Abstract:

[Objective] To elucidate the differences in microbial diversity between rumen and small intestine of Tan sheep lambs. [Method] Healthy weaned Tan sheep male lambs were selected and slaughtered, and the ruminal, duodenal, jejunal and ileac contents were sampled. The microbial composition and diversity of rumen and small intestine were assessed using 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. [Result] The Chao1 index of duodenal samples was higher than that of ruminal, jejunal and ileac samples, and the Shannon index and Simpson index of ruminal samples were higher than those of the other parts, although the difference was not statistically significant （P>0.05）. The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetae and Fibrobacteres in ruminal fluid was significantly （P<0.05） higher than that in duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The relative abundance of Euryarchaeota in duodenum had an increasing trend compared with that in rumen（0.05<P<0.10）. The relative abundance of Firmicutes in jejunum and ileum was significantly （P<0.05） higher than that in duodenum. In rumen, the relative abundance of unidentified bacteria group, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Treponema_2, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group and Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 was significantly （P<0.05） higher than that in duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The relative abundance of Family_ⅩⅢ_AD3011_group in jejunum was significantly （P<0.05） higher than that of the other parts. [Conclusion] The rumen of Tan sheep lambs contained a richer diversity of bacteria, and these bacteria differed greatly from those found in duodenum, jejunum and ileum.

Key words: Tan sheep, rumen, small intestine, microbial diversity