A multi-omics characterization of the gut microbiota of weaned piglets in response to Lactobacillus plantarum supplementation.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Korea.
- 2Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
- 3Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju, Korea.
- 4IBS R&D Center, Ildong Bioscience, Pyeongtaek, Korea.
- 5Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
Abstract
Weaning is a critical developmental stage in piglets and is frequently associated with intestinal dysfunction, diarrhea, and growth retardation due to abrupt dietary and environmental changes. Probiotics have been explored as antibiotic alternatives to alleviate postweaning stress, and Lactobacillus plantarum has shown potential for modulating the gut microbiota and improving intestinal health. However, most previous studies have relied on single-omics approaches, limiting mechanistic understanding of host-microbiome interactions. This study employed an integrated multi-omics approach combining ileal transcriptomics, fecal microbiomics, and metabolomics to investigate the effects of dietary L. plantarum supplementation in weaned piglets. Six piglets were assigned to either a control or L. plantarum-supplemented group for two weeks. RNA sequencing, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and gas chromatography mass spectrometry based metabolomics were conducted, followed by integrative analysis using MIMOSA2 and MetaboAnalyst. Transcriptomic analysis identified 1,229 differentially expressed genes enriched in immune-related pathways, including NF-κB and IgA signaling, as well as epithelial barrier regulation. Microbiome profiling revealed increased microbial diversity, enrichment of Lactobacillus, and reduced abundance of Shigella. Functional prediction suggested enhanced innate immune responsiveness. Integrated metabolome-transcriptome analysis highlighted lipid and amino acid metabolic pathways linking microbial metabolites with host gene expression. Overall, L. plantarum supplementation induced coordinated host-microbiome adaptations associated with reduced oxidative stress, improved intestinal barrier stability, and enhanced immune resilience. These findings provide mechanistic evidence supporting L. plantarum as a promising nutritional strategy to mitigate postweaning stress and improve piglet intestinal health.
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BibTeX
@article{park2026multiomics,
title = {{A multi-omics characterization of the gut microbiota of weaned piglets in response to Lactobacillus plantarum supplementation.}},
author = {Nae-Ho Park and Byeonghwi Lim and Chiwoong Lim and Young-Jun Seo and Ji-Yeong Lee and Sang-Hyeop Lee and Jungwoo Yang and Minjee Lee and Kyeong Il Park and Hyunjin Kyoung and Minho Song and Jun-Mo Kim},
journal = {Journal of animal science and technology},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.5187/jast.2600114},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898607},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A multi-omics characterization of the gut microbiota of weaned piglets in response to Lactobacillus plantarum supplementation.
AU - Nae-Ho Park
AU - Byeonghwi Lim
AU - Chiwoong Lim
AU - Young-Jun Seo
AU - Ji-Yeong Lee
AU - Sang-Hyeop Lee
AU - Jungwoo Yang
AU - Minjee Lee
AU - Kyeong Il Park
AU - Hyunjin Kyoung
AU - Minho Song
AU - Jun-Mo Kim
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Journal of animal science and technology
DO - 10.5187/jast.2600114
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898607
AB - Weaning is a critical developmental stage in piglets and is frequently associated with intestinal dysfunction, diarrhea, and growth retardation due to abrupt dietary and environmental changes. Probiotics have been explored as antibiotic alternatives to alleviate postweaning stress, and Lactobacillus plantarum has shown potential for modulating the gut microbiota and improving intestinal health. However, most previous studies have relied on single-omics approaches, limiting mechanistic understanding of host-microbiome interactions. This study employed an integrated multi-omics approach combining ileal transcriptomics, fecal microbiomics, and metabolomics to investigate the effects of dietary L. plantarum supplementation in weaned piglets. Six piglets were assigned to either a control or L. plantarum-supplemented group for two weeks. RNA sequencing, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and gas chromatography mass spectrometry based metabolomics were conducted, followed by integrative analysis using MIMOSA2 and MetaboAnalyst. Transcriptomic analysis identified 1,229 differentially expressed genes enriched in immune-related pathways, including NF-κB and IgA signaling, as well as epithelial barrier regulation. Microbiome profiling revealed increased microbial diversity, enrichment of Lactobacillus, and reduced abundance of Shigella. Functional prediction suggested enhanced innate immune responsiveness. Integrated metabolome-transcriptome analysis highlighted lipid and amino acid metabolic pathways linking microbial metabolites with host gene expression. Overall, L. plantarum supplementation induced coordinated host-microbiome adaptations associated with reduced oxidative stress, improved intestinal barrier stability, and enhanced immune resilience. These findings provide mechanistic evidence supporting L. plantarum as a promising nutritional strategy to mitigate postweaning stress and improve piglet intestinal health.
SN - 2055-0391
ER -