The feasibility of gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome work in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) to determine the GI microbiota composition of infants as compared to control infants from the same hospital was investigated. In a single-site observational study at an urban quaternary care children’s hospital in Western Michigan, subjects less than 6 months of age, admitted to the PICU with severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis, were compared to similarly aged control subjects undergoing procedural sedation in the outpatient department. GI microbiome samples were collected at admission (n = 20) and 72 h (n = 19) or at time of sedation (n = 10). GI bacteria were analyzed by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Alpha and beta diversity were calculated. Mechanical ventilation was required for the majority (n = 14) of study patients, and antibiotics were given at baseline (n = 8) and 72 h (n = 9). Control subjects’ bacterial communities contained more Porphyromonas, and Prevotella (p = 0.004) than those of PICU infants. The ratio of Prevotella to Bacteroides was greater in the control than the RSV infants (mean ± SD—1.27 ± 0.85 vs. 0.61 ± 0.75: p = 0.03). Bacterial communities of PICU infants were less diverse than those of controls with a loss of potentially protective populations.
Objectives To determine if the oral microbiota is associated with body mass index (BMI) in adults. To determine if sweet taste liking measures are associated with the composition of the oral microbiota in either adults or children. Methods Participants ages 8 + years were recruited from visitors to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Participants sampled five concentrations of sucrose (0.0%, 2.4%, 4.3%, 7.7%, 13.7% w/v) by swishing and spitting 5 mL of each. Sweet taste liking for each solution was measured using a 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS) with the anchors: ‘dislike extremely’ and ‘like extremely.’Participants used swabs to collect oral microbiota samples. DNA was extracted from these samples, 16S rRNA libraries were made, and the resulting libraries were sequenced. Height and weight were measured at the museum by trained staff. Results Overall, as adult body mass index (BMI) increased, alpha diversity (Chao1) of the adult oral microbiota decreased. The adult oral microbiota differed in membership. Underweight and normal weight participants had different oral microbiota communities than overweight and obese participants. These associations remained significant when females were analyzed as a separate group, but not when males were analyzed as a separate group. The differences were based on the types of bacteria present but not the abundance of those bacteria. Oral microbiota of underweight and normal weight participants were defined by the presence of Corynebacterium, Bacillus, and unclassified Clostridiales. With respect to sweet liking, alpha diversity (Chao1) was positively associated with liking of the 2.4% sucrose solution (tertiles) in female adults and female children. Conclusions Oral microbiota community structure is associated with adult BMI. Furthermore, the level of liking of sweet solutions in both adults and children is associated with alpha diversity of the oral microbiota. Funding Sources The Sweet-Tasting Study in the Genetics of Taste Lab was supported by both the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Foundation. This work was also supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Michigan State AgBioResearch.
Breastfeeding and introduction of solid food are the two major components of infant feeding practices that influence gut microbiota composition in early infancy. However, it is unclear whether additional factors influence the microbiota of infants either exclusively breastfed or not breastfed. We obtained 194 fecal samples from infants at 3–9 months of age, extracted DNA, and sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Feeding practices and clinical information were collected by questionnaire and abstraction of birth certificates. The gut microbiota of infants who were exclusively breastfed displayed significantly lower Shannon diversity (p-adjust < 0.001) and different gut microbiota composition compared to infants who were not breastfed (p-value = 0.001). Among the exclusively breastfed infants, recipients of vitamin D supplements displayed significantly lower Shannon diversity (p-adjust = 0.007), and different gut microbiota composition structure than non-supplemented, breastfed infants (p-value = 0.02). MaAslin analysis identified microbial taxa that associated with breastfeeding and vitamin D supplementation. Breastfeeding and infant vitamin D supplement intake play an important role in shaping infant gut microbiota.
Objectives To identify the impact of cayenne pepper on the diversity of the gut microbiome and inflammatory biomarkers in the stool of adults with overweight or obesity. Methods 31 individuals participated. All participants had a BMI > 25. Most participants were female (64.5%) and averaged 28 ± 8 years of age. Participants consumed two 250 mL servings of tomato juice or tomato juice plus 1.9 grams (0.8 g per dose) of cayenne pepper each day for one week before crossing over to the other study arm. The study design allowed participants to continue eating a mixed, complex diet but sources of capsaicin, the pungent component of cayenne, were to be avoided. Stool samples were collected in the home at the end of each treatment period. DNA was extracted from the stools, 16S rRNA libraries were made, and libraries were sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq. Sequences were processed using mothur, and data were analyzed in R using the vegan package. Results The spice intervention did not increase the richness of gut microbiota nor alter the overall gut microbiota composition at the genus level. However, at the single taxa at the genus level, participants who consumed tomato juice without cayenne had higher abundances of Prevotella and Bacteroides in their stool. Cayenne treatment did not affect either lipocalin or calprotectin levels in the stool. Calprotectin and lipocalin concentrations were positively correlated with each other, but only when participants were consuming cayenne pepper. Neither lipocalin nor calprotectin levels in stool of participants were related to gut microbiota richness or composition. Conclusions There was no detectable impact of the spice treatment on gut microbiota composition or intestinal inflammation in adults with overweight or obesity at the time of treatment. Though these results were unanticipated, given prior results in animal models, these results suggest that research in free-living humans must continue as treatments that are only effective under tightly controlled conditions will be of little use to most individuals. Funding Sources Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation/McCormick Science Institute as well as by startup funds provided by MSU and the MSU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.
Diet impacts human gut microbial composition. Phytochemicals in cayenne pepper (CP), such as capsaicin, have anti-inflammatory properties and alter bacterial growth in vitro. However, the evidence that CP impacts the human microbiota and intestinal inflammation in free-living adults is lacking. Thus, the objective of this randomized cross-over study was to determine the influence of CP on human gut microbiota and intestinal inflammation in vivo. A total of 29 participants were randomly allocated to consume two 250 mL servings of tomato juice plus 1.8 g of CP each day or juice only for 5 days before crossing over to the other study arm. Fecal samples were analyzed. CP reduced Oscillibacter and Phascolarctobacterium but enriched Bifidobacterium and Gp6. When stratified by BMI (body mass index), only the increase in Gp6 was observed in all BMI groups during CP treatment. Stool concentrations of lipocalin-2 and calprotectin were similar regardless of CP treatment. However, lipocalin-2 and calprotectin levels were positively correlated in samples taken after CP consumption. Neither lipocalin-2 nor calprotectin levels were related to gut microbial composition. In conclusion, in healthy adult humans under typical living conditions, consumption of CP minimally influenced the gut microbiota and had little impact on intestinal inflammation.
Objectives To measure associations between gardening with three different types of compost amendments and the human gut microbiota composition. Methods Gardeners (n = 25) were provided with one of three types of compost: chicken manure (CM), compost with dairy manure and plant material (DMP), or plant-based compost (P). Stool samples were collected before gardening (T1), after amending soil with compost (T2), and at the peak of garden harvest (T3). Compost and soil samples were also collected. DNA was extracted from the samples, 16S rRNA libraries were made, and libraries were sequenced by Illumina MiSeq. Sequences were processed using mothur, and data were analyzed in R. Kruskal-Wallis with post hoc Dunn test was performed to compare Shannon Alpha diversity. Individual taxa were compared between time points using a negative binomial test. Fast expectation-maximization microbial source tracking (FEAST) analysis was used to determine stool bacteria sources. Proportions were compared by Chi-Square. Results At T2 and T3, gut bacterial communities of participants who used P compost had lower Shannon alpha diversity compared to the gut bacterial communities of participants using the other two compost types, and this was also the trend at T1. In T2 stool, Ruminococcus 1 and Ruminococcus 2 were less abundant in the microbiotas of those using P compost as compared to those using CM or DMP. However, at T1, Ruminococcus 2 was less abundant in the microbiotas of individuals that later used P as well as those that later used CM compared to those who later used DMP. During T2, Prevotella 9 had the highest abundance in the microbiotas of those using P compost. In participants who used CM compost to amend their gardening plots, a larger proportion of the human stool bacteria were sourced from CM compared to soil. Conclusions Soil exposure through gardening was associated with a small but detectable change in the gardeners’ gut microbiota composition. These results suggest that human interactions with soil through gardening could potentially impact health through alterations to the gut microbiota. Funding Sources USDA NIFA AFRI.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.