Preliminary Functional Analysis of the Gut Microbiome in Colic Horses.
Authors: Thomson Pamela, Garrido Daniel, Santibáñez Rodrigo, Lara Felipe
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Gut Microbiome Alterations in Equine Colic Thomson and colleagues conducted a comparative metagenomic analysis of faecal samples from 14 colic-affected horses and 14 healthy controls using 16S rRNA sequencing, with predicted metabolic pathway analysis via PICRUSt2, to characterise functional shifts in the microbial ecosystem during colic episodes. Whilst both groups maintained the typical equine microbiome dominance of Firmicuteota, Bacteroidota, and Pseudomonadota, colic cases exhibited significantly reduced microbial diversity alongside marked depletion of the fibre-fermenting genus *Fibrobacter* and notable proliferation of *Streptococcus* species. The predicted metabolic profile shifted towards heightened aerobic respiration pathways and increased fatty acid and amino acid degradation—metabolic signatures more consistent with dysbiotic rather than healthy states. These findings suggest that colic-associated dysbiosis involves not merely compositional changes but a functional reorientation towards less efficient substrate utilisation and potentially more inflammatory metabolic by-products, with implications for understanding colic aetiology and guiding prebiotic or probiotic interventions aimed at restoring fibre-fermenting capacity and anaerobic stability in the equine hindgut.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Colic in horses is associated with measurable shifts in gut microbial composition (lower Fibrobacter, higher Streptococcus), which may guide future diagnostic or preventive strategies targeting microbiome health
- •Microbiome dysbiosis in colic cases shows altered metabolic pathways; nutritional or probiotic interventions aimed at restoring healthy microbial function could be investigated as adjunctive treatments
- •Monitoring microbial diversity and key bacterial populations may eventually help identify horses at risk of colic or predict treatment response, though further research is needed to translate these findings into clinical practice
Key Findings
- •Colic in horses was associated with reduced microbial diversity and reduced abundance of Fibrobacter compared to control horses
- •Colic microbiomes showed increased Streptococcus abundance relative to healthy controls
- •Colic-associated microbiomes were enriched in aerobic respiration, fatty acid degradation, and amino acid degradation pathways
- •All horses' microbiomes were dominated by Firmicuteota, Bacteroidota, and Pseudomonadota, with Firmicuteota negatively correlated with Pseudomonadota and Actinobacteriota