반려견 급여 사료와 장내 미생물 풍부도의 상관관계

Correlation Between Dog Food and Gut Microbiota Richness

The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between the type of dog food provided and the abundance of gut microbiota in dogs. To this end, 92 samples from randomly selected dogs that were exclusively fed either dry food or raw food were collected and analyzed. Among the samples, 65 were from dogs fed dry food, and 27 were from dogs fed raw food. Gut microbiota analysis was conducted using next-generation sequencing (NGS), a precise method for evaluating the diversity and abundance of microbial communities. The comparison of the effects of dry and raw food on the gut microbiota revealed that the average number of detected microbial species was approximately 37.2 in the dry food group and 47.0 in the raw food group. The Shannon diversity index, a measure of microbial diversity, was about 2.27 in the dry food group and 2.48 in the raw food group. These results suggest that raw food may have a greater impact on the diversity and abundance of gut microbiota compared to dry food. This study aims to clarify the effect of dog food choices on gut microbiota and provide valuable data for selecting food that promotes canine health. However, the study was limited by factors such as the number of samples per food group, the influence of probiotic supplementation, and the activation of Lactobacillus, which were not fully controlled, making only intuitive figures available. Future studies should evaluate the long-term effects of probiotic supplementation and various food combinations on gut microbiota, and further investigate the underlying mechanisms in a more controlled setting with specific dog breeds.