Shifting sows: longitudinal changes in the periparturient faecal microbiota of primiparous and multiparous sows

Parity changed fecal microbiota of sows and its correlation with milk long-chain fatty acid profiles

The goal of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota profiles of gestating sows, along with the fecal microbiota and milk fatty acid contents of lactating sows and their correlations with reproductive performance at different parities. The results showed that the microbiota of third parity gestating sows contained a greater abundance of Prevotella compared to the other two parity groups, while lactating sows exhibiting higher reproductive performance at fifth parity exhibited a greater abundance of Lactobacillus species. The lactating sows with higher reproductive performance also exhibited higher total monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and higher total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels relative to sows with lower reproductive performance at all three analyzed parities, especially sows at fifth parity produced the lowest total saturated fatty acid (SFA) levels, and showed the highest C18:1n9c and C18:2n6c concentrations. In correlational analyses, the abundance of Oligella, Lactobacillus, and Corynebacterium was highly positively correlated with C18:1n9c, C18:2n6c, and C20:4n6. Overall, these results provide a rational basis for efforts to improve sow reproductive performance through the provision of precisely regulated nutrition. KEY POINTS: • Clear differences in the fecal microbiota were evident between sows of different parities. • Lactating sows with high reproductive performance showed distinct milk fatty acid profiles.

Fecal microbiota profiles of growing pigs and their relation to growth performance

The early gut microbiota composition is fundamentally important for piglet health, affecting long-term microbiome development and immunity. In this study, the gut microbiota of postparturient dams was compared with that of their offspring in three Finnish pig farms at three growth phases. The differences in fecal microbiota of three study development groups (Good, Poorly, and PrematureDeath) were analyzed at birth (initial exposure phase), weaning (transitional phase), and before slaughter (stable phase). Dam Lactobacillaceae abundance was lower than in piglets at birth. Limosilactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus amylovorus were dominantly expressed in dams and their offspring. Altogether 17 piglets (68%) were identified with Lactobacillaceae at the initial exposure phase, divided unevenly among the development groups: 85% of Good, 37.5% of Poorly, and 75% of PrematureDeath pigs. The development group Good was identified with the highest microbial diversity, whereas the development group PrematureDeath had the lowest diversity. After weaning, the abundance and versatility of Lactobacillaceae in piglets diminished, shifting towards the microbiome of the dam. In conclusion, the fecal microbiota of pigs tends to develop towards a similar alpha and beta diversity despite development group and rearing environment.

The supplementation of female dogs with live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii CNCM I-1079 acts as gut stabilizer at whelping and modulates immunometabolic phenotype of the puppies

Time around parturition is a stressful period for both bitches and their puppies. The use of probiotics has been proposed, e.g., in pigs, to improve health status of sows, their reproductive performances and in turn, the health and performance of their progeny. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact, on both dams and puppies, of a supplementation of bitches with the live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii CNCM I-1079 (SB-1079) during the second part of the gestation and the lactation period. A total of 36 bitches of medium and large-sized breeds were enrolled. They were divided into two groups, one of which received 1.3 × 109 colony forming units of live yeast per day. At dam's level, SB-1079 yeast shaped a different microbiota structure between the two groups just after whelping, impacted alpha diversity and some plasma metabolites related to energy metabolism. Regarding reproductive performances, SB-1079 improved gross energy of the colostrum (1.4 vs. 1.2 kcal of ME/g) as well as the concentration of protein in milk at Day 7 after parturition (10.4 vs. 7.6%). SB-1079 also reduced the odds of having low birth weight in the litter. At puppy's level, a modulation of immunometabolic phenotype is suggested by the observation of increased growth rates during the early pediatric period (i.e., between 21 and 56 days of life, 225 vs. 190%) and a decrease of the IL-8:IL-10 ratio after vaccination against rabies (4.2 vs. 16.9). Our findings suggest that SB-1079 supplementation during gestation and lactation has the potential to enhance health of bitches and in turn health of puppies through maternal programming.

Fecal and vaginal microbiota of vaccinated and non-vaccinated pregnant elk challenged with Brucella abortus

Introduction

Brucella abortus is the causative agent of brucellosis in cattle and in humans, resulting in economic losses in the agricultural sector and representing a major threat to public health. Elk populations in the American Northwest are reservoirs for this bacterium and transmit the agent to domestic cattle herds. One potential strategy to mitigate the transmission of brucellosis by elk is vaccination of elk populations against B. abortus; however, elk appear to be immunologically distinct from cattle in their responses to current vaccination strategies. The differences in host response to B. abortus between cattle and elk could be attributed to differences between the cattle and elk innate and adaptive immune responses. Because species-specific interactions between the host microbiome and the immune system are also known to affect immunity, we sought to investigate interactions between the elk microbiome and B. abortus infection and vaccination.

Methods

We analyzed the fecal and vaginal microbial communities of B. abortus-vaccinated and unvaccinated elk which were challenged with B. abortus during the periparturient period.

Results

We observed that the elk fecal and vaginal microbiota are similar to those of other ruminants, and these microbial communities were affected both by time of sampling and by vaccination status. Notably, we observed that taxa representing ruminant reproductive tract pathogens tended to increase in abundance in the elk vaginal microbiome following parturition. Furthermore, many of these taxa differed significantly in abundance depending on vaccination status, indicating that vaccination against B. abortus affects the elk vaginal microbiota with potential implications for animal reproductive health.

Discussion

This study is the first to analyze the vaginal microbiota of any species of the genus Cervus and is also the first to assess the effects of B. abortus vaccination and challenge on the vaginal microbiome.

Changes in Gut Microbiota Associated with Parity in Large White Sows

As one of the most critical economic traits, the litter performance of sows is influenced by their parity. Some studies have indicated a connection between the gut microbiota and the litter performance of animals. In this study, we examined litter performance in 1363 records of different parities of Large White sows. We observed a marked decline in TNB (Total Number Born) and NBH (Number of Healthy Born) We observed a marked decline in TNB (Total Number Born) and NBH (Number of Healthy Born) among sows with parity 7 or higher. To gain a deeper understanding of the potential role of gut microbiota in this phenomenon, we conducted 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of fecal DNA from 263 Large White sows at different parities and compared the changes in their gut microbiota with increasing parity. The results revealed that in comparison to sows with a parity from one to six, sows with a parity of seven or higher exhibited decreased alpha diversity in their gut microbiota. There was an increased proportion of pathogenic bacteria (such as Enterobacteriaceae, Streptococcus, and Escherichia-Shigella) and a reduced proportion of SCFA-producing families (such as Ruminococcaceae), indicating signs of inflammatory aging. The decline in sow function may be one of the primary reasons for the reduction in their litter performance.

Gut microbiota affects the estrus return of sows by regulating the metabolism of sex steroid hormones

BACKGROUND

Sex hormones play important roles in the estrus return of post-weaning sows. Previous studies have demonstrated a complex and bi-directional regulation between sex hormones and gut microbiota. However, the extent to which the gut microbiota affects estrus return of post-weaning sows is largely unknown.

RESULTS

In this study, we first screened 207 fecal samples from well-phenotyped sows by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and identified significant associations between microbes and estrus return of post-weaning sows. Using metagenomic sequencing data from 85 fecal samples, we identified 37 bacterial species that were significantly associated with estrus return. Normally returning sows were characterized by increased abundances of L. reuteri and P. copri and decreased abundances of B. fragilis, S. suis, and B. pseudolongum. The changes in gut microbial composition significantly altered the functional capacity of steroid hormone biosynthesis in the gut microbiome. The results were confirmed in a validation cohort. Significant changes in sex steroid hormones and related compounds were found between normal and non-return sows via metabolome analysis. An integrated analysis of differential bacterial species, metagenome, and fecal metabolome provided evidence that normal return-associated bacterial species L. reuteri and Prevotella spp. participated in the degradation of pregnenolone, progesterone, and testosterone, thereby promoting estrogen biosynthesis. Furthermore, the microbial metabolites related to sow energy and nutrient supply or metabolic disorders also showed relationships with sow estrus return.

CONCLUSIONS

An integrated analysis of differentially abundant bacterial species, metagenome, and fecal metabolome revealed the involvement of L. reuteri and Prevotella spp. in sow estrus return. These findings provide deep insight into the role of gut microbiota in the estrus return of post-weaning sows and the complex cross-talk between gut microbiota and sex hormones, suggesting that the manipulation of the gut microbiota could be an effective strategy to improve sow estrus return after weaning.

The Effect of Maternal Probiotic or Synbiotic Supplementation on Sow and Offspring Gastrointestinal Microbiota, Health, and Performance

The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens has prompted the reduction in antibiotic and antimicrobial use in commercial pig production. This has led to increased research efforts to identify alternative dietary interventions to support the health and development of the pig. The crucial role of the GIT microbiota in animal health and performance is becoming increasingly evident. Hence, promoting an improved GIT microbiota, particularly the pioneer microbiota in the young pig, is a fundamental focus. Recent research has indicated that the sow's GIT microbiota is a significant contributor to the development of the offspring's microbiota. Thus, dietary manipulation of the sow's microbiota with probiotics or synbiotics, before farrowing and during lactation, is a compelling area of exploration. This review aims to identify the potential health benefits of maternal probiotic or synbiotic supplementation to both the sow and her offspring and to explore their possible modes of action. Finally, the results of maternal sow probiotic and synbiotic supplementation studies are collated and summarized. Maternal probiotic or synbiotic supplementation offers an effective strategy to modulate the sow's microbiota and thereby enhance the formation of a health-promoting pioneer microbiota in the offspring. In addition, this strategy can potentially reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the sow and her offspring, enhance the immune potential of the milk, the immune system development in the offspring, and the sow's feed intake during lactation. Although many studies have used probiotics in the maternal sow diet, the most effective probiotic or probiotic blends remain unclear. To this extent, further direct comparative investigations using different probiotics are warranted to advance the current understanding in this area. Moreover, the number of investigations supplementing synbiotics in the maternal sow diet is limited and is an area where further exploration is warranted.

Maternal and/or post-weaning supplementation with Bacillus altitudinis spores modulates the microbial composition of colostrum, digesta and faeces in pigs

This study examined the effects of maternal and/or post-weaning Bacillus altitudinis supplementation on the microbiota in sow colostrum and faeces, and offspring digesta and faeces. Sows (n = 12/group) were assigned to: (1) standard diet (CON), or (2) CON supplemented with probiotic B. altitudinis spores (PRO) from day (d)100 of gestation to weaning (d26 of lactation). At weaning, offspring were assigned to CON or PRO for 28d, resulting in: (1) CON/CON, (2) CON/PRO, (3) PRO/CON, and (4) PRO/PRO, after which all received CON. Samples were collected from sows and selected offspring (n = 10/group) for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Rothia was more abundant in PRO sow colostrum. Sow faeces were not impacted but differences were identified in offspring faeces and digesta. Most were in the ileal digesta between PRO/CON and CON/CON on d8 post-weaning; i.e. Bacteroidota, Alloprevotella, Prevotella, Prevotellaceae, Turicibacter, Catenibacterium and Blautia were more abundant in PRO/CON, with Firmicutes and Blautia more abundant in PRO/PRO compared with CON/CON. Lactobacillus was more abundant in PRO/CON faeces on d118 post-weaning. This increased abundance of polysaccharide-fermenters (Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Prevotellaceae), butyrate-producers (Blautia) and Lactobacillus likely contributed to previously reported improvements in growth performance. Overall, maternal, rather than post-weaning, probiotic supplementation had the greatest impact on intestinal microbiota.

Comparison of Fecal Microbiota Communities between Primiparous and Multiparous Cows during Non-Pregnancy and Pregnancy

Imbalances in the gut microbiota composition may lead to several reproductive disorders and diseases during pregnancy. This study investigates the fecal microbiome composition between primiparous and multiparous cows during non-pregnancy and pregnancy to analyze the host-microbial balance at different stages. The fecal samples obtained from six cows before their first pregnancy (BG), six cows during their first pregnancy (FT), six open cows with more than three lactations (DCNP), and six pregnant cows with more than three lactations (DCP) were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing, and a differential analysis of the fecal microbiota composition was performed. The three most abundant phyla in fecal microbiota were Firmicutes (48.68%), Bacteroidetes (34.45%), and Euryarchaeota (15.42%). There are 11 genera with more than 1.0% abundance at the genus level. Both alpha diversity and beta diversity showed significant differences among the four groups (p < 0.05). Further, primiparous women were associated with a profound alteration of the fecal microbiota. The most representative taxa included Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Prevotellaceae_UCG_003, Christensenellaceae_R_7_group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Ruminococcaceae UCG-013, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Methanobrevibacter, and [Eubacterium] coprostanoligenes group, which were associated with energy metabolism and inflammation. The findings indicate that host-microbial interactions promote adaptation to pregnancy and will benefit the development of probiotics or fecal transplantation for treating dysbiosis and preventing disease development during pregnancy.

Maternal Dietary Supplementation with γ-Aminobutyric Acid Alleviated Oxidative Stress in Gestating Sows and Their Offspring by Regulating GABRP

Sows usually suffer oxidative stress during gestation, and this limits the growth of fetuses via placenta. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a functional nonessential amino acid engaged in regulating the physiological status of animals. However, the effects of GABA on the oxidative homeostasis of sows and their offspring remain unclear. Eighteen late gestating sows (85 d) were divided into the CON and GABA groups and fed the basal diet and the GABA diet (200 mg/kg GABA), respectively, until farrowing. At parturition, the sows’ litter characteristics, the plasma antioxidant parameters of sows, and their offspring were evaluated. The results showed that GABA supplementation had no marked effect on the reproductive performance of sows (p > 0.10) but had a trend of reducing the amount of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in piglets (0.05 < p < 0.10). At the same time, the addition of GABA elevated the plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) level of sows and enhanced the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity of newborn piglets (p < 0.05). Based on the H2O2-induced oxidative stress in pTr-2 cells, GABA elevated intracellular GSH-Px, SOD, catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC, p < 0.01) and upregulated the gene expressions of CAT, gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABRP), and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) in H2O2-treated pTr-2 cells (p < 0.05). Taken together, GABA improved the antioxidant capacity of sows and alleviated the placental oxidative stress by upregulating the GABRP and Nrf2 genes, which have the potential to promote oxidative homeostasis in newborn piglets.

Animal board invited review: Factors affecting the early growth and development of gilt progeny compared to sow progeny

Progeny born to primiparous sows farrowing their first litter, often called gilt progeny (GP), are typically characterised by their poorer overall production performance than progeny from multiparous sows (sow progeny; SP). Gilt progeny consistently grow slower, are born and weaned lighter, and have higher postweaning illness and mortality rates than SP. Collectively, their poorer performance culminates in a long time to reach market weight and, ultimately, reduced revenue. Due to the high replacement rates of sows, the primiparous sow and her progeny represent a large proportion of the herd resulting in a significant loss for the pig industry. While the reasons for poorer performance are complex and multifaceted, they may largely be attributed to the immature age at which gilts are often mated and the significant impact of this on their metabolism during gestation and lactation. As a result, this can have negative consequences on the piglet itself. To improve GP performance, it is crucial to understand the biological basis for differences between GP and SP. The purpose of this review is to summarise published literature investigating differences in growth performance and health status between GP and SP. It also examines the primiparous sow during gestation and lactation and how the young sow must support her own growth while supporting the metabolic demands of her pregnancy and the growth and development of her litter. Finally, the underlying physiology of GP is discussed in terms of growth and development in utero, the neonatal period, and the early development of the gastrointestinal tract. The present review concludes that there are a number of interplaying factors relating to the anatomy and physiology of the primiparous sow and of GP themselves. The studies presented herein strongly suggest that poor support of piglet growth in utero and reduced colostrum and milk production and consumption are largely responsible for the underperformance of GP. It is therefore recommended that future management strategies focus on supporting the primiparous sow during gestation and lactation, increasing the preweaning growth of GP to improve their ability to cope with the stressors of weaning, selection of reproductive traits such as uterine capacity to improve birth weights and ultimately GP performance, and finally, increase the longevity of sows to reduce the proportion of GP entering the herd.

Effect of live yeast supplementation in sow diet during gestation and lactation on sow and piglet fecal microbiota, health and performance

Feeding probiotics like live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (SB) in pig diets has been suggested to preserve health and reduce antibiotic use during critical periods like weaning. This study was conducted to determine whether SB added in the diet of sows during the last 2 mo of gestation and the 4 wk of lactation may contribute to supporting health and performance of piglets before and after weaning through changes in sow physiology, milk composition and fecal microbiota. Crossbred sows (n=45) from parity 1 to 9 were allocated to two dietary treatments, Control (n=23) and SB (n=22). Sows in the SB group were fed the same standard gestation then lactation diet as the Control sows but with the addition of SB at 1x10 9 colony forming units/kg of feed. Piglets were weaned under challenging conditions consisting in mixing of litters, no pen cleaning and a 2-h period of non-optimal temperature exposure. Blood and feces were collected from sows on d 28 and 113 of gestation and d 6 (feces only) and 28 of lactation, and from piglets on d 6 (feces) and 28 of lactation and d 5 after weaning. Colostrum was collected during parturition and milk on d 6 of lactation. Supplementation of sow diets with SB influenced the fecal microbiota of the sows and their piglets. Five days after weaning, the alpha-diversity was lower (P < 0.05) in piglets from SB sows than in piglets from Control sows. Analysis of microbiota with Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis discriminated feces from SB sows from that of Control sows at 110 d of gestation (29.4% error rate). Piglet feces could also be discriminated according to the diet of their mother, with a better discrimination early after birth (d 6 of lactation) than after weaning (d 5 post-weaning, 3.4% vs 12.7% error rate). Five d after weaning, piglets had greater white blood cell count, plasma haptoglobin concentration, and oxidative stress than before weaning (P <0.001). Nevertheless, SB supplementation in sow diets had no effect (P > 0.05) on most of health criteria measured in blood and growth performance of piglets during lactation and the post-weaning period. Moreover, dietary supplementation of SB to sows did not elicit any changes (P > 0.05) in their reproductive performance, metabolic and health status, nor in the immunoglobulin and nutrient concentration of colostrum and milk. In the present experimental conditions, feeding SB to sows influenced sow and piglet microbiota with no consequences on their health and performance.

Gut and Vagina Microbiota Associated With Estrus Return of Weaning Sows and Its Correlation With the Changes in Serum Metabolites

More and more studies have indicated that gut microbiota takes part in the biosynthesis and metabolism of sex hormones. Inversely, sex hormones influence the composition of gut microbiota. However, whether microbiota in the gut and vagina is associated with estrus return of weaning sows is largely unknown. Here, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing in 158 fecal and 50 vaginal samples, we reported the shifts in the gut and vaginal microbiota between normal return and non-return sows. In fecal samples, Lactobacillus and S24-7 were enriched in normal return sows, while Streptococcus luteciae, Lachnospiraceae, Clostridium, and Mogibacterium had higher abundance in non-return sows. In vaginal swabs, the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) annotated to Clostridiales, Ruminoccaceae, and Oscillospira were enriched in normal return sows, while those OTUs annotated to Campylobacter, Anaerococcus, Parvimonas, Finegoldia, and Dorea had higher abundances in non-return sows. Co-abundance group (CAG) analysis repeated the identification of the bacterial taxa associated with the estrus return of weaning sows. The predicted functional capacities in both gut and vaginal microbiome were changed between normal return and non-return sows. Serum metabolome profiles were determined by non-targeted metabolome analysis in seven normal return and six non-return sows. The metabolite features having higher abundance in normal return sows were enriched in the pathways Steroid hormone biosynthesis, Starch and sucrose metabolism, Galactose metabolism, and Vitamin B6 metabolism, while the metabolite features belonging to organic acids and derivatives, indoles and derivatives, sulfoxides, and lignans and neolignans had significantly higher abundance in non-return sows. Correlation analysis found that the changes in gut microbiota were associated with the shifts of serum metabolites and suggested that certain bacteria might affect estrus return of weaning sow through serum metabolites. These findings may provide new insights for understanding the role of the gut and vaginal microbiota in sow return to estrus after weaning.

Maternal supplementation with phytogenic additives influenced the faecal microbiota and reproductive potential in sows

Sows undergo physiological stress during gestation and lactation, potentially leading to enteric dysbiosis and reduced reproductive potential. Phytogenic additives (PFs) may improve performance via their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. This study determined whether the provision of a gestation/lactation diet containing PAs would alter the gastrointestinal microbiota of sows and their piglets, and improve performance. Sows received a commercial diet throughout gestation and lactation (CTR; n = 64), a commercial diet throughout gestation and a diet containing PAs in lactation (CTR-PA; n = 63) or a commercial diet containing PAs in gestation and lactation (PA; n = 90). Sows were weighed and backfat recorded after mating and at entry and exit from the farrowing house and piglets were weighed on days 1 and 21 of life. Faecal samples collected from sows at farrowing house entry and piglets at 21 and 35 d were subjected to 16 S rRNA gene amplicon analysis. The addition of PAs to sow diets resulted in more piglets born (P = 0.03), however, it did not improve the number of liveborn piglets (P = 0.14). There were no differences in sow weight, P2 backfat depth or lactation feed intake observed. PAs had no effect on piglet weight or survival to weaning but did alter the faecal microbiota of sows, and this change was observed in piglets at 21 and 35 d. PA supplementation to sows has the potential to increase litter size, while also potentially influencing gastrointestinal tract health of the sow and piglets reared.

Exposure to maternal feces in lactation influences piglet enteric microbiota, growth, and survival preweaning

It is known that gilt progeny performance is reduced compared with sow progeny. Previous research suggests that the presence of maternal feces in early life improves the health and survival of offspring. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether contact with feces from multiparous (MP) sows would improve the growth and survival of piglets born and reared on primiparous (P1) sows and if so, whether these differences are associated with the gut microbiota. Four treatments were applied for 10 days: Donor (n = 29) piglets had limited access to maternal feces as, each morning, sow feces were removed and placed in the crate of a P1 sow (P1-FT; n = 30 piglets) and P1-Con (n = 29) and MP-Con (n = 33) piglets had access to their own mothers’ feces. All piglets were weighed on days 1, 3, 10, and 18. Fecal samples were collected from a subset of sows (n = 10/treatment) 3 days post farrow and from two female piglets/litter on days 10 and 18 (n = 20/treatment) and subject to 16S rRNA amplicon analysis. Escherichia, Clostridium, Campylobacter, and Treponema were more abundant in MP sows, while P1 sows had a higher abundance of Lactobacillus and Prevotella. At 10 days, P1 progeny fecal microbiota differed, and growth and survival were reduced when compared with MP progeny. No treatment effect was observed for P1-FT piglets (P > 0.05). Donor piglets had a different fecal microbiota and improved weight and survival then all other treatments (P < 0.05). Overall, the removal of sow feces from the farrowing crate improved piglet microbiota development, growth, and survival.