Porcine intestinal microbiota is shaped by diet composition based on rye or triticale

The present study aimed to compare the microbiota composition from pigs fed different cereal grain types, either rye or triticale, as sole energy source.

Ileal digesta and faeces were sampled from eight pigs of each experiment. Illumina amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used to analyse the microbiota. Concentrations of short-chain fatty acids and ammonia were determined from faecal samples. The grain type revealed significant alterations in the overall microbiota structure. The rye-based diet was associated with an increased abundance of Lactobacillus in ileal digesta and Streptococcus in faeces and significantly higher concentrations of faecal short-chain fatty acids and ammonia compared to triticale. However, triticale significantly promoted the abundance of Streptococcus in ileal digesta and Clostridium sensu stricto in faeces.

Diets based on rye or triticale affect varying intestinal microbiota, both of taxonomical and metabolic structure, with rye indicating an enhanced saccharolytic potential and triticale a more cellulolytic potential.

Nutrient composition of rye and triticale are attractive for porcine nutrition. Both cereal grains show varying stimuli on the microbiota composition and microbial products of the ileum and faeces.