Diet and microbiome in the beginning of the sequence of gut inflammation

Fecal microbiota transplant on Escherichia-Shigella gut composition and its potential role in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The gut-brain-axis has a role in mental health disorders. In people with generalized anxiety disorder, GAD,1 normal flora Escherichia-Shigella, are significantly elevated. Fecal microbiota transplant, FMT,2 has been used to alter the gut composition in unhealthy individuals. There may be a role for FMT in the treatment of GAD to improve the gut-brain-axis.

METHODS

A systematic review of literature was conducted on articles published in PubMed, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Wed of Science from 2000 to 2022 that analyzed FMT as a modality to alter the gut microbiome in which Escherichia-Shigella levels were quantified and reported.

RESULTS

Of 1916 studies identified, 14 fit criteria and were included. Recipients undergoing FMT procedures had at least one enteric diagnosis and increased percentages of Escherichia-Shigella pre-FMT. Five studies on recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, three irritable bowel syndrome, two ulcerative colitis, one ulcerative colitis and recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, one acute intestinal and chronic graft-vs-host disease, one pouchitis, and one slow transit constipation. 10 articles (71.4 %) showed decreased levels of Escherichia-Shigella post-FMT compared to pre-FMT. Four studies claimed the results were significant (40 %).

LIMITATIONS

Limitations include potential bias in study selection, study methods of analysis, and generalization of results.

CONCLUSIONS

The gut-brain-axis has a role in GAD. Those with GAD have significantly higher Escherichia-Shigella compared to those without GAD. FMT has the potential to decrease Escherichia-Shigella in patients with GAD to positively alter the gut-brain-axis as a potential for future GAD treatment.

Invited review: Camel milk and gut health-Understanding digestibility and the effect on gut microbiota

Camel milk (CM), known for its immune-regulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antidiabetic properties, is a natural healthy food. It is easily digestible due to the high levels of β-casein and diverse secreted antibodies, exhibiting superior antibacterial and antiviral activities compared with bovine milk. β-casein is less allergic and more digestible because it is more susceptible to digestive hydrolysis in the gut; therefore, higher levels of β-casein make CM advantageous for human health. Furthermore, antibodies help the digestive system by destroying the antigens, which are then overwhelmed and digested by macrophages. The connection between the gut microbiota and human health has gained substantial research attention, as it offers potential benefits and supports disease treatment. The gut microbiota has a vital role in regulating the host's health because it helps in several biological functions, such as protection against pathogens, immune function regulation, energy harvesting from digested foods, and reinforcement of digestive tract biochemical barriers. These functions could be affected by the changes in the gut microbiota profile, and gut microbiota differences are associated with several diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, irritable bowel disorder, mental illness, allergy, and obesity. This review focuses on the digestibility of CM components, particularly protein and fat, and their influence on gut microbiota modulation. Notably, the hypoallergenic properties and small fat globules of CM contribute to its enhanced digestibility. Considering the rapid digestion of its proteins under conditions simulating infant gastrointestinal digestion, CM exhibits promise as a potential alternative for infant formula preparation due to the high β-/αs-casein ratio and protective proteins, in addition to the absence of β-lactoglobulin.

Lower Diet Quality Associated with Subclinical Gastrointestinal Inflammation in Healthy United States Adults

BACKGROUND

Higher diet quality has been associated with lower risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease, but associations between diet and gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation in healthy adults prior to disease onset are understudied.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this project was to examine associations between reported dietary intake and markers of GI inflammation in a healthy adult human cohort.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional observational trial of 358 healthy adults, participants completed ≤3 unannounced 24-h dietary recalls using the Automated Self-Administered Dietary Assessment Tool and a Block 2014 Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess recent and habitual intake, respectively. Those who provided a stool sample were included in this analysis. Inflammation markers from stool, including calprotectin, neopterin, and myeloperoxidase, were measured by ELISA along with LPS-binding protein from plasma.

RESULTS

Recent and habitual fiber intake was negatively correlated with fecal calprotectin concentrations (n = 295, P = 0.011, 0.009). Habitual soluble fiber intake was also negatively correlated with calprotectin (P = 0.01). Recent and habitual legume and vegetable intake was negatively correlated with calprotectin (P = 0.013, 0.026, 0.01, 0.009). We observed an inverse correlation between recent Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores and calprotectin concentrations (n = 295, P = 0.026). Dietary Inflammatory Index scores were calculated and positively correlated with neopterin for recent intake (n = 289, P = 0.015). When participants with clinically elevated calprotectin were excluded, recent and habitual fiber, legume, vegetable, and fruit intake were negatively correlated with calprotectin (n = 253, P = 0.00001, 0.0002, 0.045, 0.001, 0.009, 0.001, 0.004, 0.014). Recent total HEI score was inversely correlated with subclinical calprotectin (P = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher diet quality may be protective against GI inflammation even in healthy adults. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02367287.

Generally-healthy individuals with aberrant bowel movement frequencies show enrichment for microbially-derived blood metabolites associated with reduced kidney function

Bowel movement frequency (BMF) has been linked to changes in the composition of the human gut microbiome and to many chronic conditions, like metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and other intestinal pathologies like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Lower BMF (constipation) can lead to compromised intestinal barrier integrity and a switch from saccharolytic to proteolytic fermentation within the microbiota, giving rise to microbially-derived toxins that may make their way into circulation and cause damage to organ systems. However, the connections between BMF, gut microbial metabolism, and the early-stage development and progression of chronic disease remain underexplored. Here, we examined the phenotypic impact of BMF variation in a cohort of generally-healthy, community dwelling adults with detailed clinical, lifestyle, and multi-omic data. We showed significant differences in microbially-derived blood plasma metabolites, gut bacterial genera, clinical chemistries, and lifestyle factors across BMF groups that have been linked to inflammation, cardiometabolic health, liver function, and CKD severity and progression. We found that the higher plasma levels of 3-indoxyl sulfate (3-IS), a microbially-derived metabolite associated with constipation, was in turn negatively associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measure of kidney function. Causal mediation analysis revealed that the effect of BMF on eGFR was significantly mediated by 3-IS. Finally, we identify self-reported diet, lifestyle, and psychological factors associated with BMF variation, which indicate several common-sense strategies for mitigating constipation and diarrhea. Overall, we suggest that aberrant BMF is an underappreciated risk factor in the development of chronic diseases, even in otherwise healthy populations.

The connection between epigenetics and gut microbiota-current perspective

Both the epigenetic changes and gut microbiota (GM) have attracted a growing interest in establishing effective diagnostics and potential therapeutic strategies for a number of diseases. These disorders include metabolic, central nervous system-related diseases, autoimmune, and gastrointestinal infections (GI). Despite the number of studies, there is no extensive review that connects the epigenetics modifications and GM as biomarkers that could confer effective diagnostics and confer treatment options. To this end, this review hopes to give detailed information on connecting the modifications in epigenetic and GM. An updated and detailed information on the connection between the epigenetics factors and GM that influence diseases are given. In addition, the review showed some associations between the epigenetics to the maternal GM and offspring health. Finally, the limitations of the concept and prospects into this new emerging discipline were also looked into. Although this review elucidated on the maternal diet and response to offspring health with respect to GM and epigenetic modifications, there still exist various limitations to this newly emerging discipline. In addition to integrating complementary multi-omics data, longitudinal sampling will aid with the identification of functional mechanisms that may serve as therapeutic targets. To this end, this review gave a detailed perspective into harnessing disease diagnostics, prevention and treatment options through epigenetics and GM.

Diet as an epigenetic factor in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has as a main characteristic the exacerbation of the immune system against enterocytes, compromising the individual's intestinal microbiota. This inflammatory cascade causes several nutritional deficiencies, which further compromise immunological functioning and, as a result, worsen the prognosis. This vicious cycle can be interrupted as the patient's dietary pattern meets their needs according to their clinical condition, acting directly on the inflammatory process of IBD through the interaction of food, intestinal microbiota, and epigenome. Specific nutritional intervention for IBD has a crucial role in preventing and managing disease activity. This review addresses epigenetic modifications through dietary compounds as a mechanism for modulating the intestinal microbiota of patients with IBD.

"Out of the box" new therapeutic strategies for Crohn´s disease: moving beyond biologics

New treatment options beyond immunosuppression have emerged in recent years for patients with Crohn´s disease (CD), a chronic systemic condition affecting primarily the gut with great impact in the quality of life. The cause of CD is largely unknown, and a curative treatment is not yet available. In addition, despite the growing therapeutic armamentarium in recent years almost half of the patients don´t achieve a sustained response over time. Thus, new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. In this review, we discuss the current state of promising new "out of the box" possibilities to control chronic inflammation beyond current pharmacological treatments, including: exclusive enteral nutrition, specific diets, cell therapies using T regs, hyperbaric oxygen, fecal microbiota transplantation, phage therapy, helminths, cannabis and vagal nerve stimulation. The exploration of original and novel therapeutic modalities is key to address their potential as main or complementary treatments in selected CD populations in order to increase efficacy, minimize side effects and improve quality of life of patients.

Identification and Characterization of a Potential Probiotic, Clostridium butyricum G13, Isolated from the Intestine of the Mud Crab (Scylla paramamosain)

The butyrate-producing bacterium Clostridium butyricum has been proven to be important in improving the growth and health benefits of aquatic animals. In this study, C. butyricum G13 was isolated for the first time from the gut of the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain). The results of this study showed that C. butyricum G13 could produce a high concentration of butyric acid and grow well in a wide range of pHs (4 to 9) and NaCl (1 to 2.5%) and bile salt (0.2 to 1.0%) concentrations. In vitro characterization revealed that C. butyricum G13 is a Gram-positive and gamma-hemolytic bacterium sensitive to most antibiotics and shows hydrophobicity and the capacity to degrade starch. In vitro fermentation using mud crab gut contents showed that C. butyricum G13 alone or in combination with galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and/or resistant starch (RS) significantly increased butyric acid production and beneficially affected the abundance and diversity of intestinal microbiota. In addition, C. butyricum G13 can improve the survival rate of mud crabs and effectively maintain the normal structure of gut morphology after infection with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. In conclusion, C. butyricum G13 can be considered a potential probiotic that improves the immune capacity and confers health benefits on mud crabs. IMPORTANCE With the development of society, more and more aquatic animals are demanded. Intensification in the aquaculture scale is facing problems, such as disease outbreaks, eutrophication of water bodies, and misuse of antibiotics. Among these challenges, disease outbreak is the most important factor directly affecting aquaculture production. It is crucial to explore new approaches effective for the prevention and control of diseases. Probiotics have been widely used in aquaculture and have shown beneficial effects on the host. In this study, the butyrate-producing bacterium Clostridium butyricum G13 was isolated for the first time from the intestine of the mud crab through in vitro fermentation. The bacterium has probiotic properties and changes the gut microbiota to be beneficial to hosts in vitro as well as protecting hosts from Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in vivo. The outcomes of this study indicate that C. butyricum G13 can be used as a potential probiotic in mud crab aquaculture.

Gut and oral microbiota associations with viral mitigation behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic

Imposition of social and health behavior mitigations are important control measures in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although postulated that these measures may impact the human microbiota including losses in diversity from heightened hygiene and social distancing measures, this hypothesis remains to be tested. Other impacts on the microbiota and host mental and physical health status associations from these measures are also not well-studied. Here we examine changes in stool and oral microbiota by analyzing 16S rRNA gene sequence taxonomic profiles from the same individuals during pre-pandemic (before March 2020) and early pandemic (May-November 2020) phases. During the early pandemic phase, individuals were also surveyed using questionnaires to report health histories, anxiety, depression, sleep and other lifestyle behaviors in a cohort of predominantly Caucasian adults (mean age = 61.5 years) with the majority reporting at least one underlying co-morbidity. We identified changes in microbiota (stool n = 288; oral n = 89) between pre-pandemic and early pandemic time points from the same subject and associated these differences with questionnaire responses using linear statistical models and hierarchical clustering of microbiota composition coupled to logistic regression. While a trend in loss of diversity was identified between pre-pandemic and early pandemic time points it was not statistically significant. Paired difference analyses between individuals identified fewer significant changes between pre-pandemic and early pandemic microbiota in those who reported fewer comorbidities. Cluster transition analyses of stool and saliva microbiota determined most individuals remained in the same cluster assignments from the pre-pandemic to early pandemic period. Individuals with microbiota that shifted in composition, causing them to depart a pre-pandemic cluster, reported more health issues and pandemic-associated worries. Collectively, our study identified that stool and saliva microbiota from the pre-pandemic to early pandemic periods largely exhibited ecological stability (especially stool microbiota) with most associations in loss of diversity or changes in composition related to more reported health issues and pandemic-associated worries. Longitudinal observational cohorts are necessary to monitor the microbiome in response to pandemics and changes in public health measures.

Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber for the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), two components of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are painful conditions that affect children and adults. Despite substantial research, there is no permanent cure for IBD, and patients face an increased risk of colon cancer. Dietary fiber's health advantages have been thoroughly investigated, and it is recommended for its enormous health benefits. This review article discusses the importance of appropriate fiber intake in managing IBD, emphasizing how optimal fiber consumption can significantly help IBD patients.

Nutritional Management of Thyroiditis of Hashimoto

Since the thyroid gland is one of the organs most affected by autoimmune processes, many patients with thyroiditis of Hashimoto (TH) seek medical advice on lifestyle variance and dietary modifications to improve and maintain their hyroid function. In this review, we aim to present and discuss some challenges associated with the nutritional management of TH, focusing on environmental and dietary deficits, inflammatory and toxic nutrients, cyanotoxins, etc. We discuss the relationships among different diets, chronic inflammation, and microbiota, and their impact on the development and exacerbation of TH in detail. We share some novel insights into the role of vitamin D and melatonin for preserving thyroid function during chronic inflammation in autoimmune predisposed subjects. A comprehensive overview is provided on anti-inflammatory nutrients and ecological diets, including foods for cleansing and detoxification, which represent strategies to prevent relapses and achieve overall improvement of life quality. In conclusion, data from biomedical and clinical studies provide evidence that an appropriate dietary and lighting regimen could significantly improve the function of the thyroid gland and reduce the reactivity of autoantibodies in TH. Compliance with nutritional guidelines may help TH patients to reduce the need for medicines.