Effects of dried chicory and Jerusalem artichoke on skatole-producing microbial populations of entire male pigs.

In this study, we compared effects of inulin-rich plant based dietary supplements on the hindgut microbial communities of entire male pigs using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. The study was conducted using dried Jerusalem artichokes and dried chicory roots that were supplied to the basal diet one week before slaughter. Both of the experimental diets were formulated to contain the same amount of inulin and thus differed only in the composition and concentration of secondary metabolites within the plant material used in the study. Jerusalem artichokes was found to have no impact on microbial alpha- and beta-diversity, while inclusion of dried chicory increased the abundance of microorganisms carrying predicted metabolic pathways that are capable of affecting host performance and gastrointestinal health. We have discovered a strong positive correlation between microorganisms in the Prevotellaceae family and skatole levels. We also identified several broadly distributed microorganisms from the Bacteroidetes phylum that share 16S rRNA similarity with the known skatole producers. Other verified skatole producers were not detected, were identified in single samples or showed no statistically significant correlations with skatole levels. Our findings suggests the composition of plant secondary metabolites contained in the roots of chicory and Jerusalem artichokes is laying beneath the observed effects and require further detailed studies.

Automated summary

This study compared the effects of inulin-rich plant-based dietary supplements on the hindgut microbial communities of male pigs. The results showed that dried chicory, but not Jerusalem artichokes, increased the abundance of microorganisms that can affect host performance and gastrointestinal health. There was a positive correlation between microorganisms in the Prevotellaceae family and skatole levels.