Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus Composition at Species Level and Gut Microbiota Diversity in Infants before 6 Weeks

Abstract

Our objective was to investigate the effects of different delivery and feeding modes on the gut microbiota composition of early infants with special emphasis on Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus profiles at species level. 16S rRNA V3-V4 regions, bifidobacterial, and lactobacilli groEL genes from infant feces were sequenced by Illumina MiSeq. Gut microbiota abundance was significantly different, where standard vaginally delivered (SVD) and breast-fed (BF) groups were higher in comparison with caesarean section (CS), milk-powder-fed (MPF), and mixed-fed (MF) groups. The genus unclassified Enterobacteriaceae was dominant, followed by Bifidobacterium, which was highly abundant in SVD and BF groups. The dominant Bifidobacterium species in all groups were B. longum subsp. longum, B. longum subsp. infantis and B. animalis subsp. lactis. B. dentium and the diversity of Bifidobacterium in SVD and BF groups were significantly higher. For Lactobacillus profiles, L. rhamnosus and L. gasseri were dominant among all the groups, while Lactobacillus species in CS and MPF groups were more diverse. Functional predictions showed significant differences between delivery mode and feeding groups, such as phosphotransferase system as well as taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. In early infants with different delivery and feeding methods, gut microbiota—particularly bifidobacteria and lactobacilli communities—showed significant differences, with strong implications for physiological functions.

Synbiotic Effect of Bifidobacterium lactis CNCM I-3446 and Bovine Milk-Derived Oligosaccharides on Infant Gut Microbiota

“…Further, B. lactis successfully engrafted the microbiota in both donors, regardless of the initial level of bifidobacteria present. B. lactis is often considered as a nonresident species of the gut [39] and is only sparsely detected in infant feces [40,41]. This was confirmed in the two selected infants where no OTU belonging to B. animalis was detected, unless the formulations containing B. animalis ssp.…”

“…Yet, it is often considered as a nonresident species of the human gut [ 39 ]. It is indeed only sparsely detected in infant feces [ 40 , 41 ]. As a matter of fact, B. lactis is supposedly unable to use the carbon resources present in the human gut, as it has a limited number of hypothetical glycosyl hydrolases and carbohydrate pathways [ 42 , 43 , 44 ].…”

Prebiotic Properties of Non-Fructosylated α-Galactooligosaccharides from PEA (Pisum sativum L.) Using Infant Fecal Slurries

“…These species have been reported in many studies as the dominant bifidobacteria in infant faecal samples. Significant differences in bifidobacteria communities display differential metabolic features and have strong implications in infant physiology state and health [32][33][34]. Delivery mode (vaginal birth or assisted delivery) and feeding modes (breastfeeding, milk formula and mix-fed) have influences on bifidobacterial composition at species level [32].…”

Maternal Fish Consumption in Pregnancy Is Associated with a Bifidobacterium-Dominant Microbiome Profile in Infants

“…Additionally, Bifidobacterium probiotic use is associated with preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants with very low birth weight (26), children with antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and children with wheezing illness (27). Many studies have outlined the role of the gut microbiome in health with bifidobacteria playing a critical role (28,29). Various disease pathologies, including but not limited to enteric diseases, are associated with shifts in the proportion and diversity of bifidobacteria (30).…”