Changes in the Microbiome Profile in Different Parts of the Intestine in Piglets with Diarrhea

Simple Summary The most common genera in the piglet microbiome were Lactobacillus, Escherichia-Shigella, Enterococcus, Bacteroides, and Fusobacterium. Bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus dominated in healthy piglets. An increased number of Escherichia-Shigella and Enterococcus was detected in diarrheal pigs. This indicates an important role of these bacteria in the pathogenesis of diarrhea. A decreased number of Bacteroides was detected in diarrheal pigs. According to the assessment of the microbiome composition in different sections of the intestine, bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus were the most common in the ileum, while Fusobacterium and Bacteroides were more common in the rectum. Our results show that the gut microbiome may make a significant contribution to the pathogenesis of diarrhea. Determining the taxonomic composition of microbial consortia of the piglet intestine is of great importance for pig production. However, knowledge on the variety of the intestinal microbiome in newborn piglets is limited. Piglet diarrhea is a serious gastrointestinal disease with a high morbidity and mortality that causes great economic damage to the pig industry. In this study, we investigated the microbiome of various sections of the piglet intestine and compared the microbiome composition of healthy and diarrheal piglets using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus were the most common in the ileum, while Fusobacterium and Bacteroides dominated in the rectum. Comparing the microbiome composition of healthy and diarrheal piglets revealed a reduced number of Lactobacillus bacteria as a hallmark of diarrhea, as did an increased content of representatives of the Escherichia-Shigella genus and a reduced number of Bacteroides, which indicates the contribution of these bacteria to the development of diarrhea in piglets. The relative abundance of Enterococcus bacteria was higher in the diarrhea group. Although some bacteria of this genus are commensals, a small number of species may be associated with the development of diarrhea in piglets. Therefore, our results indicate that the gut microbiome may be an important factor in the development of diarrhea in piglets.

Automated summary

This study investigated the microbiome composition of different sections of the piglet intestine and found that Lactobacillus was the most common genus in the ileum, while Fusobacterium and Bacteroides dominated in the rectum. Comparing the microbiome composition of healthy and diarrheal piglets revealed a decrease in Lactobacillus and an increase in Escherichia-Shigella, Enterococcus, and a decrease in Bacteroides in diarrheal piglets, indicating their contribution to the development of diarrhea.