Abstract
Previously, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP) was demonstrated to positively alter fecal microbiota, fecal metabolites, and circulating immune cell functionality in adult dogs. The objective of this study was to determine the fecal characteristics, microbiota, and metabolites of trained dogs subjected to an exercise challenge. All procedures were approved by the Four Rivers Kennel IACUC prior to experimentation. Thirty-six adult dogs (mean age: 7.1 y; mean BCS: 4.9) were used. Dogs were randomly assigned to control or SCFP-supplemented (250 mg/d) diets, trained, and fed for a few mo prior to exercise challenge. Fresh fecal samples were collected for the measurement of fecal characteristics, microbiota, and metabolites before and after an exercise challenge (10 mile run). Fecal microbiota data were evaluated using QIIME2. All other data were analyzed using the Mixed Models procedure of SAS, with treatment and exercise as fixed effects, dog as random effect, and P < 0.05 considered significant. For both treatments, fecal scores and butyrate and propionate concentrations were lower and fecal pH and ammonia, isobutyrate, isovalerate, and total BCFA concentrations were higher after exercise challenge. SCFP did not affect fecal scores, pH, dry matter, or fermentative end-product concentrations after exercise challenge. Alpha-diversity or beta-diversity (unweighted PCoA plot) were not affected by SCFP before or after exercise challenge. The weighted PCoA plot, however, showed clustering of dogs before exercise and after exercise, regardless of treatment. Fecal Collinsella, Slackia, Turicibacter, Blautia, Dorea, Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium, Catenibacterium, Clostridium (Erysipelotrichaceae family), and Eubacterium relative abundances were higher, while fecal Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Prevotella (Prevotellaceae family), Phascolarctobacterium, Fusobacterium, Suttella and Anaerobiospirillum relative abundances were lower after exercise challenge. SCFP increased fecal Lactobacillus compared to controls. Our data demonstrate that exercise and SCFP alter fecal microbiota in dogs. Higher SCFP dosages may provide greater changes and may be of interest in future studies.
Effects of supplementing a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product during the transition period on rumen fermentation of dairy cows fed fresh diets differing in starch content
