Gut Microbiota Metabolism and Interaction with Food Components

Abstract

The human gut contains trillions of microbes that play a central role in host biology, including the provision of key nutrients from the diet. Food is a major source of precursors for metabolite production; in fact, diet modulates the gut microbiota (GM) as the nutrients, derived from dietary intake, reach the GM, affecting both the ecosystem and microbial metabolic profile. GM metabolic ability has an impact on human nutritional status from childhood. However, there is a wide variability of dietary patterns that exist among individuals. The study of interactions with the host via GM metabolic pathways is an interesting field of research in medicine, as microbiota members produce myriads of molecules with many bioactive properties. Indeed, much evidence has demonstrated the importance of metabolites produced by the bacterial metabolism from foods at the gut level that dynamically participate in various biochemical mechanisms of a cell as a reaction to environmental stimuli. Hence, the GM modulate homeostasis at the gut level, and the alteration in their composition can concur in disease onset or progression, including immunological, inflammatory, and metabolic disorders, as well as cancer. Understanding the gut microbe–nutrient interactions will increase our knowledge of how diet affects host health and disease, thus enabling personalized therapeutics and nutrition.

Strongyloides stercoralis Infestation in a Child: How a Nematode Can Affect Gut Microbiota

“…SCFAs, such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, mainly in the lumen, are assumed to interact in terms of antioxidant activity, avoiding anti-inflammatory effects on the intestinal mucosa. Moreover, butyrate and propionate can regulate intestinal physiology and immune function, whereas acetate acts as a substrate for lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis [ 24 ]. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes are the most abundant phyla in the human gut, with Bacteroidetes mainly producing acetate and propionate, while Firmicutes mostly produces butyrate [ 25 ].…”

Do Breastfeeding History and Diet Quality Predict Inhibitory Control at Preschool Age?

“…Recent studies showed that individuals with ADHD—who have lower levels of inhibitory control—have different bacteria present in their gut compared to individuals without ADHD [ 54 , 55 ]. Since gut microbiota are in constant interplay with diet, it is possible that the gut microbiota moderate the effects of diet on the brain via the microbiota-gut-brain axis [ 11 , 12 ]. As gut microbiota composition differs between 3-year-old children [ 56 ], it may affect the way nutrition impacts brain development in individual children [ 57 ].…”

“…One biological pathway hypothesized to be involved in the association between breastfeeding, diet and inhibitory control is the microbiota-gut-brain axis, which is a bidirectional communication route between bacteria in the gut and the brain [ 11 ]. Gut microbiota are in constant interplay with diet; thus it is possible that the gut microbiota moderate the effects of diet on the brain and potentially affect behavior [ 11 , 12 ]. As inhibitory control develops quickly early in life, early life nutrition might be especially important.…”

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“…Furthermore, we have no information about symptomatic or asymptomatic gastrointestinal disorders. Nutrition and especially protein intake have an influence on microbial metabolism [ 37 , 38 ] and have been associated with intra-patient variability, as described previously [ 39 ]. Although we have no data about nutrition and dietary intake in the 4C-study, we used Mediterranean residency as a surrogate parameter for nutrition.…”