Cecal drop reflects the chickens' cecal microbiome, fecal drop does not.
Microbiota in the gastro-intestinal tract are closely related to both the intestinal and overall health of the host. Experimental chickens have always been euthanized in order to identify and quantify the bacteria in cecal content. In this study, quantification and identification of the microbial populations in cecal drop, cecal content and fecal drop samples from chickens showed that cecal drop contains a bacterial community that is very similar (concerning bacterial diversity, richness and species composition) to cecal content, as opposed to the bacterial community found in fecal drop. Cecal drop analysis thus allows for longitudinal experiments on chickens' cecal bacteria. The varying results in the analysis of fecal samples question the method's reliability in reflecting the true cecal microbiota in chickens.
Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
J
J
Pauwels
FARAH, Department of food sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, B43b, Quatier Vallée 2, avenue de Cureghem 10, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
B
B
Taminiau
Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
G P J
GP
Janssens
Plant Conservation and Population Biology, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
M
M
De Beenhouwer
FARAH, Department of food sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, B43b, Quatier Vallée 2, avenue de Cureghem 10, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; Quality Partner S.A., Rue Hayeneux 19, B-4040 Herstal, Belgium.
L
L
Delhalle
FARAH, Department of food sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, B43b, Quatier Vallée 2, avenue de Cureghem 10, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
G
G
Daube
Department of Applied Biosciences, Faculty of Biosciences Engineering, Ghent University, V. Vaerwijckweg 1, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Frank.Coopman@UGent.be.
F
F
Coopman
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota
D004269:DNA, Bacterial
Cecal content; Cecal drop; Cecal microbiota; Fecal drop