A Probabilistic Structural Equation Model to Evaluate Links between Gut Microbiota and Body Weights of Chicken Fed or Not Fed Insect Larvae
Feeding chicken with black soldier fly larvae (BSF) may influence their rates of growth via effects on the composition of their gut microbiota. To verify this hypothesis, we aim to evaluate a probabilistic structural equation model because it can unravel the complex web of relationships that exist b...
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/3/357 |
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| author | Johann Detilleux Nassim Moula Edwin Dawans Bernard Taminiau Georges Daube Pascal Leroy |
| author_facet | Johann Detilleux Nassim Moula Edwin Dawans Bernard Taminiau Georges Daube Pascal Leroy |
| author_sort | Johann Detilleux |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Feeding chicken with black soldier fly larvae (BSF) may influence their rates of growth via effects on the composition of their gut microbiota. To verify this hypothesis, we aim to evaluate a probabilistic structural equation model because it can unravel the complex web of relationships that exist between the bacteria involved in digestion and evaluate whether these influence bird growth. We followed 90 chickens fed diets supplemented with 0%, 5% or 10% BSF and measured the strength of the relationship between their weight and the relative abundance of bacteria (OTU) present in their cecum or cloaca at 16, 28, 39, 67 or 73 days of age, while adjusting for potential confounding effects of their age and sex. Results showed that OTUs (62 genera) could be combined into ten latent constructs with distinctive metabolic attributes. Links were discovered between these constructs that suggest nutritional relationships. Age directly influenced weights and microbiotal composition, and three constructs indirectly influenced weights via their dependencies on age. The proposed methodology was able to simplify dependencies among OTUs into knowledgeable constructs and to highlight links potentially important to understand the role of insect feed and of microbiota in chicken growth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:05:50Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:05:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-77f483e2f5124c0a891a0314c897e5d22023-11-24T00:30:45ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372022-02-0111335710.3390/biology11030357A Probabilistic Structural Equation Model to Evaluate Links between Gut Microbiota and Body Weights of Chicken Fed or Not Fed Insect LarvaeJohann Detilleux0Nassim Moula1Edwin Dawans2Bernard Taminiau3Georges Daube4Pascal Leroy5Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals, Veterinary Faculty, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2, Avenue de Cureghem 7A-7D, 4000 Liège, BelgiumFundamental and Applied Research for Animals, Veterinary Faculty, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2, Avenue de Cureghem 7A-7D, 4000 Liège, BelgiumFundamental and Applied Research for Animals, Veterinary Faculty, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2, Avenue de Cureghem 7A-7D, 4000 Liège, BelgiumFundamental and Applied Research for Animals, Veterinary Faculty, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2, Avenue de Cureghem 7A-7D, 4000 Liège, BelgiumFundamental and Applied Research for Animals, Veterinary Faculty, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2, Avenue de Cureghem 7A-7D, 4000 Liège, BelgiumFundamental and Applied Research for Animals, Veterinary Faculty, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2, Avenue de Cureghem 7A-7D, 4000 Liège, BelgiumFeeding chicken with black soldier fly larvae (BSF) may influence their rates of growth via effects on the composition of their gut microbiota. To verify this hypothesis, we aim to evaluate a probabilistic structural equation model because it can unravel the complex web of relationships that exist between the bacteria involved in digestion and evaluate whether these influence bird growth. We followed 90 chickens fed diets supplemented with 0%, 5% or 10% BSF and measured the strength of the relationship between their weight and the relative abundance of bacteria (OTU) present in their cecum or cloaca at 16, 28, 39, 67 or 73 days of age, while adjusting for potential confounding effects of their age and sex. Results showed that OTUs (62 genera) could be combined into ten latent constructs with distinctive metabolic attributes. Links were discovered between these constructs that suggest nutritional relationships. Age directly influenced weights and microbiotal composition, and three constructs indirectly influenced weights via their dependencies on age. The proposed methodology was able to simplify dependencies among OTUs into knowledgeable constructs and to highlight links potentially important to understand the role of insect feed and of microbiota in chicken growth.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/3/357microbiota16S RNABayesian networkstructural equation modelchickeninsect in feed |
| spellingShingle | Johann Detilleux Nassim Moula Edwin Dawans Bernard Taminiau Georges Daube Pascal Leroy A Probabilistic Structural Equation Model to Evaluate Links between Gut Microbiota and Body Weights of Chicken Fed or Not Fed Insect Larvae Biology microbiota 16S RNA Bayesian network structural equation model chicken insect in feed |
| title | A Probabilistic Structural Equation Model to Evaluate Links between Gut Microbiota and Body Weights of Chicken Fed or Not Fed Insect Larvae |
| title_full | A Probabilistic Structural Equation Model to Evaluate Links between Gut Microbiota and Body Weights of Chicken Fed or Not Fed Insect Larvae |
| title_fullStr | A Probabilistic Structural Equation Model to Evaluate Links between Gut Microbiota and Body Weights of Chicken Fed or Not Fed Insect Larvae |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Probabilistic Structural Equation Model to Evaluate Links between Gut Microbiota and Body Weights of Chicken Fed or Not Fed Insect Larvae |
| title_short | A Probabilistic Structural Equation Model to Evaluate Links between Gut Microbiota and Body Weights of Chicken Fed or Not Fed Insect Larvae |
| title_sort | probabilistic structural equation model to evaluate links between gut microbiota and body weights of chicken fed or not fed insect larvae |
| topic | microbiota 16S RNA Bayesian network structural equation model chicken insect in feed |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/3/357 |
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