scholarly journals Gut Microbiota and Obesity: A Role for Probiotics

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludovico Abenavoli ◽  
Emidio Scarpellini ◽  
Carmela Colica ◽  
Luigi Boccuto ◽  
Bahare Salehi ◽  
...  

Nowadays, obesity is one of the most prevalent human health problems. Research from the last 30 years has clarified the role of the imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, unhealthy lifestyle, and genetic variability in the development of obesity. More recently, the composition and metabolic functions of gut microbiota have been proposed as being able to affect obesity development. Here, we will report the current knowledge on the definition, composition, and functions of intestinal microbiota. We have performed an extensive review of the literature, searching for the following keywords: metabolism, gut microbiota, dysbiosis, obesity. There is evidence for the association between gut bacteria and obesity both in infancy and in adults. There are several genetic, metabolic, and inflammatory pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the interplay between gut microbes and obesity. Microbial changes in the human gut can be considered a factor involved in obesity development in humans. The modulation of the bacterial strains in the digestive tract can help to reshape the metabolic profile in the human obese host as suggested by several data from animal and human studies. Thus, a deep revision of the evidence pertaining to the use probiotics, prebiotics, and antibiotics in obese patients is conceivable

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (24) ◽  
pp. 13440
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Sędzikowska ◽  
Leszek Szablewski

The majority of the epithelial surfaces of our body, and the digestive tract, respiratory and urogenital systems, are colonized by a vast number of bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoans, and viruses. These microbiota, particularly those of the intestines, play an important, beneficial role in digestion, metabolism, and the synthesis of vitamins. Their metabolites stimulate cytokine production by the human host, which are used against potential pathogens. The composition of the microbiota is influenced by several internal and external factors, including diet, age, disease, and lifestyle. Such changes, called dysbiosis, may be involved in the development of various conditions, such as metabolic diseases, including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, Hashimoto’s thyroidis and Graves’ disease; they can also play a role in nervous system disturbances, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and depression. An association has also been found between gut microbiota dysbiosis and cancer. Our health is closely associated with the state of our microbiota, and their homeostasis. The aim of this review is to describe the associations between human gut microbiota and cancer, and examine the potential role of gut microbiota in anticancer therapy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huihui Xu ◽  
Meijie Liu ◽  
Jinfeng Cao ◽  
Xiaoya Li ◽  
Danping Fan ◽  
...  

The human gut-resident commensal microbiota is a unique ecosystem associated with various bodily functions, especially immunity. Gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a crucial role in autoimmune disease pathogenesis as well as in bowel-related diseases. However, the role of the gut microbiota, which causes or influences systemic immunity in autoimmune diseases, remains elusive. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor, a ligand-activated transcription factor, is a master moderator of host-microbiota interactions because it shapes the immune system and impacts host metabolism. In addition, treatment optimization while minimizing potential adverse effects in autoimmune diseases remains essential, and modulation of the gut microbiota constitutes a potential clinical therapy. Here, we present evidence linking gut microbiota dysbiosis with autoimmune mechanisms involved in disease development to identify future effective approaches based on the gut microbiota for preventing autoimmune diseases.


Gut ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 1716-1725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrice D Cani

The microbiome has received increasing attention over the last 15 years. Although gut microbes have been explored for several decades, investigations of the role of microorganisms that reside in the human gut has attracted much attention beyond classical infectious diseases. For example, numerous studies have reported changes in the gut microbiota during not only obesity, diabetes, and liver diseases but also cancer and even neurodegenerative diseases. The human gut microbiota is viewed as a potential source of novel therapeutics. Between 2013 and 2017, the number of publications focusing on the gut microbiota was, remarkably, 12 900, which represents four-fifths of the total number of publications over the last 40 years that investigated this topic. This review discusses recent evidence of the impact of the gut microbiota on metabolic disorders and focus on selected key mechanisms. This review also aims to provide a critical analysis of the current knowledge in this field, identify putative key issues or problems and discuss misinterpretations. The abundance of metagenomic data generated on comparing diseased and healthy subjects can lead to the erroneous claim that a bacterium is causally linked with the protection or the onset of a disease. In fact, environmental factors such as dietary habits, drug treatments, intestinal motility and stool frequency and consistency are all factors that influence the composition of the microbiota and should be considered. The cases of the bacteria Prevotella copri and Akkermansia muciniphila will be discussed as key examples.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 593-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren J. Rajakovich ◽  
Emily P. Balskus

Metalloenzymes play central roles in metabolic functions of the human gut microbiota that are associated with host health and disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S42-S42
Author(s):  
Kohei Sugihara ◽  
Nobuhiko Kamada

Abstract Background Recent accumulating evidence suggests that amino acids have crucial roles in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis. In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), amino acid metabolism is changed in both host and the gut microbiota. Among amino acids, L-serine plays a central role in several metabolic processes that are essential for the growth and survival of both mammalian and bacterial cells. However, the role of L-serine in intestinal homeostasis and IBD remains incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary L-serine on intestinal inflammation in a murine model of colitis. Methods Specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice were fed either a control diet (amino acid-based diet) or an L-serine-deficient diet (SDD). Colitis was induced by the treatment of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). The gut microbiome was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. We also evaluate the effect of dietary L-serine in germ-free mice and gnotobiotic mice that were colonized by a consortium of non-mucolytic bacterial strains or the consortium plus mucolytic bacterial strains. Results We found that the SDD exacerbated experimental colitis in SPF mice. However, the severity of colitis in SDD-fed mice was comparable to control diet-fed mice in germ-free condition, suggesting that the gut microbiota is required for exacerbation of colitis caused by the restriction of dietary L-serine. The gut microbiome analysis revealed that dietary L-serine restriction fosters the blooms of a mucus-degrading bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila and adherent-invasive Escherichia coli in the inflamed gut. Consistent with the expansion of mucolytic bacteria, SDD-fed mice showed a loss of the intestinal mucus layer. Dysfunction of the mucus barrier resulted in increased intestinal permeability, thereby leading to bacterial translocation to the intestinal mucosa, which subsequently increased the severity of colitis. The increased intestinal permeability and subsequent bacterial translocation were observed in SDD-fed gnotobiotic mice that colonized by mucolytic bacteria. In contrast, dietary L-serine restriction did not alter intestinal barrier integrity in gnotobiotic mice that colonized only by non-mucolytic bacteria. Conclusion Our results suggest that dietary L-serine regulates the integrity of the intestinal mucus barrier during inflammation by limiting the expansion of mucus degrading bacteria.


Gut Microbes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Julia Moor ◽  
Tsering Wüthrich ◽  
Suzanne Aebi ◽  
Nadezda Mostacci ◽  
Gudrun Overesch ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Koliada ◽  
Vladislav Moseiko ◽  
Mariana Romanenko ◽  
Oleh Lushchak ◽  
Nadiia Kryzhanovska ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Evidence was previously provided for sex-related differences in the human gut microbiota composition, and sex-specific discrepancy in hormonal profiles was proposed as a main determinant of these differences. On the basis of these findings, the assumption was made on the role of microbiota in the sexual dimorphism of human diseases. To date, sex differences in fecal microbiota were demonstrated primarily at lower taxonomic levels, whereas phylum-level differences between sexes were reported in few studies only. In the present population-based cross-sectional research, sex differences in the phylum-level human gut microbiota composition were identified in a large (total n = 2301) sample of relatively healthy individuals from Ukraine. Results Relative abundances of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, as determined by qRT-PCR, were found to be significantly increased, while that of Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased in females compared to males. The Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio was significantly increased in females compared to males. Females had 31 % higher odds of having F/B ratio more than 1 than males. This trend was evident in all age groups. The difference between sexes was even more pronounced in the elder individuals (50+): in this age group, female participants had 56 % higher odds of having F/B ratio > 1 than the male ones. Conclusions In conclusion, sex-specific differences in the phylum-level intestinal microbiota composition were observed in the Ukraine population. The F/B ratio was significantly increased in females compared to males. Further investigation is needed to draw strong conclusions regarding the mechanistic basis for sex-specific differences in the gut microbiota composition and regarding the role of these differences in the initiation and progression of human chronic diseases.


2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-193
Author(s):  
Anca Magdalena Munteanu ◽  
◽  
Raluca Cursaru ◽  
Loreta Guja ◽  
Simona Carniciu ◽  
...  

The medical research of the last 1-2 decades allows us to look at the human gut microbiota and microbiome as to a structure that can promote health and sometimes initiate disease. It works like an endocrine organ: releasing specific metabolites, using environmental inputs, e.g. diet, or acting through its structural compounds, that signal human host receptors, to finally contributing to the pathogenesis of several gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal diseases. The same commensal microbes were found as shapers of the human host response to drugs (cardiovascular, oncology etc.). New technologies played an important role in these achievements, facilitating analysis of the genetic and metabolic profile of this microbial community. Once the inputs, the pathways and a lot of human host receptors were highlighted, the scientists were encouraged to go further into research, in order to develop new pathogenic therapies, targeting the human gut flora. Dual therapies, evolving these “friend microbes”, are another actual research subjects. This review gives an update on the current knowledge in the area of microbiota disbalances under environmental factors, the contribution of gut microbiota and microbiome to the pathogenesis of obesity, obesity associated metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease, as well as new perspectives in preventing and treating these diseases, with high prevalence in contemporary, economically developed societies. It brings the latest and most relevant evidences relating to: probiotics, prebiotics, polyphenols and fecal microbiota transplantation, dietary nutrient manipulation, microbial as well as human host enzyme manipulation, shaping human responses to currently used drugs, manipulating the gut microbiome by horizontal gene transfer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 75 ◽  
pp. 283-291
Author(s):  
Agata Janczy ◽  
Magdalena Landowska ◽  
Zdzisław Kochan

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is described as an eating disorder, which is characterized by malnutrition, a fear of gaining body mass, and a disturbed self-body image. This disease is dependent on biological, psychological and socio-cultural factors. Among the various biological factors, the importance of intestinal microbiota has recently attracted much attention. Identification of the gut microbiota dysbiosis in patients with AN has opened new and promising research directions. Recent observations focus in particular on the association between intestinal microorganisms and the occurrence of functional gastrointestinal disorders associated with anorexia, anxiety and depression, as well as the regulation of eating habits. The composition of the gut microbiota differs between patients with AN and individuals with normal body mass. This is due to the incorrect diet of patients; on the other hand, there is growing interest in the role of intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of AN, its changes through re-nutrition practices, and in particular the modulation of intestinal microbiological composition by means of nutritional interventions or the use of preand probiotics as standard supplements therapy of eating disorders. There is a need for further research about the microbiome - intestine - brain axis. Furthermore, consequences of changes in dietary habits as part of AN treatment are also unknown. However, better knowledge about the relationship between the gut microbiome and the brain can help improve the treatment of this disorder. This review aims to present the current knowledge about the potential role of intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis, course and treatment of AN.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Kit Au ◽  
Tin Lok Lai ◽  
Cheuk Wan Yim

AbstractMajority of rheumatic diseases are complex and multifactorial in etiology. Emerging studies has suggested that the change of human microbiota, especially in the gut, play a pivotal role in its pathogenesis. Dysequilibrium of the gut microbiota triggers the imbalance between pro- and anti- inflammatory immune responses and results in different rheumatic manifestations, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA). In this article, current and future role of the human gut microbiota in rheumatic diseases are discussed.


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