High-throughput sequencing analysis of the regulation of intestinal flora in giant pandas with indigestion using a probiotic agent LyPB

This study aimed to investigate the eff ect of LyPB on the intestinal microfl ora of giant pandas with indigestion,using high-throughput sequencing(HTS)technology.The species distribution and microfl oral density and diversity before and after administration of the LyPB probiotic agent were analyzed.LyPB evidently has the ability to adjust the fl oral imbalance in the panda’s intestine.To test the eff ects of LyPB on the microfl ora of the panda gut,fecal samples were taken from a healthy giant panda(Anan)without administration of LyPB and from a dyspeptic giant panda Yangyang before and after LyPB administration.Compared with the sample obtained from healthy Anan(anan-c)and that obtained from dyspeptic Yangyang before LyPB administration(yangyang1),the sample taken from Yangyang(yangyang2)after LyPB administration displayed a signifi cant increase in the operational taxonomic unit index.An increase in the Chao index indicated an increase in the microfl oral richness,while an increase in the Shannon index indicated an increase in microfl oral diversity.At phylum and genus levels,a signifi cant increase was observed in the density of probiotic bacteria of phylum fi rmicutes,genus Streptococcus,while a drastic reduction in the density of Escherichia coli/Escherichia coli Shigella/bacteria of genus Shigella was observed.Data obtained in this study shows that LyPB preparations successfully improve the microbial structure within the panda’s intestinal canal by signifi cantly increasing the eff ective microbial community and decreasing the number of pathogenic microbes.