Exploring the gut microbiota of healthy captive Asian elephants from various locations in Yunnan, China

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology Vol. 15; p. 1403930
• Main Authors: Wang, Yuhan, Wang, Yixuan, Zhou, Jiuxuan, Bao, Mingwei, Shah, Taif, Yang, Song, Zheng, Jing, Li, Qian, Hou, Yutong, Wang, Binghui, Yuan, Ruiling
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 27.09.2024
• Subjects: captivity; Elephas maximus; gut; microbiota; rescue of wild; microbiota; rescue of wild; captivity; Elephas maximus; gut
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1403930

The Asian elephant ( ) is a giant herbivore classified as an endangered wildlife species by the International Union for Conservation of Threatened Species.This study aims to investigate and compare the core gut microbiota of captive Asian elephants from three different locations in Yunnan Province, China, to explore the impact of environmental and husbandry factors on microbial diversity. We collected fecal samples from 29 captive Asian elephants from three locations and performed full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Microbial diversity was assessed using alpha diversity (Chao1 and Shannon indexes) and beta diversity (Bray-Curtis and Euclidean distance metrics). Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was used to visualize microbial variation among groups. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the microbial diversity in the Yexianggu group was higher than that in the other groups. Bray-Curtis and Euclidean metrics revealed significant differences among the microbial communities. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, which are key cellulose-degrading bacteria, were the dominant phyla in all groups. Synergistaceae was the most abundant family in the Menghai group, while Lachnospiraceae and Pirellulaceae were more abundant in the Yexianggu and Yuantongshan groups, respectively. Genus was more abundant in Yexianggu, and Prevotella was predominant in Menghai. These results indicate that habitat and husbandry practices significantly influence the gut microbiota of captive Asian elephants. The identification of bacterial species such as , , , , , and highlights the potential role of specific microbes in maintaining host-microbial interactions. Promoting microbial diversity through improved captive conditions could enhance the health of these endangered animals.