scholarly journals Possibilities and limits for using the gut microbiome to improve captive animal health

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Diaz ◽  
Aspen T. Reese
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Host Health ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Outstanding Question ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Captive Animal

AbstractBecause of its potential to modulate host health, the gut microbiome of captive animals has become an increasingly important area of research. In this paper, we review the current literature comparing the gut microbiomes of wild and captive animals, as well as experiments tracking the microbiome when animals are moved between wild and captive environments. As a whole, these studies report highly idiosyncratic results with significant differences in the effect of captivity on the gut microbiome between host species. While a few studies have analyzed the functional capacity of captive microbiomes, there has been little research directly addressing the health consequences of captive microbiomes. Therefore, the current body of literature cannot broadly answer what costs, if any, arise from having a captive microbiome in captivity. Addressing this outstanding question will be critical to determining whether it is worth pursuing microbial manipulations as a conservation tool. To stimulate the next wave of research which can tie the captive microbiome to functional and health impacts, we outline a wide range of tools that can be used to manipulate the microbiome in captivity and suggest a variety of methods for measuring the impact of such manipulation preceding therapeutic use. Altogether, we caution researchers against generalizing results between host species given the variability in gut community responses to captivity and highlight the need to understand what role the gut microbiome plays in captive animal health before putting microbiome manipulations broadly into practice.

scholarly journals Metabolic phenotyping for understanding the gut microbiome and host metabolic interplay

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail R. Basson ◽  
Anisha Wijeyesekera
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Compositional Analysis ◽  
Exciting Field ◽  
Inflammatory Skin Diseases ◽  
Metabolic Phenotyping ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Host Health ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Analytical Approaches

There is growing interest in the role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease. This unique complex ecosystem has been implicated in many health conditions, including intestinal disorders, inflammatory skin diseases and metabolic syndrome. However, there is still much to learn regarding its capacity to affect host health. Many gut microbiome research studies focus on compositional analysis to better understand the causal relationships between microbial communities and disease phenotypes. Yet, microbial diversity and complexity is such that community structure alone does not provide full understanding of microbial function. Metabolic phenotyping is an exciting field in systems biology that provides information on metabolic outputs taking place in the system at a given moment in time. These readouts provide information relating to by-products of endogenous metabolic pathways, exogenous signals arising from diet, drugs and other lifestyle and environmental stimuli, as well as products of microbe–host co-metabolism. Thus, better understanding of the gut microbiome and host metabolic interplay can be gleaned using such analytical approaches. In this review, we describe research findings focussed on gut microbiota–host interactions, for functional insights into the impact of microbiome composition on host health. We evaluate different analytical approaches for capturing metabolic activity and discuss analytical methodological advancements that have made a contribution to the field. This information will aid in developing novel approaches to improve host health in the future, and therapeutic modulation of the microbiome may soon augment conventional clinical strategies.

Impacts of Gas Drilling on Human and Animal Health

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Bamberger ◽  
Robert E. Oswald
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Drilling Process ◽  
Gas Drilling ◽  
The World ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Reproductive Cycles ◽  
The Impact

Environmental concerns surrounding drilling for gas are intense due to expansion of shale gas drilling operations. Controversy surrounding the impact of drilling on air and water quality has pitted industry and leaseholders against individuals and groups concerned with environmental protection and public health. Because animals often are exposed continually to air, soil, and groundwater and have more frequent reproductive cycles, animals can be used as sentinels to monitor impacts to human health. This study involved interviews with animal owners who live near gas drilling operations. The findings illustrate which aspects of the drilling process may lead to health problems and suggest modifications that would lessen but not eliminate impacts. Complete evidence regarding health impacts of gas drilling cannot be obtained due to incomplete testing and disclosure of chemicals, and nondisclosure agreements. Without rigorous scientific studies, the gas drilling boom sweeping the world will remain an uncontrolled health experiment on an enormous scale.

Health Impacts of Volcanic Activity in Oceania

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 574-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Cuthbertson ◽  
Carol Stewart ◽  
Alison Lyon ◽  
Penelope Burns ◽  
Thompson Telepo
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Volcanic Activity ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Pyroclastic Flows ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

AbstractVolcanoes cause a wide range of hazardous phenomena. Close to volcanic vents, hazards can be highly dangerous and destructive and include pyroclastic flows and surges, ballistic projectiles, lava flows, lahars, thick ashfalls, and gas and aerosol emissions. Direct health impacts include trauma, burns, and exacerbation of respiratory diseases. Far-reaching volcanic hazards include volcanic ashfalls, gas and aerosol dispersion, and lahars. Within Oceania, the island arc countries of Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, and New Zealand are the most at-risk from volcanic activity. Since 1500ad, approximately 10,000 lives have been lost due to volcanic activity across Oceania, with 39 lives lost since 2000. While volcano monitoring and surveillance save lives, residual risks remain from small, sudden, unheralded eruptions, such as the December 9, 2019 eruption of Whakaari/White Island volcano, New Zealand which has a death toll of 21 at the time of writing. Widespread volcanic ashfalls can affect the habitability of downwind communities by contaminating water supplies, damaging crops and buildings, and degrading indoor and outdoor air quality, as well as disrupting transport and communication networks and access to health services. While the fatality rate due to volcanic eruptions may be low, far greater numbers of people may be affected by volcanic activity with approximately 100,000 people in PNG and Vanuatu displaced since 2000. It is challenging to manage health impacts for displaced people, particularly in low-income countries where events such as eruptions occur against a background of low, variable vaccination rates, high prevalence of infectious diseases, poor sanitation infrastructure, and poor nutritional status. As a case study, the 2017-2018 eruption of Ambae volcano, Vanuatu caused no casualties but triggered two separate mandatory off-island evacuations of the entire population of approximately 11,700 people. On the neighboring island of Santo, a health disaster response was coordinated by local government and provided acute care when evacuees arrived. Involving primary care clinicians in this setting enhanced local capacity for health care provision and allowed for an improved understanding of the impact of displacement on evacuee communities.

scholarly journals Gut microbiome-Mediterranean diet interactions in improving host health

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravinder Nagpal ◽  
Carol A. Shively ◽  
Thomas C. Register ◽  
Suzanne Craft ◽  
Hariom Yadav
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Mediterranean Diet ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Unsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Host Health ◽  
The Mediterranean

The gut microbiota plays a fundamental role in host health and disease. Host diet is one of the most significant modulators of the gut microbial community and its metabolic activities. Evidence demonstrates that dietary patterns such as the ‘Western diet’ and perturbations in gut microbiome (dysbiosis) have strong associations with a wide range of human diseases, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, consumption of Mediterranean-style diets is considered healthy and associated with the prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, colorectal cancers and many other diseases. Such beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet might be attributed to high proportion of fibers, mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and polyphenols. Concurrent literature has demonstrated beneficial modulation of the gut microbiome following a Mediterranean-style diet in humans as well as in experimental animal models such as rodents. We recently demonstrated similar positive changes in the gut microbiome of non-human primates consuming a Mediterranean-style diet for long term (30 months). Therefore, it is rational to speculate that this positive modulation of the gut microbiome diversity, composition and function is one of the main factors intermediating the health effects of Mediterranean diet on the host. The present perspective discusses the evidences that the Mediterranean diet induces gut microbiome modulation in rodents, non-human primates and human subjects, and discusses the potential role of gut microbiota and microbial metabolites as one of the fundamental catalysts intermediating various beneficial health effects of Mediterranean diet on the host.

scholarly journals The relative profitability of calf rearing and bull beef finishing

2002 ◽  
pp. 25-29
Author(s):  
A.W.A.Ormond P.D. Muir ◽  
C.J. Fugle
Keyword(s):  
Animal Health ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Whole Milk ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Market Outlook ◽  
Intense Activity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Capital Intensive ◽  
Relative Profitability ◽  
Calf Rearing

Calf rearing is capital intensive, has high risks associated with animal health and is a short term intense activity. It occurs at a time of the year when out-of-season procurement premiums reflect slow processing throughput, rather than the market outlook for beef. In addition, schedules for bobby calves are announced only one week prior to processing which gives the market little time to settle on costs and the margin for calf rearing. This paper looks at viability for rearing and finishing and seeks to define margins for both sectors. This has been calculated using a margin per calf reared to 100 kg and a margin per week for the finisher. Calf rearing is a prescriptive feeding regime in a housed facility, where the performance range is small - i.e calves reach 100 kg liveweight in 12 weeks. By contrast, bull finishing extends over 1 to 2 years, depends on pastures produced in a wide range of climates, topographies and management systems and has a wide range in performance. The major factor impacting on margins in both sectors is the bull schedule. Hence an analysis has been undertaken to look at the impact on both sectors and provide a more equitable basis for establishing the value of the 100 kg calf. The market might not accept the model, but the discussion generated is likely to go some way towards resolving the unsatisfactory status quo position where the decision to rear calves has to be made before 100 kg contract prices are established in the market. Keywords: beef finishing, bobby calves, bull schedule, calf milk replacer, calf rearing, margins, procurement premium, whole milk

scholarly journals Environment and host species shape the skin microbiome of captive neotropical bats

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginie Lemieux-Labonté ◽  
Nicolas Tromas ◽  
B. Jesse Shapiro ◽  
François-Joseph Lapointe
Keyword(s):  
Disease Resistance ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Host Species ◽  
16S Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Skin Microbiome ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Neotropical Bats ◽  
Rrna Gene Sequencing

BackgroundA wide range of microorganisms inhabit animal skin. This microbial community (microbiome) plays an important role in host defense against pathogens and disease. Bats (Chiroptera: Mammalia) are an ecologically and evolutionarily diversified group with a relatively unexplored skin microbiome. The bat skin microbiome could play a role in disease resistance, for example, to white nose syndrome (WNS), an infection which has been devastating North American bat populations. However, fundamental knowledge of the bat skin microbiome is needed before understanding its role in health and disease resistance. Captive neotropical frugivorous batsArtibeus jamaicensisandCarollia perspicillataprovide a simple controlled system in which to characterize the factors shaping the bat microbiome. Here, we aimed to determine the relative importance of habitat and host species on the bat skin microbiome.MethodsWe performed high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the skin microbiome of two different bat species living in captivity in two different habitats. In the first habitat,A. jamaicensisandC. perspicillatalived together, while the second habitat contained onlyA. jamaicensis.ResultsWe found that both habitat and host species shape the composition and diversity of the skin microbiome, with habitat having the strongest influence. CohabitatingA. jamaicensisandC. perspicillatashared more similar skin microbiomes than members of the same species (A. jamaicensis) across two habitats.DiscussionThese results suggest that in captivity, the skin microbial community is homogenised by the shared environments and individual proximities of bats living together in the same habitat, at the expense of the innate host species factors. The predominant influence of habitat suggests that environmental microorganisms or pathogens might colonize bat skin. We also propose that bat populations could differ in pathogen susceptibility depending on their immediate environment and habitat.

scholarly journals Intermittent fasting contributes to aligned circadian rhythms through interactions with the gut microbiome

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
M.C. Daas ◽  
N.M. de Roos
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽  
Intermittent Fasting ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Signalling Molecules ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dietary Strategy ◽  
The Impact

The timing of food consumption is considered to be an important modulator of circadian rhythms, regulating a wide range of physiological processes which are vital to human health. The exact mechanisms underlying this relationship are not fully understood, but likely involve alterations in the structure and functioning of the gut microbiome. Therefore, this narrative review aims to clarify these mechanisms by focusing on intermittent fasting as a dietary strategy of food timing. A literature search identified 4 clinical and 18 preclinical studies that examined either (1) the impact of intermittent fasting on the gut microbiome, or (2) whether circadian rhythms of the host are subject to changes in the bacterial populations in the gut. Results reveal that intermittent fasting directly influences the gut microbiome by amplifying diurnal fluctuations in bacterial abundance and metabolic activity. This in turn leads to fluctuations in the levels of microbial components (lipopolysaccharide) and metabolites (short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and tryptophan derivates) that act as signalling molecules to the peripheral and central clocks of the host. Binding of these substrates to pattern-recognition receptors on the surface of intestinal epithelial cells in an oscillating manner leads to fluctuations in the expression of circadian genes and their transcription factors involved in various metabolic processes. Intermittent fasting thus contributes to circadian rhythmicity in the host and could hold promising implications for the treatment and prevention of diseases associated with disordered circadian rhythms, such as obesity and metabolic syndrome. Future intervention studies are needed to find more evidence on this relationship in humans, as well as to clarify the optimal fasting regimen for balanced circadian rhythms.

scholarly journals Genetic structure in the endosymbiont Breviolum ‘muscatinei’ is correlated with geographical location, environment and host species

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1946) ◽  
pp. 20202896
Author(s):  
Brendan H. Cornwell ◽  
Luis Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Genetic Patterns ◽  
Coral Reef Ecosystems ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
The Impact

Corals and cnidarians form symbioses with dinoflagellates across a wide range of habitats from the tropics to temperate zones. Notably, these partnerships create the foundation of coral reef ecosystems and are at risk of breaking down due to climate change. This symbiosis couples the fitness of the partners, where adaptations in one species can benefit the holobiont. However, the scales over which each partner can match their current—and future—environment are largely unknown. We investigated population genetic patterns of temperate anemones ( Anthopleura spp.) and their endosymbiont Breviolum ‘muscatinei’ , across an extensive geographical range to identify the spatial scales over which local adaptation is possible. Similar to previously published results, two solitary host species exhibited isolation by distance across hundreds of kilometres. However, symbionts exhibited genetic structure across multiple spatial scales, from geographical location to depth in the intertidal zone, and host species, suggesting that symbiont populations are more likely than their hosts to adaptively mitigate the impact of increasing temperatures.

scholarly journals Controlled Complexity: Optimized Systems to Study the Role of the Gut Microbiome in Host Physiology

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. P. Glowacki ◽  
Morgan J. Engelhart ◽  
Philip P. Ahern
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Human Microbiome ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Wild Mice ◽  
Host Health ◽  
Host Physiology ◽  
The Impact

The profound impact of the gut microbiome on host health has led to a revolution in biomedical research, motivating researchers from disparate fields to define the specific molecular mechanisms that mediate host-beneficial effects. The advent of genomic technologies allied to the use of model microbiomes in gnotobiotic mouse models has transformed our understanding of intestinal microbial ecology and the impact of the microbiome on the host. However, despite incredible advances, our understanding of the host-microbiome dialogue that shapes host physiology is still in its infancy. Progress has been limited by challenges associated with developing model systems that are both tractable enough to provide key mechanistic insights while also reflecting the enormous complexity of the gut ecosystem. Simplified model microbiomes have facilitated detailed interrogation of transcriptional and metabolic functions of the microbiome but do not recapitulate the interactions seen in complex communities. Conversely, intact complex communities from mice or humans provide a more physiologically relevant community type, but can limit our ability to uncover high-resolution insights into microbiome function. Moreover, complex microbiomes from lab-derived mice or humans often do not readily imprint human-like phenotypes. Therefore, improved model microbiomes that are highly defined and tractable, but that more accurately recapitulate human microbiome-induced phenotypic variation are required to improve understanding of fundamental processes governing host-microbiome mutualism. This improved understanding will enhance the translational relevance of studies that address how the microbiome promotes host health and influences disease states. Microbial exposures in wild mice, both symbiotic and infectious in nature, have recently been established to more readily recapitulate human-like phenotypes. The development of synthetic model communities from such “wild mice” therefore represents an attractive strategy to overcome the limitations of current approaches. Advances in microbial culturing approaches that allow for the generation of large and diverse libraries of isolates, coupled to ever more affordable large-scale genomic sequencing, mean that we are now ideally positioned to develop such systems. Furthermore, the development of sophisticated in vitro systems is allowing for detailed insights into host-microbiome interactions to be obtained. Here we discuss the need to leverage such approaches and highlight key challenges that remain to be addressed.

scholarly journals Early-Life Immune System Maturation in Chickens Using a Synthetic Community of Cultured Gut Bacteria

mSystems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Zenner ◽  
Thomas C. A. Hitch ◽  
Thomas Riedel ◽  
Esther Wortmann ◽  
Stefan Tiede ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Gut Bacteria ◽  
Microbial Colonization ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Colonization Resistance ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT The gut microbiome is crucial for both maturation of the immune system and colonization resistance against enteric pathogens. Although chicken are important domesticated animals, the impact of their gut microbiome on the immune system is understudied. Therefore, we investigated the effect of microbiome-based interventions on host mucosal immune responses. Increased levels of IgA and IgY were observed in chickens exposed to maternal feces after hatching compared with strict hygienic conditions. This was accompanied by increased gut bacterial diversity as assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Cultivation work allowed the establishment of a collection of 43 bacterial species spanning 4 phyla and 19 families, including the first cultured members of 3 novel genera and 4 novel species that were taxonomically described. This resource is available at www.dsmz.de/chibac. A synthetic community consisting of nine phylogenetically diverse and dominant species from this collection was designed and found to be moderately efficient in boosting immunoglobulin levels when provided to chickens early in life. IMPORTANCE The immune system plays a crucial role in sustaining animal health. Its development is markedly influenced by early microbial colonization of the gastrointestinal tract. As chicken are fully dependent on environmental microbes after hatching, extensive hygienic measures in production facilities are detrimental to the microbiota, resulting in low colonization resistance against pathogens. To combat enteric infections, antibiotics are frequently used, which aggravates the issue by altering gut microbiota colonization. Intervention strategies based on cultured gut bacteria are proposed to influence immune responses in chicken.

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