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Frontiers in microbiology2018; 9; 3017; doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03017

The Equine Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Impacts of Age and Obesity.

Abstract: Gastrointestinal microbial communities are increasingly being implicated in host susceptibilities to nutritional/metabolic diseases; such conditions are more prevalent in obese and/or older horses. This controlled study evaluated associations between host-phenotype and the fecal microbiome / metabolome. Thirty-five, Welsh Mountain pony mares were studied across 2 years (Controls, = 6/year, 5-15 years, Body Condition Score (BCS) 4.5-6/9; Obese, = 6/year, 5-15 years, BCS > 7/9; Aged, = 6 Year 1; = 5 Year 2, ≥19 years old). Animals were individually fed the same hay to maintenance (2% body mass as daily dry matter intake) for 2 (aged / obese) or 4 (control), 4-week periods in a randomized study. Outset phenotype was determined (body fat%, markers of insulin sensitivity). Feces were sampled on the final 3 days of hay feeding-periods and communities determined using Next Generation Sequencing of amplified V1-V2 hypervariable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA. Copy numbers for fecal bacteria, protozoa and fungi were similar across groups, whilst bacterial diversity was increased in the obese group. Dominant bacterial phyla in all groups were . Significant differences in the bacterial communities of feces were detected between host-phenotype groups. Relative to controls, abundances of were increased for aged animals and , , and were increased for obese animals. Over 500 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) differed significantly between host-phenotype groups. No consistent pattern of changes in discriminant OTUs between groups were maintained across groups and between years. The core bacterial populations contained 21 OTUs, 6.7% of recovered sequences. Distance-based Redundancy Analyses separated fecal bacterial communities with respect to markers of obesity and insulin dysregulation, as opposed to age. Host-phenotype had no impact on the apparent digestibility of dietary GE or DM, fecal volatile fatty acid concentrations or the fecal metabolome (FT-IR). The current study demonstrates that host-phenotype has major effects on equine fecal microbial population structure. Changes were predominantly associated with the obese state, confirming an obesity-associated impact in the absence of nutritional differences. Clear biomarkers of animal-phenotype were not identified within either the fecal microbiome or metabolome, suggesting functional redundancy within the gut microbiome and/or metabolome.
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Publication Date: 2018-12-07 PubMed ID: 30581426PubMed Central: PMC6293011DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03017Google 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.

The research paper looks into how the age and obesity of horses impact their gastrointestinal microbiome, i.e., the microbes living in their gut. The study finds that the structure of these microbes is majorly affected by the animal’s condition and that changes are predominantly associated with obesity, regardless of the dietary intake.

Objective and Methodology

  • The study aimed to investigate the effects of age and obesity on the equine gastrointestinal microbiome by analyzing changes in the fecal microbiome and metabolome.
  • The research involved 35 Welsh Mountain pony mares, studied over two years. It included different groups based on age and body condition score (BCS) which measures obesity.
  • The sample horses were fed the same hay to maintenance with different staggered time durations according to groups. The phenotype of the horses was determined by body fat percentage and insulin sensitivity markers.
  • Feces samples were taken in the last three days of the hay feeding periods and the microbial communities in them were analyzed using Next Generation Sequencing.

Findings

  • The study found similar numbers of bacteria, protozoa, and fungi across all groups but found increased bacterial diversity in the obese group.
  • Significant differences were detected in the fecal bacterial communities between the host-phenotype groups. Different bacterial phylums had varying abundancies in the feces of aged and obese horses as compared to the control group.
  • Over 500 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were significantly different between host-phenotype groups. However, no consistent pattern of changes in discriminant OTUs was observed between groups and years.

Conclusion

  • The research ascertained that host-phenotype has a significant effect on the equine gastrointestinal microbiome. The presence of obesity influenced these effects more than age or any nutritional differences, as was initially believed.
  • However, the study did not identify clear biomarkers within the fecal microbiome or metabolome, implying functional redundancy within the gut microbiome and/or metabolome.

In summary, the research concluded that obesity was a major factor affecting the microbial population structure in a horse’s gut. However, there is a need for further research to find clear biomarkers and understand the exact impact and functioning of the gut microbiome and metabolome.

Cite This Article

APA
Morrison PK, Newbold CJ, Jones E, Worgan HJ, Grove-White DH, Dugdale AH, Barfoot C, Harris PA, Argo CM. (2018). The Equine Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Impacts of Age and Obesity. Front Microbiol, 9, 3017. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.03017

Publication

Frontiers in microbiology
ISSN: 1664-302X
NlmUniqueID: 101548977
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Pages: 3017
PII: 3017

Researcher Affiliations

Morrison, Philippa K
  • Scotland's Rural College, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Newbold, Charles J
  • Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Jones, Eleanor
  • Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom.
Worgan, Hilary J
  • Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom.
Grove-White, Dai H
  • Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Wirral, United Kingdom.
Dugdale, Alexandra H
  • ChesterGates Veterinary Specialists CVS (UK) Ltd., Chester, United Kingdom.
Barfoot, Clare
  • MARS Horsecare UK Ltd., Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom.
Harris, Patricia A
  • Equine Studies Group, WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
Argo, Caroline McG
  • Scotland's Rural College, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.

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Citations

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