# Age-related gut microbiota succession in Neijiang pigs: insights for precision feeding and productivity

## TL;DR

This study tracks gut microbiota changes in pigs over time and links these changes to growth stages, offering insights for better feeding strategies.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed temporal blueprint of gut microbiota maturation in pigs and links it to growth phases for precision feeding.

## Key findings

- The Gompertz model best described growth with an inflection point at 84.2 days.
- Microbial alpha-diversity increased with age and plateaued after 110 days.
- Stage-specific microbial biomarkers and functional shifts were identified across growth phases.

## Abstract

To characterize age-related gut microbiota succession in Neijiang pigs and translate these dynamics into actionable insights for precision feeding and productivity improvement.

Growth data from 0 to 180 days (n = 16, 780 weight records) were fitted with three non-linear models to determine the optimal growth curve and partition physiological stages. Fresh feces were collected at 25, 70, 110, and 150 days (n = 6/stage). 16S rRNA V3–V4 amplicon sequencing was used to profile microbiota composition and diversity; PICRUSt2 was employed to predict metagenome functions against the KEGG database.

The Gompertz model best described growth (R2 = 0.996) with an inflection point at 84.2 days (25.9 kg). Microbial alpha-diversity (Shannon, Chao1) increased with age and plateaued after 110 days. Firmicutes and Bacteroidota dominated (>90% relative abundance), whereas Spirochaetota and Euryarchaeota expanded significantly in finishing pigs. LEfSe identified 45 stage-specific biomarkers: Prevotella_9, Collinsella and Blautia characterized suckling–weaning stages; Faecalibacterium and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 peaked at 70 days; Lactobacillus was dominant at 110 days; Treponema, Streptococcus and Bacteroides defined the 150-day microbiome. Functional prediction revealed a metabolic shift from basal biosynthesis and DNA repair in early life toward enhanced ABC transporters, bacterial motility proteins, oxidative phosphorylation and methane metabolism in finishing pigs.

Our data provide a temporal blueprint of gut microbiota maturation that mirrors host nutrient requirements across growth phases. These microbial indicators and functional signatures can guide stage-specific dietary formulations and microbiota-targeted interventions to improve feed efficiency, reduce environmental emissions and enhance the productivity of indigenous pig breeds.