Characteristics of the intestinal microbiome of sows in spontaneous and induced estrus

ABSTRACT In this study, a mixture of estradiol benzoate, progesterone, and testosterone propionate was injected into Diannan small-ear sows to induce estrus. The 16S rRNA technology was used to comparatively analyze the differences in fecal microbial composition and diversity between induced and spontaneous estrus in Diannan small-ear sows. The most abundant phylum in the sows in estrus were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. There was a significant negative correlation between Firmicutes and Bacteroide and a significant positive correlation between Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium. The relative abundance of Stenotrophomonas, Neisseria, Anaerofustis, and Terrisporobacter in the sows during induced estrus was significantly higher than that during spontaneous estrus. Taken together, induced estrus affects the relative abundance of specific microbes in the feces of Diannan small-ear sows, but it does not affect the overall composition and diversity. These results provide fundamental knowledge about the gut microbiota of sows with induced estrus.