Research

Publications
Title: Impacts of diet on hindgut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)
First author: Hao, Yao Tong; Wu, Shan Gong; Jakovlic, Ivan; Zou, Hong; Li, Wen Xiang; Wang, Gui Tang
Journal: AQUACULTURE RESEARCH
Years: 2017
Volume / issue: 48 /
DOI: 10.1111/are.13381
Abstract: Diet is known to influence intestinal microbiota in fish, but the specifics of these impacts are still poorly understood. Different protein/fibre ratio diets may result in differing structures and activities of gut microbiota. We examined the hindgut microbiome of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) fed three different diets: fish meal (FM, high protein - low fibre), Sudan grass (SG, high fibre - low protein) and compound feed (CF, intermediate). Microbial profiles of fish fed on FM were significantly different from profiles of fish fed CF and SG (F = 18.85, p < .01). Cetobacterium, known to be positively associated with protein digestion, was the dominant microbial group in FM samples (approximately 75.7%), while Lachnospiraceae and Erysipelotrichaceae, thought to be involved in fermentation of plant polysaccharides, were dominant in CF and SG samples (46.8% and 42.9% respectively). Network analyses indicated that the abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Erysipelotrichaceae was in a significantly positive correlation (r = .895, p = .001). Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels may indicate that the digestibility of diet by microbiota in the grass carp gut decreased from FM to SG (FM>CF>SG). Overall low SCFA levels indicate that hindgut fermentation probably provides a low proportion of energy requirements in grass carp.