TITLE:
The Use of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism and Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization to Investigate Microbiota of Piglets after Feeding Oregano
AUTHORS:
Katrin Stelter, Andreas Berk, Andreas Berk, Lutz Geue, Stefanie Barth, Petra Schlien, Alexander Swidsinski, Sven Dänicke
KEYWORDS:
Piglets, Origanum vulgare L., Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization, Restriction Fragment Length
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.5 No.17,
September
5,
2014
ABSTRACT: A total of 80 piglets (7.9 ± 1.0 kg) were used in a feeding experiment with dried oregano. The diets differed in their oregano content: 0 g, 2 g, 4 g and 8 g oregano/kg feed, corresponding to 0, 23.5, 46.9 and 93.9 mg carvacrol/kg DM. After the experimental period of 5 weeks, 20 piglets of both extreme feeding groups were slaughtered: 10 animals of the control group and 10 animals of the group that received 8 g oregano/kg. Ingesta samples of jejunum, caecum and colon were collected and analyzed by FISH and PCR RFLP to compare the diversity of microbiota. The results showed no significant changes in microbiota in response to oregano. The patterns of the PCR-RFLP showed a similarity of 61.8% - 91.8% in both feeding groups. In conclusion, an effect of oregano on the in- testinal microbiota could not be shown under the methods used.