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Frontiers in veterinary science2024; 11; 1386135; doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1386135

Microbiota characterization throughout the digestive tract of horses fed a high-fiber vs. a high-starch diet.

Abstract: Diet is one of the main factors influencing the intestinal microbiota in horses, yet a systematic characterization of the microbiota along the length of the digestive tract in clinically healthy horses, homogenous for age and breed and receiving a specific diet is lacking. Unassigned: The study used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the microbiota of the intestinal tracts of 19 healthy Bardigiano horses of 14.3  ±  0.7  months of age fed one of two diets. Nine horses received a high-starch diet (HS), and ten horses received a high-fiber diet (HF). After 129  days, the horses were slaughtered, and samples were collected from the different intestinal tract compartments. Unassigned: The microbiota alpha diversity indices were lower in the caecum, pelvic flexure and right dorsal colon of the horses fed the HS diet (False Discovery Rate, FDR  <  0.05). The values of beta diversity indicated significant compositional differences between the studied intestinal tract compartments according to the diet received (FDR  <  0.05). At the lower taxonomic level (genus or family), the HS diet was associated with a higher relative frequency of within the small intestine (jejunum and duodenum) (FDR  <  0.05). Within the hindgut (caecum and sternal flexure), the HS diet was associated with lower relative frequencies (i.e., a smaller core community) of bacteria belonging to and (FDR  <  0.05). Moreover, horses fed the HS diet displayed a higher relative abundance of in the caecum (FDR  <  0.05) and in the sternal flexure (FDR  <  0.05), both of which are pathogenic bacteria responsible for inflammation diseases. Samples collected from the pelvic flexure and rectum of horses fed the HS diet showed significantly higher relative frequencies of (FDR  <  0.05) - amylolytic bacteria associated with acidosis. The relative frequencies of the and were lower in the feces collected from the rectum of horses receiving the HS diet vs. HF diet, indicating smaller core communities of these bacteria (FDR  <  0.05). Fibrous diets should be promoted to prevent dysbiosis of the microbiota associated with high-starch diet.
Copyright © 2024 Raspa, Chessa, Bergero, Sacchi, Ferrocino, Cocolin, Corvaglia, Moretti, Cavallini and Valle.
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Publication Date: 2024-05-14 PubMed ID: 38807937PubMed Central: PMC11130486DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1386135Google 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 study investigates the impact of a high-starch diet versus a high-fiber diet on the microbiota throughout the horse’s digestive tract, revealing that a high-starch diet is associated with lower diversity and potentially harmful alterations in the microbiota.

Research Methods and Participants

  • The study involved 19 healthy Bardigiano horses, all roughly the same age (14.3  ±  0.7  months).
  • The horses were divided into two dietary groups. Nine horses received a high-starch (HS) diet, while ten horses received a high-fiber (HF) diet.
  • After 129  days on these diets, the horses were euthanized, and samples were collected from various parts of their digestive tracts.
  • The researchers used a process called 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the microbiota in these samples.

Impact of Diet on the Microbiota

  • Measured by alpha diversity indices, the HS diet was associated with reduced microbiota diversity in the caecum, pelvic flexure and right dorsal colon compared to the HF diet.
  • Beta diversity values revealed significant differences in the composition of the microbiota between different parts of the digestive tract, based on the diet received.

The High-Starch Diet’s Effects

  • In the small intestine, the HS diet led to a higher relative frequency of certain unnamed bacteria.
  • In the hindgut, the HS diet resulted in lower relative frequencies or a smaller core community of two other types of unnamed bacteria.
  • The HS diet was also associated with greater abundance of two sorts of pathogenic bacteria in the caecum and the sternal flexure, which are known to cause inflammatory diseases.
  • Furthermore, the HS diet caused higher relative frequencies of amylolytic bacteria (associated with acidosis) in the samples collected from the pelvic flexure and rectum.
  • In the feces from the rectum, the HS diet led to a smaller core community of two more unnamed types of bacteria.

Conclusion

The researchers concluded from this study that fibrous diets should be preferred over starch-heavy diets as they help to prevent dysbiosis of the microbiota associated with high-starch diet.

Cite This Article

APA
Raspa F, Chessa S, Bergero D, Sacchi P, Ferrocino I, Cocolin L, Corvaglia MR, Moretti R, Cavallini D, Valle E. (2024). Microbiota characterization throughout the digestive tract of horses fed a high-fiber vs. a high-starch diet. Front Vet Sci, 11, 1386135. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1386135

Publication

Frontiers in veterinary science
ISSN: 2297-1769
NlmUniqueID: 101666658
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Pages: 1386135
PII: 1386135

Researcher Affiliations

Raspa, Federica
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
Chessa, Stefania
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
Bergero, Domenico
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
Sacchi, Paola
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
Ferrocino, Ilario
  • Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
Cocolin, Luca
  • Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
Corvaglia, Maria Rita
  • Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
Moretti, Riccardo
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
Cavallini, Damiano
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Valle, Emanuela
  • Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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