Dynamic Changes in the Gut Microbiota During Peripartum in Jennies

The peripartum period is critical for breeding female donkeys (i.e., jennies) and ensuring the delivery of healthy neonatal foals. The gut microbiota deeply influences the host metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in the gut microbiome during the peripartum period in jennies. Fresh fecal samples of eight adult jennies were collected at the following seven sampling time points: 21, 7, and 3 days prepartum (G21, G7, and G3) and 1, 3, 7, and 14 days postpartum (L1, L3, L7, and L14). Sequencing of the V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA genes was carried out using fecal samples to identify the differences in the microbiome across the peripartum period. Bacteroidota and Firmicutes were the most abundant bacterial phyla in the feces. <i>Treponema</i> and <i>Lachnospiraceae XPB1014 group</i> significantly increased in the L3 group compared to the G7 group (<i>q</i> < 0.05), and a decline trend was observed in L1 group around parturition. The genus <i>Clostridium sensu stricto 1</i>, family Clostridiaceae, and order Clostridiales were considered to be biomarkers of the L3 group. Among the 25 functional pathways detected by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, beta lactam resistance, insulin resistance, and peptidases were the top three important pathways observed in the gut microbiota during the peripartum period in jennies. The gut microbial structure changed significantly at different time points during the peripartum period in jennies. These results contribute to a better understanding of the gut microbiota to ensure health care during important phases from late pregnancy to early lactation in jennies.