Bacterial Diversity at Different Sites of the Digestive Tract of Weaned Piglets Fed Liquid Diets

Bacterial diversity was studied using PCR-DGGE, cloning and sequencing. DNA was isolated from digesta samples from stomach, ileum and colon of 28 weaned piglets (Large WhitexMong Cai) fed dry control feed, naturally fermented liquid feed (FE) and a liquid diet with inclusion of rice distiller's residue feed. General bacterial diversity was described using DGGE analysis of the V3 region of 16S rDNA. The microbial populations in the stomach and the ileum were considerably influenced by the diet, while only marginal effects were observed in the colon. There was a large variation of the microbial flora in the stomach between individuals fed non-fermented diets. In contrast, animals fed diet FE had a more uniform microbial flora in the stomach and the ileum compared to the other diets. In total 47 bands from the DGGE profiles were cloned. In stomach, most frequently lactic acid bacteria were found. Feeding diet FE resulted in the occurrence of Pediococcus species in stomach and ileum. In pigs fed the other diets, Lactobacillus gallinarum, Lactobacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillus ferment urn were found in stomach and ileum. Most of the sequences of bands isolated from colon samples and several from ileum matched to unknown bacteria, which often grouped within Prevotellaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Bacteroidaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae. This study demonstrates that fermented liquid feed affects bacterial diversity and the specific microflora in stomach and ileum, which provides a potential to modulate the gut microflora with dietary means to increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria and improve piglets' health.