Table 3.

Alpha-diversity statistics using the Mann–Whitney test for each comparison group.

Alpha-diversity index	1Wk_Lactation	1Wk_Lactation-plus-Lactobacillus	Mann-Whitney; p	Statistical significant
Observed_ASVs	104.4 ± 46.33	133.2 ± 25.78	0.0171	*
Chao1	106.4 ± 46.09	138.96 ± 31.93	0.0156	*
Shannon	4.38 ± 1.23	4.68 ± 1.01	0.2363	ns
Simpson	0.86 ± 0.15	0.87 ± 0.16	0.4549	ns
pielou_evenness	0.66 ± 0.15	0.66 ± 0.13	0.3957	ns
Alpha-diversity index	2Wk_Lactation	2Wk_Lactation-plus- Lactobacillus	Mann-Whitney; p	Statistical significant
Observed_ASVs	180.6 ± 25.55	185.0 ± 29.2	0.2849	ns
Chao1	185.83 ± 28.77	191.12 ± 31.19	0.2854	ns
Shannon	5.75 ± 0.42	5.58 ± 0.67	0.4549	ns
Simpson	0.96 ± 0.02	0.94 ± 0.04	0.4549	ns
pielou_evenness	0.77 ± 0.05	0.74 ± 0.07	0.4549	ns
Alpha-diversity index	3Wk_Weaning	3Wk_Weaning-plus- Lactobacillus	Mann-Whitney; p	Statistical significant
Observed_ASVs	282 ± 55.67	286 ± 41.19	0.4849	ns
Chao1	293.46 ± 60.4	291.42 ± 44.54	0.4251	ns
Shannon	6.59 ± 0.44	6.73 ± 0.3	0.3388	ns
Simpson	0.97 ± 0.02	0.97 ± 0.02	0.2137	ns
pielou_evenness	0.81 ± 0.03	0.83 ± 0.04	0.0929	ns
Alpha-diversity index	6Wk_Weaning	6Wk_Weaning-plus- Lactobacillus	Mann-Whitney; p	Statistically significant
Observed_ASVs	276.5 ± 32.54	293.4 ± 64.5	0.0864	ns
Chao1	285.42 ± 35.07	300.31 ± 66.86	0.1724	ns
Shannon	6.86 ± 0.22	6.61 ± 1.0	0.4251	ns
Simpson	0.98 ± 0.0	0.95 ± 0.07	0.0226	*
pielou_evenness	0.85 ± 0.01	0.81 ± 0.09	0.0320	*

The statistical similarity between two methods is denoted by an asterisk (*) mark.