Faecal Microbiota Characterisation of <i>Potamochoerus porcus</i> Living in a Controlled EnvironmentOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Researchers characterised the faecal microbiota and Bifidobacterium species of five Red River Hogs (Potamochoerus porcus), four adults and one juvenile, housed at two zoos: Parco Natura Viva in Verona and Bioparco in Rome.
How was it studied?
Faecal samples were analysed by culture-dependent isolation and counting of bifidobacteria, alongside total microbiota profiling via high-quality sequencing of the V3-V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA.
What did they find?
Bifidobacterium boum and B. thermoacidophilum appeared only in Verona hogs, while B. porcinum appeared only in Rome hogs; species typical of domestic pigs. Bifidobacterial counts were about 10^6 CFU/g in adults and 10^7 CFU/g in the juvenile. Firmicutes dominated in Verona while Bacteroidetes dominated in Rome; Oscillospirales and Spirochaetales were prominent in Verona versus Bacteroidales in Rome.
Why it matters
The findings suggest overall gut microbiota composition tracks lifestyle and diet differences between sites, whereas age and host genetics appear to drive the bifidobacterial population specifically.