Dynamic characterization of the changes in intestinal fungi and fecal metabolites during the reproductive cycle of sows.

Abstract

Pregnancy-induced changes in the intestinal microbiota have been widely demonstrated. However, the research on the alterations of intestinal fungi and fecal metabolism during the reproductive cycle of sows is limited. In this study, fresh fecal samples were collected from 12 sows during the second day before fertilization (SBF), early pregnancy period (EEP; including gestational days 28, 42, and 56), late pregnancy period (LPP; including gestational days 70, 84, and 98), farrowing day (FD; collected after delivery), and lactation period (LAC, including days 7, 14, and 21 postpartum) for Internal Transcribed Space amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics sequencing. The results indicated that intestinal fungi and fecal metabolites underwent significant dynamic changes during EPP and LPP, stabilizing after FD. Correlation analysis revealed a significant association between intestinal fungi and fecal metabolites, suggesting a potential role of intestinal fungi in the regulation of host health and reproductive performance. These results indicated that pregnancy may play a key role in driving the dynamic changes in intestinal fungi and fecal metabolites observed throughout the reproductive cycle. This study explores the dynamic changes and correlations of intestinal fungi and fecal metabolites in sows, providing theoretical insights for sow breeding production, feed management, and the development of microecological agents.