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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / The longitudinal effect of a multi-strain probiotic on the i...
Equine veterinary journal2015; 48(6); 689-696; doi: 10.1111/evj.12524

The longitudinal effect of a multi-strain probiotic on the intestinal bacterial microbiota of neonatal foals.

Abstract: The microbiota plays a key role in health and disease. Probiotics are a potential way to therapeutically modify the intestinal microbiota and prevent disease. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotics on the bacterial microbiota of foals during and after administration. Methods: Randomised placebo controlled field trial. Methods: Thirty-eight healthy neonatal foals enrolled in a previous study were selected. The foals had received a multi-strain probiotic (four Lactobacillus spp. 3-4 × 10 colony-forming units (cfu)/g each, Bifidobacterium animalis spp. lactis, 1 × 10 cfu/g) or placebo once daily for 3 weeks. A total of 3 faecal samples were collected from each foal at 2-week intervals and assessed via metagenomic sequencing. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare data between treatment groups. Results: There were no changes on the phylum, order or class level between treatment groups at any age (all P>0.05) but some significant changes in relative abundance of families. Probiotic administration did not result in an increased relative abundance of lactobacilli or bifidobacteria at any age (Lactobacillus: P = 0.9, P = 0.1 and P = 0.2, Bifidobacterium: P = 0.3, P = 0.6 and P = 0.1 for Weeks 2, 4 and 6, respectively). Lactobacillus was enriched in the probiotic group at Week 6 on LEfSe analysis (linear discriminant analysis score 0.34, P = 0 .02). There was no effect on alpha diversity (all P>0.2) or community structure when parsimony and unifrac analysis were applied (all P>0.6). Conclusions: There were limited effects of probiotic treatment on the bacterial microbiota of foals. The studied probiotic based on lactobacilli and bifidobacteria has a limited potential for therapeutic modification of the gastrointestinal microbiota.
© 2015 EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2015-11-29 PubMed ID: 26509834DOI: 10.1111/evj.12524Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

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 investigated the potential use of probiotics to alter the intestinal microbiota of baby horses, and found only minimal changes in the microbiota composition after treatment.

Research Objective

  • The study aimed to observe the effects of a multi-strain probiotic supplement on the bacterial microbiota of foals. The purpose was to identify whether or not these probiotics can be a successful way to change the intestinal microbiota therapeutically.

Research Methods

  • For the experimental design, the researchers conducted a randomized placebo-controlled trial with 38 healthy baby horses. The foals received a daily dose of a multi-strain probiotic or a placebo for three weeks.
  • The multi-strain probiotic included four distinct species of Lactobacillus and one species of Bifidobacterium animalis.
  • Researchers gathered a total of three faecal samples from each foal at two-week intervals and evaluated these samples via metagenomic sequencing.
  • A statistical method, the Wilcoxon test, was used to compare data between the groups treated with probiotics and the placebo.

Research Results

  • There were no major changes seen between the two groups at the phylum, order, or class level at any age. However, there were some significant variations in the relative abundance at the family level of certain bacteria across the groups.
  • The use of probiotics did not lead to a major increase in the relative abundance of either lactobacilli or bifidobacteria at any age.
  • An enrichment of Lactobacillus was observed in the group receiving the probiotic at week 6, according to a statistical method known as LEfSe analysis.
  • There was also no significant impact noted on the alpha diversity of the bacterial communities, or the community structure when further statistical analysis methods (parsimony and unifrac analysis) were applied.

Conclusions

  • The study concluded that there were minimal effects of the probiotic treatment on the bacterial microbiota of the foals.
  • The use of probiotics, even a blend based on lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, is potentially limited for therapeutic modification of the gastrointestinal microbiota.

Cite This Article

APA
Schoster A, Guardabassi L, Staempfli HR, Abrahams M, Jalali M, Weese JS. (2015). The longitudinal effect of a multi-strain probiotic on the intestinal bacterial microbiota of neonatal foals. Equine Vet J, 48(6), 689-696. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12524

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 48
Issue: 6
Pages: 689-696

Researcher Affiliations

Schoster, A
  • Vetsuisse Faculty, Equine Department, University of Zurich, Switzerland. angelika_schoster@hotmail.com.
  • Faculty of Health and Medical Science, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. angelika_schoster@hotmail.com.
Guardabassi, L
  • Faculty of Health and Medical Science, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Staempfli, H R
  • Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada.
Abrahams, M
  • Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada.
Jalali, M
  • Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada.
Weese, J S
  • Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada.

MeSH Terms

  • Aging
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Bifidobacterium animalis / physiology
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Female
  • Horses / growth & development
  • Horses / microbiology
  • Intestines / microbiology
  • Lactobacillus / physiology
  • Male
  • Probiotics / administration & dosage

Citations

This article has been cited 9 times.
  1. MacNicol JL, Renwick S, Ganobis CM, Allen-Vercoe E, Weese JS, Pearson W. The influence of a probiotic/prebiotic supplement on microbial and metabolic parameters of equine cecal fluid or fecal slurry in vitro.. J Anim Sci 2023 Jan 3;101.
    doi: 10.1093/jas/skad034pubmed: 36715114google scholar: lookup
  2. Lucassen A, Hankel J, Finkler-Schade C, Osbelt L, Strowig T, Visscher C, Schuberth HJ. Feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Product (Olimond BB) Does Not Alter the Fecal Microbiota of Thoroughbred Racehorses.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jun 8;12(12).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12121496pubmed: 35739833google scholar: lookup
  3. Goodman-Davis R, Figurska M, Cywinska A. Gut Microbiota Manipulation in Foals-Naturopathic Diarrhea Management, or Unsubstantiated Folly?. Pathogens 2021 Sep 4;10(9).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens10091137pubmed: 34578169google scholar: lookup
  4. Freccero F, Lanci A, Mariella J, Viciani E, Quercia S, Castagnetti A, Castagnetti C. Changes in the Fecal Microbiota Associated with a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Administration in Hospitalized Neonatal Foals with Probiotics Supplementation.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Aug 2;11(8).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11082283pubmed: 34438741google scholar: lookup
  5. Tavenner MK, McDonnell SM, Biddle AS. Development of the equine hindgut microbiome in semi-feral and domestic conventionally-managed foals.. Anim Microbiome 2020 Nov 23;2(1):43.
    doi: 10.1186/s42523-020-00060-6pubmed: 33499959google scholar: lookup
  6. Kauter A, Epping L, Semmler T, Antao EM, Kannapin D, Stoeckle SD, Gehlen H, Lübke-Becker A, Günther S, Wieler LH, Walther B. The gut microbiome of horses: current research on equine enteral microbiota and future perspectives.. Anim Microbiome 2019 Nov 13;1(1):14.
    doi: 10.1186/s42523-019-0013-3pubmed: 33499951google scholar: lookup
  7. Schoster A, Weese JS, Gerber V, Nicole Graubner C. Dysbiosis is not present in horses with fecal water syndrome when compared to controls in spring and autumn.. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Jul;34(4):1614-1621.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.15778pubmed: 32588473google scholar: lookup
  8. Schoster A, Staempfli HR, Guardabassi LG, Jalali M, Weese JS. Comparison of the fecal bacterial microbiota of healthy and diarrheic foals at two and four weeks of life.. BMC Vet Res 2017 May 30;13(1):144.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1064-xpubmed: 28558788google scholar: lookup
  9. Silva BC, Sandes SH, Alvim LB, Bomfim MR, Nicoli JR, Neumann E, Nunes AC. Selection of a candidate probiotic strain of Pediococcus pentosaceus from the faecal microbiota of horses by in vitro testing and health claims in a mouse model of Salmonella infection.. J Appl Microbiol 2017 Jan;122(1):225-238.
    doi: 10.1111/jam.13339pubmed: 27813217google scholar: lookup
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