Prenatal Depression, Breastfeeding, and Infant Gut Microbiota

Depressive symptoms are common during pregnancy and are estimated to affect 7–20% of pregnant women, with higher prevalence found in those with a prior history of depression, in ethnic minorities, and those with increased exposure to stressful life events. Maternal depression often remains undiagnosed, and its symptoms can increase adverse health risks to the infant, including impaired cognitive development, behavioral problems, and higher susceptibility to physical illnesses. Accumulating research evidence supports the association between maternal physical health elements to infant gut health, including factors such as mode of delivery, medication, feeding status, and antibiotic use. However, specific maternal prenatal psychosocial factors and their effect on infant gut microbiota and immunity remains an area that is not well understood. This article reviews the literature and supplements it with new findings to show that prenatal depression alters: (i) gut microbial composition in partially and fully formula-fed infants at 3–4 months of age, and (ii) gut immunity (i.e., secretory Immunoglobulin A) in all infants independent of breastfeeding status. Understanding the implications of maternal depression on the infant gut microbiome is important to enhance both maternal and child health and to better inform disease outcomes and management.

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Interaction with Gut Microbiota Plays a Causative Role in Grape Powder-Mediated Anti-Colitis Effects in Mice

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa045_132 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 499-499

Author(s):

Yiying Zhao ◽

Qing Jiang

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Rectal Bleeding ◽

Tissue Damage ◽

Control Diet ◽

Spleen Weight ◽

Causative Role ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Gut Health ◽

Colonic Tissue ◽

Microbial Composition

Abstract Objectives Gut microbiota is recognized to play a regulatory role in gut health and diseases. Previously, in a mouse model of colitis-associated colorectal cancer, we found that 10% grape powder (10GP) diet, which contains 0.033% polyphenols, attenuated colitis symptoms and restored colitis-changed gut microbial composition. However, it is not clear whether microbial modulation by 10GP directly contributes to the observed protective effects. To address the question, we compared the effect of 10GP on colitis in the presence and absence of antibiotics in mice. Methods Male Balb/c mice were gavaged with either water or antibiotic cocktail (ABX) daily for 7 days. For both water and ABX-treated mice, we further divided them into three subgroups: 1) healthy control (non-DSS), 2) mice fed with control diet and treated by 1.8% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in drinking water, and 3) mice fed with 10GP diet and treated with DSS (DSS-10GP). During the study, we monitored mice’ body weight and evaluated their colitis symptoms including stool consistency and rectal bleeding. All mice were sacrificed 9–10 days after DSS administration. Results Compared with conventional mice, ABX-treated mice had lowered liver and colon weight, increased level of fecal acetate and decreased levels of fecal butyrate and propionate. For both conventional and ABX-treated mice, DSS treatment caused colitis symptoms including rectal bleeding and diarrhea, colonic tissue damage, increased spleen weight and shortened colon length. Importantly, 10GP significantly alleviated DSS-induced colitis symptoms in non-ABX conventional mice, as indicated by attenuated fecal bleeding and diarrhea, reduced colonic tissue damage, and lowered spleen weight and colon weight to length ratio as inflammatory indexes. In contrast, these protective effects of 10GP were not observed in the ABX-treated mice. Conclusions 10GP diet showed protective effects against DSS-induced colitis in conventional mice, but not ABX-treated mice. This observation indicates that interaction between 10GP and gut microbiota plays a causative role in 10GP-mediated protective effects on colitis. Funding Sources California Table Grape Commission.

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Probiotics maintain the gut microbiome homeostasis during Indian Antarctic expedition by ship

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-97890-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ashish Kumar Srivastava ◽

Vishwajeet Rohil ◽

Brij Bhushan ◽

Malleswara Rao Eslavath ◽

Harshita Gupta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Placebo Group ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Glycoside Hydrolases ◽

Gut Health ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Carbohydrate Binding Modules ◽

Antarctic Expedition ◽

Probiotic Intervention ◽

The Impact

AbstractShip voyage to Antarctica is a stressful journey for expedition members. The response of human gut microbiota to ship voyage and a feasible approach to maintain gut health, is still unexplored. The present findings describe a 24-day long longitudinal study involving 19 members from 38th Indian Antarctic Expedition, to investigate the impact of ship voyage and effect of probiotic intervention on gut microbiota. Fecal samples collected on day 0 as baseline and at the end of ship voyage (day 24), were analyzed using whole genome shotgun sequencing. Probiotic intervention reduced the sea sickness by 10% compared to 44% in placebo group. The gut microbiome in placebo group members on day 0 and day 24, indicated significant alteration compared to a marginal change in the microbial composition in probiotic group. Functional analysis revealed significant alterations in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Carbohydrate-active enzymes analysis represented functional genes involved in glycoside hydrolases, glycosyltransferases and carbohydrate binding modules, for maintaining gut microbiome homeostasis. Suggesting thereby the possible mechanism of probiotic in stabilizing and restoring gut microflora during stressful ship journey. The present study is first of its kind, providing a feasible approach for protecting gut health during Antarctic expedition involving ship voyage.

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Effect of dark sweet cherry powder consumption on the gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, and biomarkers of gut health in obese db/db mice

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.4195 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e4195 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Jose F. Garcia-Mazcorro ◽

Nara N. Lage ◽

Susanne Mertens-Talcott ◽

Stephen Talcott ◽

Boon Chew ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Short Chain ◽

Standard Diet ◽

Gut Health ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Unifrac Distance ◽

Colonic Microbiota ◽

Chain Fatty Acids

Cherries are fruits containing fiber and bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenolics) with the potential of helping patients with diabetes and weight disorders, a phenomenon likely related to changes in the complex host-microbiota milieu. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cherry supplementation on the gut bacterial composition, concentrations of caecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and biomarkers of gut health using an in vivo model of obesity. Obese diabetic (db/db) mice received a supplemented diet with 10% cherry powder (supplemented mice, n = 12) for 12 weeks; obese (n = 10) and lean (n = 10) mice served as controls and received a standard diet without cherry. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) were used to analyze the gut microbiota; SCFAs and biomarkers of gut health were also measured using standard techniques. According to 16S sequencing, supplemented mice harbored a distinct colonic microbiota characterized by a higher abundance of mucin-degraders (i.e., Akkermansia) and fiber-degraders (the S24-7 family) as well as lower abundances of Lactobacillus and Enterobacteriaceae. Overall this particular cherry-associated colonic microbiota did not resemble the microbiota in obese or lean controls based on the analysis of weighted and unweighted UniFrac distance metrics. qPCR confirmed some of the results observed in sequencing, thus supporting the notion that cherry supplementation can change the colonic microbiota. Moreover, the SCFAs detected in supplemented mice (caproate, methyl butyrate, propionate, acetate and valerate) exceeded those concentrations detected in obese and lean controls except for butyrate. Despite the changes in microbial composition and SCFAs, most of the assessed biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal health in colon tissues and mucosal cells were similar in all obese mice with and without supplementation. This paper shows that dietary supplementation with cherry powder for 12 weeks affects the microbiota and the concentrations of SCFAs in the lower intestinal tract of obese db/db diabetic mice. These effects occurred in absence of differences in most biomarkers of inflammation and other parameters of gut health. Our study prompts more research into the potential clinical implications of cherry consumption as a dietary supplement in diabetic and obese human patients.

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Dietary fat and low fiber in purified diets differently impact the gut-liver axis to promote obesity-linked metabolic impairments

AJP Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpgi.00028.2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Noëmie Daniel ◽

Laίs Rossi Perazza ◽

Thibault V. Varin ◽

Jocelyn Trottier ◽

Bruno Marcotte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Dietary Fat ◽

Fat Content ◽

Fiber Content ◽

Gut Health ◽

High Fat ◽

Metabolic Disturbances ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

The Impact ◽

Metabolic Impairments

Purified high-fat diets are commonly used to promote obesity and metabolic disturbances in animal models. However, most studies also use unpurified chow (low in fat, high in fiber content) as a "healthy" diet which can impact gut health. Here, we investigated the impact of feeding chow or purified diets varying in fat content on metabolic and intestinal functions in relation with temporal changes in gut microbiota composition. C57BL/6J male mice were fed either chow or purified low-fat (LF) or high-fat (HF) diet for 12 weeks. LF-fed mice displayed similar glucose and insulin homeostasis and bile acid profile than chow-fed mice but did exhibit higher fasting insulinemia and impaired insulin clearance, which was associated with increased weight gain and fat mass. Compared with chow, feeding LF or HF diets increased hepatic steatosis and inflammation, and impaired intestinal integrity. Changes in gut microbiota preceded these effects, with both purified diets inducing rapid and dramatic decrease of bacterial diversity and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. Importantly, branched SCFA levels increased only in HF-fed mice suggesting that this response is driven by excessive dietary fat rather than lack of fiber content. LF-fed mucus-associated microbial composition was also closer to that of chow-fed mice than that of HF-fed mice, suggesting the impact of fat content on this specific microbial community. We have identified distinct and overlapping gut microbiome and metabolic impairments caused by low fiber or high-fat contents in HF-fed animals, revealing their selective mechanisms underpinning the gastrointestinal and metabolic impacts in obesity

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Early Benefits of a Starter Formula Enriched in Prebiotics and Probiotics on the Gut Microbiota of Healthy Infants Born to HIV+ Mothers: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial

Clinical Medicine Insights Pediatrics ◽

10.4137/cmped.s40134 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. CMPed.S40134 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Peter Cooper ◽

Keith D. Bolton ◽

Sithembiso Velaphi ◽

Nanda De Groot ◽

Shahram Emady-Azar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Gain ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Mode Of Delivery ◽

Bovine Milk ◽

Daily Weight Gain ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Double Blind ◽

Fecal Ph

The gut microbiota of infants is shaped by both the mode of delivery and the type of feeding. The gut of vaginally and cesarean-delivered infants is colonized at different rates and with different bacterial species, leading to differences in the gut microbial composition, which may persist up to 6 months. In a multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind trial conducted in South Africa, we tested the effect of a formula supplemented with a prebiotic (a mixture of bovine milk-derived oligosaccharides [BMOS] generated from whey permeate and containing galactooligosaccharides and milk oligosaccharides such as 3′- and 6′-sialyllactose) and the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (B. lactis) strain CNCM I-3446 on the bifidobacteria levels in the gut of infants born vaginally or via cesarean section in early life. Additionally, the safety of the new formulation was evaluated. A total of 430 healthy, full-term infants born to HIV-positive mothers who had elected to feed their child beginning from birth (≤3 days old) exclusively with formula were randomized into this multicenter trial of four parallel groups. A total of 421 infants who had any study formula intake were included in the full analysis set (FAS). The first two groups consisted of cesarean-delivered infants assigned to the Test formula (n = 92) (a starter infant formula [IF] containing BMOS at a total oligosaccharide concentration of 5.8 ± 1.0 g/100 g of powder formula [8 g/L in the reconstituted formula] + B. lactis [1 × 10 7 colony-forming units {cfu}/g]) or a Control IF (n = 101); the second two groups consisted of vaginally delivered infants randomized to the same Test (n = 115) or Control (n = 113) formulas from the time of enrollment to 6 months. The primary efficacy outcome was fecal bifidobacteria count at 10 days, and the primary safety outcome was daily weight gain (g/d) between 10 days and 4 months. At 10 days, fecal bifidobacteria counts were significantly higher in the Test formula than in the Control formula group among infants with cesarean birth (median [range] log: 9.41 [6.30–10.94] cfu/g versus 6.30 [6.30–10.51] cfu/g; P = 0.002) but not among those with vaginal birth (median [range] log: 10.06 [5.93–10.77] cfu/g versus 9.85 [6.15–10.79] cfu/g; P = 0.126). The lower bound of the two-sided 95% confidence interval of the difference in the mean daily weight gain between the Test and Control formula groups was more than –3 g/d in both the vaginally and cesarean-delivered infants, indicating that growth in the Test formula-fed infants was not inferior to that of Control formula-fed infants. At 10 days and 4 weeks, the fecal pH of infants fed the Test formula was significantly lower than in those fed the Control formula, irrespective of mode of delivery: for vaginal delivery: 4.93 versus 5.59; P < 0.001 (10 days) and 5.01 versus 5.71; P < 0.001 (4 weeks); for cesarean delivery: 5.14 versus 5.65, P = 0.009 (10 days) and 5.06 versus 5.75, P < 0.001 (4 weeks). At 3 months, this acidification effect only persisted among cesarean-born infants. IF supplemented with the prebiotic BMOS and probiotic B. lactis induced a strong bifidogenic effect in both delivering modes, but more explicitly correcting the low bifidobacteria level found in cesarean-born infants from birth. The supplemented IF lowered the fecal pH and improved the fecal microbiota in both normal and cesarean-delivered infants. The use of bifidobacteria as a probiotic even in infants who are immunologically at risk is safe and well tolerated.

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A good start in life is important—perinatal factors dictate early microbiota development and longer term maturation

FEMS Microbiology Reviews ◽

10.1093/femsre/fuaa030 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 44 (6) ◽

pp. 763-781

Author(s):

Shaopu Wang ◽

Muireann Egan ◽

C Anthony Ryan ◽

Patrick Boyaval ◽

Eugene M Dempsey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Early Life ◽

Maternal Nutrition ◽

Mode Of Delivery ◽

Later Life ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Perinatal Factors ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Clinical Consequences

ABSTRACT Maternal health status is vital for the development of the offspring of humans, including physiological health and psychological functions. The complex and diverse microbial ecosystem residing within humans contributes critically to these intergenerational impacts. Perinatal factors, including maternal nutrition, antibiotic use and maternal stress, alter the maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy, which can be transmitted to the offspring. In addition, gestational age at birth and mode of delivery are indicated frequently to modulate the acquisition and development of gut microbiota in early life. The early-life gut microbiota engages in a range of host biological processes, particularly immunity, cognitive neurodevelopment and metabolism. The perturbed early-life gut microbiota increases the risk for disease in early and later life, highlighting the importance of understanding relationships of perinatal factors with early-life microbial composition and functions. In this review, we present an overview of the crucial perinatal factors and summarise updated knowledge of early-life microbiota, as well as how the perinatal factors shape gut microbiota in short and long terms. We further discuss the clinical consequences of perturbations of early-life gut microbiota and potential therapeutic interventions with probiotics/live biotherapeutics.

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Temporal dynamics of the gut microbiome and metabolome in preterm and term infants from birth through the first year of life

10.21203/rs.2.22382/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Polly Soo Xi Yap ◽

Chun Wie Chong ◽

Azanna Ahmad Kamar ◽

Ivan Kok Seng Yap ◽

Yao Mun Choo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Pathogenic Bacteria ◽

Mode Of Delivery ◽

Preterm Neonates ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Strictly Anaerobic ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Bacterial Composition ◽

Distinct Level

Abstract Background: Emerging evidence has shown a link between the perturbations and development of the gut microbiota in infants to their immediate and long-term health. In comparison to the healthy full-term neonate, preterm neonates experience disparate gut bacterial establishment (e.g. duration in the womb), colonisation (e.g. mode of delivery), and development (e.g. frequent use of antibiotics). To better understand the assembly of the gut microbiota in preterm infants, faecal samples were longitudinally collected from preterm (n = 19) and term (n = 20) infants, up to 12 months after birth. We characterised bacterial compositions by 16S rRNA gene sequencing (n = 141) and metabolomics profiling (n = 141) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.Results: Significant differences in faecal bacterial composition between term and preterm infants were detected in sample collected in week 2, month 6 and month 12. Interestingly, separation of the bacterial composition between term and preterm infants was more pronounced at month 12 as compared to the earlier time-points, suggesting distinct level of microbial maturation in gut between the two groups. Intestinal microbiota of preterm neonates was consistently characterised by dominance of pathogenic bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family and a paucity of strictly anaerobic taxa including Veillonella and Bacteroides relative to infants born at term. Consistent result was observed in the stool NMR spectroscopy in which clear separation in stool metabolomics profiles was observed between the term and preterm neonates.Conclusion: Overall, we identified a panel of amino acid metabolites and central metabolism intermediates in the preterm infants’ stool, possibly indicating incomplete fermentation of complex polysaccharides in the guts of these infants. In contrast, the term infant stool had significantly higher levels of metabolites which are commonly found in milk such as fucose and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA). Birth weight was selected as the best explanatory variable for the metabolomics profiles, pointing to the strong relationship between protein synthesis, as well as fucose and BHBA in physical development. By following both term and preterm infants for 12 months, our study reported the dynamic of gut microbial composition and their contribution to metabolism and potential impact to growth in neonates.

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Effects of Complementary Feeding With Different Protein-Rich Foods on Infant Growth and Gut Health: Study Protocol

Frontiers in Pediatrics ◽

10.3389/fped.2021.793215 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Minghua Tang ◽

Kinzie L. Matz ◽

Lillian M. Berman ◽

Kathryn N. Davis ◽

Edward L. Melanson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Complementary Feeding ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Mode Of Delivery ◽

Infant Growth ◽

Health Study ◽

Gut Health ◽

Dairy Plant ◽

Protein Rich

Background: An urgent need exists for evidence-based dietary guidance early in life, particularly regarding protein intake. However, a significant knowledge gap exists in the effects of protein-rich foods on growth and development during early complementary feeding.Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial of infant growth and gut health (primary outcomes). We directly compare the effects of dietary patterns with common protein-rich foods (meat, dairy, plant) on infant growth trajectories and gut microbiota development (monthly assessments) during early complementary feeding in both breast- and formula-fed infants. Five-month-old infants (up to n = 300) are randomized to a meat-, dairy-, plant-based complementary diet or a reference group (standard of care) from 5 to 12 months of age, with a 24-month follow-up assessment. Infants are matched for sex, mode of delivery and mode of feeding using stratified randomization. Growth assessments include length, weight, head circumference and body composition. Gut microbiota assessments include both 16S rRNA profiling and metagenomics sequencing. The primary analyses will evaluate the longitudinal effects of the different diets on both anthropometric measures and gut microbiota. The secondary analysis will evaluate the potential associations between gut microbiota and infant growth.Discussion: Findings are expected to have significant scientific and health implications for identifying beneficial gut microbial changes and dietary patterns and for informing dietary interventions to prevent the risk of overweight and later obesity, and promote optimal health.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05012930.

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Anti-aging food that improves markers of health in senior dogs by modulating gut microbiota and metabolite profiles

10.1101/324327 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eden Ephraim Gebreselassie ◽

Matthew I. Jackson ◽

Maha Yerramilli ◽

Dennis E. Jewell

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Food Samples ◽

Gut Health ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Test Food ◽

Age Related ◽

Metabolite Profiles ◽

Control Food ◽

Aging Kidney

AbstractDysbiosis is one of the major changes in aging that leads to an accumulation of toxic microbial metabolites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a test food containing components of citrus, carrot, spinach and tomato on gut microbiota and age-related metabolites in senior dogs. The study was conducted on 36 dogs between 8 and 13 years of age. All dogs were maintained on a control food (control 1), which used corn as major source of fiber. After 30 days, the dogs were divided into two groups of 18 dogs. One of the groups received the test food for 30 days while the other group received the control 2 food, containing multiple whole grains as the test food but without the above added sources of fiber present in the test food. After a washout period on the control 1 food for 30 days, a cross-over was performed so that the test or the control 2 food was fed for 30 days to those dogs which had not yet been fed that food. Samples from feces and blood were collected after each 30 days period to analyze changes in gut microbial composition and metabolites. The consumption of the test food led to increased proportions of Adlercreutzia, Oscillospira, Phascolarcobacteria, Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus, Christensenellaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Cyanobacteria and Acidobacteria and decreased proportions of Megamonas, Salmonella, Enterobacteriaceae and Fusobacterium. Pets had higher levels of glycerol and fatty acids and lower levels of pyrraline and mucin amino acids in feces. The test food also reduced circulating levels of pyrraline, symmetric dimethylarginine and phenolic uremic toxins, including the microbial brain toxin, 4-ethylphenyl sulfate. Christensenellaceae abundance was strongly associated with the observed health benefits. Fermentable fibers from fruits and vegetables enhance health in senior dogs by modulating the gut bacteria and metabolites involved in aging, kidney, brain and gut health.

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Diversity, Composition and Functional Inference of Gut Microbiota in Indian Cabbage white Pieris canidia (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

Life ◽

10.3390/life10110254 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 254

Author(s):

Ying Wang ◽

Jianqing Zhu ◽

Jie Fang ◽

Li Shen ◽

Shuojia Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

16S Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽

Adult Survival ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Life Stages ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Functional Inference ◽

Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽

Insect Fitness

We characterized the gut microbial composition and relative abundance of gut bacteria in the larvae and adults of Pieris canidia by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The gut microbiota structure was similar across the life stages and sexes. The comparative functional analysis on P. canidia bacterial communities with PICRUSt showed the enrichment of several pathways including those for energy metabolism, immune system, digestive system, xenobiotics biodegradation, transport, cell growth and death. The parameters often used as a proxy of insect fitness (development time, pupation rate, emergence rate, adult survival rate and weight of 5th instars larvae) showed a significant difference between treatment group and untreated group and point to potential fitness advantages with the gut microbiomes in P. canidia. These data provide an overall view of the bacterial community across the life stages and sexes in P. canidia.

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