Features of Wild Pheasant Gastrointestinal Tract Microbiota Associated with Enhanced Immunity

Composition of the microbiota in various sections of the gastrointestinal tract of the wild pheasant Phasianus colchicus, collected in the Krasnodar region, was characterized for the first time using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. This species is an important target of sport hunting, an indicator of habitat biocoenosis preservation, and a promising alternative to traditional poultry farming due to the high nutritional value and hypoallergenic properties of its products. The microbiota of wild species exhibited greater diversity and an increased representation of Coriobacteriaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae compared to the microbiota of birds raised under intensive farming conditions. The lower intestine, particularly the cecum, showed a higher presence of these families, whose members are known for their probiotic properties. Assessing the indigenous microbiota of the wild pheasant is of interest for understanding the associations between microbiota and host immunity and as a source of potential probiotic strains for veterinary biopreparations. The highest proportion of potentially probiotic bacteria from the families Coriobacteriaceae, Lactobacteriaceae, and Bifidobacteriaceae was found in the cecal microbiota.