AUTHOR=Yang Yan , Zhao Xin , Le Minh Hong Ahn , Zijlstra Ruurd , Gänzle Michael 

TITLE=Reutericyclin producing Lactobacillus reuteri modulates development of fecal microbiota in weanling pigs

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00762

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2015.00762

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Lactobacillus reuteri</italic> is used as probiotic culture in food and feed applications; however, strain specific properties of <italic>L. reuteri</italic> that mediate probiotic activity remain unknown. This study aimed to determine effects of feed fermentation with exopolysaccharide and reutericyclin producing <italic>L. reuteri</italic> on the transition of the gut microbiome of piglets after weaning. The reutericyclin and reuteran producing <italic>L. reuteri</italic> TMW1.656 was compared to the reutericyclin negative and levan producing <italic>L. reuteri</italic> LTH5794 and unfermented controls. Both strains were fermented at conditions supporting exopolysaccharide formation, or at conditions not supporting exopolysaccharide formation. Fecal microbiota were characterized by partial sequencing of 16S rRNA genes, and by quantitative PCR targeting clostridial toxins. The transition to solid food resulted in a transient increase of <italic>Proteobacteria</italic> to 12% of total bacteria, and increased bacterial diversity by increasing the abundance of anaerobic fiber fermenting <italic>Firmicutes</italic>. Three weeks after weaning, <italic>Prevotella</italic> and <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> were among the dominant bacterial genera. Feed fermentation with <italic>L. reuteri</italic> affected the abundance of few bacterial taxa and particularly reduced the abundance of <italic>Enterobacteriaceae</italic> (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) when compared to unfermented controls. Reutericyclin producing <italic>L. reuteri</italic> increased the abundance of <italic>Dialister</italic> spp. and <italic>Mitsuokella</italic> spp. (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) but did not influence the abundance of clostridial toxins in the feces. In conclusion, data on the contribution of specific metabolic activities of <italic>L. reuteri</italic> to probiotic activity will facilitate the strain selection for probiotic applications in food and feed.</p>