Traditional rice beer depletes butyric acid-producing gut bacteria Faecalibacterium and Roseburia along with fecal butyrate levels in the ethnic groups of Northeast India

Ameliorating effect of 2'-fucosyllactose and 6'-sialyllactose on lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal inflammation

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) affect gut microbiota during neonatal development, particularly with respect to the immune system. Bovine milk-based infant formulas have low oligosaccharide contents. Thus, efforts to fortify infant formulas with HMO are being undertaken. Two major HMO, 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) and 6'-sialyllactose (6'-SL), exert anti-inflammatory effects; however, the associations between anti-inflammatory effects induced by 2'-FL and 6'-SL cotreatment and gut microbiota composition and metabolite modulation remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the effects of a mixture of these HMO. To determine the optimal HMO ratio for anti-inflammatory effects and elucidate its mode of action, LPS-induced inflammatory HT-29 epithelial cells and intestinal-inflamed suckling mice were treated with various mixtures of 2'-FL and 6'-SL. A 2'-FL:6'-SL ratio of 5:1 was identified as the most effective pretreatment HMO mixture in vitro; thus, this ratio was selected and used for low-, middle-, and high-dose treatments for subsequent in vivo studies. In vivo, high-dose HMO treatment restored LPS-induced inflammation symptoms, such as BW loss, colon length reduction, histological structural damage, and intestinal gene expression related to inflammatory responses. High-dose HMO was the only treatment that modulated the major phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes and the genera Ihubacter, Mageeibacillus, and Saccharofermentans. These changes in microbial composition were correlated with intestinal inflammation-related gene expression and short-chain fatty acid production. To our knowledge, our study is the first to report the effects of Ihubacter, Mageeibacillus, and Saccharofermentans on short-chain fatty acid levels, which can subsequently affect inflammatory cytokine and tight junction protein levels. Conclusively, the HMO mixture exerted anti-inflammatory effects through changes in microbiota and metabolite production. These findings suggest that supplementation of infant formula with HMO may benefit formula-fed infants by forming unique microbiota contributing to neonatal development.

Digestive characteristics of Gastrodia elata Blume polysaccharide and related impacts on human gut microbiota in vitro

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Gastrodia elata Blume is a traditional Chinese medicine with the effects of improving the deficiency of the body and maintaining health, and polysaccharide (GEP) is one of the effective ingredients to play these activities of G. elata. Traditionally, G. elata is orally administered, so the activities of GEP are associated with digestive and intestinal metabolism. However, the digestive behavior of GEP and its effects on the human gut microbiota are unclear and need to be fully studied.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the changes in structural characteristics of GEP during digestion and the related impacts of its digestive product on gut microbiota in human fecal fermentation, and to explain the beneficial mechanism of GEP on human health from the perspective of digestive characteristics and "gut" axis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The changes of reducing sugars, free monosaccharides and physicochemical properties of GEP during digestion were investigated by GPC, HPLC, FT-IR, CD, NMR, SEM, and TGA. Moreover, polysaccharide consumption, pH value changes, SCFAs production, and changes in gut microbiota during fermentation were also discussed.

RESULTS

During digestion of GEP, glucose was partially released causing a decrease in molecular weight, and a change in monosaccharide composition. In addition, the characteristics of GEP before and after digestion, including configuration, morphology, and stability, were different. The digestive product of GEP was polysaccharide (GEP-I), which actively participated in the fecal fermentation process. As the fermentation time increased, the utilization of GEP-I by the microbiota gradually increased. The abundance of probiotics such as Bifidobacterium, Collinsella, Prevotella, and Faecalibacterium was significantly increased, and the abundance of pathogenic Shigella, Dorea, Desulfovibrio, and Blautia was significantly inhibited, thereby suggesting that GEP has the potential to maintain human health through the "gut" axis. In addition, the beneficial health effects of GEP-I have also been observed in the influence of microbial metabolites. During the fermentation of GEP-I, the pH value gradually decreased, and the contents of beneficial metabolites such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and caproic acid significantly increased.

CONCLUSION

The structure of GEP changed significantly during digestion, and its digestive product had the potential to maintain human health by regulating gut microbiota, which may be one of the active mechanisms of GEP.

A study on the association between gut microbiota, inflammation, and type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was reported to be associated with impaired immune response and alterations in microbial composition and function. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. To investigate the association among retinoic acid-inducible gene-I-like receptors (RLRs) signaling pathway, intestinal bacterial microbiome, microbial tryptophan metabolites, inflammation, and a longer course of T2DM, 14 patients with T2DM and 7 healthy controls were enrolled. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics were utilized to analyze the stool samples. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was carried out on the peripheral blood samples. Additionally, C57BL/6J specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice were used. It was found that the longer course of T2DM could lead to a decrease in the abundance of probiotics in the intestinal microbiome. In addition, the production of microbial tryptophan derivative skatole declined as a consequence of the reduced abundance of related intestinal microbes. Furthermore, low abundances of probiotics, such as Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium, could trigger the inflammatory response by activating the RLRs signaling pathway. The increased level of the member of TNF receptor-associated factors (TRAF) family, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activator (TANK), in the animal colon activated nuclear factor kappa B subunit 2 (NFκB2), resulting in inflammatory damage. In summary, it was revealed that the low abundances of probiotics could activate the RLR signaling pathway, which could in turn activate its downstream signaling pathway, NF-κB, highlighting a relationship among gut microbes, inflammation, and a longer course of T2DM. KEY POINTS: Hyperglycemia may suppress tryptophanase activity. The low abundance of Bacteroides combined with the decrease of Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) activity may lead to the decrease of the production of tryptophan microbial derivative skatole, and the low abundance of Bacteroides or reduced skatole may further lead to the increase of blood glucose by downregulating the expression of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1). A low abundance of anti-inflammatory bacteria may induce an inflammatory response by triggering the RLR signaling pathway and then activating its downstream NF-κB signaling pathway in prolonged T2DM.

A single dietary factor, daily consumption of a fermented beverage, can modulate the gut bacteria and fecal metabolites within the same ethnic community

IMPORTANCE

Our study investigated how a traditional drink called Apong, made from fermented rice, affects the gut and health of the Mishing community in India. We compared two groups of people who drink Apong to a group of people who do not drink it. To accomplish this, we studied the gut bacteria, fecal metabolites, and blood samples of the participants. It was found that the people who drank Apong had higher blood pressure but lower blood sugar and protein levels than people who did not drink it. We also found that the gut microbiome composition of people who drank Apong was different from those who did not drink it. Moreover, people who drank Apong had lower levels of isovaleric acid in their feces. Overall, this study shows that a traditional drink like Apong can affect the gut bacteria of a community.

Long-Term Dietary Fish Meal Substitution with the Black Soldier Fly Larval Meal Modifies the Caecal Microbiota and Microbial Pathway in Laying Hens

Feeding laying hens with black soldier fly larval (BSFL) meal improves their performance. However, the beneficial mechanism of BSFL meals in improving the performance of laying hens remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of the BSFL diet on liver metabolism, gut physiology, and gut microbiota in laying hens. Eighty-seven Julia hens were randomly assigned to three groups based on their diets and fed maize grain-and soybean meal-based diets mixed with either 3% fish meal (control diet), 1.5% fish and 1.5% BSFL meals, or 3% BSFL meal for 52 weeks. No significant differences were observed in biochemical parameters, hepatic amino acid and saturated fatty acid contents, intestinal mucosal disaccharidase activity, and intestinal morphology between BSFL diet-fed and control diet-fed laying hens. However, the BSFL diet significantly increased the abundance of acetic and propionic acid-producing bacteria, caecal short-chain fatty acids, and modified the caecal microbial pathways that are associated with bile acid metabolism. These findings indicate that consuming a diet containing BSFL meal has minimal effects on plasma and liver nutritional metabolism in laying hens; however, it can alter the gut microbiota associated with short-chain fatty acid production as well as the microbial pathways involved in intestinal fat metabolism. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that BSFL can enhance enterocyte metabolism and gut homeostasis in laying hens.

Elucidating the gut microbiome alterations of tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh: perspectives on their lifestyle or food habits

Gut microbiota studies of ethnic populations reveal gut microbial biomarkers for therapeutic options and detection of the disease state. The present study aimed to analyze the gut microbiome signatures in thirty individuals from the Adi, Apatani and Nyshi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh (ten in each cohort) by sequencing the V3 and V4 regions of 16S rRNA on the Illumina MiSeq Platform. The gut microbiome was highly predominated by Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidates in the three studied tribal groups. At the genus level, significant abundance of Bifidobacterium, Collinsella, Bacteroides, Prevotella, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Dorea, Lachnospira, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium, Catenibacterium, Eubacterium, Citrobacter and Enterobacter were observed amongst the three tribes. The tribal communities residing in remote areas and following traditional lifestyle had higher gut microbiome diversity with a high prevalence of Prevotella and Collinsella in the Adi and Nyshi tribes, and Bifidobacterium and Catenibacterium in the Apatani tribe. Elucidating the gut microbiome of the tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh will add to the knowledge on relationships between microbial communities, dietary food factors, and the overall state of health of humans worldwide.

Synbiotic Effects of Fermented Rice on Human Health and Wellness: A Natural Beverage That Boosts Immunity

Fermented foods have been an important component of the human diet from the time immemorial. It contains a high amount of probiotics that have been associated to a wide range of health benefits, including improved digestion and immunity. This review focuses on the indigenously prepared prebiotic- and probiotic-containing functional fermented rice (named Xaj-pani) by the Ahom Community from Assam, in Northeast India, including all the beneficial and potential effects on human health. Literature was searched from scientific databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. Glutinous rice (commonly known as bora rice of sali variety) is primarily employed to prepare beverages that are recovered through the filtration process. The beer is normally consumed during religious rites, festivals and ritual practices, as well as being used as a refreshing healthy drink. Traditionally, it is prepared by incorporating a variety of medicinal herbs into their starter culture (Xaj-pitha) inoculum which is rich in yeasts, molds and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and then incorporated in alcoholic beverage fermentation. The Ahom communities routinely consume this traditionally prepared alcoholic drink with no understanding of its quality and shelf life. Additionally, a finally produced dried cake, known as vekur pitha act as a source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and can be stored for future use. Despite the rampant use in this community, the relationship between Xaj-pani's consumption, immunological response, infectious and inflammatory processes remains unknown in the presence of factors unrelated or indirectly connected to immune function. Overall, this review provides the guidelines to promote the development of prebiotic- and probiotic-containing functional fermented rice that could significantly have an impact on the health of the consumers.

Astragalus membranaceus and Salvia miltiorrhiza ameliorates cyclosporin A-induced chronic nephrotoxicity through the "gut-kidney axis"

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The combination of Astragalus membranaceus and Salvia miltiorrhiza (AS) is an effective prescription that is widely used to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) clinically in traditional Chinese medicine. Our previous studies have shown that AS can alleviate early CKD through the "gut-kidney axis", but the regulatory role of AS in the "gut-kidney axis" in the middle and late stages of CKD caused by cyclosporin A-induced chronic nephrotoxicity (CICN) has remained unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To explore the protective effect of AS by regulating the intestinal flora to further control the miRNA-mRNA interaction profiles in CICN.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-two mice were divided into four groups: Normal (N) (olive oil), Model (M) (CsA, 30 mg kg-1 d-1), AS (CsA + AS, 30 + 8.4 g kg-1 d-1) and FMT-AS (CsA + Faeces of AS group, 30 mg + 10 mL kg-1 d-1). The mice were treated for 6 weeks. Changes in renal function related metabolites were detected, pathological changes in the colon and kidney were observed, and 16S rDNA sequencing was performed on mouse faeces. In addition, miRNA and mRNA sequencing were performed on the kidney to construct differential expression (DE) profiles of the other 3 groups compared with group M. The target mRNAs among the DE miRNAs were then predicted, and an integrated analysis was performed with the DE mRNAs to annotate gene function by KEGG. DE miRNAs and DE mRNAs related to CICN in the overlapping top 20 KEGG pathways were screened and verified.

RESULTS

Eight metabolites that could worsen renal function were increased in group M, accompanied by thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, vacuolar degeneration of renal tubules, and proliferation of collagen fibres, while AS and FMT-AS intervention amended these changes to varying degrees. Simultaneously, intestinal permeability increased, the abundance and diversity of the flora decreased, and the ratio of Firmicum to Bacteroides (F/B) increased in group M. The AS and FMT-AS treatments reversed the flora disorder and increased probiotics producing butyric acid and lactic acid, especially Akkermansia and Lactobacillus, which might regulate the 12 overlapping top 20 KEGG pathways, such as Butanoate metabolism, Tryptophan metabolism and several RF-related pathways, leading to the remission of renal metabolism. Finally, 15 DE miRNAs and 45 DE mRNAs were screened as the therapeutic targets, and the results coincided with the sequencing results.

CONCLUSION

AS could alleviate renal fibrosis and metabolism caused by CICN through the "gut-kidney axis". Probiotics such as Akkermansia and Lactobacillus were the primary driving factors, and the miRNA-mRNA interaction profiles, especially Butanoate metabolism and Tryptophan metabolism, may be an important subsequent response and regulatory mechanism.