Gut-Faecal Microbial and Health-Marker Response to Dietary Fumonisins in Weaned Pigs.

This study investigated effects of dietary fumonisins (FBs) on gut and faecal microbiota of weaned pigs. In total, 18 7-week-old male pigs were fed either 0, 15 or 30 mg FBs (FB ₁ + FB ₂ + FB ₃ )/kg diet for 21 days. The microbiota was analysed with amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 regions (Illumina MiSeq). Results showed no treatment effect ( p > 0.05) on growth performance, serum reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde. FBs increased serum aspartate transaminase, gamma glutamyl-transferase and alkaline phosphatase activities. A 30 mg/kg FBs treatment shifted microbial population in the duodenum and ileum to lower levels (compared to control ( p < 0.05)) of the families Campylobacteraceae and Clostridiaceae , respectively, as well as the genera Alloprevotella , Campylobacter and Lachnospiraceae Incertae Sedis (duodenum), Turicibacter (jejunum), and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 (ileum). Faecal microbiota had higher levels of the Erysipelotrichaceae and Ruminococcaceae families and Solobacterium , Faecalibacterium , Anaerofilum , Ruminococcus , Subdoligranulum , Pseudobutyrivibrio , Coprococcus and Roseburia genera in the 30 mg/kg FBs compared to control and/or to the 15 mg/kg FBs diets. Lactobacillus was more abundant in the duodenum compared to faeces in all treatment groups ( p < 0.01). Overall, the 30 mg/kg FBs diet altered the pig gut microbiota without suppressing animal growth performance.