Probiotics and the gut microbiota in intestinal health and disease

AbstractThere is increasing evidence that the gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of microbes representing over 1,000 species of bacteria with over 3 million genes, significantly impacts intestinal health and disease. The gut microbiota not only is capable of promoting intestinal homeostasis and antitumor responses but can also contribute to chronic dysregulated inflammation as well as have genotoxic effects that lead to carcinogenesis. Whether the gut microbiota maintains health or promotes colon cancer may ultimately depend on the composition of the gut microbiome and the balance within the microbial community of protective and detrimental bacterial populations. Disturbances in the normal balanced state of a healthful microbiome, known as dysbiosis, have been observed in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC); however, whether these alterations precede and cause CRC remains to be determined. Nonetheless, studies in mice strongly suggest that the gut microbiota can modulate susceptibility to CRC, and therefore may serve as both biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of The impact of dietary fiber on gut microbiota in host health and disease.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.733450095.793569645 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Eamonn Quigley

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Dietary Fiber ◽

Host Health ◽

Health And Disease ◽

The Impact

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BOARD INVITED REVIEW: The pig microbiota and the potential for harnessing the power of the microbiome to improve growth and health1

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz208 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (9) ◽

pp. 3741-3757 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Nirosh D Aluthge ◽

Dana M Van Sambeek ◽

Erin E Carney-Hinkle ◽

Yanshuo S Li ◽

Samodha C Fernando ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gastrointestinal Tract ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Animal Health ◽

Microbial Colonization ◽

Critical Importance ◽

Specific Host ◽

Microbiome Research ◽

Health And Disease ◽

The Impact

Abstract A variety of microorganisms inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of animals including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Pioneers in gut microbiology have stressed the critical importance of diet:microbe interactions and how these interactions may contribute to health status. As scientists have overcome the limitations of culture-based microbiology, the importance of these interactions has become more clear even to the extent that the gut microbiota has emerged as an important immunologic and metabolic organ. Recent advances in metagenomics and metabolomics have helped scientists to demonstrate that interactions among the diet, the gut microbiota, and the host to have profound effects on animal health and disease. However, although scientists have now accumulated a great deal of data with respect to what organisms comprise the gastrointestinal landscape, there is a need to look more closely at causative effects of the microbiome. The objective of this review is intended to provide: 1) a review of what is currently known with respect to the dynamics of microbial colonization of the porcine gastrointestinal tract; 2) a review of the impact of nutrient:microbe effects on growth and health; 3) examples of the therapeutic potential of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics; and 4) a discussion about what the future holds with respect to microbiome research opportunities and challenges. Taken together, by considering what is currently known in the four aforementioned areas, our overarching goal is to set the stage for narrowing the path towards discovering how the porcine gut microbiota (individually and collectively) may affect specific host phenotypes.

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Gut Microbiota and Host Metabolism: From Proof of Concept to Therapeutic Intervention

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9061302 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 1302

Author(s):

Patrice D. Cani ◽

Emilie Moens de Hase ◽

Matthias Van Hul

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Research Field ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

Clinical Implementation ◽

Science Area ◽

Microbiome Research ◽

Fast Pace ◽

Health And Disease ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Host Metabolism

The field of the gut microbiota is still a relatively young science area, yet many studies have already highlighted the translational potential of microbiome research in the context of human health and disease. However, like in many new fields, discoveries are occurring at a fast pace and have provided new hope for the development of novel clinical applications in many different medical conditions, not in the least in metabolic disorders. This rapid progress has left the field vulnerable to premature claims, misconceptions and criticism, both from within and outside the sector. Tackling these issues requires a broad collaborative effort within the research field and is only possible by acknowledging the difficulties and challenges that are faced and that are currently hindering clinical implementation. These issues include: the primarily descriptive nature of evidence, methodological concerns, disagreements in analysis techniques, lack of causality, and a rather limited molecular-based understanding of underlying mechanisms. In this review, we discuss various studies and models that helped identifying the microbiota as an attractive tool or target for developing various translational applications. We also discuss some of the limitations and try to clarify some common misconceptions that are still prevalent in the field.

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Nutritional Components in Western Diet Versus Mediterranean Diet at the Gut Microbiota–Immune System Interplay. Implications for Health and Disease

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13020699 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 699

Author(s):

Cielo García-Montero ◽

Oscar Fraile-Martínez ◽

Ana M. Gómez-Lahoz ◽

Leonel Pekarek ◽

Alejandro J. Castellanos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Immune Functions ◽

Treatment And Prevention ◽

Nutritional Components ◽

Westernized Diet ◽

Prevention And Health Promotion ◽

Health And Disease

The most prevalent diseases of our time, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer) are rising worldwide. All of them share the condition of an “inflammatory disorder”, with impaired immune functions frequently caused or accompanied by alterations in gut microbiota. These multifactorial maladies also have in common malnutrition related to physiopathology. In this context, diet is the greatest modulator of immune system–microbiota crosstalk, and much interest, and new challenges, are arising in the area of precision nutrition as a way towards treatment and prevention. It is a fact that the westernized diet (WD) is partly responsible for the increased prevalence of NCDs, negatively affecting both gut microbiota and the immune system. Conversely, other nutritional approaches, such as Mediterranean diet (MD), positively influence immune system and gut microbiota, and is proposed not only as a potential tool in the clinical management of different disease conditions, but also for prevention and health promotion globally. Thus, the purpose of this review is to determine the regulatory role of nutritional components of WD and MD in the gut microbiota and immune system interplay, in order to understand, and create awareness of, the influence of diet over both key components.

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The gut microbiome: a key player in the complexity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

BMC Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12916-020-01885-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sarah L. Boddy ◽

Ilaria Giovannelli ◽

Matilde Sassani ◽

Johnathan Cooper-Knock ◽

Michael P. Snyder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Phenotypic Variability ◽

Personalised Medicine ◽

Main Body ◽

Body Of Knowledge ◽

Environmental Component ◽

Health And Disease ◽

Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract Background Much progress has been made in mapping genetic abnormalities linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the majority of cases still present with no known underlying cause. Furthermore, even in families with a shared genetic abnormality there is significant phenotypic variability, suggesting that non-genetic elements may modify pathogenesis. Identification of such disease-modifiers is important as they might represent new therapeutic targets. A growing body of research has begun to shed light on the role played by the gut microbiome in health and disease with a number of studies linking abnormalities to ALS. Main body The microbiome refers to the genes belonging to the myriad different microorganisms that live within and upon us, collectively known as the microbiota. Most of these microbes are found in the intestines, where they play important roles in digestion and the generation of key metabolites including neurotransmitters. The gut microbiota is an important aspect of the environment in which our bodies operate and inter-individual differences may be key to explaining the different disease outcomes seen in ALS. Work has begun to investigate animal models of the disease, and the gut microbiomes of people living with ALS, revealing changes in the microbial communities of these groups. The current body of knowledge will be summarised in this review. Advances in microbiome sequencing methods will be highlighted, as their improved resolution now enables researchers to further explore differences at a functional level. Proposed mechanisms connecting the gut microbiome to neurodegeneration will also be considered, including direct effects via metabolites released into the host circulation and indirect effects on bioavailability of nutrients and even medications. Conclusion Profiling of the gut microbiome has the potential to add an environmental component to rapidly advancing studies of ALS genetics and move research a step further towards personalised medicine for this disease. Moreover, should compelling evidence of upstream neurotoxicity or neuroprotection initiated by gut microbiota emerge, modification of the microbiome will represent a potential new avenue for disease modifying therapies. For an intractable condition with few current therapeutic options, further research into the ALS microbiome is of crucial importance.

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A Crosstalk between Diet, Microbiome and microRNA in Epigenetic Regulation of Colorectal Cancer

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13072428 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 2428

Author(s):

Małgorzata Guz ◽

Witold Jeleniewicz ◽

Anna Malm ◽

Izabela Korona-Glowniak

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Gastrointestinal Tract ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Intestinal Microbiota ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Vital Role ◽

Disease States ◽

Health And Disease ◽

Dietary Components ◽

Non Coding Rnas

A still growing interest between human nutrition in relation to health and disease states can be observed. Dietary components shape the composition of microbiota colonizing our gastrointestinal tract which play a vital role in maintaining human health. There is a strong evidence that diet, gut microbiota and their metabolites significantly influence our epigenome, particularly through the modulation of microRNAs. These group of small non-coding RNAs maintain cellular homeostasis, however any changes leading to impaired expression of miRNAs contribute to the development of different pathologies, including neoplastic diseases. Imbalance of intestinal microbiota due to diet is primary associated with the development of colorectal cancer as well as other types of cancers. In the present work we summarize current knowledge with particular emphasis on diet-microbiota-miRNAs axis and its relation to the development of colorectal cancer.

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Dissecting the Interplay Mechanism between Epigenetics and Gut Microbiota: Health Maintenance and Disease Prevention

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22136933 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (13) ◽

pp. 6933

Author(s):

Yuqi Wu ◽

Chong-Zhi Wang ◽

Jin-Yi Wan ◽

Haiqiang Yao ◽

Chun-Su Yuan

Keyword(s):

Disease Prevention ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Intestinal Inflammation ◽

Epigenetic Factors ◽

Metabolic Disturbances ◽

Health Maintenance ◽

Full Life Cycle ◽

Research Profile ◽

Health And Disease ◽

New Perspective

The gut microbiota exists throughout the full life cycle of the human body, and it has been proven to have extensive impacts on health and disease. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the interplay between gut microbiota and host epigenetics plays a multifaceted role in health maintenance and disease prevention. Intestinal microflora, along with their metabolites, could regulate multiple epigenetic pathways; e.g., DNA methylation, miRNA, or histone modification. Moreover, epigenetic factors can serve as mediators to coordinate gut microbiota within the host. Aiming to dissect this interplay mechanism, the present review summarizes the research profile of gut microbiota and epigenetics in detail, and further interprets the biofunctions of this interplay, especially the regulation of intestinal inflammation, the improvement of metabolic disturbances, and the inhibition of colitis events. This review provides new insights into the interplay of epigenetics and gut microbiota, and attempts to reveal the mysteries of health maintenance and disease prevention from this new perspective.

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On the robustness of inference of association with the gut microbiota in stool, rectal swab and mucosal tissue samples

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-94205-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Shan Sun ◽

Xiangzhu Zhu ◽

Xiang Huang ◽

Harvey J. Murff ◽

Reid M. Ness ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Rectal Swab ◽

Taxonomic Composition ◽

Mucosal Tissue ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Health And Disease ◽

Inflammatory Drugs ◽

Metagenome Sequencing ◽

Functional Profiles

AbstractThe gut microbiota plays an important role in human health and disease. Stool, rectal swab and rectal mucosal tissue samples have been used in individual studies to survey the microbial community but the consequences of using these different sample types are not completely understood. In this study, we report differences in stool, rectal swab and rectal mucosal tissue microbial communities with shotgun metagenome sequencing of 1397 stool, swab and mucosal tissue samples from 240 participants. The taxonomic composition of stool and swab samples was distinct, but less different to each other than mucosal tissue samples. Functional profile differences between stool and swab samples are smaller, but mucosal tissue samples remained distinct from the other two types. When the taxonomic and functional profiles were used for inference in association with host phenotypes of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), antibiotics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use, hypothesis testing using either stool or rectal swab gave broadly significantly correlated results, but inference performed on mucosal tissue samples gave results that were generally less consistent with either stool or swab. Our study represents an important resource for determination of how inference can change for taxa and pathways depending on the choice of where to sample within the human gut.

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