• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.137-145
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• 2024

Stunting, a condition characterized by impaired growth and development in children, remains a major public health concern worldwide. Over the past decade, emerging evidence has shed light on the potential role of gut microbiota modulation in stunting. Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been linked to impaired nutrient absorption, chronic inflammation, altered short-chain fatty acid production, and perturbed hormonal and signaling pathways, all of which may hinder optimal growth in children. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of existing research exploring the bidirectional relationship between stunting and the gut microbiota. Although stunting can alter the gut microbial community, microbiota dysbiosis may exacerbate it, forming a vicious cycle that sustains the condition. The need for effective preventive and therapeutic strategies targeting the gut microbiota to combat stunting is also discussed. Nutritional interventions, probiotics, and prebiotics are among the most promising approaches to modulate the gut microbiota and potentially ameliorate stunting outcomes. Ultimately, a better understanding of the gut microbiota-stunting nexus is vital for guiding evidence-based interventions that can improve the growth and development trajectory of children worldwide, making substantial strides toward reducing the burden of stunting in vulnerable populations.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.239-246
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• 2020

Microorganism residing in the gut has been known to have important roles in the animal body. Microbes and host microenvironment are highly related with host's health including energy metabolism and immune system. Moreover, it reported that gut microbiome is correlated with diseases like obesity in human and dogs. There have been many studies to identify and characterize microbes and their genes in human body. However, there was little information of microbiome in companion animals. Here, we investigated microbiota communities in feaces from twenty - four Beagles (aged 2 years old) and analyzed the taxonomy profile using metagenomics to study the difference among gut microbiome based on body condition score (BCS). gDNA was isolated from feaces, sequenced and clustered. Taxonomy profiling was performed based on the NCBI database. BCS was evaluated once a week according to the description provided by World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Firmicutes phylum was the most abundant followed by Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. That main microbiota in gut were differently distributed based on the BCS. Fusobacteria has been known to be associated with colon cancer in human. Interestingly, Fusobacteria was in the third level from the top in healthy dog's gut microbiome. In addition, Fusobacteria was especially higher in overweight dogs which had 6 scales of BCS. Species Fusobacterium perfoetens was also more abundant when dogs were in BCS 6. It implied that F. perfoetens would be positively related with overweight in dogs. These finding would contribute to further studies of gut microbiome and their functions to improve dog's diets and health condition.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.20.1-20.18
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• 2021

The gut is an important organ with digestive and immune regulatory function which consistently harbors microbiome ecosystem. The gut microbiome cooperates with the host to regulate the development and function of the immune, metabolic, and nervous systems. It can influence disease processes in the gut as well as extra-intestinal organs, including the brain. The gut closely connects with the central nervous system through dynamic bidirectional communication along the gut-brain axis. The connection between gut environment and brain may affect host mood and behaviors. Disruptions in microbial communities have been implicated in several neurological disorders. A link between the gut microbiota and the brain has long been described, but recent studies have started to reveal the underlying mechanism of the impact of the gut microbiota and gut barrier integrity on the brain and behavior. Here, we summarized the gut barrier environment and the 4 main gut-brain axis pathways. We focused on the important function of gut barrier on neurological diseases such as stress responses and ischemic stroke. Finally, we described the impact of representative environmental sensors generated by gut bacteria on acute neurological disease via the gut-brain axis.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.655-663
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• 2018

The insect gut microbiome is known to have important roles in host growth, development, digestion, and resistance against pathogens. In addition, the genetic diversity of the insect gut microbiota has recently been recognized as potential genetic resources for industrial bioprocessing. However, there is limited information regarding the insect gut microbiota to better help us understand their potential benefits for enhanced pig production. With the development of next-generation sequencing methods, whole genome sequence analysis has become possible beyond traditional culture-independent methods. This improvement makes it possible to identify and characterize bacteria that are not cultured and located in various environments including the gastrointestinal tract. Insect intestinal microorganisms are known to have an important role in host growth, digestion, and immunity. These gut microbiota have recently been recognized as potential genetic resources for livestock farming which is using the functions of living organisms to integrate them into animal science. The purpose of this literature review is to emphasize the necessity of research on insect gut microbiota and their applicability to pig production or bioindustry. In conclusion, bacterial metabolism of feed in the gut is often significant for the nutrition intake of animals, and the insect gut microbiome has potential to be used as feed additives for enhanced pig performance. The exploration of the structure and function of the insect gut microbiota needs further investigation for their potential use in the swine industry particularly for the improvement of growth performance and overall health status of pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.937-949
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• 2022

Health concern of dogs is the most important issue for pet owners. People who have companied the dogs long-term provide the utmost cares for their well-being and healthy life. Recently, it was revealed that the population and types of gut microbiota affect the metabolism and immunity of the host. However, there is little information on the gut microbiome of dogs. Hericium erinaceus (H. erinaceus; HE) is one of the well-known medicinal mushrooms and has multiple bioactive components including polyphenol, β-glucan, polysaccharides, ergothioneine, hericerin, erinacines, etc. Here we tested a pet food that contained H. erinaceus for improvement in the gut microbiota environment of aged dogs. A total of 18 dogs, each 11 years old, were utilized. For sixteen weeks, the dogs were fed with 0.4 g of H. erinaceus (HE-L), or 0.8 g (HE-H), or without H. erinaceus (CON) per body weight (kg) with daily diets (n = 6 per group). Taxonomic analysis was performed using metagenomics to investigate the difference in the gut microbiome. Resulting from principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) to confirm the distance difference between the groups, there was a significant difference between HE-H and CON due to weighted Unique fraction metric (Unifrac) distance (p = 0.047), but HE-L did not have a statistical difference compared to that of CON. Additionally, the result of Linear discriminate analysis of effect size (LEfSe) showed that phylum Bacteroidetes in HE-H and its order Bacteroidales increased, compared to that of CON, Additionally, phylum Firmicutes in HE-H, and its genera (Streptococcus, Tyzzerella) were reduced. Furthermore, at the family level, Campylobacteraceae and its genus Campylobacter in HE-H was decreased compared to that of CON. Summarily, our data demonstrated that the intake of H. erinaceus can regulate the gut microbial community in aged dogs, and an adequate supply of HE on pet diets would possibly improve immunity and anti-obesity on gut-microbiota in dogs.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2013

Presence of Helicobacter pylori is associated with an increased risk of developing upper gastrointestinal tract diseases. Antibiotic therapy and a combination of two or three drugs have been widely used to eradicate H. pylori infections. Due to antibiotic resistant drugs, new drug resources are needed such as plants which contain antibacterial compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of GutGard$^{TM}$ to inhibit H. pylori growth both in Mongolian gerbils and C57BL/6 mouse models. Male Mongolian gerbils were infected with the bacteria by intragastric inoculation ($2{\times}10^9$ CFU/gerbil) 3 times over 5 days and then orally treated once daily 6 times/week for 8 weeks with 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg GutGard$^{TM}$. After the final administration, biopsy samples of the gastric mucosa were assayed for bacterial identification via urease, catalase and ELISA assays as well as immunohistochemistry (IHC). In the Mongolian gerbil model, IHC and ELISA assays revealed that GutGard$^{TM}$ inhibited H. pylori colonization in gastric mucosa in a dose dependent manner. The anti-H. pylori effects of GutGard$^{TM}$ in H. pylori-infected C57BL/6 mice were also examined. We found that treatment with 25 mg/kg GutGard$^{TM}$ significantly reduced H. pylori colonization in mice gastric mucosa. Our results suggest that GutGard$^{TM}$ may be useful as an agent to prevent H. pylori infection.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2018

Orally administered ginsengs come in contact with the gut microbiota, and their hydrophilic constituents, such as ginsenosides, are metabolized to hydrophobic compounds by gastric juice and gut microbiota: protopanxadiol-type ginsenosides are mainly transformed into compound K and ginsenoside Rh2; protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides to ginsenoside Rh1 and protopanaxatriol, and ocotillol-type ginsenosides to ocotillol. Although this metabolizing activity varies between individuals, the metabolism of ginsenosides to compound K by gut microbiota in individuals treated with ginseng is proportional to the area under the blood concentration curve for compound K in their blood samples. These metabolites such as compound K exhibit potent pharmacological effects, such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiallergic, and neuroprotective effects compared with the parent ginsenosides, such as Rb1, Rb2, and Re. Therefore, to monitor the potent pharmacological effects of ginseng, a novel probiotic fermentation technology has been developed to produce absorbable and bioactive metabolites. Based on these findings, it is concluded that gut microbiota play an important role in the pharmacological action of orally administered ginseng, and probiotics that can replace gut microbiota can be used in the development of beneficial and bioactive ginsengs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.1067-1071
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• 2020

To understand the formation of initial gut microbiota, three initial fecal samples were collected from two groups of two breast milk-fed (BM1) and seven formula milk-fed (FM1) infants, and the compositional changes in gut microbiota were determined using metagenomics. Compositional change analysis during week one showed that Bifidobacterium increased from the first to the third fecal samples in the BM1 group (1.3% to 35.1%), while Klebsiella and Serratia were detected in the third fecal sample of the FM1 group (4.4% and 34.2%, respectively), suggesting the beneficial effect of breast milk intake. To further understand the compositional changes during progression from infancy to childhood (i.e., from three weeks to five years of age), additional fecal samples were collected from four groups of two breast milk-fed infants (BM2), one formula milk-fed toddler (FM2), three weaning food-fed toddlers (WF), and three solid food-fed children (SF). Subsequent compositional change analysis and principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed that the composition of the gut microbiota changed from an infant-like composition to an adult-like one in conjunction with dietary changes. Interestingly, overall gut microbiota composition analyses during the period of progression from infancy to childhood suggested increasing complexity of gut microbiota as well as emergence of a new species of bacteria capable of digesting complex carbohydrates in WF and SF groups, substantiating that diet type is a key factor in determining the composition of gut microbiota. Consequently, this study may be useful as a guide to understanding the development of initial gut microbiota based on diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.545-551
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• 2013

This study aimed to present a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA) induced allergic diarrhea under a sub-barrier system and investigate the development of gut microbiota in this model. Male BALB/c mice were systemically sensitized with OVA or sham-sensitized with saline, and followed by oral OVA intubation, leading to OVA-specific acute diarrhea. Compared with sham-sensitized mice, sera OVA-specific IgG1 and total IgE in OVA-sensitized mice were dramatically elevated, and the number of mast cells was greatly increased in the jejunum of the OVA-sensitized mice. Principle component analysis of the DGGE profile showed that samples from group of OVA-sensitized mice and group of sham-sensitized mice were scattered into two different regions. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the number of 16S rRNA gene copies of Lactobacillus in the colon of OVA-sensitized mice decreased significantly, while there was no significant difference in the number of Bifidobacterium and total bacteria. In conclusion, OVA-specific allergic diarrhea was successfully induced under a sub-barrier system, and changes of allergic reactions during induction was coupled with changes in gut microbiota, especially the number of colonic Lactobacillus, but the role of gut microbiota in the development of food allergic reactions needs to be further evaluated.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.125-136
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• 2021

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is associated with severe diarrhea, dehydration, and depression, which result in significant economic damages in the dairy and beef cattle industries worldwide. However, differences in the gut microbiota structure and their correlations with differing physiological parameters between BCoV-infected calves with diarrhea and recovered calves are not well understood. In this study, fecal specimens were collected from 10 post-weaned calves, before and after 2 months of fluid therapy, and the samples were used for microbiota analysis. Following recovery, the alpha-diversity profiles (observed operational taxonomic units [OTUs], and Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson indices) changed significantly when compared with those of calves with diarrhea. Beta-diversity analysis exhibited significant differences in gut microbiota compositions between calves with diarrhea and those in the recovered state. The abundances of eight phyla and thirteen genera in feces changed markedly after restoration of BCoV diarrhea. In addition, our correlation study clearly revealed that increased abundances of the genera Caproiciproducens, Pseudoflavonifractor, and Oscillibacter negatively correlated with serum glucose, and phosphorus levels, but positively correlated with serum chloride in calves with diarrhea, whereas increased abundances of the genera Peptostreptococcaceae;Clostridium (Clostridium cluster XI), Intestinibacter, Cellulosilyticum, Ruminococcus, Romboutsia, Paeniclostridium, Clostridiaceae;Clostridium and Turicibacter in recovered calves showed the opposite pattern. These results suggest that structural changes of the gut microbiota after recovery from BCoV infection correlate with changes in physiological parameters. In conclusion, our data provide evidence of gut microbiota-composition changes and their correlations with the physical profiles of post-weaned calves, before and after fluid therapy for BCoV-related diarrhea.