1. Association between diet and the gut microbiome of young captive red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis).
- Author
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Xu, Wei, Xu, Nan, Zhang, Qingzheng, Tang, Keyi, Zhu, Ying, Chen, Rong, Zhao, Xinyi, Ye, Wentao, Lu, Changhu, and Liu, Hongyi
- Subjects
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GUT microbiome , *CRANES (Birds) , *DIET , *MEAL worms , *ANIMAL feeds , *FISH breeding - Abstract
Background: Exploring the association of diet and indoor and outdoor environments on the gut microbiome of red-crowned cranes. We investigated the microbiome profile of the 24 fecal samples collected from nine cranes from day 1 to 35. Differences in the gut microbiome composition were compared across diet and environments. Results: A total of 2,883 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected, with 438 species-specific OTUs and 106 OTUs common to the gut microbiomes of four groups. The abundance of Dietzia and Clostridium XI increased significantly when the red-crowned cranes were initially fed live mealworms. Skermanella and Deinococcus increased after the red-crowned cranes were fed fruits and vegetables and placed outdoors. Thirty-three level II pathway categories were predicted. Our study revealed the mechanism by which the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes responds to dietary and environmental changes, laying a foundation for future breeding, nutritional and physiological studies of this species. Conclusions: The gut microbiome of red-crowned cranes could adapt to changes in diet and environment, but the proportion of live mealworms in captive red-crowned cranes can be appropriately reduced at the initial feeding stage, reducing the negative impact of high-protein and high-fat foods on the gut microbiome and growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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