Effects of dietary zinc on the gut microbiome and resistome of the gestating cow and neonatal calf
Zinc is an essential trace element required in the diet of all species. While the effects of zinc have been studied in growing calves, little is known about the effect of zinc on the microbiota of the gestating cow or her neonatal calf. Understanding factors that shape the gut health of neonatal animals and evaluating the effect of dietary supplements in adult gestating animals is important in promoting animal health and informing feeding practices. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of dietary zinc on the microbiota and resistome of the gestating cow and calf. A secondary aim was to determine whether zinc supplementation affected colonization with Clostridioides difficile, an opportunistic pathogen that thrives when the endogenous microbiota is disrupted. Gestating cows received standard (40 ppm) or high (205 ppm) dietary zinc levels from dry off to calving. Fecal samples were collected from cows upon enrollment and at calving and from neonatal calves. Fecal samples underwent 16s rRNA sequencing and a subset also underwent shotgun metagenomic sequencing. The effect of zinc supplementation on the diversity and composition of the cow and calf microbiome and resistome and on the presence of C. difficile was assessed. Alpha and beta diversity and composition of the microbiota were significantly altered over time but not by treatment in the cows, with alpha diversity decreasing and 14 genera found at significantly higher relative abundances at calving compared to enrollment. Levels of 27 antimicrobial resistance genes significantly increased over time. Few taxa were differentially expressed at calving in treatment and control groups, including Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Turicibacter, and Bifidobacterium pseudologum. No effect of the dam's treatment group was observed on the diversity or composition of the neonatal calf microbiota. The calf resistome, which was relatively rich and diverse compared to the cow, was also unaffected by the dam's treatment group. The impact of high levels of dietary zinc thus appeared to be minimal, with no observed changes in alpha or beta diversity, and few changes in the relative abundance of a small number of taxa and antimicrobial resistance genes.