Effect of Management System on Fecal Microbiota in Arabian Horses: Preliminary Results
The gut microbiota plays a basic role in maintaining the psychophysical health and well-being of horses. Understanding the complex interactions among microbial communities in relation to age, management, and health is a topic of growing interest. The equine microbiota, given its complexity, is subje...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/4/309 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849714247809892352 |
|---|---|
| author | Maria Claudia Curadi Flavio Vallone Martina Tenuzzo Angelo Gazzano Valentina Gazzano Fabio Macchioni Claudia Vannini |
| author_facet | Maria Claudia Curadi Flavio Vallone Martina Tenuzzo Angelo Gazzano Valentina Gazzano Fabio Macchioni Claudia Vannini |
| author_sort | Maria Claudia Curadi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The gut microbiota plays a basic role in maintaining the psychophysical health and well-being of horses. Understanding the complex interactions among microbial communities in relation to age, management, and health is a topic of growing interest. The equine microbiota, given its complexity, is subject to variations caused by internal or external stressors that can lead to metabolic problems and pathologies, i.e., obesity and laminitis. The aim of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota of 12 purebred Arabian horses and to compare the microbial communities in two distinct management systems (Group 1 = box 22 h/day + paddock 2 h/day and Group 2 = paddock 24 h). Fecal samples were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA V3-V4 amplicons. The microbiota was predominantly composed of Firmicutes (32–53%) and Bacteroidetes (32–47.8%), with Ruminococcaceae emerging as the most prevalent bacterial family (10.9–24%). Comparisons of alpha and beta diversity revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups based on different management systems. This preliminary characterization contributes valuable data for understanding the equine fecal microbiota and lays the groundwork for future studies on the relationship among intestinal microbiota and equine health, performance, and management strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-821d70c3b0714e0f92ab401b4470c921 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-821d70c3b0714e0f92ab401b4470c9212025-08-20T03:13:45ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812025-03-0112430910.3390/vetsci12040309Effect of Management System on Fecal Microbiota in Arabian Horses: Preliminary ResultsMaria Claudia Curadi0Flavio Vallone1Martina Tenuzzo2Angelo Gazzano3Valentina Gazzano4Fabio Macchioni5Claudia Vannini6Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Biology, Via Volta 4, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Biology, Via Volta 4, 56126 Pisa, ItalyThe gut microbiota plays a basic role in maintaining the psychophysical health and well-being of horses. Understanding the complex interactions among microbial communities in relation to age, management, and health is a topic of growing interest. The equine microbiota, given its complexity, is subject to variations caused by internal or external stressors that can lead to metabolic problems and pathologies, i.e., obesity and laminitis. The aim of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota of 12 purebred Arabian horses and to compare the microbial communities in two distinct management systems (Group 1 = box 22 h/day + paddock 2 h/day and Group 2 = paddock 24 h). Fecal samples were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA V3-V4 amplicons. The microbiota was predominantly composed of Firmicutes (32–53%) and Bacteroidetes (32–47.8%), with Ruminococcaceae emerging as the most prevalent bacterial family (10.9–24%). Comparisons of alpha and beta diversity revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups based on different management systems. This preliminary characterization contributes valuable data for understanding the equine fecal microbiota and lays the groundwork for future studies on the relationship among intestinal microbiota and equine health, performance, and management strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/4/309Arabian horseequinefecal microbiotaGIT microbiotamicrobiomemetabarcoding |
| spellingShingle | Maria Claudia Curadi Flavio Vallone Martina Tenuzzo Angelo Gazzano Valentina Gazzano Fabio Macchioni Claudia Vannini Effect of Management System on Fecal Microbiota in Arabian Horses: Preliminary Results Veterinary Sciences Arabian horse equine fecal microbiota GIT microbiota microbiome metabarcoding |
| title | Effect of Management System on Fecal Microbiota in Arabian Horses: Preliminary Results |
| title_full | Effect of Management System on Fecal Microbiota in Arabian Horses: Preliminary Results |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Management System on Fecal Microbiota in Arabian Horses: Preliminary Results |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Management System on Fecal Microbiota in Arabian Horses: Preliminary Results |
| title_short | Effect of Management System on Fecal Microbiota in Arabian Horses: Preliminary Results |
| title_sort | effect of management system on fecal microbiota in arabian horses preliminary results |
| topic | Arabian horse equine fecal microbiota GIT microbiota microbiome metabarcoding |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/4/309 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariaclaudiacuradi effectofmanagementsystemonfecalmicrobiotainarabianhorsespreliminaryresults AT flaviovallone effectofmanagementsystemonfecalmicrobiotainarabianhorsespreliminaryresults AT martinatenuzzo effectofmanagementsystemonfecalmicrobiotainarabianhorsespreliminaryresults AT angelogazzano effectofmanagementsystemonfecalmicrobiotainarabianhorsespreliminaryresults AT valentinagazzano effectofmanagementsystemonfecalmicrobiotainarabianhorsespreliminaryresults AT fabiomacchioni effectofmanagementsystemonfecalmicrobiotainarabianhorsespreliminaryresults AT claudiavannini effectofmanagementsystemonfecalmicrobiotainarabianhorsespreliminaryresults |