Fig 1. Flow diagram showing experimental paradigm through analyses of fecal microbiome and intestinal transcriptome.

Female piglets (5 weeks old) were fed a weaner diet or a weaner diet mixed with liquid probiotics containing L. plantarum strain JDFM LP11 (1.25×10⁹ CFU/kg of diet) for 4 weeks (n = 3 per group). Rectal feces and ileal tissues were collected at the end of animal trial for analyses of fecal microbiome and intestinal transcriptome to study roles of probiotics in modulation of gut microbiota and immune associated gene expression in weaned piglets.