Colobine gut microbiome vulnerability to captivity: a meta-analysis of herbivorous primates
Abstract
Colobine monkey species have a multi-cavity forestomach adapted to a folivorous diet and foregut fermentation, making their gut microbiome essential for efficient digestion of plant fibre. In captivity, these species frequently experience gastrointestinal disorders associated with dietary changes and microbial dysbiosis. Understanding how their microbiome differs from that of other primates is therefore critical for improving health and husbandry. This study used a meta-analysis of global primate microbiome data to compare the faecal microbiome of colobines with those of other herbivorous primates, focusing on the effects of captivity.
Data from 16 studies involving 35 primate species and 7 primate families/subfamilies, comprising 1,690 faecal samples generated using 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing, were re-analysed using standardised bioinformatic and compositional-statistical pipelines. Significant differences in microbial diversity and composition were observed among wild primates across families/subfamilies, diets, and fermentation strategies. Colobinae had a distinctive microbiome characterised by low Shannon diversity and high relative abundance of Firmicutes, particularly Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae, which were also prominent members of the wild colobinae core microbiome. Across all families/subfamilies and within colobinae, observed Shannon diversity was lower in captivity; however, multivariable mixed-effects models showed that alpha-diversity estimates were…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in animal, not in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
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