Cow's microbiome from antepartum to postpartum: A long-term study covering two physiological challenges

Area of Science:

• Ruminant microbiome research
• Host-microbiome interactions
• Metabolomics in animal science

Background:

• The interplay between the ruminant microbiome and host health during challenging events like calving and inflammation is poorly understood.
• Dairy cows experience significant physiological changes during their production cycle, impacting microbial communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the ruminal and duodenal microbiome and metabolite changes during calving and lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in dairy cows.
• To explore the relationship between microbial shifts and host responses during these challenges.

Main Methods:

• Long-term study over 168 days with 12 sampling points.
• Analysis of ruminal and duodenal microbiome composition.
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for metabolite profiling.
• Correlation analyses between microbiome and metabolite data.

Main Results:

• Significant inter- and intra-individual microbiome variations were observed throughout the trial.
• Bifidobacterium abundance increased post-calving.
• Both calving and lipopolysaccharide challenge elevated fiber-associated taxa (e.g., Butyrivibrio, Ruminococcaceae).
• NMR identified up to 60 metabolites, with fatty acids, amino acids, amines, and urea concentrations varying due to challenges.

Conclusions:

• Phylogenetic and metabolite data integration enhances understanding of forestomach system dynamics.
• The study highlights a close host-microbiome connection, with specific interaction patterns varying across dairy cow production stages.
• Findings provide insights into microbial functions and host responses during critical production phases.