Review for 10.1186/s12876-016-0456-x (2016)

Review er’s report  
 
Title: Formula diet alters small intestine morphology, microbial abundance and reduces VE -
cadherin and IL -10 expression in neonatal porcine model  
 
 
Version: 0 Date: 17 Feb 2016  
 
 
Reviewer: Suneeta Krishnareddy  
 
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
1. Were pigs from the same mother, so that microbiome can be compared as maternal 
transmission is a major factor  
 
Given single housing, this can affect microbiome, were pigs tra nsferred between housing units to 
decrease environmental role in observed microbiome differences  
 
 
Please clarify the housing/breeding of the pigs  
 
 
2. Is 3 weeks sufficient time for maturation of the microbiome, in mouse studies, usually 7 -8 
weeks is the time  at which the microbiome is said to reach maturity  were any experiments done 
on older pigs to assess if the changes seen were related to immature microbiome versus actual 
changes from diet  do these changes seen at 21 days hold true if you were to check lat er on at 3 
months, etc  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the a uthors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to th e authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of com peting interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary 
from an  organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the 
publication of this  manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hol d or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of 
the manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is y es to any, please give details below.  
 
no 
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publica tion, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by /4.0/). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal