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Tibetan pigs, a typical high-altitude indigenous breed in China, have developed unique physiological and metabolic characteristics through long-term natural selection under extreme plateau environmental conditions such as low oxygen and low temperature. However, stage-specific differences in their gut microbiota composition remain to be investigated. [Objective] To compare the rectal fecal microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in Tibetan pigs at different growth stages from birth to the fattening stage. [Methods] Ten pregnant Tibetan sows with similar parity (2-3) and good body condition were selected and allowed to farrow synchronously. The offspring were reared from birth to 140 days old. A cross-sectional sampling design was adopted to collect rectal fecal samples from 10 pigs at 1, 7, 21, 70, and 140 days old for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and determination of SCFA concentrations. [Results] Microbial diversity in rectal fecal samples of Tibetan pigs gradually increased with age and stabilized during the later growth stage. Bacillota and Bacteroidota remained dominant throughout development. At the genus level, the gut microbiota of neonatal piglets was primarily colonized by Clostridium, Escherichia-Shigella, Streptococcus, and Fusobacterium. Notably, dominant genera in the gut during the suckling stage, such as Lactobacillus and Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, remained abundant after weaning. Christensenellaceae R-7 group and Treponema showed low relative abundance before weaning but were significantly enriched after weaning and were among the dominant genera at 70 and 140 days old. PICRUSt2-based functional prediction analysis showed that the rectal fecal microbiota of Tibetan pigs at 21 days old was mainly enriched in pathways related to the citrate cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, whereas that at 70 and 140 days old was mainly enriched in amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism. The concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total SCFAs in rectal fecal samples at 70 and 140 days old were significantly higher than those at 21 days old. Correlation analysis revealed that Treponema and Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group had significantly positive correlations with acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total SCFA concentrations. [Conclusion] The gut microbiota composition differed markedly among Tibetan pigs at different growth stages. Beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus maintained relatively high abundance throughout the growth stages, while Christensenellaceae R-7 group remained abundant during the fattening stage. Moreover, the significant enrichment of complex carbohydrate-fermenting bacteria, represented by Treponema and Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, during the growing-finishing stage suggests their key role in the hindgut fermentation of Tibetan pigs.
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| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |
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