Comparison of Productivity and Fecal Microbiotas of Sows in Commercial Farms

Multi-omics analysis reveals gut microbiota-ovary axis contributed to the follicular development difference between Meishan and Landrace × Yorkshire sows

BACKGROUND

The mechanism by which Meishan (MS) sows are superior to white crossbred sows in ovarian follicle development remains unclear. Given gut microbiota could regulate female ovarian function and reproductive capacity, this study aimed to determine the role of gut microbiota-ovary axis on follicular development in sows.

METHODS

We compared the ovarian follicular development, gut microbiota, plasma metabolome, and follicular fluid metabolome between MS and Landrace × Yorkshire (L × Y) sows. A H₂O₂-induced cell apoptosis model was used to evaluate the effects of multi-omics identified metabolites on the apoptosis of porcine ovarian granulosa cells in vitro.

RESULTS

Compared with L × Y sows, MS sows have greater ovary weight and improved follicular development, including the greater counts of large follicles of diameter ≥ 5 mm, secondary follicles, and antral follicles, but lesser atretic follicles. The ovarian granulosa cells in MS sows had alleviated apoptosis, which was indicated by the increased BCL-2, decreased caspases-3, and decreased cleaved caspases-3 than in L × Y sows. The ovarian follicular fluid of MS sows had higher concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and insulin like growth factor 1 than L × Y sows. Gut microbiota of MS sows formed a distinct cluster and had improved alpha diversity, including increased Shannon and decreased Simpson than those of L × Y sows. Corresponding to the enhanced function of carbohydrate metabolism and elevated short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces, the differential metabolites in plasma between MS and L × Y sows are also mainly enriched in pathways of fatty acid metabolism. There were significant correlations among SCFAs with follicular development, ovarian granulosa cells apoptosis, and follicular fluid hormones, respectively. Noteworthily, compared with L × Y sows, MS sows had higher follicular fluid SCFAs concentrations which could ameliorate H₂O₂-induced porcine granulosa cells apoptosis in vitro.

CONCLUSION

MS sows have more secondary and antral follicles, but fewer atretic follicles and apoptotic ovarian granulosa cells, as well as harbored a distinctive gut microbiota than L × Y sows. Gut microbiota may participate in regulating ovarian follicular development via SCFAs affecting granulosa cells apoptosis in sows.

Maternal tributyrin supplementation in late pregnancy and lactation improves offspring immunity, gut microbiota, and diarrhea rate in a sow model

Introduction

Several studies have evaluated the effects of tributyrin on sow reproductive performance; however, none of these studies have investigated the effects of tributyrin on sow gut microbiota and its potential interactions with immune systems and milk composition. Therefore, we speculated that tributyrin, the combination of butyrate and mono-butyrin without odor, would reach the hindgut and affect the intestinal microbiota composition and play a better role in regulating sow reproductive performance, gut flora, and health.

Methods

Thirty sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (CON) and the tributyrin group (TB), which received basal diet supplemented with 0.05% tributyrin. The experimental period lasted for 35 days from late pregnancy to lactation.

Results

The results showed that TB supplementation significantly shortened the total parturition time and reduced the diarrhea rate in suckling piglets. On day 20 of lactation, the milk fat and protein levels increased by 9 and 4%, respectively. TB supplementation significantly improved the digestibility of dry material, gross energy, and crude fat in the sow diet, but had no significant effect on crude protein digestibility. Furthermore, TB supplementation increased the levels of IL-10, IL-6, and IgA in the blood of weaned piglets, but had no effect on maternal immunity. Analysis of the fecal microbial composition revealed that the addition of TB during late gestation and lactation increased the microbiota diversity in sows and piglets. At the phylum level, sows in the TB group had a slight increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota and Spirochaetota and a decrease in Firmicutes. At the order level, the relative abundance of Lactobacillales was increased in piglets and sows, and the TB group showed increased relative abundance of Enterobacterales and significantly decreased relative abundance of Oscillospirales in piglets. At family level, the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae, Oscillospiraceae, and Christensenellaceae increased in sows, and the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacillaceae increased in piglets. At genus level, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus increased in sows and piglets, but the relative abundance of Subdoligranulum and Eubacterium_fissicatena_group decreased in piglets in the TB group.

Discussion

In conclusion, tributyrin supplementation shortened the farrowing duration and reduced the diarrhea rate of piglets by improving the inflammatory response and composition of gut microbiota in piglets and sows.

Partial Replacement of Oat Hay with Whole-Plant Hydroponic Barley Seedlings Modulates Ruminal Microbiota and Affects Growth Performance of Holstein Heifers

The dairy industry is facing challenges in balancing forage supply and crop production. Therefore, forage supply based on a farm land-saving approach should be developed to overcome the human−livestock competition on farmland. The objective of this study was to learn the potential impact of partially replacing oat hay with whole-plant hydroponic barley seedlings (HBS) produced via a land-saving hydroponic method on growth performance, digestibility, and rumen microbiota in Holstein dairy heifers. In total, 39 Holstein heifers were randomly divided into 13 blocks based on age and body weight for an 8-week experimental period. The heifers within each block were randomly allocated to one of three diets group: (1) 0% HBS and 16% oat hay (CON); (2) 4% HBS and 12% oat hay (25% HBS); and (3) 8% HBS and 8% oat hay (50% HBS). Compared to CON, feed intake, growth performance, and body N retention were similar to those in cows fed 25% HBS but lower in 50% HBS-fed animals (p < 0.05). Reduced digestibility (crude protein (CP) and organic matter (OM)) was observed in 50% HBS animals (p < 0.05). Compared to the control, the levels of Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014_group, Bacillus, and Colidextribacter were higher, but the levels of Sphaerochaeta and Ruminiclostridium were lower in 50% HBS animals (p < 0.05). Additionally, the digestibility of CP (p < 0.01, r = −0.61) and ether extract (EE) (p < 0.01, r = −0.58) was negatively correlated with Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014_group. The digestibility of OM (p = 0.01, r = −0.55), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (p = 0.01, r = −0.56), acid detergent fiber (ADF) (p = 0.02, r = −0.52), and CP (p < 0.01, r = −0.61) was negatively correlated with Bacillus. The digestibility of NDF (p = 0.02, r = −0.52) and ADF (p = 0.03, r = −0.50) was negatively correlated with Colidextribacter. The digestibility of OM (p = 0.03, r = 0.50), NDF (p = 0.03, r = 0.50), and ADF (p = 0.03, r = 0.49) was positively correlated with Ruminiclostridium. The digestibility of OM (p = 0.04, r = 0.47), CP (p < 0.01, r = 0.58), and EE (p = 0.03, r = 0.49) was positively correlated with unclassified_f_Rikenellaceae. The digestibility of CP was positively correlated with Sphaerochaeta (p = 0.02, r = 0.53). In conclusion, the current study suggests that HBS could replace oat hay in a ratio-dependent manner. The reduced growth performance could be caused by lower feed intake and digestibility, which may be attributed to the alteration in the rumen’s microbial population. Further exploration of the inhibiting factors of HBS would broaden the application of hydroponic feed in the future.

Donor age and body weight determine the effects of fecal microbiota transplantation on growth performance, and fecal microbiota development in recipient pigs

Background

The application of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to improve swine growth performance has been sporadically studied. Most of these studies used a single microbiota source and thus the effect of donor characteristics on recipient pigs’ fecal microbiota development and growth performance is largely unknown.

Results

In this study, we collected feces from six donors with heavy (H) or light (L) body weight and different ages (d 42, nursery; d 96, growing; and d 170, finisher) to evaluate their effects on the growth performance and fecal microbiota development of recipient pigs. Generally, recipients that received two doses of FMT from nursery and finisher stages donor at weaning (21 ± 2 days of age) inherited the donor’s growth pattern, while the pigs gavaged with grower stage material exerted a numerically greater weight gain than the control pigs regardless of donor BW. FMT from heavier donors (NH, GH, and FH) led to the recipients to have numerically increased growth compared to their lighter counterparts (NL, GL, and FL, respectively) throughout the growing and most finishing stages. This benefit could be attributed to the enrichment of ASV25 Faecalibacterium, ASV61 Faecalibacterium, ASV438 Coriobacteriaceae_unclassified, ASV144 Bulleidia, and ASV129 Oribacterium and decrease of ASV13 Escherichia during nursery stage. Fecal microbiota transplantation from growing and finishing donors influenced the microbial community significantly in recipient pigs during the nursery stage. FMT of older donors’ gut microbiota expedited recipients’ microbiota maturity on d 35 and 49, indicated by increased estimated microbiota ages. The age-associated bacterial taxa included ASV206 Ruminococcaceae, ASV211 Butyrivibrio, ASV416 Bacteroides, ASV2 Streptococcus, and ASV291 Veillonellaceae. The body weight differences between GL and GH pigs on d 104 were associated with the increased synthesis of the essential amino acid, lysine and methionine, mixed acid fermentation, expedited glycolysis, and sucrose/galactose degradation.

Conclusions

Overall, our study provided insights into how donor age and body weight affect FMT outcomes regarding growth performance, microbiota community shifts, and lower GI tract metabolic potentials. This study also provided guidance to select qualified donors for future fecal microbiota transplantation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40104-022-00696-1.

Early-Life Nutrition Interventions Improved Growth Performance and Intestinal Health via the Gut Microbiota in Piglets

Intestinal infections in piglets are the main causes of morbidity before and after weaning. Studies have not explored approaches for combining pre-weaning and post-weaning nutritional strategies to sustain optimal gut health. The current study thus sought to explore the effects of early-life nutrition interventions through administration of synthetic milk on growth performance and gut health in piglets from 3 to 30 days of age. Twelve sows were randomly allocated to control group (CON) and early-life nutrition interventions group (ENI). Piglets were fed with the same creep diet from 7 days of age ad libitum. Piglets in the ENI group were provided with additional synthetic milk from Day 3 to Day 30. The results showed that early-life nutrition interventions improved growth performance, liver weight, spleen weight, and reduced diarrhea rate of piglets after weaning (P < 0.05). Early-life nutrition interventions significantly upregulated expression of ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin4, GALNT1, B3GNT6, and MUC2 in colonic mucosa at mRNA level (P < 0.05). Early-life nutrition interventions reduced activity of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) in serum and the content of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in plasma (P < 0.05). The number of goblet cells and crypt depth of colon of piglets was significantly higher in piglets in the ENI group relative to that of piglets in the CON group (P < 0.05). The relative mRNA expression levels of MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8, and the protein expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in colonic mucosa of piglets in the ENI group were lower compared with those of piglets in the CON group (P < 0.05). Relative abundance of Lactobacillus in colonic chyme and mucosa of piglets in the ENI group was significantly higher relative to that of piglets in the CON group (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that abundance of Lactobacillus was positively correlated with the relative mRNA expression levels of ZO-1, Claudin4, and GALNT1, and it was negatively correlated with the level of MCP-1 in colonic chyme and mucosa. In summary, the findings of this study showed that early-life nutrition interventions improved growth performance, colonic barrier, and reduced inflammation in the colon by modulating composition of gut microbiota in piglets. Early-life nutrition intervention through supplemental synthetic milk is a feasible measure to improve the health and reduce the number of deaths of piglets.

Comparison of Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Status of Sows With Different Litter Sizes During Pregnancy

The experiment was conducted to compare the differences of gut microbiota and metabolic status of sows with different litter sizes on days 30 and 110 of gestation, and uncover the relationship between the composition of maternal gut microbiota during gestation and sow reproductive performance. Twenty-six Large White × Landrace crossbred multiparous sows (2nd parity) with similar back fat thickness and body weight were assigned to two groups [high-reproductive performance group (HP group) and low-reproductive performance group (LP group)] according to their litter sizes and fed a common gestation diet. Results showed that compared with LP sows, HP sows had significantly lower plasma levels of triglyceride (TG) on gestation d 30 (P < 0.05), but had significantly higher plasma levels of TG, non-esterified fatty acid, tumor necrosis factor-α, and immunoglobulin M on gestation d 110 (P < 0.05). Consistently, HP sows revealed increased alpha diversity and butyrate-producing genera, as well as fecal butyrate concentration, on gestation d 30; HP sows showed significantly different microbiota community structure with LP sows (P < 0.05) and had markedly higher abundance of Firmicutes (genera Christensenellaceae_R-7_group and Terrisporobacter) which were positively related with litter size on gestation d 110 than LP sows (P < 0.05). In addition, plasma biochemical parameters, plasma cytokines, and fecal microbiota shifted dramatically from gestation d 30 to d 110. Therefore, our findings demonstrated that microbial abundances and community structures differed significantly between sows with different litter sizes and gestation stages, which was associated with changes in plasma biochemical parameters, inflammatory factors, and immunoglobulin. Moreover, these findings revealed that there was a significant correlation between litter size and gut microbiota of sows, and provided a microbial perspective to improve sow reproductive performance in pig production.

Review: Can early-life establishment of the piglet intestinal microbiota influence production outcomes?

The gastrointestinal tract microbiota is involved in the development and function of many body processes. Studies demonstrate that early-life microbial colonisation is the most important time for shaping intestinal and immune development, with perturbations to the microbiota during this time having long-lasting negative implications for the host. Piglets face many early-life events that shape the acquisition and development of their intestinal microbiota. The pork industry has a unique advantage in that the producer has a degree of control over what piglets are exposed to, providing conditions that allow for optimum piglet growth and development. An influx of publications within this area has occurred in recent times and with this, interest surrounding its application in pork production has increased. However, it can be difficult to distinguish which research is of most relevance to industry in terms of delivering repeatable and reliable production outcomes. In this review, we describe the literature surrounding research within pigs, predominantly during the preweaning period that has either provided solutions to industry problems or is generating information targeted at addressing relevant industry issues, with the focus being on studies demonstrating causation where possible. This review will provide a basis for the development of new studies targeted at understanding how to better support initial intestinal microbiota colonisation in order to improve piglet health and survival.

Replacement of Metaphylactic Antimicrobial Therapy by Oral Administration of Ligilactobacillus salivarius MP100 in a Pig Farm

Antibiotic use in swine production contributes to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria, which poses a threat on human health. Therefore, alternative approaches must be developed. The objective of this work was the characterization of the probiotic properties of a Ligilactobacillus salivarius strain isolated from sow's milk and its application as an inoculated fermented feed to pregnant sows and piglets. The study was carried in a farm in which metaphylactic use of antimicrobials (including zinc oxide) was eliminated at the time of starting the probiotic intervention, which lasted for 2 years. Feces from 8-week-old piglets were collected before and after the treatment and microbiological and biochemical analyses were performed. The procedure led to an increase in the concentrations of clostridia and lactobacilli-related bacteria. Parallel, an increase in the concentration of butyrate, propionate and acetate was observed and a notable reduction in the presence of antibiotic resistant lactobacilli became apparent. In conclusion, replacement of antimicrobials by a microbiota-friendly approach was feasible and led to positive microbiological and biochemical changes in the enteric environment.

Gut microbiota contributes to the development of endometrial glands in gilts during the ovary-dependent period

Background

The hyper-prolificacy Meishan gilts achieved a superior endometrial gland development (EGD) than white crossbred gilts during the ovary-independent period (before 60 d of age). Then, the EGD continues under the management of ovary-derived steroid hormones that regulated by gut microbiota (after 60 d of age). However, whether Meishan gilts’ superiority in EGD lasting to the ovary-dependent period (after 60 d of age) and the role of gut microbiota in this period both remain unclear.

Methods

Meishan gilts and Landrace x Yorkshire (LxY) gilts were raised under the same housing and feeding conditions until sexual maturity and then we compared their EGD and gut microbiota. Meanwhile, we transplanted fecal microbiota from Meishan gilts to L×Y gilts to explore the role of gut microbiota in EGD. We sampled plasma every 3 weeks and collected the uterus, ovary, liver, and rectal feces after the sacrifice. We then determined the hormone concentrations and expressions of the EGD-related genes. We also profiled the gut microbiota using 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolites of plasma and liver tissue using untargeted metabolomics. Finally, the correlation analysis and significant test was conducted between FMT-shifted gut microbes and EGD-related indices.

Results

Meishan gilts have larger endometrial gland area (P < 0.001), longer uterine horn length (P < 0.01) but lighter uterine horn weight (P < 0.05), a distinctive gut microbiota compared with L×Y gilts. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) increased endometrial gland area (P < 0.01). FMT markedly shifted the metabolite profiles of both liver and plasma, and these differential metabolites enriched in steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway. FMT increased estradiol and insulin-like growth factor 1 but decreased progesterone dynamically. FMT also increased the expression of the EGD-related genes estrogen receptor 1 gene, epithelial cadherin, and forkhead box protein A2. There is a significant correlation between FMT-shifted gut microbes and EGD-related indices.

Conclusion

Sexually matured Meishan gilts achieved a superior EGD than LxY gilts. Meanwhile, gut microbiota contribute to the EGD potentially via regulating of steroid hormones during the ovary-dependent period.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40104-021-00578-y.