The Impact of High-fiber Diet and High-starch Diet on Equine Gut Microbiota

Abstract

To better understand the health of horses, analyzing the equine gut microbiota is an inevitable step. Feeding strategies, as one of the main factor that significantly affects the microbiota composition of equine gut, has gradually become the focus of research. This paper systematically analyzes the different effects of two different dietary structures, high fiber and high starch diets, on the equine intestinal microbiota. The results of this paper show that high fiber diets can maintain a high level of alpha diversity in the equine hindgut microbiota and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. However, high starch diets decrease microbiota α-diversity, increase the number of potentially pathogenic bacteria, and are associated with diseases such as colitis and acidosis. In addition, this paper presents recommendations for proper feeding of horses based on the latest research, highlights the importance of high-fiber diets by comparing the two diets, and summarizes some feeding recommendations to provide horse breeders with the right feeding ideas, aiming to contribute to the field of equine health.