Compound Probiotics Improve the Diarrhea Rate and Intestinal Microbiota of Newborn Calves

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of probiotic compounds on the composition of the gut microbiota. Forty newborn calves were random allocated to the lactic acid bacteria + yeast group (LS group), lactic acid bacteria group (L group), yeast group (S group), and control group (D group). Probiotics containing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus were fed to calves in the three treatment groups for 15 days. The feeding process lasted 15 days. Fecal samples were collected from all calves at the end of the trial and analyzed using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. Totals of 1,029,260 high-quality reads and 420,010,128 bp of sequences were obtained. Among the four groups, the alpha diversity of gut microbes was significantly higher in newborn cattle in the LS group than in those in the L, S, and D groups. Overall, the dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, whereas Bifidobacterium was the most abundant phylum in the gut of cattle in the LS group. Newborn calves from the compound probiotic groups had closely clustered gut bacterial communities and had lower rates of diarrhea. Overall, compound probiotics regulated the intestinal microbiota community structure of newborn calves and improved intestinal health. New information relevant to the prevention of diarrhea is provided by our research in newborn calves.