Tardiolo Giuseppe, Daghio Matteo, Riggio Valentina, Zumbo Alessandro, Virga Nazareno Antonino, Sutera Anna Maria
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy.
Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144, Florence, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2025 Sep 1;15(1):32176. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-13460-y.
The gut microbiota is recognized as one of the most complex microbial ecosystems in mammals. In pigs, the structure of this microbial community significantly influences their overall physiological functions, with breed also contributing to its diversity. This study explores the potential differences in the bacterial composition of the faecal microbiota between two pig breeds: the autochthonous Nero Siciliano (NS) and a commercial crossbreed (CB) (Landrace × Large White). To determine if differences in faecal microbiota composition occur, five NS pigs and seven CB pigs, all managed under identical breeding conditions, were compared at three different time points. The analysis of alpha and beta diversity metrics suggested that time influenced the bacterial profile's shape. The two pig breeds differed taxonomically in their faecal microbiota composition, showing dynamic changes over time. The prediction of Enzyme Commission numbers was similar between the breeds and time points, but the overall predicted functional profile of the microbial communities differed according to breed and time points. The relative abundances of biosynthesis pathways and macromolecule modification pathways were higher in NS, whereas metabolite precursor and energy generation pathways were higher in CB. Findings of this study can contribute to a better understanding of the faecal microbiota in autochthonous and commercial pigs, providing further insights for breeding management.
肠道微生物群被认为是哺乳动物中最复杂的微生物生态系统之一。在猪中，这种微生物群落的结构显著影响其整体生理功能，品种也对其多样性有贡献。本研究探讨了两个猪品种——本地品种西西里黑猪（NS）和商业杂交品种（CB）（长白猪×大白猪）——粪便微生物群细菌组成的潜在差异。为了确定粪便微生物群组成是否存在差异，在三个不同时间点对五只NS猪和七只CB猪进行了比较，所有猪均在相同的饲养条件下管理。α和β多样性指标分析表明，时间影响细菌谱的形状。两个猪品种的粪便微生物群组成在分类学上存在差异，且随时间呈现动态变化。品种和时间点之间酶委员会编号的预测相似，但微生物群落的整体预测功能谱因品种和时间点而异。NS中生物合成途径和大分子修饰途径的相对丰度较高，而CB中代谢物前体和能量产生途径的相对丰度较高。本研究结果有助于更好地了解本地猪和商业猪的粪便微生物群，为育种管理提供进一步的见解。
