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Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Body Weight, Growth Performance, Immune Function, Intestinal Microbiota and Metabolites in Fallow Deer
by
, , , and
Meihui Wang
1,†
,
Qingyun Guo
2,*,†
,
Yunfang Shan
2,
Zhibin Cheng
2,
Qingxun Zhang
2,
Jiade Bai
2,
Yulan Dong
1 and
Zhenyu Zhong
2,* 1
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
2
Milu Conservation Research Unit, Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing 100076, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Biology 2024, 13(8), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13080603 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 23 June 2024
/
Revised: 27 July 2024
/
Accepted: 8 August 2024
/
Published: 9 August 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Zoology)
Simple Summary
Simple Summary: China’s deer population is rich in resources and species; how to improve the health status of the deer population and reduce the occurrence of intestinal diseases is a necessary direction for current research. In this study, Enterococcus faecalis was used as the research object to explore the effect of lactic acid bacteria on deer growth performance and intestinal health and to further investigate the role played by lactic acid bacteria on the intestinal health status of deer. The results of this study showed that the addition of Enterococcus faecalis to the feed promoted weight gain, improved immune function, altered the structure of the intestinal flora of fallow deer, especially increasing the abundance of Firmicutes phylum, and increased the abundance of the Ruminococcaceae and Lacertococcaceae at the same phylum as that of Enterococcus faecalis. Furthermore, metabolomic analyses also revealed that Enterococcus faecalis supplementation increased the metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates and phospholipids by the intestinal microbiota. In conclusion, this study revealed the beneficial effects of lactic acid bacteria on growth traits, immunity and intestinal health of deer and provided a scientific basis for the further development of deer-specific probiotic products to promote intestinal health and reduce intestinal diseases in deer species in the future.
Abstract
Intestinal diseases are one of the diseases that affect the growth and immunity of deer. Currently, more lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are available as feed additives to improve the intestinal ecological balance of ruminants in production practices. In this study, Enterococcus faecalis was supplemented in the feed of fallow deer for 170 d, and body weights, blood indices and immune levels of fallow deer were counted at 35, 65 and 170 d. The effects of Enterococcus faecalis on the intestinal microbiota and the metabolism of fallow deer were analysed using 16S rDNA and UPLC-MS/MS methods. The results showed that the addition of Enterococcus faecalis to the diet improved body weight and immune function and increased the aggregation of gut microbiota in fallow deer. The addition of Enterococcus faecalis altered the community structure of intestinal microorganisms in fallow deer and increased the number of beneficial bacteria. In addition, combined with metabolomics analysis, it was found that supplementation with Enterococcus faecalis significantly altered the metabolites of fallow deer, mainly regulating lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and phospholipid metabolism. In conclusion, this study presents, for the first time, evidence that the LAB strain Enterococcus faecalis can be used as a potential probiotic for deer and points to a new direction for the treatment of intestinal disorders in the deer family.
