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Marková K, Kreisinger J, Vinkler M. Are there consistent effects of gut microbiota composition on performance, productivity and condition in poultry? Poult Sci 2024; 103:103752. [PMID: 38701628 PMCID: PMC11078699 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) has been identified as one of the crucial factors influencing the health and condition of domestic animals. The global poultry industry faces the challenge of understanding the complex relationship between gut microbiota composition and performance-related traits in birds. Considerable variation exists in the results of correlational studies using either 16S rRNA profiling or metagenomics to identify bacterial taxa associated with performance, productivity, or condition in poultry (e.g., body weight, growth rate, feeding efficiency, or egg yield). In this review, we survey the existing reports, discuss variation in research approaches, and identify bacterial taxa consistently linked to improved or deteriorated performance across individual poultry-focused studies. Our survey revealed high methodological heterogeneity, which was in contrast with vastly uniform focus of the research mainly on the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus) as a model. We also show that the bacterial taxa most frequently used in manipulative experiments and commercial probiotics intended for use in poultry (e.g., species of Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Enterococcus, or Bifidobacterium) do not overlap with the bacteria consistently correlated with their improved performance (Candidatus Arthromitus, Methanobrevibacter). Our conclusions urge for increased methodological standardization of the veterinary research in this field. We highlight the need to bridge the gap between correlational results and experimental applications in animal science. To better understand causality in the observed relationships, future research should involve a broader range of host species that includes both agricultural and wild models, as well as a broader range of age groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Marková
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, 128 43 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jakub Kreisinger
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, 128 43 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, 128 43 Prague, Czech Republic
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Ncho CM, Kim SH, Rang SA, Lee SS. A meta-analysis of probiotic interventions to mitigate ruminal methane emissions in cattle: implications for sustainable livestock farming. Animal 2024; 18:101180. [PMID: 38823282 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the significant impact of ruminants on methane emissions has garnered international attention. While dietary strategies have been implemented to solve this issue, probiotics gained the attention of researchers due to their sustainability. However, it is challenging to ascertain their effectiveness as an extensive range of strains and doses have been reported in the literature. Hence, the objective of this experiment was to perform a meta-analysis of probiotic interventions aiming to reduce ruminal methane emissions from cattle. From 362 articles retrieved from scientific databases, 85 articles were assessed independently by two reviewers, and 20 articles representing 49 comparisons were found eligible for meta-analysis. In each study, data such as mean, SD, and sample sizes of both the control and probiotic intervention groups were extracted. The outcomes of interest were methane emission, methane yield, and methane intensity. For the meta-analysis, effect sizes were pooled using a fixed effect or a random effect model depending on the heterogeneity. Afterward, sensitivity analyses were conducted to confirm the robustness of the findings. Overall pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) with their confidence intervals (CIs) did not detect significant differences in methane emission (SMD = -0.04; 95% CI = -0.18-0.11; P = 0.632), methane yield (SMD = -0.08; 95% CI = -0.24-0.07; P = 0.291), and methane intensity (SMD = -0.22; 95% CI = -0.50-0.07; P = 0.129) between cattle supplemented with probiotics and the control group. However, subgroup analyses revealed that multiple-strain bacterial probiotics (SMD = -0.36; 95% CI = -0.62 to -0.11; P = 0.005), specifically the combination of bacteria involved in reductive acetogenesis and propionate production (SMD = -0.71; 95% CI = -1.04 to -0.36; P = 0.001), emerged as better interventions. Likewise, crossbreeds (SMD = -0.48; 95% CI = -0.78 to -0.18; P = 0.001) exhibited a more favorable response to the treatments. Furthermore, meta-regression demonstrated that longer periods of supplementation led to significant reductions in methane emissions (P = 0.001), yield (P = 0.032), and intensity (P = 0.012) effect sizes. Overall, the results of the current study suggest that cattle responses to probiotic interventions are highly dependent on the probiotic category. Therefore, extended trials performed with probiotics containing multiple bacterial strains are showing the most promising results. Ideally, further trials focusing on the use of probiotics to reduce ruminal methane in cattle should be conducted to complete the available literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Ncho
- Ruminant Nutrition and Anaerobe Laboratory, Department of Animal Science and Technology, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, South Korea
| | - S-H Kim
- Ruminant Nutrition and Anaerobe Laboratory, Department of Animal Science and Technology, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, South Korea
| | - S A Rang
- Ruminant Nutrition and Anaerobe Laboratory, Department of Animal Science and Technology, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, South Korea
| | - S S Lee
- Ruminant Nutrition and Anaerobe Laboratory, Department of Animal Science and Technology, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, South Korea.
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Cusack P. Alternatives to conventional antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of commonly occurring diseases in feedlot cattle. Aust Vet J 2024; 102:229-241. [PMID: 38267062 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a problem in human medicine. The development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria in feedlot cattle could have negative effects on their health and welfare and there is a theoretical possibility of transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from food animals to humans. Alternatives to conventional antibiotics in feedlot health management could reduce the selective pressure for the development of antibiotic resistance. This review assesses the evidence supporting potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics in the prevention and treatment of diseases in feedlot cattle, including nitric oxide, plant extracts, supplemental yeast or yeast products, bacterial probiotics, organic acids, bacteriophages and non-specific immunostimulants. Further research is warranted with lactate utilising bacteria, the organic acid malate, bacteriophages and the non-specific immunostimulants β-1,3 glucan and those based on pox viruses. However, none of the alternatives to conventional antibiotics investigated in this review have sufficient supporting evidence to date to justify their use with feedlot cattle. Frequently, statistically weak results and studies without negative controls are cited as support for similar studies. The health and welfare of feedlot cattle are dependent on the use of products that have robust supporting data to ensure efficacy and to avoid adverse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pmv Cusack
- Australian Livestock Production Services, Cowra, New South Wales, 2794, Australia
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 2678, Australia
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Alawneh JI, Ramay H, Olchowy T, Allavena R, Soust M, Jassim RA. Effect of a Lactobacilli-Based Direct-Fed Microbial Product on Gut Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Morphological Changes. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:693. [PMID: 38473078 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The calf's gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiome undergoes rapid shifts during early post-natal life, which can directly affect calf performance. The objectives of this study were to characterise and compare differences in the establishment and succession of GIT microbiota, GIT morphological changes, and the growth of dairy calves from birth until weaned. Forty-four newborn Holstein-Friesian calves were randomly selected and assigned to Treatment (TRT) and Control (CON) groups. The TRT group calves received a once-daily dose of a direct-fed microbial (DFM) liquid product containing Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Lentilactobacillus buchneri, and Lacticaseibacillus casei, all formerly known as Lactobacillus. Fresh faecal samples were manually taken from the rectum of all calves, and gross necropsy was performed on the forestomachs and gastrointestinal tracts. Bacterial DNA was extracted from frozen faecal samples for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Calves in the TRT group had greater live weights (p = 0.02) at weaning compared with calves in the CON group (mean = 69.18 kg, SD = 13.37 kg). The average daily live weight gain (ADG) and total feed intake were similar between the two groups. Calves in the TRT group had greater duodenum, abomasum, and reticulum weights (p = 0.05). Rumen and intestinal development (p < 0.05) and faecal microbial diversity (p < 0.05) were more pronounced in the TRT group. The relative abundances of eight genera differed (p < 0.001) between the groups. Supplementing calves with the LAB-based DFM increased live weight at weaning and had a more pronounced effect on the development of rumen and the gastrointestinal tract and on microbiota diversity and evenness. Future work is needed to better understand the potential association of LAB-DFM products on gut mucosa-associated microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- John I Alawneh
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
| | - Hena Ramay
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T3R 1J3, Canada
| | - Timothy Olchowy
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T3R 1J3, Canada
| | - Rachel Allavena
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
| | - Martin Soust
- Terragen Biotech Pty Ltd., Coolum Beach, QLD 4573, Australia
| | - Rafat Al Jassim
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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Várhidi Z, Csikó G, Bajcsy ÁC, Jurkovich V. Uterine Disease in Dairy Cows: A Comprehensive Review Highlighting New Research Areas. Vet Sci 2024; 11:66. [PMID: 38393084 PMCID: PMC10893454 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11020066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Uterine disease is an intensely studied part of dairy cattle health management as it heavily affects many commercial dairy farms and has serious economic consequences. Forms of the disease, pathophysiology, pathogens involved and the effects of uterine disease on the health and performance of cows have already been well described by various authors. Lately, researchers' attention has shifted towards the healthy microbiome of the uterus and the vagina to put emphasis on prevention rather than treatment. This aligns with the growing demand to reduce the use of antibiotics or-whenever possible-replace them with alternative treatment options in farm animal medicine. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the last 20 years of uterine disease research and highlights promising new areas for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsóka Várhidi
- Department of Animal Hygiene, Herd Health and Mobile Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
| | - György Csikó
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1078 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Árpád Csaba Bajcsy
- Clinic for Cattle, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30173 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Viktor Jurkovich
- Centre for Animal Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
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Eicher SD, Kritchevsky JE, Bryan KA, Chitko-McKown CG. The Effect of Probiotics in a Milk Replacer on Leukocyte Differential Counts, Phenotype, and Function in Neonatal Dairy Calves. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2620. [PMID: 38004631 PMCID: PMC10673549 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Probiotics have been investigated for many health benefits; however, few studies have been performed to determine the effects of oral probiotics on peripheral blood and respiratory immune cells in cattle. Our objectives were to determine changes in health and growth status, differential blood cell counts and function, and blood and lung cell function using flow cytometry and PCR in dairy calves fed a milk replacer with (PRO, N = 10) or without (CON, N = 10) the addition of probiotics to the milk replacer and dry rations from birth to weaning. Performance and clinical scores were not different between the treatment groups. Treatment-by-day interactions for peripheral blood leukocyte populations differed in cell number and percentages. A greater percentage of leukocytes expressed the cell surface markers CD3, CD4, CD8, CD11b, and CD205 on d 21 in CON animals. Lung lavages were performed on five animals from each treatment group on d 52. There were no differences between treatment groups for the expression of cytokines and Toll-Like Receptors as measured using Polymerase Chain Reaction, possibly due to the small sample size. Oral probiotics appear to affect peripheral blood immune cells and function. Their effect on overall calf health remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan D. Eicher
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Livestock Behavior Research Unit, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Janice E. Kritchevsky
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;
| | | | - Carol G. Chitko-McKown
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Roman L. Hruska Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA
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