Microbial populations in the gastrointestinal tract contribute to host health and nutrition.Although gut microbial ecology is well studied in livestock and domestic animals,little is known of the endogenous population...Microbial populations in the gastrointestinal tract contribute to host health and nutrition.Although gut microbial ecology is well studied in livestock and domestic animals,little is known of the endogenous populations inhabiting primates or carnivora.We characterized microbial populations in fecal cultures from gorillas(Gorilla gorilla gorilla),common chimpanzees(Pan troglodytes),Hamadryas baboons(Papio hamadryas)and binturongs(Arctictis binturong)to compare the microbiomes associated with different gastrointestinal morphologies and different omnivorous feeding strategies.Each species was fed a distinct standardized diet for 2 weeks prior to fecal collection.All diets were formulated to reflect the species’feeding strategies in situ.Fresh fecal samples were pooled within species and used to inoculate in vitro batch cultures.Acetate,propionate,butyrate and valerate were measured after 24 h of incubation.Eubacterial DNA was extracted from individual fecal samples,pooled,and the cpn60 gene region was amplified and then sequenced to identify the major eubacterial constituents associated with each host species.Short chain fatty acids(P<0.001)and methane(P<0.001)were significantly different across species.Eubacterial profiles were consistent with fermentation data and suggest an increase in diversity with dietary fiber.展开更多
Primates access energy from plant fiber via bacterial fermentation in either a modified forestomach(‘foregut’),a caecocolic(‘hindgut’)chamber of the large intestine,or both.Longer digestive retention times a...Primates access energy from plant fiber via bacterial fermentation in either a modified forestomach(‘foregut’),a caecocolic(‘hindgut’)chamber of the large intestine,or both.Longer digestive retention times allow for more complete fermentation;as such,primates that consume an herbivorous diet high in fiber are expected to have both relatively and absolutely longer retention times than those mammals that rely on more readily digestible plant foods,such as fruit.We used particulate markers to measure the digestive retention times of captive Allen’s swamp monkeys[Allenopithecus nigroviridis(Pocock,1907)](n=3)and L’Hoest’s monkey(Cercopithecus lhoesti P.Sclater,1899)(n=2).Results indicate mean retention times of 23.2-29.4 h and 23.2-24.0 h for C.lhoesti and A.nigroviridus,respectively.Results from this study,in combination with previously published data on digestive retention times in other primate species,indicate that cercopithecines differ from other primate taxa by having lengthier retention times that can be predicted by body mass alone.These data are consistent with the hypothesis that relatively lengthy retention times are a primitive trait for Cercopithecinae.展开更多
文摘Microbial populations in the gastrointestinal tract contribute to host health and nutrition.Although gut microbial ecology is well studied in livestock and domestic animals,little is known of the endogenous populations inhabiting primates or carnivora.We characterized microbial populations in fecal cultures from gorillas(Gorilla gorilla gorilla),common chimpanzees(Pan troglodytes),Hamadryas baboons(Papio hamadryas)and binturongs(Arctictis binturong)to compare the microbiomes associated with different gastrointestinal morphologies and different omnivorous feeding strategies.Each species was fed a distinct standardized diet for 2 weeks prior to fecal collection.All diets were formulated to reflect the species’feeding strategies in situ.Fresh fecal samples were pooled within species and used to inoculate in vitro batch cultures.Acetate,propionate,butyrate and valerate were measured after 24 h of incubation.Eubacterial DNA was extracted from individual fecal samples,pooled,and the cpn60 gene region was amplified and then sequenced to identify the major eubacterial constituents associated with each host species.Short chain fatty acids(P<0.001)and methane(P<0.001)were significantly different across species.Eubacterial profiles were consistent with fermentation data and suggest an increase in diversity with dietary fiber.
基金supported by funding from the University of Oregon.The protocol was approved and conducted in compliance with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees of the University of Oregon and the Oregon Zoo.
文摘Primates access energy from plant fiber via bacterial fermentation in either a modified forestomach(‘foregut’),a caecocolic(‘hindgut’)chamber of the large intestine,or both.Longer digestive retention times allow for more complete fermentation;as such,primates that consume an herbivorous diet high in fiber are expected to have both relatively and absolutely longer retention times than those mammals that rely on more readily digestible plant foods,such as fruit.We used particulate markers to measure the digestive retention times of captive Allen’s swamp monkeys[Allenopithecus nigroviridis(Pocock,1907)](n=3)and L’Hoest’s monkey(Cercopithecus lhoesti P.Sclater,1899)(n=2).Results indicate mean retention times of 23.2-29.4 h and 23.2-24.0 h for C.lhoesti and A.nigroviridus,respectively.Results from this study,in combination with previously published data on digestive retention times in other primate species,indicate that cercopithecines differ from other primate taxa by having lengthier retention times that can be predicted by body mass alone.These data are consistent with the hypothesis that relatively lengthy retention times are a primitive trait for Cercopithecinae.
