Molecular networking based LC/MS reveals novel biotransformation products of green coffee by ex vivo cultures of the human gut microbiome

Salmonella infections (salmonellosis) pose serious health risks to humans, usually via food-chain contamination. This foodborne pathogen causes major food losses and human illnesses, with significant economic impacts. Overuse of antibiotics in the food industry has led to multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria, and governments are now restricting their use, leading the food industry to search for alternatives to secure food chains. Bacteriophages, viruses that infect and kill bacteria, are currently being investigated and used as replacement treatments and prophylactics due to their specificity and efficacy. They are generally regarded as safe alternatives to antibiotics, as they are natural components of the ecosystem. However, when specifically used in the industry, they can also make their way into humans through our food chain or exposure, as is the case for antibiotics. In particular, agricultural workers could be repeatedly exposed to bacteriophages supplemented to animal feeds. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the effects of such exposure to bacteriophages on the human gut microbiome. In this study, we used a novel in-vitro assay called RapidAIM to investigate the effect of a bacteriophage mixture, BAFASAL®, used in poultry farming on five individual human gut microbiomes. Multi-omics analyses, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metaproteomic, revealed that ex-vivo human gut microbiota composition and function were unaffected by BAFASAL® treatment, providing an additional measure for its safety. Due to the critical role of the gut microbiome in human health and the known role of bacteriophages in regulation of microbiome composition and function, we suggest assaying the impact of bacteriophage-cocktails on the human gut microbiome as a part of their safety assessment.

Download Full-text

A protocol combining breath testing and ex vivo fermentations to study the human gut microbiome

STAR Protocols ◽

10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100227 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 100227

Author(s):

Laura Payling ◽

Nicole C. Roy ◽

Karl Fraser ◽

Simon M. Loveday ◽

Ian M. Sims ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiome ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Human Gut ◽

Human Gut Microbiome ◽

Breath Testing

Download Full-text

Comprehensive assessment of functional effects of commonly used sweeteners on ex vivo human gut microbiome

10.1101/2022.01.15.474735 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Zhongzhi Sun ◽

Wenju Wang ◽

Leyuan Li ◽

Xu Zhang ◽

Zhibin Ning ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiome ◽

Comprehensive Evaluation ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Food Additives ◽

Functional Responses ◽

Sugar Alcohols ◽

Human Gut ◽

Functional Changes ◽

Microbiome Composition ◽

Human Gut Microbiome

The gut microbiome composition and function are associated with health and diseases. Sweeten-ers are widely used food additives, although many studies using animal models have linked sweetener consumption to gut microbial changes and health issues. Whether sweeteners directly change the human gut microbiome functionality remains largely unknown. In this study, we sys-tematically investigated the responses of five human gut microbiomes to 21 common sweeteners, using an approach combining high-throughput ex vivo microbiome culturing and metaproteomics to quantify functional changes in different taxa. Hierarchical clustering based on metaproteomic responses of individual microbiomes resulted in two clusters. The first cluster was composed of non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NAS) and two sugar alcohols with shorter carbon backbones (4-5 carbon atoms), and the second cluster was composed of sugar alcohols with longer carbon backbones. The metaproteomic functional responses of the second cluster were similar to the prebiotic fructooligosaccharides and kestose, indicating that these sugar alcohol-type sweeteners have potential prebiotic functions. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the direct effects of commonly used sweeteners on the functions of the human gut microbiome using a func-tional metaproteomics approach, improving our understanding of the roles of sweeteners on mi-crobiome-associated human health and disease issues.

Download Full-text

Examining the effects of an anti-Salmonella bacteriophage preparation, BAFASAL, on ex vivo human gut microbiome composition and function using a multi-omics approach

10.1101/2021.07.04.451072 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Janice Mayne ◽

Xu Zhang ◽

James Butcher ◽

Krystal Walker ◽

Zhibin Ning ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Chain ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Human Gut ◽

Microbiome Composition ◽

Human Gut Microbiome ◽

Salmonella Infections ◽

And Function ◽

The Impact

Salmonella infections (salmonellosis) pose serious health risks to humans, usually via contamination in our food chain. This foodborne pathogen causes major food losses and human illnesses that result in significant economic impacts. Pathogens such as Salmonella have traditionally been kept at bay through the use of antibiotics, but antibiotic overuse within the food industry has led to the development of numerous multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. Thus, governments are now restricting antibiotic use, forcing the industry to search for alternatives to secure safe food chains. Bacteriophages, viruses that infect and kill bacteria, are currently being investigated and used as replacement treatments and prophylactics due to their specificity and efficacy. They are generally regarded as safe alternatives to antibiotics as they are natural components of the ecosystem. One example is BAFASEL, a commercial bacteriophage mixture that specifically targets Salmonella and is currently approved for use in poultry farming. However, when specifically used in the industry they can also make their way into humans through our food chain or exposure as is the case for antibiotics. In particular, agricultural workers could be repeatedly exposed to bacteriophages supplemented in animal feeds. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have investigated the effects of such exposure to bacteriophages on the human gut microbiome. In this study, we used a novel in vitro assay called RapidAIM to investigate BAFASAL's potential impact on five individual human gut microbiomes. Multi-omics analyses, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metaproteomic, revealed that ex vivo human gut microbiota composition and function were unaffected by BAFASAL treatment providing an additional measure for its safety. Due to the critical role of the gut microbiome in human health and the known role of bacteriophages in regulation of microbiome composition and function, we suggest assaying the impact of bacteriophage-cocktails on the human gut microbiome as a part of their safety assessment.

Download Full-text