A. muciniphila Supplementation in Mice during Pregnancy and Lactation Affects the Maternal Intestinal Microenvironment

Dose-related effects of early-life intake of sn-2 palmitate, a specific positionally distributed human milk fatty acid, on the composition and metabolism of the intestinal microbiota

sn2 Palmitate in human milk plays an important role in the physiological health of infants by reducing mineral loss, improving stool hardness, and relieving constipation. Also, sn-2 palmitate modulates intestinal microbiota. However, it remains unclear whether the effects of sn-2 palmitate on infant gut microbiota are dose-dependent. In this study, we investigated the effects of low, medium, and high doses (600, 1,800, and 5,400 mg/kg body weight, respectively) of sn-2 palmitate on the structure, composition, and metabolic function of intestinal microbes in mice. Our results showed that high doses of sn-2 palmitate significantly modulated α- and β-diversity of the intestinal microbiota. The relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group decreased with increasing doses of sn-2 palmitate. In contrast, the abundances of Bacteroidetes phylum, Bacteroides, uncultured_Lachnospiraceae, and uncultured_Muribaculaceae were positively correlated with sn-2 palmitate doses. The number of genes predicted encoding autophagy-yeast, phospholipase D signaling pathway, and pentose and glucuronate interconversion metabolic functions of intestinal microbiota increased with increasing doses of sn-2 palmitate. In addition, low and medium doses of sn-2 palmitate significantly upregulated the arginine and proline metabolic pathways, and high doses of sn-2 palmitate significantly increased purine metabolism. Our results revealed that the effects of sn-2 palmitate intake early in life on the composition and metabolism of the intestinal microbiota of mice showed dose-related differences. The study is expected to provide a scientific basis for the development of infant formulas.

Synbiotic Sapota-do-Solimões (Quararibea cordata Vischer) Juice Improves Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in an In Vitro Model

Sapota-do-Solimões (Quararibea cordata Vischer) is Amazon South América fruit found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The orange-yellow fruit is usually eaten out of hand or as juice. Despite being a source of carotenoids and dietary fibers (pectin) that can reach the colon and act as an energy source for intestinal microbiota, the fruit is rarely known outside of South America. The symbiotic juice was prepared by fermenting the fruit juice with Lacticaseibacillus casei B-442 and adding prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS, 7% w/v). This study evaluated the functional juice immediately after L. casei fermentation (SSJ0) and after 30 days of cold storage (SSJ30) regarding its effect on human colonic microbiota composition after in vitro fermentation. Fecal samples were collected from two healthy female volunteers, and the 16s rRNA gene sequencing analyzed the fecal microbiota composition. In vitro, colonic fermentation was performed using a batch bioreactor to simulate gastrointestinal conditions. The L. casei viability did not change significantly after 30 days of the synbiotic juice cold storage (4 °C). After the colonic fermentation, the relative abundance of Firmicutes decreased while Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria increased. Regarding short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production by fecal colonic microbiota, the butyric acid was higher after sample SSJ0 fecal fermentation. In contrast, propionic, isobutyric, and acetic acids were higher after SSJ30 sample fecal fermentation. This study contributes to understanding the interactions between specific foods and the gut microbiota, which can affect human health and well-being.

The microbiota-gut-brain axis and perceived stress in the perinatal period

Perinatal perceived stress can contribute to worse health outcomes for the parent-child dyad. Given the emerging relationship between the microbiota-gut-brain axis and stress, this study sought to elucidate connections between bowel symptoms and the gut microbiome in relation to perceived stress at three time points in the perinatal period: two during pregnancy and one postpartum. Ninety-five pregnant individuals participated in a prospective cohort study from April 2017 to November 2019. Researchers assessed Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS); bowel symptoms (according to the IBS Questionnaire); psychiatrist assessment of new onset or exacerbated depression and anxiety; and fecal samples analyzed for alpha diversity (measures of gut microbiome diversity utilizing Shannon, Observed OTUs, and Faith's PD) at each timepoint. Covariates included weeks of gestation and weeks postpartum. PSS scores were divided into "Perceived Self-Efficacy" and "Perceived Helplessness." Increased gut microbial diversity was associated with decreased bowel symptoms, decreased overall perceived stress, increased ability to cope with adversity, and decreased distress in the postpartum period. This study found a significant association between a less diverse microbial community, lower self-efficacy early in pregnancy, and greater bowel symptoms and perceived helplessness later in the perinatal period, relationships that may ultimately point to novel diagnostic methods and interventions for perceived stress based on the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

Bifidobacterium bifidum FJSWX19M5 alleviated 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced chronic colitis by mitigating gut barrier injury and increasing regulatory T cells

Probiotics have been evaluated as alternative approaches for preventing the relapse of Crohn's disease (CD). Previously, we observed strain-specific anti-inflammatory properties of Bifidobacterium bifidum in 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) acute colitis models. In this study, we further assessed the effects of several B. bifidum strains on colonic damage, fibrosis, inflammatory factors, intestinal microbial and metabolic profiles, and peripheral regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the context of TNBS chronic colitis in mice. These results indicated that B. bifidum FJSWX19M5, but not FXJWS17M4, ameliorated body weight loss, reduced colonic shortening and injury, decreased markers of gut inflammation, and rebalanced colonic metabolism in TNBS-treated mice. FJSWX19M5 supplementation also promoted Treg cell differentiation and intestinal barrier restoration compared to other strains. All living B. bifidum strains (FJSWX19M5, FXJWS17M4 and FHENJZ3M6) seemed to restore the disruption of the gut microbiota caused by TNBS. The co-culture of B. bifidum strains and mesenteric lymph node cells from TNBS-treated mice showed that those strains with anti-colitis could induce higher IL-10 levels and a lower ratio of IL-22/IL-10 and IL-17/IL-10 when compared to those strains that were not protective. Furthermore, heat-killed FJSWX19M5 exhibited a relief effect on colitis-related symptoms (including body weight loss, colonic shortening and injury). These data imply that specific B. bifidum strains or their lysates may be the current therapeutic alternatives for CD.

Health and Disease: Akkermansia muciniphila , the Shining Star of the Gut Flora

Akkermansia muciniphila ( A. muciniphila ) has drawn much attention as an important gut microbe strain in recent years. A. muciniphila can influence the occurrence and development of diseases of the endocrine, nervous, digestive, musculoskeletal, and respiratory systems and other diseases. It can also improve immunotherapy for some cancers. A. muciniphila is expected to become a new probiotic in addition to Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium . An increase in A. muciniphila abundance through direct or indirect A. muciniphila supplementation may inhibit or even reverse disease progression. However, some contrary findings are found in type 2 diabetes mellitus and neurodegenerative diseases, where increased A. muciniphila abundance may aggravate the diseases. To enable a more comprehensive understanding of the role of A. muciniphila in diseases, we summarize the relevant information on A. muciniphila in different systemic diseases and introduce regulators of A. muciniphila abundance to promote the clinical transformation of A. muciniphila research.

Prebiotic activity of chitooligosaccharides and their ability to alleviate necrotizing enterocolitis in newborn rats

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) have many bioactive functions and favorable prospects in the fields of biomedicine and functional foods. In this study, COS was found to significantly improve the survival rate of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) model rats, alter the composition of the intestinal microbiota, inhibit the expression of inflammatory cytokines, and alleviate intestinal pathological injury. In addition, COS also increased the abundance of Akkermansia, Bacteroides, and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 in the intestines of normal rats (the normal rat model is more universal). The in vitro fermentation results found that COS was degraded by the human gut microbiota to promote the abundance of Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and produced numerous short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In vitro metabolomic analysis revealed that COS catabolism was associated with significant increases in 3-hydroxybutyrate acid and γ-aminobutyric acid. This study provides evidence for the potential of COS as a prebiotic in food products and to ameliorate NEC development in neonatal rats.

Maternal Intake of Probiotics to Program Offspring Health

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Probiotics intake may be considered beneficial by prospective and pregnant mothers, but their effects on offspring development are incompletely understood. The purpose of this review was to examine recent pre-clinical and clinical studies to understand how maternal probiotics exposure affects offspring health outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Effects were investigated in the context of supporting offspring growth, intestinal health, and gut microbiota, preventing allergic diseases, supporting neurodevelopment, and preventing metabolic disorders in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Most human studies focused on infancy outcomes, whereas pre-clinical studies also examined outcomes at adolescence and young adulthood. While still understudied, both pre-clinical and clinical studies propose epigenetic modifications as an underlying mechanism. Optimal timing of intervention remains unclear. Administration of selected probiotics to mothers has programming potential for sustaining life-long health of offspring. Administration protocols, specific windows of susceptibility, and individual-specific responses need to be further studied.