AUTHOR=Ouyang Jing , Li Yuhang , Wu Yongfei , Tang Hongbo , Zheng Sumei , Xiong Yanpeng , Wang Luping , Wang Cong , Luo Keyi , Gao Yuren , Yan Xueming , Chen Hao TITLE=Microbial diversity and community composition of fecal microbiota in dual-purpose and egg type ducks JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=14 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1092100 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1092100 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=Introduction

Ducks are important agricultural animals, which can be divided into egg and dual-purpose type ducks according to economic use. The gut microbiota of ducks plays an important role in their metabolism, immune regulation, and health maintenance.

Methods

Here, we use 16S rDNA V4 hypervariable amplicon sequencing to investigate the compositions and community structures of fecal microbiota between egg (five breeds, 96 individuals) and dual-purpose type ducks (four breeds, 73 individuals) that were reared under the same conditions.

Results

The alpha diversity of fecal microflora in egg type ducks was significantly higher than that in dual-type ducks. In contrast, there is no significant difference in the fecal microbial community richness between the two groups. MetaStat analysis showed that the abundance of Peptostreptococcaceae, Streptococcaceae, Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, and Campylobacter were significantly different between the two groups. The biomarkers associated with the egg and dual-purpose type ducks were identified using LEfSe analysis and IndVal index. Function prediction of the gut microbiota indicated significant differences between the two groups. The functions of environmental information processing, carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism, and metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides were more abundant in egg type ducks. Conversely, the genetic information processing, nucleotide metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids and secondary metabolites, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, fatty acid elongation, and insulin resistance were significantly enriched in dual-purpose type ducks.

Discussion

This study explored the structure and diversity of the gut microbiota of ducks from different economic-use groups, and provides a reference for improving duck performance by using related probiotics in production.