Andrea Rodenes-Gavidia, Araceli Lamelas, Sarah Bloor, Anthony Hobson, Sam Treadway, Jordan Haworth, Vineetha Vijayakumar, Malwina Naghibi, Richard Day, Empar Chenoll
Journal: Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 2023;13():1240267
PMID: 37841999
The human gut microbiota is a key mediator of host health and is known to affect many physiological processes, such as digestion, metabolism, immune function and inhibition of pathogen colonisation. The gut microbiome can be impacted by many extrinsic factors. The aim of this study was to assess both compositional and functional changes in the microbiome of healthy individuals using shotgun metagenomics following 8-weeks of daily multi-strain probiotic intake. This study was a single-arm open-label study which enrolled a total of 41 healthy adult males and females between 18 to 40 years old. Results showed that alpha- and beta-diversity of the faecal microbiota structure was not significantly altered in response to probiotic intake. However, significant changes were observed when functional genes were assessed. Abundance of certain genes involved in several functional pathways were also significantly altered. Additionally, there were no significant changes in stool frequency or consistency, faecal biochemistry, or breath tests of methane and hydrogen observed. Authors conclude that the findings of their study have the potential to provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of action of the 14-strain probiotic blend in healthy adults.
BACKGROUND
Probiotic supplements, by definition, provide a benefit to the host, but few studies have investigated the effect of probiotic supplements in healthy adult populations.
PURPOSE
The present, single arm, open label clinical trial, evaluated compositional and functional changes in the fecal microbiome of healthy adults after supplementation with a 14-strain probiotic.
METHODS
We analysed the effect of a 14-strain probiotic blend ( NCIMB 30223, NCIMB 30179, NCIMB 30180, NCIMB 30181, NCIMB 30182, NCIMB 30184, subsp. NCIMB 30186, NCIMB 30185, NCIMB 30187, NCIMB 30188, NCIMB 30224, NCIMB 30225, s subsp. NCIMB 30222, and NCIMB 30189), on the faecal microbiota of healthy young adults (n=41) in a single arm study. The adults consumed 4 capsules daily of the 14 strain blend(8 billion colony forming units/day) for 8 weeks. Compositional and functional changes in faecal microbiota before and after supplementation were assessed using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Fasting breath analysis, faecal biochemistry and bowel habits were also assessed.
RESULTS
In healthy adult participants, no significant changes to the overall alpha- or beta-diversity was observed after 8 weeks of multi-strain probiotic supplementation. However, in a simplified model that considered only time and individual differences, significant decreases (p < 0.05) in family and abundance and a significant increase (p < 0.05) in genus abundance were observed. At a functional level, there were significant changes in functional gene abundance related to several functional pathways, including phenylalanine metabolism, O-antigen nucleotide sugar biosynthesis, bacterial chemotaxis, and flagellar assembly. No significant changes in stool form or frequency, fecal biochemistry, or methane and hydrogen breath tests were observed.
CONCLUSION
In healthy young adults, overall alpha- and beta-diversity did not change in response to probiotic intake even though modest compositional changes at the family and genus level were observed. However, at functional level, results identified changes in gene abundance for several functional pathways.
Copyright © 2023 Rodenes-Gavidia, Lamelas, Bloor, Hobson, Treadway, Haworth, Vijayakumar, Naghibi, Day and Chenoll.
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