Advancing microbial diversity characterization for ecological innovation: bifidobacteria from pre-weaning calves

The gut microbiota of neonatal ruminants plays a pivotal role in animal health, productivity, and environmental sustainability (Amin & Seifert 2021). Among early colonizers, Bifidobacterium species represent promising candidates for the development of eco-friendly probiotic strategies in livestock management. In this study, approximately 150 bifidobacterial strains were isolated from ten pre-weaning dairy calves. Species identification was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time- of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS, Liu et al. 2023) and confirmed through whole-genome sequencing and repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting (Masco et al. 2003). The isolates were mainly identified as Bifidobacterium longum (n=127), followed by Bifidobacterium bifidum (n=20), Bifidobacterium animalis (n=2), Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum (n=1), and Bifidobacterium pseudolongum (n=1). The combined use of phenotypic and genotypic methods allowed for accurate identification of Bifidobacterium species. These results contribute to our better understanding of the gut microbiota in young ruminants and may support future strategies promoting sustainable livestock farming through the use of beneficial microbes