Fiber digestion in various segments of the hindgut of horses fed grass hay or silage

Miyaji, Makoto; Ueda, Kôichiro; Kobayashi, Yasuo; Hata, Hiroshi; Kondo, Seiji

doi:10.1111/j.1740-0929.2008.00535.x

Cited by 29 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The digestibility of the fibre fraction was quantified as digestibility of total NSP due to inaccurate Klason lignin analysis in faeces (Hindrichsen et al 2006) and in addition, of NDF. The coefficient of ATTD of total NSP has previously been reported to range from 41% to 56% (Moore-Colyer et al 2000;Jensen et al 2010) and from 38% to 60% for NDF (Ordakowski-Burk et al 2006;Miyaji et al 2008), values which conform to this study. Diet only affected the digestibility of some fibre fractions, which indicates that other factors than diet affect fibre digestibility.…”

Section: Effect Of Diet On Attd Of Individual Carbohydrate Fractionssupporting

confidence: 85%

Equine pre-caecal and total tract digestibility of individual carbohydrate fractions and their effect on caecal pH response

Brøkner

Austbø

Næsset

et al. 2012

Archives of Animal Nutrition

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The working hypothesis was that a minor postprandial caecal pH decline would affect apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of the fibre fraction in horses and, hence, that soluble fibre would amplify fermentation and consequently increase ATTD of fibre. This study was a 4 × 4 Latin Square design with a sequence of 17 days adaptation to the ration followed by 8 sampling days. The feed rations consisted of only timothy hay (Group H), hay plus molassed sugar beet pulp combined with either whole oats (Group OB) or barley (Group BB) and hay plus loose chaff based concentrate (Group M). Four horses fitted with permanent caecal cannulas and collection harnesses were used. A pH electrode with logger was inserted through the cannula and caecal pH was recorded at 1 min intervals for 8 h. The mobile nylon bag technique was used to quantify pre-caecal loss (PCL) of individual feedstuffs. Fibre was analysed as dietary fibre (DF), non-starch polysaccharides, soluble non-cellulosic polysaccharides (S-NCP), insoluble non-cellulosic polysaccharide (I-NCP) and neutral detergent fibre. The ATTD of the S-NCP fraction was above 0.8, which was 60% higher than for the I-NCP fraction. The PCL of starch were 0.98 (oats) and 0.75 (barley). The BB diet lowered (p < 0.001) postprandial caecal pH more than the other diets and a significant correlation was found between the lowest pH and ATTD of I-NCP (r = -0.66; p = 0.005). In conclusion, this study successfully measured the in vivo digestibility of individual fibre fractions and found that S-NCP was more digestible than the I-NCP, and that a single meal of unprocessed barley was sufficient to decrease caecal pH to such an extent that the fibre digestibility of the whole diet was negatively affected.

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Section: Effect Of Diet On Attd Of Individual Carbohydrate Fractionssupporting

confidence: 85%

Equine pre-caecal and total tract digestibility of individual carbohydrate fractions and their effect on caecal pH response

Brøkner

Austbø

Næsset

et al. 2012

Archives of Animal Nutrition

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“…In the colon fiber fermentation occurs, thus requiring a shift in bacterial species [23]. The right dorsal colon has limited capacity to digest fiber [24]. Soluble carbohydrate and starch bypasses digestion in the small intestine and reaches the colon [23].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of microbial populations in the small intestine, large intestine and feces of healthy horses using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism

et al. 2013

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BackgroundThe composition of the microbiota of the equine intestinal tract is complex. Determining whether the microbial composition of fecal samples is representative of proximal compartments of the digestive tract could greatly simplify future studies. The objectives of this study were to compare the microbial populations of the duodenum, ileum, cecum, colon and rectum (feces) within and between healthy horses, and to determine whether rectal (fecal) samples are representative of proximal segments of the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal samples were collected from ten euthanized horses. 16S rRNA gene PCR-based TRFLP was used to investigate microbiota richness in various segments of the gastrointestinal tract, and dice similarity indices were calculated to compare the samples.ResultsWithin horses large variations of microbial populations along the gastrointestinal tract were seen. The microbiota in rectal samples was only partially representative of other intestinal compartments. The highest similarity was obtained when feces were compared to the cecum. Large compartmental variations were also seen when microbial populations were compared between six horses with similar dietary and housing management.ConclusionRectal samples were not entirely representative of intestinal compartments in the small or large intestine. This should be taken into account when designing studies using fecal sampling to assess other intestinal compartments. Similarity between horses with similar dietary and husbandry management was also limited, suggesting that parts of the intestinal microbiota were unique to each animal in this study.

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“…Therefore, faecal samples may be useful to evaluate the microbial composition of the hindgut distal area, but not the proximal region or hindgut activity. However, the proximal region and, particularly, the ventral colon are the main areas for microbial activity required for fibre digestion and energy generation from volatile fatty acid production in horses (Miyaji et al, 2008). It is therefore important to find a simple way to obtain information on the balance of those microbial ecosystems.…”

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confidence: 99%

Faecal parameters as biomarkers of the equine hindgut microbial ecosystem under dietary change

Grimm

Philippeau

Julliand

2017

Animal

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Faeces could be used for evaluating the balance of the equine hindgut microbial ecosystem, which would offer a practical method for assessing gut health and how this relates to disease. However, previous studies concluded that faeces microbial ecosystem was not representative of the proximal hindgut (caecum and ventral colon). This study aimed to evaluate if variations of the faecal microbial ecosystem were similar to those observed in the proximal hindgut. Six horses, fistulated in the caecum and right ventral (RV) colon, were subjected to a gradual change of diet, from a 100% hay (high fibre) diet (2.2 DM kg/day per 100 kg BW) to a 57% hay + 43% barley (high starch) diet (0.8 DM kg/day per 100 kg BW hay and 0.6 DM kg/day per 100 kg BW barley). The two diets were iso-energetic and fed over a 3-week trial period. Samples of digesta from the caecum, RV colon and faeces were collected two times on the 10th and 20th day of the trial, for each diet to assess the microbial ecosystem parameters by both classical culture technics and biochemical methods. The variations observed in the caecal and colonic bacterial composition (increase in total anaerobic, amylolytic and lactate-utilizing and decrease in cellulolytic bacteria concentrations) and microbial activity (changes in volatile fatty acids concentrations and increase in lactate concentrations) demonstrated that the hay + barley diet caused changes in the hindgut microbial ecosystem. Similar variations were observed in the faecal microbial ecosystem. Feeding the hay + barley diet resulted in higher concentrations of faecal lipopolysaccharides. The functional bacterial group concentrations (cellulolytics, amylolytics and lactate utilizers) were significantly correlated between caecum and faeces and between colon and faeces. From analyses of the metabolites produced from microbial activity, only valerate concentration in the caecum and the proportion of propionate were significantly correlated with the same parameters in the faeces. Results of the principal component analysis performed between all the caecal/faecal and colonic/faecal parameters revealed that the total anaerobic and cellulolytic bacteria concentrations, as well as valerate, L-lactate and lipopolysaccharide concentrations were strongly correlated with several microbial parameters in the caecum ( P < 0.027; r > |0.45|) and in the colon ( P < 0.013; r > |0.50|). This demonstrated that faecal samples and their bacterial analyses could be used to represent caecum and RV colon hindgut microbial ecosystem in terms of variations during a change from a high-fibre to a high-starch diet, and thus could be markers of particular interest to diagnostic proximal hindgut microbial disturbances.

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Fiber digestion in various segments of the hindgut of horses fed grass hay or silage

Cited by 29 publications

References 17 publications

Equine pre-caecal and total tract digestibility of individual carbohydrate fractions and their effect on caecal pH response

Equine pre-caecal and total tract digestibility of individual carbohydrate fractions and their effect on caecal pH response

Comparison of microbial populations in the small intestine, large intestine and feces of healthy horses using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism

Faecal parameters as biomarkers of the equine hindgut microbial ecosystem under dietary change

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