Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 Protects against Antibiotic-Induced Functional and Compositional Changes in Human Fecal Microbiome

Dual role for microbial short-chain fatty acids in modifying SIV disease trajectory following anti-α4β7 antibody administration

BACKGROUND

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) infection is associated with significant gut damage, similar to that observed in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This pathology includes loss of epithelial integrity, microbial translocation, dysbiosis, and resultant chronic immune activation. Additionally, the levels of all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) are dramatically attenuated. Data on the therapeutic use of anti-α4β7 antibodies has shown promise in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Recent evidence has suggested that the microbiome and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolites it generates may be critical for anti-α4β7 efficacy and maintaining intestinal homeostasis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To determine whether the microbiome contributes to gut homeostasis after anti-α4β7 antibody administered to SIV-infected rhesus macaques, faecal SCFA concentrations were determined, 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, plasma viral loads were determined, plasma retinoids were measured longitudinally, and gut retinoid synthesis/response gene expression was quantified.

RESULTS

Our results suggest that anti-α4β7 antibody facilitates the return of retinoid metabolism to baseline levels after SIV infection. Furthermore, faecal SCFAs were shown to be associated with retinoid synthesis gene expression and rebound viral loads after therapy interruption.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, these data demonstrate the therapeutic advantages of anti-α4β7 antibody administration during HIV/SIV infection and that the efficacy of anti-α4β7 antibody may depend on microbiome composition and SCFA generation.

Prebiotic Treatment in People With Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Preliminary evidence suggests that people with schizophrenia have decreased relative abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut microbiota. Butyrate plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the gut-blood barrier and has a number of anti-inflammatory effects. This proof-of-concept study was designed to assess whether the addition of the oligofructose-enriched inulin (OEI) prebiotic: Prebiotin could increase the production of butyrate.

METHODS

Twenty-seven people who met the criteria for either Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were entered into a 10-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. The study was conducted on an inpatient unit to standardize the participant diet and environment. Participants were randomized to either OEI (4 g, 3 times a day) or a placebo (4 g of maltodextrin, 3 times a day). In order to assess the effect of OEI treatment on butyrate levels, participants underwent pretreatment and posttreatment OEI challenges. The primary outcome measure was relative change in postchallenge plasma butyrate levels after 10 days of OEI treatment.

RESULTS

In both the intent-to-treat and completer analyses, OEI treatment was associated with a greater number of participants who met the OEI challenge responder criteria than those treated with placebo. OEI treatment was also associated with an increase in baseline butyrate levels (effect size for the group difference in the change of baseline butyrate levels was 0.58).

CONCLUSIONS

We were able to demonstrate that treatment with the prebiotic OEI selectively increased the level of plasma butyrate in people with schizophrenia.Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03617783.

Effects of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and yogurt on mice during oral antibiotic administration

Probiotics have the potential to prevent disruptions to normal gastrointestinal function caused by oral antibiotic use. In this study, we examined the capacity of Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis BB-12 (BB-12) and yogurt, separately and combined, to mitigate the effects of the antibiotic amoxicillin-clavulanate (AMC) on the gut microbiota and metabolomes of C57BL/6 J mice. Male and female mice were administered either BB-12, yogurt, BB-12 in yogurt, or saline for 10 days concurrent with the inclusion of AMC in the drinking water. Male mice exposed to AMC exhibited significant reductions (p<0.05) in body weight over the course of the study compared to sham (no AMC) controls whereas no such effects were observed for female mice. AMC administration resulted in rapid alterations to the intestinal microbiota in both sexes irrespective of BB-12 or yogurt treatment, including significant (p<0.05) losses in bacterial cell numbers and changes in microbial alpha-diversity and beta-diversity in the feces and cecal contents. The effects of AMC on the gut microbiota were observed within one day of administration and the bacterial contents continued to change over time, showing a succession marked by rapid reductions in Muribaculaceae and Lachnospiraceae and temporal increases in proportions of Acholeplasmataceae (day 1) and Streptococcaceae and Leuconostocaceae (day 5). By day 10 of AMC intake, high proportions of Gammaproteobacteria assigned as Erwiniaceae or Enterobacteriaceae (average of 63 %), were contained in the stools and were similarly enriched in the cecum. The cecal contents of mice given AMC harbored significantly reduced concentrations of (branched) short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), aspartate, and other compounds, whereas numerous metabolites, including formate, lactate, and several amino acids and amino acid derivatives were significantly enriched. Despite the extensive impact of AMC, starting at day 7 of the study, the body weights of male mice given yogurt or BB-12 (in saline) with AMC were similar to the healthy controls. BB-12 (in saline) and yogurt intake was associated with increased Streptococcaceae and both yogurt and BB-12 resulted in lower proportions of Erwiniaceae in the fecal and cecal contents. The cecal contents of mice fed BB-12 in yogurt contained levels of formate, glycine, and glutamine that were equivalent to the sham controls. These findings highlight the potential of BB-12 and yogurt to mitigate antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Equines: A Growing Threat to Horse Health and Beyond-A Comprehensive Review

The equine industry holds substantial economic importance not only in the USA but worldwide. The occurrence of various infectious bacterial diseases in horses can lead to severe health issues, economic losses, and restrictions on horse movement and trade. Effective management and control of these diseases are therefore crucial for the growth and sustainability of the equine industry. While antibiotics constitute the primary treatment strategy for any bacterial infections in horses, developing resistance to clinically important antibiotics poses significant challenges to equine health and welfare. The adverse effects of antimicrobial overuse and the escalating threat of resistance underscore the critical importance of antimicrobial stewardship within the equine industry. There is limited information on the epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections in horses. In this comprehensive review, we focus on the history and types of antimicrobials used in horses and provide recommendations for combating drug-resistant bacterial infections in horses. This review also highlights the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in horses, emphasizing the public health significance and transmission dynamics between horses and other animals within a One Health framework. By fostering responsible practices and innovative control measures, we can better help the equine industry combat the pressing threat of AMR and thus safeguard equine as well as public health.

Prebiotics, Probiotics and Postbiotics: The Changing Paradigm of Functional Foods

The rampant use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug resistance and is often coupled with gut dysbiosis. To circumvent the harmful impact of antibiotics, probiotics have emerged as an effective intervention. However, while the new probiotics are being added to the list, more recently, the nature and role of their counterparts, viz. prebiotics, postbiotics and parabiotics have also drawn considerable attention. As such, intricate relationships among these gut-biotics vis-à-vis their role in imparting health benefits is to be delineated in a holistic manner. Prebiotic dietary fibers are selectively fermented by probiotics and promote their colonization in the gut. The proliferation of probiotics leads to production of fermentation by-products (postbiotics) which affect the growth of enteropathogens by lowering the pH and producing inhibitory bacteriocins. After completing life-cycle, their dead remnants (parabiotics e.g. exopolysaccharides and cell wall glycoproteins) also inhibit adhesion and biofilm formation of pathogens on the gut epithelium. These beneficial effects are not just endemic to gut but a systemic response is witnessed at different gut-organ axes. Thus, to decipher the role of probiotics, it is imperative to unravel the interdependence between these components. This review elaborates on the recent advancements on various aspects of these gut-biotics and the mechanism of potential attributes like anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic, anti-lipidemic and anti-hyperglycemic benefits.

Adjudicative efficacy of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 in treating acute diarrhea in children: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study

The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80, as an adjunct treatment for diarrhea in children with a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study design. Eligible diarrheal children, aged 0-3 years without the need for antibiotic treatment based on clinical diagnosis when recruited, were randomized into the intervention group (IG, n = 58, with probiotic) or the control group (CG, n = 53, placebo). The primary assessment was the duration of diarrhea. Fecal samples were collected for biochemical index measurement, analysis of gut microbiome composition, and prediction of gene family abundances. The total duration of diarrhea in the IG (122.6 ± 13.1 h) was significantly shorter than in the CG (148.4 ± 17.6 h, p < 0.001). More children in the IG showed improvements in diarrhea compared to the CG, both in intention-to-treat analysis (81.7% vs. 40.0%, p < 0.001) and per protocol analysis (84.4% vs 45.3%, p < 0.001). Cathelicidin level in the IG was significantly higher than that in the CG after the intervention (4415.00 ± 1036.93 pg/g vs. 3679.49 ± 871.18 pg/g, p = 0.0175). The intervention led to an increased abundance of Bifidobacterium breve and Collinsella aerofaciens species, higher alpha-diversity (p < 0.05), and enrichment of functional genes in the gut microbiota related to immunity regulation. Administration of BLa80 at a dose of 5 × 109 CFU/day resulted in a shorter duration of diarrhea and alterations in gut microbiome composition and gene functions.

Adjunctive efficacy of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis XLTG11 for functional constipation in children

Functional constipation (FC) can seriously affect the physical and mental health of children. The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis XLTG11 in treating FC in children through a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled approach. Eligible children were randomized into either the intervention group (IG, n = 65, receiving conventional treatment with probiotics) or the control group (CG, n = 66, receiving conventional treatment without probiotics). The primary outcome measure was fecal frequency. Fecal gut microbiota analysis and PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States) were used to predict gene family abundances based on 16S information. Over the course of treatment, the weekly frequency of feces within each group increased significantly (F = 41.97, p < 0.001). The frequency of feces (times/week (t/w)) in the IG was significantly higher than that in the CG (3.69 ± 2.62 t/w vs.3.18 ± 1.43 t/w, 4.03 ± 2.54 t/w vs. 2.89 ± 1.39 t/w and 3.74 ± 2.36 t/w vs. 2.94 ± 1.18 t/w and 3.45 ± 1.98 vs. 3.17 ± 1.41 t/w for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th week after intervention, respectively) (F = 7.60, p = 0.0067). After the intervention, dominate species shifted to Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve, and Escherichia coli in the IG. Additionally, genes related to short-chain fatty acid (SCF) metabolism were upregulated, while methane metabolism was downregulated. Administration of XLTG11 at a dose of 1 × 1010 CFU/day to children increased fecal frequency, induced beneficial changes in gut microbiota, and regulated SCFs and methane metabolism-related genes.

Equine fecal microbiota response to short term antibiotic administration

Though generally safe, research continues to demonstrate negative side effects of antibiotic administration on the gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota across species. In horses, antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD) is a life-threatening condition linked to the GIT microbiota. This study tested the hypothesis that short term antibiotic administration to healthy horses would negatively impact the fecal microbiota as measured by their ability to digest nutrients and through fecal shedding of disease-associated-bacteria. Twenty-four horses were assigned to one of four treatment groups: control (CO); potassium penicillin/gentamicin sulfate (KPG); ceftiofur crystalline free acid (EX); trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SMZ); and treated for 4 days. Fecal samples were collected before treatment began (S0), the day after treatment conclusion (S5), and at 10, 14, 21, and 28 days after initiating treatment. Horses had highly individualized responses to antibiotic administration. All horses receiving antibiotics experienced significantly softer stool compared to controls. Lactobacillus spp. were dramatically reduced in all antibiotic treated S5 samples. Horses receiving antibiotics were significantly more likely to test positive for C. difficile or C. perfringens on fecal qPCR. In conclusion, response to antibiotic administration displays high inter-individual variability, but shows changes to the functions of fecal microbiota that may depend on the antibiotic used.

metaProbiotics: a tool for mining probiotic from metagenomic binning data based on a language model

Beneficial bacteria remain largely unexplored. Lacking systematic methods, understanding probiotic community traits becomes challenging, leading to various conclusions about their probiotic effects among different publications. We developed language model-based metaProbiotics to rapidly detect probiotic bins from metagenomes, demonstrating superior performance in simulated benchmark datasets. Testing on gut metagenomes from probiotic-treated individuals, it revealed the probioticity of intervention strains-derived bins and other probiotic-associated bins beyond the training data, such as a plasmid-like bin. Analyses of these bins revealed various probiotic mechanisms and bai operon as probiotic Ruminococcaceae's potential marker. In different health-disease cohorts, these bins were more common in healthy individuals, signifying their probiotic role, but relevant health predictions based on the abundance profiles of these bins faced cross-disease challenges. To better understand the heterogeneous nature of probiotics, we used metaProbiotics to construct a comprehensive probiotic genome set from global gut metagenomic data. Module analysis of this set shows that diseased individuals often lack certain probiotic gene modules, with significant variation of the missing modules across different diseases. Additionally, different gene modules on the same probiotic have heterogeneous effects on various diseases. We thus believe that gene function integrity of the probiotic community is more crucial in maintaining gut homeostasis than merely increasing specific gene abundance, and adding probiotics indiscriminately might not boost health. We expect that the innovative language model-based metaProbiotics tool will promote novel probiotic discovery using large-scale metagenomic data and facilitate systematic research on bacterial probiotic effects. The metaProbiotics program can be freely downloaded at https://github.com/zhenchengfang/metaProbiotics.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ELF051 Alleviates Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea by Regulating Intestinal Inflammation and Gut Microbiota

Probiotics are widely recognized for their ability to prevent and therapy antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). This study was designed to evaluate Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ELF051 ability to prevent colon inflammation and its effect on gut microbial composition in a mouse model of AAD. The mice were intragastrically administered triple antibiotics for 7 days and then subjected to L. plantarum ELF051 for 14 days. The administration of L. plantarum ELF051 ameliorated the pathological changes in the colon tissue, downregulated interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and upregulated IL-10, and increased the intestinal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) level. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ELF051 also regulated the Toll-like receptor/myeloid differentiation primary response 88/nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB) and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/ NF-κB (PI3K/AKT/ NF-κB) inflammatory signaling pathways. 16S rRNA analyses showed that L. plantarum ELF051 increased the abundance and diversity of gut bacteria, restoring gut microbiota imbalance. A Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed that lactobacilli are closely associated with inflammatory markers and SCFAs. This work demonstrated that L. plantarum ELF051 can attenuate antibiotic-induced intestinal inflammation in a mouse AAD model by suppressing the pro-inflammatory response and modulating the gut microbiota.

Risk of bias assessment tool for systematic review and meta-analysis of the gut microbiome

Risk of bias assessment is a critical step of any meta-analysis or systematic review. Given the low sample count of many microbiome studies, especially observational or cohort studies involving human subjects, many microbiome studies have low power. This increases the importance of performing meta-analysis and systematic review for microbiome research in order to enhance the relevance and applicability of microbiome results. This work proposes a method based on the ROBINS-I tool to systematically consider sources of bias in microbiome research seeking to perform meta-analysis or systematic review for microbiome studies.

Probiotics for primary prevention of Clostridioides difficile infection: revisiting the evidence

Prophylactic probiotics have been shown to be effective in preventing Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), according to multiple meta-analyses. However, different medical societies have varying recommendations on their use for preventing CDI. In this commentary, we discuss current evidence for probiotic use in primary prevention of CDI and the issues raised by professional societies when evaluating the evidence. We highlight four areas for future improvement: considering baseline risk for CDI, timing of probiotics with antibiotics, combining efficacy data from different probiotic strains, and safety. All societies agree on the need for more high-quality and adequately powered randomized controlled trials to further strengthen the evidence.

Administration of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain BB-12® in healthy children: characterization, functional composition, and metabolism of the gut microbiome

Introduction

The consumption of probiotics may influence children's gut microbiome and metabolome, which may reflect shifts in gut microbial diversity composition and metabolism. These potential changes might have a beneficial impact on health. However, there is a lack of evidence investigating the effect of probiotics on the gut microbiome and metabolome of children. We aimed to examine the potential impact of a two (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii; S2) vs. three (S2 + Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain BB-12) strain-supplemented yogurt.

Methods

Included in this study were 59 participants, aged one to five years old, recruited to phase I of a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, after the intervention, and at twenty days post-intervention discontinuation, and untargeted metabolomics and shotgun metagenomics were performed.

Results

Shotgun metagenomics and metabolomic analyses showed no global changes in either intervention group's gut microbiome alpha or beta diversity indices, except for a lower microbial diversity in the S2 + BB12 group at Day 30. The relative abundance of the two and three intervention bacteria increased in the S2 and S2 + BB12 groups, respectively, from Day 0 to Day 10. In the S2 + BB12 group, the abundance of several fecal metabolites increased at Day 10, including alanine, glycine, lysine, phenylalanine, serine, and valine. These fecal metabolite changes did not occur in the S2 group.

Discussion

In conclusion, there were were no significant differences in the global metagenomic or metabolomic profiles between healthy children receiving two (S2) vs. three (S2 + BB12) probiotic strains for 10 days. Nevertheless, we observed a significant increase (Day 0 to Day 10) in the relative abundance of the two and three probiotics administered in the S2 and S2 + BB12 groups, respectively, indicating the intervention had a measurable impact on the bacteria of interest in the gut microbiome. Future research using longer probiotic intervention durations and in children at risk for gastrointestinal disorders may elucidate if functional metabolite changes confer a protective gastrointestinal effect.

Administration of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Strain BB-12 ® in Healthy Children: Characterization, Functional Composition, and Metabolism of the Gut Microbiome

The consumption of probiotics may influence children's gut microbiome and metabolome, which may reflect shifts in gut microbial diversity composition and metabolism. These potential changes might have a beneficial impact on health. However, there is a lack of evidence investigating the effect of probiotics on the gut microbiome and metabolome of children. We aimed to examine the potential impact of a two ( Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ; S2) vs . three (S2 + Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain BB-12) strain-supplemented yogurt. Included in this study were 59 participants, aged one to five years old, recruited to phase I of a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, after the intervention, and at twenty days post-intervention discontinuation, and untargeted metabolomics and shotgun metagenomics were performed. Shotgun metagenomics and metabolomic analyses showed no global changes in either intervention group's gut microbiome alpha or beta diversity indices. The relative abundance of the two and three intervention bacteria increased in the S2 and S2 + BB12 groups, respectively, from Day 0 to Day 10 . In the S2+BB12 group, the abundance of several fecal metabolites was reduced at Day 10 , including alanine, glycine, lysine, phenylalanine, serine, and valine. These fecal metabolite changes did not occur in the S2 group. Future research using longer probiotic intervention durations and in children at risk for gastrointestinal disorders may elucidate if functional metabolite changes confer a protective gastrointestinal effect.

The Role of Short Chain Fatty Acids in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that is characterized by abdominal pain and disordered bowel habits. The etiology of IBS is multifactorial, including abnormal gut-brain interactions, visceral hypersensitivity, altered colon motility, and psychological factors. Recent studies have shown that the intestinal microbiota and its metabolites short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) may be involved in the pathogenesis of IBS. SCFAs play an important role in the pathophysiology of IBS. We discuss the underlying mechanisms of action of SCFAs in intestinal inflammation and immunity, intestinal barrier integrity, motility, and the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Limited to previous studies, further studies are required to investigate the mechanisms of action of SCFAs in IBS and provide more precise therapeutic strategies for IBS.

Improved gut microbiome recovery following drug therapy is linked to abundance and replication of probiotic strains

Probiotics have been used for decades to alleviate the negative side-effects of oral antibiotics, but our mechanistic understanding on how they work is so far incomplete. Here, we performed a metagenomic analysis of the fecal microbiota in participants who underwent a 14-d Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy with or without consumption of a multi-strain probiotic intervention (L. paracasei CNCM I-1518, L. paracasei CNCM I-3689, L. rhamnosus CNCM I-3690, and four yogurt strains) in a randomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical trial. Using a strain-level analysis for detection and metagenomic determination of replication rate, ingested strains were detected and replicated transiently in fecal samples and in the gut during and following antibiotic administration. Consumption of the fermented milk product led to a significant, although modest, improvement in the recovery of microbiota composition. Stratification of participants into two groups based on the degree to which their microbiome recovered showed i) a higher fecal abundance of the probiotic L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus strains and ii) an elevated replication rate of one strain (L. paracasei CNCMI-1518) in the recovery group. Collectively, our findings show a small but measurable benefit of a fermented milk product on microbiome recovery after antibiotics, which was linked to the detection and replication of specific probiotic strains. Such functional insight can form the basis for the development of probiotic-based intervention aimed to protect gut microbiome from drug treatments.

Fermented food: Should patients with cardiometabolic diseases go back to an early neolithic diet?

Fermentation has been used since the Early Neolithic period to preserve foods. It has inherent organoleptic and nutritive properties that bestow health benefits, including reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, supporting the growth of salutogenic microbiota, enhancing intestinal mucosal protection and promoting beneficial immunometabolic health effects. The fermentation of food with specific microbiota increases the production salutogenic bioactive compounds that can activate Nrf2 mediated cytoprotective responses and mitigate the effects of the 'diseasome of aging' and its associated inflammageing, which presents as a prominent feature of obesity, type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease. This review discusses the importance of fermented food in improving health span, with special reference to cardiometabolic diseases.

Shotgun metagenomic sequencing revealed the prebiotic potential of a grain-based diet in mice

In the present study, we elucidated the effect of grain-based (GB) diet containing both soluble and insoluble fibers and purified ingredients-based (PIB) diet containing only insoluble fiber, namely cellulose on mice gut microbiome using whole shotgun based metagenomic sequencing. Although the fiber content in both diet types is the same (5%) the presence of soluble fiber only in the GB diet differentiates it from the PIB diet. The taxonomic analysis of sequenced reads reveals a significantly higher enrichment of probiotic Lactobacilli in the GB group as compared to the PIB group. Further, the enhancement of energy expensive cellular processes namely, cell cycle control, cell division, chromosome partitioning, and transcription is observed in the GB group which could be due to the metabolization of the soluble fiber for faster energy production. In contrast, a higher abundance of cellulolytic bacterial community namely, the members of family Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae and the metabolism functions are found in the PIB group. The PIB group shows a significant increase in host-derived oligosaccharide metabolism functions indicating that they might first target the host-derived oligosaccharides and self-stored glycogen in addition to utilising the available cellulose. In addition to the beneficial microbial community variations, both the groups also exhibited an increased abundance of opportunistic pathobionts which could be due to an overall low amount of fiber in the diet. Furthermore, backtracing analysis identified probiotic members of Lactobacillus, viz., L. crispatus ST1, L. fermentum CECT 5716, L. gasseri ATCC 33323, L. johnsonii NCC 533 and L. reuteri 100-23 in the GB group, while Bilophila wadsworthia 3_1_6, Desulfovibrio piger ATCC 29098, Clostridium symbiosum WAL-14163, and Ruminococcaceae bacterium D16 in the PIB group. These data suggest that Lactobacilli, a probiotic community of microorganisms, are the predominant functional contributors in the gut of GB diet-fed mice, whereas pathobionts too coexisted with commensals in the gut microbiome of the PIB group. Thus at 5% fiber, GB modifies the gut microbial ecology more effectively than PIB and the inclusion of soluble fiber in the GB diet may be one of the primary factors responsible for this impact.

Gut microbial metabolome in inflammatory bowel disease: From association to therapeutic perspectives

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a set of clinically chronic, relapsing gastrointestinal inflammatory disease and lacks of an absolute cure. Although the precise etiology is unknown, developments in high-throughput microbial genomic sequencing significantly illuminate the changes in the intestinal microbial structure and functions in patients with IBD. The application of microbial metabolomics suggests that the microbiota can influence IBD pathogenesis by producing metabolites, which are implicated as crucial mediators of host-microbial crosstalk. This review aims to elaborate the current knowledge of perturbations of the microbiome-metabolome interface in IBD with description of altered composition and metabolite profiles of gut microbiota. We emphasized and elaborated recent findings of several potentially protective metabolite classes in IBD, including fatty acids, amino acids and derivatives and bile acids. This article will facilitate a deeper understanding of the new therapeutic approach for IBD by applying metabolome-based adjunctive treatment.

Effects of probiotics on loperamide-induced constipation in rats

The role of probiotics in mitigating constipation, gut immunity, and gut microbiota has not been well studied. We aimed to evaluate the effects of probiotics on loperamide (LP)-induced constipation in Sprague-Dawley rats. Altogether, 150 male Sprague-Dawley rats (age 8 weeks) were used in the experiments following a 12-day acclimatisation period and were randomly divided into three treatment groups (groups 1, 2, and 3). Spastic constipation was induced via oral LP administration (3 mg/kg) for 6 days, 1 h before administering each test compound in groups 1 and 2. A probiotic solution (4 mL/kg body weight) was orally administered once a day for 6 days in group 2. In group 1, a phosphate buffer solution was orally administered once a day for 6 days, 1 h after each LP administration. In group 3, a phosphate buffer solution was orally administered once a day for 6 days. In the probiotic group, faecal parameters improved; faecal n-butyric acid, acetic acid, and IgA concentrations were increased; intestinal transit time was shortened; and disturbance of intestinal microbiota was inhibited. Our findings suggest that this probiotic was useful in improving various symptoms caused by constipation.