary
  • Dietary Carbohydrates
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome
  • Hordeum
  • Horses / growth & development
  • Horses / microbiology
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / analysis
  • Zea mays

Grant Funding

  • 31860649 / Foundation for Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Li XB, Huang XX, Li Q, Li XY, Li JH, Li C, He LJ, Jing HX, Yang KL. Effects of different grains on bacterial diversity and enzyme activity associated with digestion of starch in the foal stomach. BMC Vet Res 2022 Nov 17;18(1):407.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-022-03510-2pubmed: 36397114google scholar: lookup
  2. Huang X, Li Q, Li X, Li C, Li J, He L, Jing H, Yang F, Li X. Effects of different grain types on nutrient apparent digestibility, glycemic responses, and fecal VFA content in weaned foals. BMC Vet Res 2025 Apr 14;21(1):273.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-04716-wpubmed: 40229645google scholar: lookup
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