Tanprasertsuk Jirayu, Jha Aashish R, Shmalberg Justin, Jones Roshonda B, Perry LeeAnn M, Maughan Heather, Honaker Ryan W
NomNomNow Inc, Nashville, TN, 37207, USA.
Genetic Heritage Group, Department of Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Anim Microbiome. 2021 May 10;3(1):36. doi: 10.1186/s42523-021-00098-0.
Probiotics have been demonstrated to ameliorate clinical signs of gastrointestinal diseases in dogs in various studies. However, the effect of probiotics in a healthy population, as well as factors contributing individualized responses, remain largely unknown. This trial examined gut microbiota (GM) and health outcomes in household dogs after synbiotic (SN) supplementation containing probiotics and inulin (a prebiotic). Healthy dogs were randomized to receive SN (50 mg/d inulin and 20 billion total CFU/d of L. reuteri, P. acidilactici, E. faecium, L. acidophilus, B. animalis, L. fermentum, L. rhamnosus) or placebo (PL) for 4 weeks. Owners completed a health survey and collected stool samples for GM profiling (shotgun metagenomic sequencing) at baseline and week 4 in both groups, and at week 6 in the SN group.
A significant shift (p < 0.001) in β-diversity was observed in the SN (n = 24), but not PL group (n = 19), at week 4 relative to baseline. Forty-five bacterial species, 43 (96%) of which were Lactobacillales, showed an increase in the relative abundances (≥2 fold change, adjusted p < 0.05) in the SN group at week 4. E. coli also decreased at week 4 in the SN group (2.8-fold, adjusted p < 0.01). The altered taxa largely returned to baseline at week 6. The degree of changes in β-diversity was associated with GM at baseline. Specifically, dogs with higher Proteobacteria and lower Lactobacillales responded more robustly to supplementation in terms of the change in β-diversity. Dogs fed SN tended to have lower diarrhea incidence (0% vs 16%, p = 0.08).
SN supplement had a short-term impact on the gut microbiota in healthy household dogs as characterized by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Findings warrant further investigation with longer duration and populations at risk of gastrointestinal diseases. The magnitude of response to the supplement was associated with microbial profile at baseline. To our knowledge, this is the first study documenting such association and may provide a basis for personalized nutrition in companion dogs.
在多项研究中，已证明益生菌可改善犬类胃肠道疾病的临床症状。然而，益生菌对健康犬群的影响以及导致个体差异反应的因素仍 largely 未知。本试验研究了补充含有益生菌和菊粉（一种益生元）的合生元（SN）后，家养犬的肠道微生物群（GM）和健康状况。将健康犬随机分为两组，一组接受 SN（50mg/d 菊粉和 200 亿总 CFU/d 的罗伊氏乳杆菌、嗜酸乳杆菌、屎肠球菌、嗜酸乳杆菌、动物双歧杆菌、发酵乳杆菌、鼠李糖乳杆菌），另一组接受安慰剂（PL），为期 4 周。两组犬的主人在基线期和第 4 周完成健康调查并收集粪便样本用于 GM 分析（鸟枪法宏基因组测序），SN 组在第 6 周也进行样本收集。
与基线期相比，第 4 周时 SN 组（n = 24）的β多样性发生了显著变化（p < 0.001），而 PL 组（n = 19）未出现显著变化。在第 4 周时，SN 组中有 45 种细菌，其中 43 种（96%）为乳杆菌目，其相对丰度增加（≥2 倍变化，校正 p < 0.05）。第 4 周时，SN 组中的大肠杆菌也有所减少（2.8 倍，校正 p < 0.01）。在第 6 周时，这些改变的分类群大多恢复到基线水平。β多样性的变化程度与基线期的 GM 相关。具体而言，基线期变形菌门较高且乳杆菌目较低的犬在β多样性变化方面对补充剂的反应更为强烈。喂食 SN 的犬腹泻发生率较低（0% 对 16%，p = 0.08）。
通过鸟枪法宏基因组测序可知，SN 补充剂对健康家养犬的肠道微生物群有短期影响。研究结果值得在更长时间和有胃肠道疾病风险的犬群中进一步研究。对补充剂的反应程度与基线期的微生物特征相关。据我们所知，这是第一项记录这种关联的研究，可能为伴侣犬的个性化营养提供依据。
