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Faecal bacterial composition in horses with and without free faecal liquid: a case control study
Katrin M Lindroth1, Johan Dicksved2, Erik Pelve3
1Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden. katrin.lindroth@slu.se.
Scientific Reports
|February 27, 2021
Summary
Free faecal liquid (FFL) in horses is linked to hindgut microbiota changes. While overall bacterial composition was similar, specific genera like Alloprevotella and Bacillus showed altered abundance in affected horses.
Area of Science:
- Equine Health
- Microbiome Research
- Gastrointestinal Physiology
Background:
- Free faecal liquid (FFL) in horses involves separate defecation of solid and liquid faeces.
- The exact cause of FFL is unknown, but hindgut microbial imbalances are suspected.
- Understanding the gut microbiome is crucial for equine digestive health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the faecal bacterial composition between horses with and without FFL.
- To investigate the role of hindgut microbiota in the etiology of FFL.
- To identify specific bacterial taxa associated with FFL in horses.
Main Methods:
- Faecal samples were collected from 50 horses with FFL (cases) and 50 controls.
- Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3-V4 regions) was performed using Illumina.
- Culturing was used to detect Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens.
Main Results:
- Overall faecal bacterial composition did not differ significantly between case and control horses.
- A significant effect of sampling period on bacterial composition was observed (p=0.0001).
- Case horses showed higher relative abundance of Alloprevotella and lower abundance of Bacillus spp. in at least two sampling periods.
- No C. difficile or C. perfringens were detected in any horses.
Conclusions:
- While overall faecal bacterial composition is similar, specific genera (Alloprevotella, Bacillus) may be relevant to FFL.
- The clinical significance of these bacterial differences requires further investigation.
- Current findings do not support C. difficile or C. perfringens as causes of FFL in this cohort.
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