Age Influences the Bacterial Composition of Samples From Buffaloes in the Marajó Archipelago, Pará, Brazilian Amazon.

Buffalo milk stands out for its nutritional qualities and is mainly produced in Brazil in the Amazon region, particularly in the Marajó Archipelago, State of Pará. In this context, the milk microbiome is an intriguing and underexplored research topic. This study tested the hypothesis that the buffalo milk microbiome could share taxa with faeces, pasture soil and calf spittle. A possible correlation between generations was also explored. Samples of milk, faeces, spittle and pasture soil were analysed using a 16S rRNA metabarcoding approach, revealing significant phylogenetic and ecological differences among matrices. Beta-diversity analysis showed clustering between milk samples from heifers and cows, as well as proximity between soil and buffalo samples (milk and faeces). Relative abundance analysis identified shared taxa between buffaloes and their calves, though no clustering was observed between generations. A total of 15 bacterial families were found across all matrices, with Staphylococcaceae, Planococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae being the most prominent. The milk microbiota was similar among animals of different ages. The grouping pattern varied depending on the animal and matrix, but not on the maternal relationship. Despite compositional differences, the shared taxa reinforce the idea of interaction among the studied microbial communities.