Fecal Microbiota and Hair Glucocorticoid Concentration Show Associations with Growth during Early Life in a Pig Model
Francesc González-Solé,
David Solà-Oriol,
Sandra Villagómez-Estrada,
Diego Melo-Durán,
Laura Victoria López,
Nathaly Villarroel Román,
Marina López-Arjona,
José Francisco Pérez
Affiliations
Francesc González-Solé
Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNIBA), Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
David Solà-Oriol
Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNIBA), Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Sandra Villagómez-Estrada
Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNIBA), Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Diego Melo-Durán
Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNIBA), Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Laura Victoria López
Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNIBA), Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Nathaly Villarroel Román
Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNIBA), Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Marina López-Arjona
Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis of the University of Murcia (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, 30100 Murcia, Spain
José Francisco Pérez
Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNIBA), Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Identifying characteristics associated with fast or slow growth during early life in a pig model will help in the design of nutritional strategies or recommendations during infancy. The aim of this study was to identify if a differential growth during lactation and/or the nursery period may be associated with fecal microbiota composition and fermentation capacity, as well as to leave a print of glucocorticoid biomarkers in the hair. Seventy-five commercial male and female pigs showing extreme growth in the lactation and nursery periods were selected, creating four groups (First, lactation growth, d0–d21; second, nursery growth, d21–d62): Slow_Slow, Slow_Fast, Fast_Slow, and Fast_Fast. At d63 of life, hair and fecal samples were collected. Fast-growing pigs during nursery had higher cortisone concentrations in the hair (p p = 0.061). Both lactation and nursery growth conditioned the fecal microbiota structure (p p p p p < 0.05). In conclusion, piglets’ growth during nursery and, especially, the lactation period was associated with changes in their microbiota composition and fermentation capacity, evidencing the critical role of early colonization on the establishment of the adult microbiota. Additionally, cortisol conversion to cortisone was increased in animals with fast growth, but further research is necessary to determine its implications.