Wild boar and pig gut microbiota samples
The modern human microbiota is known to be significantly different to that of non-industrialised populations, and this is accompanied by increased cases of non-communicable diseases in the industrialised world. However, in-depth investigations in humans remain challenging given their invasive nature. The wild boar and farmed pig were used as models to emulate trends seen in non-industrialised and industrialised human populations. Both the ileal and faecal microbiota were examined, alongside metabolites such as volatile fatty acids, as well as splenic gene expression data. We found general trends of the microbiota, and immune profiles of the wild boar which mirrored non-industrialised human populations, suggesting that the wild boar may serve as a promising model for future research in the field.