Fecal Metabolomics Reveals the Foraging Strategies of Giant Pandas for Different Parts of Bamboo

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Climate change can have a negative impact on the food sources of wild animals, including giant pandas, who primarily rely on bamboo. To better understand the foraging strategy of giant pandas and aid in their conservation, metabolomic methods were used to analyze fecal metabolites and correlate them with gut microbiota. The results indicate that the sugar content in giant panda feces is higher when they consume bamboo culm (the hollow, jointed stem) with high fiber content and that Streptococcus bacteria are positively correlated with glucose and acetic acid content, both of which are related to fiber. These results suggest that the foraging strategy of giant pandas is based on the nutritional composition of different bamboo parts, and therefore, enriching their habitat with bamboo species is essential to achieve their natural foraging strategy to obtain adequate nutrition. ABSTRACT: Climate change-induced food shortages pose major threats to wildlife conservation, and the exclusive reliance of giant pandas on bamboo makes them particularly vulnerable. The aim of this study was to provide insight into the reasons for the foraging strategies of giant pandas to selectively forage for different bamboo parts (bamboo shoot, culm, and leaf) during different seasons. This study used a metabolomic approach to analyze the fecal metabolites of giant pandas and conducted a correlation analysis with their gut microbiota. The results indicate that the fecal metabolites of giant pandas differ significantly depending on the bamboo parts they forage on, with higher sugar content observed when they consume bamboo culm with high fiber content. By functional annotation, culm group metabolites were enriched in the galactose metabolic pathway, while shoot group metabolites were enriched in the phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis pathways. Moreover, Streptococcus showed a significant positive correlation with glucose and acetic acid content. Therefore, the foraging strategy of giant pandas is based on the ability to utilize the nutrient content of different bamboo parts. Captive feeding and habitat construction should enrich bamboo species to allow them to express their natural foraging strategies and improve their welfare and reproductive status.