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Microorganisms
Volume 13
Issue 8
10.3390/microorganisms13081810
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Effect of Multi-Species Probiotic Supplementation on Fecal Microbiota in Pre-Weaned Holstein Dairy Calves in California

by
Yoonsuk Lee
1,
Heidi A. Rossow
1,2,
Deniece R. Williams
1,
Sejin Cheong
2,
Hedmon Okella
1,
Logan Widmer
1 and
Emmanuel Okello
1,2,*
1
Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Tulare, CA 93274, USA
2
Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Microorganisms 2025, 13(8), 1810; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081810 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 19 May 2025 / Revised: 11 July 2025 / Accepted: 22 July 2025 / Published: 2 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiota of Food Animal)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The gross benefit of feeding multi-species probiotics has been reported, but the effect on the gut microbiota in pre-weaned dairy calves has not been elucidated. To address this gap, a randomized controlled trial was conducted in California, USA, to investigate the effect of feeding probiotics on the fecal microbiota of pre-weaned dairy calves. A total of 30 neonatal calves were randomly assigned to either the probiotic (PRO) or control (CON) treatment. Fecal samples were collected at four age timepoints: days 7, 14, 21, and 42. Fecal bacterial population was analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Differential abundance analysis was conducted to investigate the difference between the PRO and CON treatments, and diarrheic and non-diarrheic calves in each PRO and CON group. The PRO group had decreased Clostridium perfringens and Fusobacterium varium compared to the CON at 7 days of age. At 7 days of age, diarrheic calves in CON had more abundant F. varium compared to non-diarrheic calves, but there was no difference between diarrheic and non-diarrheic calves in the PRO group. In conclusion, probiotics administration decreased the population of pathogenic bacteria in feces from pre-weaned dairy calves on Day 7 of age. However, the treatment did not have an impact on bacterial diversity. These results suggest that the administration of probiotics has the potential to control gastrointestinal pathogens.
Keywords: diarrhea; probiotic; gut microbiota; pre-wean dairy calves; randomized trial diarrhea; probiotic; gut microbiota; pre-wean dairy calves; randomized trial

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Lee, Y.; Rossow, H.A.; Williams, D.R.; Cheong, S.; Okella, H.; Widmer, L.; Okello, E. Effect of Multi-Species Probiotic Supplementation on Fecal Microbiota in Pre-Weaned Holstein Dairy Calves in California. Microorganisms 2025, 13, 1810. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081810

AMA Style

Lee Y, Rossow HA, Williams DR, Cheong S, Okella H, Widmer L, Okello E. Effect of Multi-Species Probiotic Supplementation on Fecal Microbiota in Pre-Weaned Holstein Dairy Calves in California. Microorganisms. 2025; 13(8):1810. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081810

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lee, Yoonsuk, Heidi A. Rossow, Deniece R. Williams, Sejin Cheong, Hedmon Okella, Logan Widmer, and Emmanuel Okello. 2025. "Effect of Multi-Species Probiotic Supplementation on Fecal Microbiota in Pre-Weaned Holstein Dairy Calves in California" Microorganisms 13, no. 8: 1810. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081810

APA Style

Lee, Y., Rossow, H. A., Williams, D. R., Cheong, S., Okella, H., Widmer, L., & Okello, E. (2025). Effect of Multi-Species Probiotic Supplementation on Fecal Microbiota in Pre-Weaned Holstein Dairy Calves in California. Microorganisms, 13(8), 1810. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081810

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