Impact of Ambient Temperature Sample Storage on the Equine Fecal Microbiota

Sample storage technique may impact fecal bacterial microbiota composition (the collective community of bacteria present in feces). This is an especially important factor in field studies, where access to freezing or refrigeration may be limited or non-existent, resulting in samples remaining at room temperature until transport to the laboratory. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sample storage at room temperature for up to 96 h on the fecal microbiota of healthy horses. Results revealed that storage of equine fecal samples at room temperature for up to 6 h before freezing had minimal effect on the fecal microbiota, while longer term storage at room temperature led to alterations in the resident bacterial population. When ultra-low temperature storage conditions are unavailable for immediate freezing, equine fecal samples should be frozen within 6 h after collection to minimize storage induced alterations in bacterial composition.