Characterization of the Nero Siciliano pig fecal microbiota after a liquid whey-supplementation. Nero Siciliano pig fecal microbiota

This study explored a potential effect of a liquid whey-supplemented diet on the fecal microbiota of eleven pigs belonging to the Nero Siciliano breed. The 16S rRNA gene was sequenced from feces samples collected from each individual before the experimental diet supplementation (T0), and one (T1) and two (T2) months after the beginning of the dietary treatment. Taxonomic analysis showed that pig feces were colonized by a complex microbial community with remarkable abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Spirochaetes phyla and Prevotella, Lactobacillus, Clostridium and Treponema genera. Notably, alfa and beta diversity values suggested that the dietary treatment did not significantly affect the general fecal microbiota profile observed. However, the differential analysis revealed significant differences for various genera between the time points suggesting that the liquid whey-supplementation influenced a part of the microbial community. This is the first study that explores the microbial community in Nero Siciliano pigs fed with a supplementation of a dairy by-product.