Animal microbiomePub Date : 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1186/s42523-025-00492-y
Luke Comer, Muhammad Zeeshan Akram, Haoran Zhao, Peiyang Huo, Ester Arévalo Sureda, Chuanpi Xiao, Hikmat Ullah Khan Usman, Pawel Siegien, José Wavreille, Jan Aerts, Nadia Everaert
{"title":"The impact of early-life rearing conditions on the porcine gut microbiota and immune system.","authors":"Luke Comer, Muhammad Zeeshan Akram, Haoran Zhao, Peiyang Huo, Ester Arévalo Sureda, Chuanpi Xiao, Hikmat Ullah Khan Usman, Pawel Siegien, José Wavreille, Jan Aerts, Nadia Everaert","doi":"10.1186/s42523-025-00492-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-025-00492-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Early life represents an unparalleled window in the life of the pig in which the gut microbiota interacts with its host's naïve immune system. Yet, modern swine production often favours conditions that promote production efficiency rather than enriched microbiota development, the long-term consequences of which remain poorly understood. This study sought to analyse the long-term impacts of early-life rearing conditions on the gut microbiota until day 90, and in turn, its physiological and immunological consequences. We established two rearing conditions from farrowing until day 90: enriched, microbiota-enhancing husbandry characterised by weaning at 6 weeks and the provision of litter material throughout; and restricted, microbiota-depleting husbandry comprising weaning at 3 weeks and antibiotic administration from days 2 to 9. The day 42 faecal, and day 90 ileal and faecal microbiotas underwent 16 S V1-V9 rRNA gene sequencing. Intestinal and faecal volatile fatty acids were measured via gas chromatography, haematological parameters were assessed from whole blood, and serum immunoglobulin G was measured. Immune-focused gene expression in the spleen and ileum was also measured via qPCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The faecal microbiota exhibited differential β-diversity by group at both timepoints. On day 90, enriched pigs exhibited significantly elevated ileal villus height to crypt depth ratios, which were negatively correlated with serum IgG. Conversely, restricted pigs had more branched-chain fatty acids in the colon and faeces, alongside signs of heightened immune activity, with haematology showing enhanced neutrophil activation, and elevated lymphocyte and IgG levels. In the spleen, gene sets comprising genes for the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-15 and IFN-γ were upregulated among restricted pigs, while enriched pigs exhibited better-primed innate immune systems.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings demonstrate long-term impacts of early-life rearing on faecal microbiota composition. We furthermore observed a potential shift towards inflammation and altered haematology associated with the microbiota.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":"7 1","pages":"125"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12681121/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145688726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal microbiomePub Date : 2025-12-03DOI: 10.1186/s42523-025-00493-x
Zachary L McAdams, Emma J Campbell, Rebecca A Dorfmeyer, Giedre Turner, Samantha Shaffer, Tamara Ford, Jenna Lawson, Jackson Terry, Murugesan Raju, Lyndon Coghill, Lucia Cresci, Kara Lascola, Tiffany Pridgen, Anthony Blikslager, Emily Barrell, Heidi Banse, Linda Paul, Alexandra Gillen, Sascha Nott, Marie VandeCandelaere, Gaby van Galen, Kile S Townsend, Lynn M Martin, Philip J Johnson, Aaron C Ericsson
{"title":"A novel dataset of 2,362 equine fecal microbiomes from veterinary teaching hospitals across three countries reveals effects of geography and disease.","authors":"Zachary L McAdams, Emma J Campbell, Rebecca A Dorfmeyer, Giedre Turner, Samantha Shaffer, Tamara Ford, Jenna Lawson, Jackson Terry, Murugesan Raju, Lyndon Coghill, Lucia Cresci, Kara Lascola, Tiffany Pridgen, Anthony Blikslager, Emily Barrell, Heidi Banse, Linda Paul, Alexandra Gillen, Sascha Nott, Marie VandeCandelaere, Gaby van Galen, Kile S Townsend, Lynn M Martin, Philip J Johnson, Aaron C Ericsson","doi":"10.1186/s42523-025-00493-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-025-00493-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Horses and other equids are reliant on the gut microbiome for health, and studies have reported associations between certain clinical conditions and features of the fecal microbiome. However, research to date on the equine fecal microbiome has often relied on small sample sizes collected from single and relatively localized geographic regions. Previous work also largely employs single timepoint analyses, or horses selected based on limited health criteria.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>To address these limitations and expand our understanding of the core microbiome in health, and the changes associated with adverse outcomes, the Equine Gut Group (EGG) has collected and performed 16S rRNA sequencing on 2,362 fecal samples from 1,190 healthy and affected horses. This resource of 16S rRNA sequencing data with accompanying demographic and clinical metadata represent a diverse equine population in health and disease. We identified features making up the core microbiome of healthy equids and metadata factors influencing the relative abundance of those features. We then identified microbial markers of acute gastrointestinal disease at the community and taxonomic levels.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Here we present the EGG database and demonstrate its utility in characterizing the equine microbiome in health and acute gastrointestinal disease. The EGG 16S rRNA database is a valuable resource to study the equine microbiome and its role in equine health.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":"7 1","pages":"124"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12676801/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145671071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal microbiomePub Date : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1186/s42523-025-00500-1
Richard Ansah Herman, Marriam Khurshid, Zhan-Peng Zhang, Cheng-Hai Yan, Ellen Ayepa, Yi-Jiang-Cheng Li, Shuai You, Sheng Sheng, Jun Wang
{"title":"Silkworm (Bombyx mori) gut bacteria respond positively to exposure of magnetic Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@urease-doped nanoconjugates: potential reconstruction for nutritional efficiency.","authors":"Richard Ansah Herman, Marriam Khurshid, Zhan-Peng Zhang, Cheng-Hai Yan, Ellen Ayepa, Yi-Jiang-Cheng Li, Shuai You, Sheng Sheng, Jun Wang","doi":"10.1186/s42523-025-00500-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-025-00500-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The gut microbiota of the silkworm (Bombyx mori) plays a vital role in metabolic processes, including nutrient digestion and immune regulation. However, the specific bacterial communities that enhance feed utilization and improve amino acid composition in silk and pupae remain unclear. In this study, we explored the mechanisms through which gut bacteria influence nutritional efficiency and the biosynthesis of high-quality silk and pupae by exposing fifth-instar silkworms to magnetic Fe₃O₄@urease-doped nanoconjugates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our findings revealed that Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@urease nanoconjugates had no detrimental effects on the silkworm gut. Dominant genera in the MF group included Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Pantoea, Klebsiella and Glutamicibacter (p < 0.05), while Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Effect Size (LEfSe) identified Dialister, Rhizobium and Parabacteroides as biomarkers. Functional prediction revealed bacteria in the Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@urease nanoconjugates treatment group were involved in metabolic activities, including amino acid synthesis, protein degradation and immune development. HPLC-LC-MS analysis revealed significantly higher levels of the amino acids Histidine (1077.06%) and Arginine (1020.45%) in the Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@urease nanoconjugates treatment group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In summary, magnetic Fe₃O₄@urease-doped nanoconjugates effectively modulated B. mori gut microbiota, enhancing digestion and nutrient assimilation, and providing a scientific basis for the rational implementation of bacteria control for enhancing amino acid contents in silk and pupae.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12776979/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145662811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal microbiomePub Date : 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1186/s42523-025-00485-x
Léa Fieschi-Méric, Frank Pasmans, Eduardo Fernández Meléndez, Sofie De Bruyckere, Ellen Blomme, Elin Verbrugghe, An Martel
{"title":"Bsal susceptibility depends on host origin but not on skin microbiota in captive Pleurodeles waltl.","authors":"Léa Fieschi-Méric, Frank Pasmans, Eduardo Fernández Meléndez, Sofie De Bruyckere, Ellen Blomme, Elin Verbrugghe, An Martel","doi":"10.1186/s42523-025-00485-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-025-00485-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Amidst the current biodiversity crisis, amphibians are particularly endangered by the emergence of infectious diseases. The skin disease chytridiomycosis is caused by the fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal), which may interact with bacterial symbionts present on the amphibian epidermis. Extensive research has explored the interactions between the amphibian microbiota and Bd; yet, little is known about its interactions with Bsal. In this paper, we used the ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl), a model species displaying pronounced among-individual variation in response to Bsal, to (1) determine whether susceptibility to Bsal and individual microbiota vary between source groups; (2) test whether susceptibility to Bsal can be predicted from skin microbiota before exposure and (3) quantify microbiota volatility over time to determine whether Bsal infection intensity and chytridiomycosis severity correlate with the magnitude of shifts in bacterial communities caused by Bsal exposure.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our results demonstrate that newts of different origin harbor distinct microbiota even under uniform rearing conditions. We show that Bsal infection intensity and disease severity cannot be predicted from the diversity, structure, or composition of the skin microbiota of P. waltl. Instead, a strong relation between newts' source group and their response to Bsal suggests that other factors might underpin among-individual variation in Bsal susceptibility in this species. Moreover, our results indicate that the intensity of early Bsal infection and longer-term severity of chytridiomycosis do not correlate with the magnitude of microbiota change following Bsal exposure.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results demonstrate a limited involvement of the microbiota in Bsal dynamics in P. waltl, suggesting that other mechanisms contribute to individual Bsal susceptibility. Further research on the relation between chytrid pathogens and their amphibian hosts will be instrumental to improve the conservation of the most endangered vertebrate class on earth.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":"7 1","pages":"123"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12661705/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145643522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal microbiomePub Date : 2025-11-26DOI: 10.1186/s42523-025-00490-0
Karla Camacho-Méndez, Felipe Vásquez-Ponce, Felipe Ramírez, Cristian Valenzuela, Manuel Alcalde-Rico, Antonio López-Carvallo, José Gallardo-Matus, Roberto Cruz-Flores, Carlos Zarza, Luis Mercado, Jorge Olivares-Pacheco
{"title":"Gut dysbiosis after successive administration of florfenicol-medicated feed alters intestinal inflammatory response and growth patterns in healthy Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).","authors":"Karla Camacho-Méndez, Felipe Vásquez-Ponce, Felipe Ramírez, Cristian Valenzuela, Manuel Alcalde-Rico, Antonio López-Carvallo, José Gallardo-Matus, Roberto Cruz-Flores, Carlos Zarza, Luis Mercado, Jorge Olivares-Pacheco","doi":"10.1186/s42523-025-00490-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-025-00490-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":"7 1","pages":"122"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12659338/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145643511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"RNA virome of ticks and fleas infesting Marmota himalayana from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.","authors":"Wentao Zhu, Ji Pu, Dong Jin, Shan Lu, Jing Yang, Jianguo Xu","doi":"10.1186/s42523-025-00488-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-025-00488-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ticks and fleas are important vectors and hosts for various emergent human pathogens, such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, and tick-borne encephalitis virus. In the Qinghai-Tibet plateau of China, Marmota himalayana (marmots) serves as the primary reservoir for Yersinia pestis, primarily transmitted by fleas. Due to their wide distribution and large population, marmots serve as important host animals for ticks and fleas to survive and reproduce on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. However, the spectrum of RNA viruses found in ticks and fleas that feed on marmots is still not fully understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Ticks and fleas infesting marmots in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China, were collected in 2018. The RNA virome of pooled ticks and fleas were analyzed using a metatranscriptomics approach.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 30 RNA viruses were identified, with 11 viruses from ticks (Ixodes spp.) and 19 viruses from fleas (Oropsylla silantiewi), which were classified into 16 families, mainly Phasmaviridae (n = 4), Phenuiviridae (n = 4), and Iflaviridae (n = 3), Peribunyaviridae (n = 2). These viruses formed distinct clusters and shared less than 84% amino acid identity with their closest relatives, indicating that they belonged to novel members of their respective taxa and circulated among ticks and fleas for an extended period. Furthermore, six nearly identical viruses were shared between ticks and fleas, with 96.0 - 99.8% RNA-dependent RNA polymerase amino acid identity, but only 38.5 - 73.8% identity with known viruses, indicating potential interspecies transmission of viruses between ticks and fleas.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, these findings highlight the diverse and abundant viruses that arthropods in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau can harbor, shedding light on the potential for cross-species transmission of viruses.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":" ","pages":"131"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12751830/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145574941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal microbiomePub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1186/s42523-025-00489-7
Katarina Šimunović, Vida Rezar, Polonca Štefanič, Luka Lipoglavšek, Lijana Fenedl, Uroš Krapež, Tatjana Pirman, Gorazd Avguštin, Janez Salobir, Olga Zorman Rojs, Ines Mandić Mulec
{"title":"Probiotic effect of B. subtilis PS-216 in broiler chickens: modulation of weight, feed conversion, short chain fatty acids, microbiota and meat quality.","authors":"Katarina Šimunović, Vida Rezar, Polonca Štefanič, Luka Lipoglavšek, Lijana Fenedl, Uroš Krapež, Tatjana Pirman, Gorazd Avguštin, Janez Salobir, Olga Zorman Rojs, Ines Mandić Mulec","doi":"10.1186/s42523-025-00489-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-025-00489-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacillus-based probiotics are recognized as safe and effective alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. This study evaluated the effects of Bacillus subtilis PS-216 on broiler performance, gut health, and meat quality. Broilers received PS-216 spores continuously via drinking water (2 × 10<sup>9</sup> spores/L; SW) or feed at low (2 × 10<sup>6</sup> spores/kg; SF1) or high (2 × 10<sup>9</sup> spores/kg; SF2) concentrations. Parameters were assessed at days 23 and 44, including growth performance, lymphatic organ weights, cecal microbiota composition, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles, and meat quality. All treatment groups demonstrated significant performance improvements compared to controls: body weight increased by 7.4-8.1% and feed conversion ratio improved by 3-11%. Thymus weight increased by approx. 22% across all groups, indicating immunomodulatory effects. Microbiota analysis revealed beneficial shifts including increased butyrate-producing taxa (Selenomonadales, Clostridium sensu stricto) and reduced stress-associated Anaeroplasma. The SF2 group showed enhanced cecal butyrate and acetate concentrations at day 23, with sustained butyrate elevation at day 44. Additionally, meat quality improvements were observed, particularly reduced electrical conductivity and improved breast meat color distribution in the SF2 group. Feed supplementation at 2 × 10<sup>9</sup> spores/kg (SF2) provided the most comprehensive benefits across all measured parameters. These findings demonstrate that B. subtilis PS-216 enhances broiler performance through beneficial microbiota modulation and immune function improvement, supporting its potential as a sustainable alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in commercial poultry production.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":"7 1","pages":"121"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12628548/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145552048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal microbiomePub Date : 2025-11-14DOI: 10.1186/s42523-025-00484-y
Wenbo Chen, Yu Zhang, Huanyu Gong, Ze Cao, Kairi Yang, Jiandui Mi
{"title":"Exploring diversity and distribution patterns of chicken gut bacteriophage community.","authors":"Wenbo Chen, Yu Zhang, Huanyu Gong, Ze Cao, Kairi Yang, Jiandui Mi","doi":"10.1186/s42523-025-00484-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-025-00484-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":"7 1","pages":"119"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12619323/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145523860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal microbiomePub Date : 2025-11-11DOI: 10.1186/s42523-025-00478-w
Yang Liu, Yinhua Tang, Xiaolong Peng, Yan Hu, Lixin Wen, Qiuzhong Dai, Jun Fang
{"title":"Effects of fiber sources with different solubilities on the growth performance, nutrient metabolism, antioxidant, immune capacity and intestinal health of meat geese.","authors":"Yang Liu, Yinhua Tang, Xiaolong Peng, Yan Hu, Lixin Wen, Qiuzhong Dai, Jun Fang","doi":"10.1186/s42523-025-00478-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42523-025-00478-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of indigenous dietary fiber (DF) sources with different solubilities on the growth performance, intestinal health, and gut microbiota in meat geese. A total of 400 meat geese at 17-d-old were randomly divided into 4 treatments with 10 replicates per treatment and 10 geese per replicate in a 28-d trial. The dietary treatments included a corn-soybean meal basal diet (BD), and BD supplemented with wheat bran as high soluble DF source (HS), alfalfa meal as medium soluble DF source (MS), or bamboo meal as low soluble DF source (LS). The results showed that dietary supplements of DF sources improved the growth performance of geese by improving final body weight (P = 0.010) and average daily weight gain (P = 0.003), and decreasing feed to gain ratio (P < 0.001). Among the DF source supplemented groups, HS treatment decreased the feed to gain ratio compared to LS treatment (P = 0.015). Next, HS and MS treatments decreased the levels of uric acid (P = 0.022) and triglyceride (P = 0.003) compared to BD and LS groups, and HS treatment decreased the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (P = 0.032) in serum compared to BD, LS, and MS groups. Additionally, dietary supplement of DF sources, especially the HS treatment improved the immune function of ileum and cecum by decreasing the levels of interlukin-10 level (P < 0.001) and interlukin-1β (P < 0.001), and increasing the level of secretory immunoglobulin A (P < 0.05) compared to BD, LS, and MS groups. Also DF sources supplements, especially the MS and HS treatments enhanced the antioxidant capacity of ileum and cecum by increasing activities of CAT (P < 0.001), SOD (P = 0.006 in ileum, P < 0.001 in cecum), and T-AOC (P < 0.001), but decreasing the MDA level (P < 0.001) compared to BD and LS groups. Furthermore, the length of ileum in BD group was shorter than DF source supplemented groups. And HS group had the longest ileum length (P = 0.010) and villus height (P = 0.001), and the most goblet cell number (P = 0.013) among all groups. Finally, by comparing the gut microbiota composition among BD, LS, and HS groups, HS treatment induced the enrichments of Butyricicoccus and Gemmiger, which were correlated with the improvements in the growth performance, lipid and fatty acid metabolisms, and intestinal condition. In conclusion, this study indicated that dietary supplementation of DF source, especially the high soluble DF source modulated the gut microbiota, enhanced the growth performance, nutrient metabolism, and intestinal health of meat geese. These findings suggested that highly soluble fiber sources might be preferable to use in geese production.</p>","PeriodicalId":72201,"journal":{"name":"Animal microbiome","volume":"7 1","pages":"118"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12607022/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145497597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}