The Effect of Feeding Cocoa Powder and Lactobacillus rhamnosus on the Composition and Function of Pig Intestinal Microbiome.

Background: Dietary habits have been linked with variability of gut microbiota composition and disease risk.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding a cocoa powder with or without a probiotic on the composition and function of the fecal microbiome of pigs.

Methods: Four groups of 8 pigs each were fed a standard growth diet supplemented with cocoa powder, Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG), cocoa powder + LGG, or an equal amount of fiber similar to that found in cocoa powder (control group). Fecal samples were collected prior to and 4 wk after initiation of the dietary intervention. Microbiota composition was determined after amplification of the first 2 variable regions of the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Predictions of metagenomic function were calculated using 16S rDNA sequence data through Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt).

Results: After 4 wk of treatment, bacterial abundance analysis demonstrated a prebiotic effect of cocoa powder on endogenous Bifidobacteriaceae and Lactobacillaceae and increased abundance of saccharolytic butyrate-producing bacteria like Roseburia . An increased bacterial evenness, Shannon diversity index, and diverse metabolic profile were detected in microbiomes of pigs fed the cocoa powder + LGG ( P  < 0.05) but not in pigs in the other 3 groups.

Conclusion: The data generated from this work demonstrated that 4-wk dietary treatment with cocoa powder alone or in combination with LGG probiotic had an impact on the composition and function of the fecal microbiota of healthy pigs.