The Effects of Bacillus licheniformis-fermented Products on Chronic Feline Diarrhea and Intestinal Microbiota

Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products (BLFP) are probiotics with antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties that can improve growth performance. This study aimed to, firstly, compare the fecal microbiota of cats with chronic diarrhea (n = 8) with that of healthy cats (n = 4) from the same household using next-generation sequencing and, secondly, evaluate the effectiveness of oral administration of BLFP in relieving clinical signs and altering the intestinal microbiota in diarrheal cats. Six out of eight cats with diarrhea showed clinical improvement after BLFP administration for 7 days, and in two cats the stool condition was normal. A higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was noted in the feces of diarrheal cats without clinical improvement as compared with those in the healthy control group and in the diarrheal cats with clinical improvement after receiving BLFP. The phylum Bacteroidetes and class Bacteroidia decreased significantly in diarrheal cats regardless of BLFP administration. Blautia spp., Ruminococcus torques, and Ruminococcus gnavus, which belong to the Clostridium cluster XIVa and have been reported as beneficial to intestinal health, increased significantly in feces after BLFP treatment. Furthermore, a significant decrease in Clostridium perfringens was noted in diarrheal cats after BLFP administration. Overall, BLFP could be a potential probiotic to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms and improve fecal microbiota in cats with chronic diarrhea. Twelve cats from the same household were included in this study. All the cats were fed a similar diet and had the same exercise level. The health status of these cats was observed and evaluated by owners and veterinarians. To evaluate the effects of BLFP on relieving the clinical signs and alteration of the microbiomes in cats with diarrhea, and to ensure that each cat received an equal amount of BLFP intake, 1.1 mg/kg BLFP was prepared as previously described and supplied in a capsule that was manually fed to the cats by the owner once a day for 7 consecutive days. Clinical scoring and fecal samples of these cats were collected before and after 7 days of BLFP treatment.

地衣芽孢杆菌发酵产物（Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products, BLFP）是一类兼具抗菌、抗病毒与抗炎特性的益生菌，可改善机体生长性能。本研究旨在达成双重目标：其一，借助下一代测序技术，对比同一饲养环境内慢性腹泻猫（n=8）与健康对照猫（n=4）的粪便微生物群组成；其二，评估口服BLFP对腹泻猫临床症状的缓解效果及其对肠道微生物群的调控作用。8只腹泻猫中有6只在连续7天灌服BLFP后临床症状得到改善，其中2只粪便状态恢复正常。与健康对照组以及经BLFP治疗后症状改善的腹泻猫相比，未获得临床改善的腹泻猫粪便中厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）/拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）比值更高。无论是否接受BLFP干预，腹泻猫粪便中的拟杆菌门及拟杆菌纲丰度均显著降低。经BLFP治疗后，粪便中隶属于梭菌簇XIVa（Clostridium cluster XIVa）且被报道对肠道健康有益的布劳特氏菌属（Blautia spp.）、扭链瘤胃球菌（Ruminococcus torques）及格氏瘤胃球菌（Ruminococcus gnavus）的丰度显著升高。此外，腹泻猫在灌服BLFP后，粪便中的产气荚膜梭菌（Clostridium perfringens）丰度显著下降。总体而言，BLFP或可作为潜在益生菌，用于缓解慢性腹泻猫的胃肠道症状并改善其粪便微生物群组成。本研究共纳入同饲养环境下的12只猫。所有受试猫饲喂相同日粮、保持一致的活动量。受试猫的健康状况由饲养者与兽医共同观察评估。为评估BLFP对腹泻猫临床症状的缓解效果及微生物群调控作用，并确保每只猫摄入等量的BLFP，研究人员参照既往方案制备1.1 mg/kg剂量的BLFP，将其装入胶囊后由饲养者每日手动灌服受试猫，连续给药7天。在BLFP治疗开始前及给药7天后，分别采集受试猫的临床评分数据与粪便样本。