Changes in Gut Microbiota Associated with Parity in Large White Sows

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Microbiology
• Reproductive Biology

Background:

• Sow litter performance is crucial for swine production economics.
• Parity significantly influences sow productivity.
• Gut microbiota alterations have been linked to animal performance traits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between sow parity, gut microbiota composition, and litter performance.
• To identify specific microbial changes associated with declining litter outcomes in older sows.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 1363 litter performance records from Large White sows.
• 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of fecal DNA from 263 sows across different parities.
• Comparison of gut microbiota diversity and composition between younger (parity 1-6) and older (parity 7+) sows.

Main Results:

• Sows with parity 7 or higher exhibited a significant decline in Total Number Born (TNB) and Number of Healthy Born (NBH).
• Older sows showed decreased gut microbial alpha diversity compared to younger sows.
• An increased proportion of pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Enterobacteriaceae, Streptococcus) and a decreased proportion of SCFA-producing bacteria (e.g., Ruminococcaceae) were observed in older sows.

Conclusions:

• Gut microbiota dysbiosis, characterized by reduced diversity and increased pathogenicity, is associated with advanced parity in sows.
• These microbial shifts may contribute to inflammatory aging and the observed decline in litter performance.
• Targeting gut microbiota could be a potential strategy to improve sow productivity in later parities.