D’Andreano S., Sánchez Bonastre A., Cuscó Martí A., Ceciliani F., Francino O., Grilli G., Saita M., Lecchi C.
The diversity and functions of microbes in the gastrointestinal tract is a field of ongoing research, aiming to establish the correlation between them and different genetic changes, diseases, relationship with therapy and the influence on metabolism or immune system of the host (Moura-Alvarez et al. 2014, Danzeisen et al. 2013). The distribution of bacterial population depends on the environment, the different zones of the organism in which microbes grow, the age and the diet of the host.
For our study, samples from four parts of the intestine of turkeys (duodenum, jejunum, ileum and cecum) were collected to obtain a characterisation of intestinal microbiome. Four abundant phyla were found: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. For these phyla analysis at family level were performed, and results shown that Lactobacillaceae family has the higher percentage in samples, while at genus level Lactobacillus (phylum Firmicutes), is the most abundant and homogeneously distributed bacterial genus presented in the gut of turkeys, except in cecum zone.
