Xu Chunzhong, Guo Xinzi, Li Lian
Shanghai Wild Animal Park, Shanghai 201399, China.
College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Animals (Basel). 2025 May 16;15(10):1442. doi: 10.3390/ani15101442.
In order to protect endangered species, many zoos adopt diverse rearing models to achieve optimal conservation outcomes. This study employed metagenomic approaches to assess differences in the fecal microbiome of captive and semi-free-ranging ring-tailed lemurs (). The results show that captivity significantly altered the microbial community structure. The inter-individual variability in the microbial community within the captive-bred (CB) group was lower than that in the semi-free-ranging (FR) group, yet these individuals harbored a higher abundance of potential pathogens (). In contrast, microbial genera associated with fiber degradation and short-chain fatty acid production in the FR group were significantly elevated (, , and ) as compared to the CB group. Environmental variations between the two rearing systems led to distinct profiles in microbial functions and carbohydrate-active enzyme gene composition. Notably, the FR group of lemurs exhibited an increased abundance of enzyme genes associated with the degradation of complex polysaccharides (cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin), suggesting that their diet, rich in natural plant fibers, enhances the capacity of their gut microbiota to extract essential energy and nutrients. Conversely, the CB group displayed a more homogeneous microbial community with a higher prevalence of potential pathogens, implying that a captive lifestyle may negatively impact gastrointestinal health. These findings offer valuable insights into the influence of rearing conditions on gut microbial ecology and its potential implications for the health management of ring-tailed lemurs.
为了保护濒危物种，许多动物园采用了多种饲养模式以实现最佳的保护效果。本研究采用宏基因组学方法评估圈养和半放养环尾狐猴粪便微生物组的差异。结果表明，圈养显著改变了微生物群落结构。圈养繁殖（CB）组内微生物群落的个体间变异性低于半放养（FR）组，但这些个体携带的潜在病原体丰度更高。相比之下，与FR组中纤维降解和短链脂肪酸产生相关的微生物属与CB组相比显著升高。两种饲养系统之间的环境差异导致微生物功能和碳水化合物活性酶基因组成的不同特征。值得注意的是，FR组狐猴中与复杂多糖（纤维素、半纤维素和果胶）降解相关的酶基因丰度增加，这表明它们富含天然植物纤维的饮食增强了其肠道微生物群提取必需能量和营养物质的能力。相反，CB组显示出更均匀的微生物群落，潜在病原体的患病率更高，这意味着圈养生活方式可能对胃肠道健康产生负面影响。这些发现为饲养条件对肠道微生物生态的影响及其对环尾狐猴健康管理的潜在意义提供了有价值的见解。
