BackgroundAbout 25% of women in the United States are obese prior to becoming pregnant. Although there is some knowledge about the relationship between the gastrointestinal microbiota and obesity, little is known about the relationship between pre-pregnancy obesity and the gastrointestinal microbiota in pregnancy or its impact on infant gut microbiota. However, the composition of the gut microbiota early in life may influence childhood health. Thus, the objective of this research was to identify associations between maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and the pregnancy (n = 39) or early infancy (n = 39) microbiotas.ResultsFecal bacterial communities from overweight women had lower microbiota diversity (Chao1: p = 0.02; inverse Simpson: p = 0.05; Shannon: p = 0.02) than communities from normal weight or obese women. The within-group microbiota composition of overweight women differed from those of normal and obese women at the genus and phylum levels (p = 0.003 and p = 0.02, respectively). Pre-pregnancy overweight women had higher abundances of Bacteroides and lower Phascolarctobacterium than women who were normal weight or obese prior to becoming pregnant. Normal weight women had lower abundances of Acidaminococcus and Dialister than overweight and obese women. Infant community composition tended to differ in membership (Sorensen index) by maternal pre-pregnancy BMI category, and significantly differed by delivery mode and breastfeeding exclusivity (p = 0.06, p = 0.001, p = 0.008, respectively). Infants from normal weight women had lower abundances of Megasphaera than infants from overweight or obese women. Streptococcus was lowest in infants from overweight women, and Staphylococcus was lowest in infants from obese women.ConclusionMaternal and infant microbiotas are associated with and might be affected by maternal pre-pregnancy BMI. Future work should determine if there are also functional differences in the infant microbiome, if those functional differences are related to maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, and whether differences in composition or traits persist over time.

Perinatal factors can shape fecal microbiome patterns among pregnant women and their infants. However, there is scarce information about the effect of maternal demographics and perinatal exposures on antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) and mobile genetic element (MGE) patterns in pregnant women and infants. We examined fecal samples from pregnant women during their third trimester of pregnancy (n = 51) and 6-month-old infants (n = 40). Of the 91 participants, 72 represented 36 maternal-infant dyads, 15 were additional pregnant women, and 4 were additional infants. We assessed the effects of demographics, pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking and parity in the pregnancy resistome and the effects of demographics, delivery mode, feeding habits and prenatal antibiotic treatment on the infancy resistome. ARG and MGE richness and abundance were assessed using a SmartChip qPCR-array. Alpha diversity (Shannon and Inverse Simpson index) and beta diversity (Sorensen and Bray-Curtis index) were calculated. The Wilcoxon and the Kruskal non-parametric test were used for comparisons. There is a high variability in shared resistome patterns between pregnant women and their infants. An average of 29% of ARG and 24% of MGE were shared within dyads. Infants had significantly greater abundance and higher diversity of ARG and MGE compared to pregnant women. Pregnancy and infancy samples differed in ARG and MGE gene composition and structure. Composition of the fecal resistome was significantly associated with race in pregnant women, with non-white women having different patterns than white women, and, in infants, with extent of solid food consumption. Our data showed that the pregnancy and infancy resistome had different structure and composition patterns, with maternal race and infant solid food consumption as possible contributors to ARG. By characterizing resistome patterns, our results can inform the mechanism of antibiotic resistome development in pregnant women and their infants.

Fusarium dieback (FD) is a new vascular disease of hardwood trees caused by Fusarium spp. and other associated fungal species which are vectored by two recently introduced and highly invasive species of ambrosia beetle (Euwallacea spp. nr. fornicatus). One of these ambrosia beetles is known as the polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) and the other as the Kuroshio shot hole borer (KSHB). Together with the fungi that they vector, this pest–disease complex is known as the shot hole borer–Fusarium dieback (SHB-FD) complex. Mitigation of this pest–disease complex currently relies on tree removal; however, this practice is expensive and impractical given the wide host range and rapid advancement of the beetles throughout hardwoods in southern California. This study reports on the assessment of various pesticides for use in the management of SHB-FD. In vitro screening of 13 fungicides revealed that pyraclostrobin, trifloxystrobin, and azoxystrobin generally have lower effective concentration that reduces 50% of mycelial growth (EC50) values across all fungal symbionts of PSHB and KSHB; metconazole was found to have lower EC50 values for Fusarium spp. and Paracremonium pembeum. Triadimefon and fluxapyroxad were not capable of inhibiting any fungal symbiont at the concentrations tested. A 1-year field study showed that two insecticides, emamectin benzoate alone and in combination with propiconazole, and bifenthrin, could significantly reduce SHB attacks. Two injected fungicides (tebuconazole and a combination of carbendazim and debacarb) and one spray fungicide (metconazole) could also significantly reduce SHB attacks. Bioassays designed to assess fungicide retention 1 year postapplication revealed that six of the seven fungicides exhibited some level of inhibition in vitro and all thiabendazole-treated trees sampled exhibiting inhibition. This study has identified several pesticides which can be implemented as part of an integrated pest management strategy to reduce SHB infestation in low to moderately infested landscape California sycamore trees and potentially other landscape trees currently affected by SHB-FD.

The gut microbiota undergoes rapid changes during infancy in response to early-life exposures. We have investigated how the infant gut bacterial community matures over time and how exposures such as human milk and antibiotic treatment alter gut microbiota development. We used the LonGP program to create predictive models to determine the contribution of exposures on infant gut bacterial abundances from one month to two years of age. These models indicate that infant antibiotic use, human milk intake, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, and sample shipping time were associated with changes in gut microbiome composition. In most infants, Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae unclassified, Faecalibacterium, Akkermansia, and Phascolarctobacterium abundance increased rapidly after 6 months, while Escherichia, Bifidobacterium, Veillonella, and Streptococcus decreased in abundance over time. Individual, time-varying, random effects explained most of the variation in the LonGP models. Multivariate association with linear models (MaAsLin) displayed partial agreement with LonGP in the predicted trajectories over time and in relation to significant factors such as human milk intake. Multiple factors influence the dynamic changes in bacterial composition of the infant gut. Within-individual differences dominate the temporal variations in the infant gut microbiome, suggesting individual temporal variability is an important feature to consider in studies with a longitudinal sampling design.

Because microbes use carotenoids as an antioxidant for protection, dietary carotenoids could be associated with gut microbiota composition. We aimed to determine associations among reported carotenoid intake, plasma carotenoid concentrations, and fecal bacterial communities in pregnant women. Pregnant women (n = 27) were enrolled in a two‐arm study designed to assess feasibility of biospecimen collection and delivery of a practical nutrition intervention. Plasma and fecal samples were collected and women were surveyed with a 24‐hr dietary checklist and recalls. Plasma carotenoids were analyzed by HPLC using photodiode array detection. Fecal bacteria were analyzed by 16S rRNA DNA sequencing. Results presented are cross‐sectional from the 36‐week gestational study visit combined across both study arms due to lack of significant differences between intervention and usual care groups (n = 23 women with complete data). Recent intake of carotenoid‐containing foods included carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos, apricots, and/or bell peppers for 48% of women; oranges/orange juice (17%); egg (39%); tomato/tomato‐based sauces (52%); fruits (83%); and vegetables (65%). Average plasma carotenoid concentrations were 6.4 µg/dL α‐carotene (AC), 17.7 µg/dL β‐carotene (BC), 11.4 µg/dL cryptoxanthin, 39.0 µg/dL trans‐lycopene, and 29.8 µg/dL zeaxanthin and lutein. AC and BC concentrations were higher in women who recently consumed foods high in carotenoids. CR concentrations were higher in women who consumed oranges/orange juice. Microbiota α‐diversity positively correlated with AC and BC. Microbiota β‐diversity differed significantly across reported intake of carotenoid containing foods and plasma concentrations of AC. This may reflect an effect of high fiber or improved overall dietary quality, rather than a specific effect of carotenoids.Practical ApplicationLittle is known about the association between the gut microbiome and specific dietary microconstituents, such as carotenoids, especially during pregnancy. This research demonstrates that a carotenoid‐rich diet during pregnancy supports a diverse microbiota, which could be one mechanism by which carotenoids promote health.

Background Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and human milk feeding have been associated with altered infant gut microbiota. Research aim Determine the relationships between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, human milk exposure, and their influence on the infant microbiota simultaneously. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of infants at 6 months of age ( N = 36), a time when many infants are fed a mixed diet of human milk and other foods. Fecal samples and participant information were collected from a subset of dyads enrolled in two related prospective cohorts (ARCHGUT and BABYGUT) in Michigan. Sequencing the V4 region of the 16S gene was used to analyze fecal bacterial samples collected from 6-month-old infants. Participants were grouped into four categories designated by their extent of human milk exposure (100%, 80%, 50%–80%, ≤ 20% human milk in the infant diet) and by maternal pre-pregnancy BMI category (normal, overweight, obese). Results Fewer participants with pre-pregnancy obesity were breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum compared to non-obese participants (35.7% and 81.8%, respectively). In univariate analyses, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and human milk exposure were both significantly associated with alpha and beta diversity of the infant microbiota. However, in multivariate analyses, human milk exposure accounted for 20% of the variation in alpha diversity, but pre-pregnancy BMI was not significantly associated with any form of microbiota diversity. Conclusions The proportion of the infant diet that was human milk at 6 months was the major determinant of alpha and beta diversity of the infant. Maternal obesity contributes to the gut microbiota by its association with the extent of human milk feeding.

Background: As obesity rates continue to rise, it is increasingly important to understand factors that can influence body weight and growth, especially from an early age. The infant gut microbiota has broad effects on a variety of bodily processes, but its relation to infant growth is not yet fully characterized. Since the infant gut microbiota is closely related to breastfeeding practices and maternal health, understanding the relationship between these factors and infant growth may provide insight into the origins of childhood obesity. Objectives: Identify the relationship between human milk exposure, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), the infant gut microbiota, and 12-month-old BMI-for-age z-scores (12M BAZ) to identify key factors that shape infant growth. Methods: Two Michigan cohorts (ARCHGUT and BABYGUT) comprised of a total of 33 mother-infant dyads provided infant fecal samples at 12M. After DNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing of the V4 16S rRNA region using Illumina MiSeq v2 Chemistry, gut bacterial diversity metrics were analyzed in relation to human milk exposure, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, and infant growth parameters. Results: Recent human milk exposure was inversely related to maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and most strongly associated with infant gut bacterial community membership and individual gut microbiota richness differences. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was not associated with the infant gut microbiota after adjusting for human milk exposure. However, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was the only factor significantly associated with 12M BAZ. Conclusions: Human milk exposure is one of the central influences on the infant gut microbiota at 12M of age. However, the lack of association between the infant gut microbiota and 12M-old infant BAZ suggests that genetic, physiological, dietary, and other environmental factors may play a more direct role than the gut microbiota in determining infant BAZ at 12M.

The human gut microbiome has been classified into three distinct enterotypes (Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Ruminococcus). The relationship between probiotics and gut enterotype is not yet clear. Cayenne pepper is effective in vitro as a prebiotic for Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, so cayenne ingestion with probiotics may lead to more profound gut microbial shifts. We aimed to determine whether probiotics (with or without cayenne pepper) alter gut bacterial community composition and if these changes are associated with the original gut enterotype of the individual. A total of 27 adult participants provided three fecal samples: prior to probiotic treatment (baseline), post probiotic treatment (probiotic), and post probiotic plus cayenne pepper treatment (probiotic + cayenne). DNA was extracted, amplified, and the V4 region sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform using V2 chemistry. Sequence reads were processed in mothur and assigned using the SILVA reference by phylotype. Three enterotypes characterized the study population—Bacteroides (B; n = 6), Prevotella (P; n = 11), and Ruminoccocus (R; n = 10). There was no significant increase in probiotic genera in fecal samples after treatment periods. Alpha diversity scores were significantly lower in B‐type but not in P‐ or R‐type individuals after probiotic treatment. For the majority of individuals, their enterotype remained constant regardless of probiotic (and cayenne) treatment. This suggests that baseline gut community characteristics and enterotype classification influence responsiveness to probiotic treatment, but that enterotype is stable across administration of prebiotic and probiotics.Practical ApplicationA person's gut microbial community influences their responsiveness to probiotics and prebiotic ingredients. Consumers must understand that it is difficult to shift their gut microbiota even with simultaneous administration of prebiotic and probiotic. Greater understanding of these phenomena will enable consumers to choose the most efficacious products for their needs.