Review
Microbiology
Katie M. M. Strobel, Sandra E. E. Juul, David Taylor Hendrixson
Summary: Appropriate nutrition during pregnancy and post-partum period is crucial for the health of both mothers and their babies. Under- and over-nourishment can greatly impact the gut microbiomes of both the mother and the infant, which in turn can affect the risk of obesity and metabolic diseases. This review examines how different factors such as pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, gestational diabetes, and maternal diet can alter the microbial composition of the gut, vaginal, placental, and milk microbiomes. Understanding these implications is important for the long-term health of offspring. Future studies are needed to further explore the relationship between nutrition and the microbiome, and to investigate potential interventions to improve the health outcomes of mother and child.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
William Massey, J. Mark Brown
Summary: Research on type II diabetes has traditionally focused on host metabolism and hormone action, but emerging evidence suggests that gut microbes play a significant role in the development of the disease. Gut microbe-derived metabolites can impact host metabolic disturbance associated with T2DM, presenting a potentially new avenue for treatment that warrants further exploration and understanding. Targeting the gut microbial endocrine organ for the treatment of diabetes and other related diseases is a promising but challenging area that requires further investigation.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Victoria Gershuni, Yun Li, Michal Elovitz, Hongzhe Li, Gary D. Wu, Charlene W. Compher
Summary: The study showed that a low-fiber, high-fat diet is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth in pregnant women. Reduced diversity of gut microbiota and higher excretion of fatty acids in stool may serve as potential biomarkers for predicting preterm birth.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2021)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Siofra E. Maher, Eileen C. O'Brien, Rebecca L. Moore, David F. Byrne, Aisling A. Geraghty, Radka Saldova, Eileen F. Murphy, Douwe Van Sinderen, Paul D. Cotter, Fionnuala M. McAuliffe
Summary: During pregnancy, the maternal gut microbiome and potentially the fetal microbiome undergo changes. Diet has been shown to impact the gut microbiome, but little research has been conducted on diet during pregnancy. This review identified seven studies showing an association between maternal diet and gut microbiome, with high-fat diets being associated with reduced microbial diversity and fiber intake being positively associated with microbial diversity.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Rita Almeida Teixeira, Claudia Silva, Antonio Carlos Ferreira, Diana Martins, Adelino Leite-Moreira, Isabel M. Miranda, Antonio S. Barros
Summary: Gestational diabetes, affecting 10% of pregnancies, has implications for both mother and child. This study reviewed the literature on the differences in microbiota composition between pregnant women with gestational diabetes and healthy pregnancies. The findings suggest that certain bacteria are more abundant in healthy pregnancies, while others are more abundant in gestational diabetes. The study also highlighted the potential of microbiome-targeted therapies for gestational diabetes.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jocelyne Gare, Aida Kanoute, Giovanna Orsini, Lucio Souza Goncalves, Fahad Ali Alshehri, Denis Bourgeois, Florence Carrouel
Summary: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, severity, and risk factors of gingivitis among pregnant women. A total of 220 nulliparous women at 3 months of pregnancy were recruited in Dakar, Senegal in 2022. Logistic regression analysis revealed that consuming more than five portions of fruits and vegetables per day significantly decreased the odds of gingivitis, while having a professional activity and high education increased the odds. Other important risk factors included dental plaque percentage and severity of clinical attachment loss. Increasing body mass index was inversely associated with gingivitis. The results emphasize the high prevalence of gingivitis and bleeding among 3-month pregnant women and highlight the importance of literacy and proper oral hygiene actions in improving gingival health.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Jean M. Kerver, Yash Khiraya, Janel M. Gryc, Joseph C. Gardiner, Sarah S. Comstock
Summary: The study aimed to assess the feasibility of implementing a food-based intervention to increase fiber intake among pregnant women in a rural setting. The intervention was found to be easily replicable and scalable, suggesting its potential use in larger studies to evaluate the effects of pregnancy diet on the infant gut microbiome and related health outcomes.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Aikaterini Apostolopoulou, Antigoni Tranidou, Violeta Chroni, Ioannis Tsakiridis, Emmanuella Magriplis, Themistoklis Dagklis, Michail Chourdakis
Summary: This study examined the relationship between maternal nutrition during pre-pregnancy and early pregnancy and the incidence of small-for-gestational-age neonates in women with gestational diabetes mellitus. The findings suggest that higher fat intake and lower intake of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, and copper during early pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of small-for-gestational-age neonates. These results emphasize the importance of assessing and modifying maternal nutrition in reducing the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and its associated complications.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yao Su, Hong-Kun Wang, Xu-Pei Gan, Li Chen, Yan-Nan Cao, De-Cui Cheng, Dong-Yao Zhang, Wen-Yu Liu, Fei-Fei Li, Xian-Ming Xu
Summary: The study revealed that there is dysbiosis of the gut microbiome in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during the second trimester of pregnancy, and gut microbiota might be a potential diagnostic biomarker for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of GDM.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Sara Farhat, Mahboobeh Hemmatabadi, Hanieh-Sadat Ejtahed, Nooshin Shirzad, Bagher Larijani
Summary: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with alterations in the microbiome of pregnant women and their offspring. Despite inconsistencies in study results, significant changes were observed in the gut, oral, vaginal microbiome of women with GDM and their offspring, suggesting the need for further research to address confounding factors.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Isabelle R. Jardine, Hannah E. Christie, Kate Oetsch, Angelo Sabag, Meredith Kennedy, Barbara J. Meyer, Monique E. Francois
Summary: Maintaining blood glucose within the target range is the primary treatment goal for women with gestational diabetes mellitus. This pilot study explored the associations of glycaemic load, carbohydrates, and physical activity parameters on blood glucose concentrations in free-living women with GDM. The study found that physical activity, specifically the total stepping time, had a significant relationship with lower 24-hour glucose iAUC and nocturnal glucose, suggesting it may be an effective strategy to improve maternal blood glucose concentrations.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
L. Godny, L. Reshef, T. Sharar Fischler, S. Elial-Fatal, T. Pfeffer-Gik, B. Raykhel, K. Rabinowitz, A. Levi-Barda, T. T. Perets, R. Barkan, I Goren, J. E. Ollech, H. Yanai, U. Gophna, I Dotan
Summary: The feasibility of a microbiota-targeted Mediterranean diet intervention in healthy subjects was investigated in this pilot study. The results showed that increasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduction in fecal calprotectin and beneficial microbial alterations. Therefore, microbiota-targeted lifestyle interventions may have important implications for modulating the intestinal ecosystem and microbiome-mediated diseases.
Article
Plant Sciences
Muzammil Hussain, Nosheen Zahra, Tao Lang, Muhammad Zain, Mubashar Raza, Noman Shakoor, Muhammad Adeel, Haichao Zhou
Summary: Nanotechnology has great potential in sustainable agriculture, improving nutrient use efficiency, plant health, and food production. Modulating the plant-associated microbiota at the nanoscale provides an opportunity to increase global crop production and ensure future food security. Nano-materials applied to agricultural crops can affect plant and soil microbiota, which play important roles in nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and disease control.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Amanda S. Nitschke, Jalisa L. Karim, Bruce A. Vallance, Celeste Bickford, Angie Ip, Nancy Lanphear, Bruce Lanphear, Whitney Weikum, Tim F. Oberlander, Gillian E. Hanley
Summary: Research findings suggest that the use of antibiotics during labor and delivery is not associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring. This indicates that concerns about autism should not influence the decision to administer antibiotics during labor and delivery.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Alba Yuste Gomez, Maria del Pilar Ramos Alvarez, Jose Luis Bartha
Summary: This study found a relationship between dietary and lifestyle habits at the beginning of pregnancy and the later diagnosis of GDM.
Article
Immunology
Stuart Astbury, Catherine J. Reynolds, David K. Butler, Diana C. Munoz-Sandoval, Kai-Min Lin, Franziska P. Pieper, Ashley Otter, Afroditi Kouraki, Lola Cusin, Jessica Nightingale, Amrita Vijay, Simon Craxford, Guruprasad P. Aithal, Patrick J. Tighe, Joseph M. Gibbons, Corinna Pade, George Joy, Mala Maini, Benny Chain, Amanda Semper, Timothy Brooks, Benjamin J. Ollivere, Aine McKnight, Mahdad Noursadeghi, Thomas A. Treibel, Charlotte Manisty, James C. Moon, Ana M. Valdes, Rosemary J. Boyton, Daniel M. Altmann
Summary: SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to a range of outcomes, influenced by factors such as challenge dose, age, gender, comorbidity, and host genomic variation. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) polymorphisms may affect immune response and disease outcomes. This study investigated the association between HLA-II alleles and symptomatic COVID-19, virus-specific antibody, and T-cell immunity in UK healthcare workers (HCWs). The results showed that certain HLA-II alleles were associated with an increased risk of symptomatic COVID-19 and altered immune responsiveness to viral proteins.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ahmed. Hashim, Stephen Bremner, Jane I. Grove, Stuart Astbury, Manuela Mengozzi, Margaret O'Sullivan, Lucia Macken, Tim Worthley, Dev Katarey, Guruprasad P. Aithal, Sumita Verma
Summary: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of chronic liver disease in homeless individuals and assess the performance of non-invasive liver fibrosis and injury markers. The results showed a significant burden of liver disease from HCV and alcohol in homeless individuals, with non-invasive markers being useful in identifying such individuals in the community. Despite challenges, high service uptake and successful outcomes with direct acting antiviral treatment were achieved.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Kat Pick, Tingting Ju, Benjamin P. Willing, Tracy L. Raivio
Summary: In this study, a novel temperate bacteriophage, Kapi1, was isolated and characterized from the gastrointestinal tract of healthy mice. Kapi1 shows limited homology to other prophages and alters the O-antigen structure of its host, enhancing its competitive advantage and potentially playing a role in gut colonization.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yi Fan, Andrew J. Forgie, Tingting Ju, Camila Marcolla, Tom Inglis, Lynn M. McMullen, Benjamin P. Willing, Douglas R. Korver
Summary: We compared the effects of barn full disinfection (FD) and water wash (WW) methods on the gut microbial community structures and pathogen prevalence of broiler chickens in a nonchallenging commercial production setting. The results showed that barn cleaning methods had little impact on the 30-day body weight and mortality rate of broiler chickens. However, water wash method resulted in a reduction in the occurrence and abundance of Campylobacter. Therefore, water wash can inhibit the colonization of zoonotic pathogens in the chicken gut with reduced cost and labor of cleaning compared to full disinfection.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Mirielle Pauline, Janelle Fouhse, Tierah Hinchliffe, Pamela Wizzard, Patrick Nation, Hien Huynh, Paul Wales, Benjamin Willing, Justine Turner
Summary: In a study of piglets with short bowel syndrome, probiotic treatment using Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp was found to be more beneficial in increasing microbial diversity and beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) compared to oral metronidazole treatment.
JOURNAL OF PARENTERAL AND ENTERAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Yongbo She, Kun Wang, Alexander Makarowski, Rabban Mangat, Sue Tsai, Benjamin P. Willing, Spencer D. Proctor, Caroline Richard
Summary: This study investigated the effects of consuming high-fat and low-fat dairy products on postprandial cardiometabolic risk factors and intestinal immune function using a low birthweight swine model. The results showed that dairy consumption, regardless of fat content, did not have an impact on postprandial cardiometabolic risk factors. However, low-fat dairy products were found to significantly improve intestinal T cell function compared to high-fat dairy products in this model of obesity and insulin resistance.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Andrew J. J. Forgie, Deanna M. M. Pepin, Tingting Ju, Stephanie Tollenaar, Consolato M. M. Sergi, Samantha Gruenheid, Benjamin P. P. Willing
Summary: This study found that vitamin B12 supplementation can alter the activities of certain microbial populations in the gut, promoting the colonization of a specific pathogen (Citrobacter rodentium) in mice. These changes were associated with alterations in markers of gut inflammation. The results suggest that excessive B12 supplementation may have consequences on microbial competition/sharing in the gut.
Article
Microbiology
Yi Fan, Tingting Ju, Tulika Bhardwaj, Douglas R. R. Korver, Benjamin P. P. Willing
Summary: This study demonstrated that having a microbiome with elevated levels of Bacteroides in early life may have beneficial effects on the chicken host, specifically in improving short-chain fatty acid production and gut health. However, limited information is available regarding the comparison of Bacteroides compositions in the chicken gut microbial communities and their impact on microbial functionality and host responses.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Maanasa Mudoor Sooresh, Benjamin P. Willing, Benjamin C. T. Bourrie
Summary: Spontaneous fermentations have played an important role in the early development of society and are still widely practiced today. Research on spontaneous fermentations is currently limited to observation and description, but further understanding of microbial community assembly and its impact on fermentation dynamics is crucial. This review discusses the factors influencing microbial community assembly, focusing on yeasts and bacteria isolated from spontaneously fermenting food and beverages. Controlled culture experiments provide insight into microbial interactions, and there is a need for research on the role of core microbiota and strain-level implications in fermentation outcomes. Translating these findings can improve fermentation systems and ensure consistent and high-quality products.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Camila S. S. Marcolla, Tingting Ju, Benjamin P. P. Willing
Summary: This study aimed to identify bacteria that can colonize and persist in the chicken gut after a single exposure. The research found that various bacteria can successfully colonize the chicken gut, and different delivery methods such as oral gavage, spraying, and cohousing can be used for microbial transplantation. These findings will guide future research on the development of next-generation probiotics that can colonize and persist in the chicken intestinal tract.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tingting Ju, Benjamin C. T. Bourrie, Andrew J. Forgie, Deanna M. Pepin, Stephanie Tollenaar, Consolato M. Sergi, Benjamin P. Willing
Summary: Changes in the gut microbiota have been associated with metabolic endotoxemia, contributing to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The enrichment of Enterobacteriaceae, particularly Escherichia coli, induced by a high-fat diet is linked to impaired glucose homeostasis. However, the role of Enterobacteriaceae in promoting metabolic disease in a complex gut microbial community in response to an HFD is still unclear.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Benjamin C. T. Bourrie, Andrew J. Forgie, Alexander Makarowski, Paul D. Cotter, Caroline Richard, Benjamin P. Willing
Summary: This study compared the effects of commercial kefir without traditional kefir organisms and pitched kefir containing traditional organisms on lipid levels, glucose homeostasis, and markers of endothelial function and inflammation. The findings showed that pitched kefir consumption led to reductions in LDL-C, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1, while commercial kefir consumption increased TNF-α levels.
APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY NUTRITION AND METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tausha L. Prisnee, Rajibur Rahman, Janelle M. Fouhse, Andrew G. Van Kessel, Ryan K. Brook, Benjamin P. Willing
Summary: This study analyzed the mycobiome of pigs over the course of one production cycle and compared it to the mycobiome of feral pigs. It found that early-life fungal community composition or host genetics can influence long-term mycobiome composition. Additionally, it provided the first comparison of the mycobiome of feral pigs to intensively raised pigs.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Paola Solis Ares, Gautam Gaur, Benjamin P. Willing, Fabian Weber, Andreas Schieber, Michael G. Ganzle
Summary: This study aimed to determine the structure-function relationships of monomeric and oligomeric flavan-3-ols (procyanidins) in relation to their antimicrobial activity and inhibition of digestive enzymes. Antimicrobial activity against intestinal microorganisms increased in the order of catechin = epicatechin > epigallocatechin, and oligomeric procyanidins > epigallocatechin gallate. The inhibition of digestive enzymes from rat small intestine increased in the order of catechin < epicatechin and oligomeric procyanidins < epigallocatechin < epigallocatechin gallate.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Camila S. Marcolla, Tingting Ju, Hannah L. Lantz, Benjamin P. Willing
Summary: Intensive broiler production practices may minimize the exposure of broilers to beneficial commensal bacteria. This study found significant differences in the microbiota of broilers between intensive and extensive production systems, with extensive production systems showing higher diversity and greater functional potential.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)