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Faecalibacterium: a bacterial genus with promising human health applications. FEMS microbiology reviews In humans, many diseases are associated with alterations in gut microbiota, namely increases or decreases in the abundance of specific bacterial groups. One example is the genus Faecalibacterium. Numerous studies have underscored that low levels of Faecalibacterium are correlated with inflammatory conditions, with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the forefront. Its representation is also diminished in the case of several diseases, including colorectal cancer (CRC), dermatitis, and depression. Additionally, the relative presence of this genus is considered to reflect, at least in part, intestinal health status because Faecalibacterium is frequently present at reduced levels in individuals with gastrointestinal diseases or disorders. In this review, we first thoroughly describe updates to the taxonomy of Faecalibacterium, which has transformed a single-species taxon to a multispecies taxon over the last decade. We then explore the links discovered between Faecalibacterium abundance and various diseases since the first IBD-focused studies were published. Next, we examine current available strategies for modulating Faecalibacterium levels in the gut. Finally, we summarize the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects that have been attributed to this genus. Together, epidemiological and experimental data strongly support the use of Faecalibacterium as a next-generation probiotic (NGP) or live biotherapeutic product (LBP). 10.1093/femsre/fuad039
Effect of amount of milk replacer fed and the processing of corn in starter on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen and fecal fibrolytic bacteria of dairy calves. van Niekerk J K,Fischer-Tlustos A J,Deikun L L,Quigley J D,Dennis T S,Suarez-Mena F X,Hill T M,Schlotterbeck R L,Guan L L,Steele M A Journal of dairy science The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of milk replacer (MR) feeding rate and processing of corn in calf starter (CS) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen and fecal fibrolytic bacteria in dairy calves. Holstein male calves (n = 48, 2-3 d of age) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of MR level of 0.749 kg of MR/d (LO) or up to 1.498 kg of MR/d (HI); and whole corn or flaked corn in textured CS. Calves were weaned by reducing MR offered by 50% during wk 6. Intakes of MR and CS were recorded daily, whereas body weight (BW) was measured weekly. Rumen fluid and fecal matter were collected at wk 5 and 8 to quantify fibrolytic bacteria and nutrient digestibility. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design using mixed model ANOVA. Repeated measures were used as appropriate. Calves fed HI had greater average daily gain than calves fed LO at wk 2, 3, 4, and 5, yet at wk 7 calves fed HI had lower average daily gain compared with calves fed LO. Starter intake was greater for calves fed LO compared with HI at wk 4, 5, 6, and 7. During wk 5 and 8, calves fed LO had increased ADF and NDF digestibility compared with calves fed HI. During wk 5, dry matter and organic matter digestibility were lower for LO-fed calves compared with HI-fed calves, but during wk 8 the opposite was observed, with HI-fed calves having lower dry matter and organic matter digestibility than LO-fed calves. At wk 5, Clostridium cluster IV and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens proportions in rumen fluid tended to be higher and Clostridium cluster IV, Fecalibacterium sp., and Prevotella sp. proportions in fecal matter were higher in calves fed LO compared with HI. From wk 8 to 16, dry matter intake was unaffected by treatment; however, energy efficiency was greater in calves fed LO, causing LO calves to have higher BW gain during this period. Greater starter digestibility was observed for calves fed LO versus HI in concert with increased fibrolytic bacteria proportions (wk 5) in fecal and rumen samples, which resulted in greater postweaning BW gain and similar BW and frame measurements by 16 wk of age. Overall the results show that rate of MR feeding has a larger effect than the processing of corn in CS on performance, fiber digestibility, and rumen and fecal fibrolytic bacterial communities. 10.3168/jds.2019-17372
Effect of delaying colostrum feeding on passive transfer and intestinal bacterial colonization in neonatal male Holstein calves. Fischer A J,Song Y,He Z,Haines D M,Guan L L,Steele M A Journal of dairy science The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of time of first colostrum feeding on the passive transfer of IgG and on bacterial colonization in the intestine of neonatal dairy calves. Twenty-seven male Holstein calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments at birth: calves were fed colostrum at 45 min (0 h, n = 9), 6 h (n = 9), or 12 h after birth (n = 9). Calves were fed pooled, heat-treated colostrum (62 g of IgG/L) at their respective feeding times at 7.5% of birth body weight and fed milk replacer at 2.5% of birth body weight per meal every 6 h thereafter. Blood samples were taken every 3 h using a jugular catheter and were analyzed for determination of serum IgG by radial immunodiffusion. At 51 h after birth, calves were euthanized for collection of tissue and digesta of the distal jejunum, ileum, and colon. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to estimate the prevalence of Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., Fecalibacterium prausnitzii, Clostridium cluster XIVa, and total Escherichia coli. Delaying colostrum feeding by 6 h (35.6 ± 1.88%) and 12 h (35.1 ± 3.15%) decreased the maximum apparent efficiency of absorption of IgG compared with feeding colostrum immediately after birth (51.8 ± 4.18%) and delayed the time to maximum serum IgG concentration (24 h vs. 15 h, respectively). Moreover, 12-h calves tended to have a lower prevalence of Bifidobacterium spp. (0.12 ± 0.017%) and Lactobacillus spp. (0.07 ± 0.019%) associated with the colon mucosa compared with 0-h calves (1.24 ± 0.648% and 0.26 ± 0.075%, respectively). In addition, 6-h (0.26 ± 0.124%) and 12-h (0.49 ± 0.233%) calves had a lower prevalence of total E. coli associated with ileum mucosa compared with 0-h calves (1.20 ± 0.458%). These findings suggest that delaying colostrum feeding within 12 h of life decreases the passive transfer of IgG and may delay the colonization of bacteria in the intestine, possibly leaving the calf vulnerable to infections during the preweaning period. 10.3168/jds.2017-13397
Effect of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthio-butanoic acid on ruminal fermentation, bacterial distribution, digestibility, and performance of lactating dairy cows. Lee C,Oh J,Hristov A N,Harvatine K,Vazquez-Anon M,Zanton G I Journal of dairy science The objective of this experiment was to test the effect of a Met analog, 2-hydroxy-4-methylthio-butanoic acid (HMTBa), on ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis, nutrient digestibility, urinary N losses, and performance of dairy cows. Eight multiparous lactating Holstein dairy cows were assigned to 4 levels of HMTBa [0 (control), 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15% (dry matter basis)] in a replicated 4×4 Latin square trial. Experimental periods were 28 d, including 21 d for adaptation. Ruminal ammonia and microbial N were labeled through a 6-d intraruminal infusion of (15)NH4Cl, and microbial protein synthesis in the rumen was estimated using the reticular sampling technique. Treatment had no effect on dry matter intake (28.4 to 29.8kg/d), milk yield (44.1 to 45.3kg/d), feed efficiency, and milk composition. Total-tract apparent digestibility of nutrients was generally not affected by treatment, except digestibility of crude protein and starch decreased quadratically with HMTBa supplementation. Fecal, but not urinary, and total excreta N losses were increased quadratically by HMTBa. Ruminal pH, ammonia concentration, protozoal counts, and the major volatile fatty acids were not affected by treatment. Microbial N outflow from the rumen was linearly increased by HMTBa. 2-Hydroxy-4-methylthio-butanoic acid linearly increased the proportion of Fecalibacterium and quadratically decreased the proportion of Eubacterium in ruminal contents. Of the individual bacterial species, HMTBa increased or tended to increase Prevotella loescheii and Prevotella oralis. 2-Hydroxy-4-methylthio-butanoic acid linearly increased the concentration (and yield) of 15:0 in milk fat. In the conditions of this crossover experiment, HMTBa had no effect on feed intake and performance of dairy cows, decreased dietary crude protein digestibility, and increased microbial N outflow from the rumen. 10.3168/jds.2014-8904
Molecular mechanism of Pyrrosia lingua in the treatment of nephrolithiasis: Network pharmacology analysis and in vivo experimental verification. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology BACKGROUND:Evidence exists reporting that Pyrrosia lingua (PL, Xinhui Pharmaceutical, Polypodiaceae) alleviates nephrolithiasis in rat models. The precipitation of calcium oxalate may result in kidney stones, and the intestinal microbiota is critical for oxalate metabolism. Therefore, we attempt to delineate the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of PL on nephrolithiasis and its association with gut microbiota. METHODS:Following differential flora analysis in gutMEGA, the network relationship of PL and nephrolithiasis was analyzed based on the TCMSP, DisGeNET and STRING databases. Moreover, the kidney stone model rats were fed with different doses of PL powder and PL extract. In addition, metabolomics technology was employed to identify the active ingredients in PL extract and the microbial metabolites in rat feces. RESULTS:The effect of PL on the nephrolithiasis was based on quercetin and kaempferol by mediating the toll-like receptor signaling pathway and regulating the expression levels of interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor, mitogen activated protein kinase 8, and secreted phosphoprotein 1. PL significantly reduced the levels of urine oxalic acid, urine calcium, and osteopontin (OPN) levels in rat models of nephrolithiasis. Notably, PL extract decreased these two indicators to lower levels. Furthermore, contents of Oxalobacter formigenes, Bacteriodetes, Bifidobacterium and Fecalibacterium were obviously reduced after treatment with PL extract. CONCLUSION:PL powder and its active extracts reduce the oxalate level in urine by regulating oxalate metabolism, thus ameliorating the damage of kidney tissues and preventing kidney stone formation. This study suggests the use of PL and its extracts as an alternative source of promising agents that might directly or indirectly inhibit the progression of kidney stone diseases. 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.153929
Fabrication of a soluble crosslinked corn bran arabinoxylan matrix supports a shift to butyrogenic gut bacteria. Zhang Xiaowei,Chen Tingting,Lim Jongbin,Xie Jianhua,Zhang Bin,Yao Tianming,Hamaker Bruce R Food & function Insoluble fermentable cell wall matrix fibers have been shown to support beneficial butyrogenic gut Clostridia, but have restricted use in food products. Here, a soluble fiber matrix was developed that exhibited a similar effect. A low arabinose/xylose ratio corn bran arabinoxylan (CAX) was extracted with two concentrations of sodium hydroxide, 0.25 M and 1.5 M, to give soluble polymers with relatively low (L) and high (H) residual levels of bound ferulic acid (FA) (CAX-LFA and CAX-HFA). After laccase treatment to make diferulate crosslinks, soluble matrices were formed with average 3.5 to 4.5 mer. In vitro human fecal fermentation of CAX-LFA, CAX-HFA, soluble crosslinked ∼3.5 mer CAX-LFA (SCCAX-LFA), and ∼4.5 mer SCCAX-HFA revealed that the SCCAX matrices had somewhat slower fermentation properties by measuring the gas production, total short chain fatty acids, and carbohydrate disappearance, with a higher butyrate proportion in SCCAX-HFA. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that SCCAX-HFA promoted OTUs associated with butyrate production including unassigned Ruminococcaceae, unassigned Blautia, Fecalibacterium prausnitzii, and unassigned Clostridium. Thus, when the physical form of an individual soluble polysaccharide was changed to a soluble crosslinked matrix, in vitro fermentation was shifted to Clostridial butyrate producers. This study shows that the physical form of the fiber influences the competition for substrate among the gut bacteria. Crosslinking of soluble fibers may be a strategy for developing soluble matrices with good physical functionalities for beverages and other foods to improve gut health. 10.1039/c8fo02575d
Evaluation of curcumin and copper acetate against Salmonella Typhimurium infection, intestinal permeability, and cecal microbiota composition in broiler chickens. Journal of animal science and biotechnology BACKGROUND:Interest in the use of natural feed additives as an alternative to antimicrobials in the poultry industry has increased in recent years because of the risk of bacterial resistance. One of the most studied groups are polyphenolic compounds, given their advantages over other types of additives and their easy potentiation of effects when complexes are formed with metal ions. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of dietary supplementation of copper acetate (CA), curcumin (CR), and their combination (CA-CR) against Salmonella Typhimurium colonization, intestinal permeability, and cecal microbiota composition in broiler chickens through a laboratory Salmonella infection model. S. Typhimurium recovery was determined on day 10 post-challenge by isolating Salmonella in homogenates of the right cecal tonsil (12 chickens per group) on Xylose Lysine Tergitol-4 (XLT-4) with novobiocin and nalidixic acid. Intestinal integrity was indirectly determined by the fluorometric measurement of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d) in serum samples from blood obtained on d 10 post-S. Typhimurium challenge. Finally, microbiota analysis was performed using the content of the left caecal tonsil of 5 chickens per group by sequencing V4 region of 16S rRNA gene. RESULTS:The results showed that in two independent studies, all experimental treatments were able to significantly reduce the S. Typhimurium colonization in cecal tonsils (CT, P < 0.0001) compared to the positive control (PC) group. However, only CA-CR was the most effective treatment in reducing S. Typhimurium counts in both independent studies. Furthermore, the serum fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d) concentration in chickens treated with CR was significantly lower when compared to PC (P = 0.0084), which is related to a decrease in intestinal permeability and therefore intestinal integrity. The effect of dietary treatments in reducing Salmonella was further supported by the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences using Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) since Salmonella was significantly enriched in PC group (LDA score > 2.0 and P < 0.05) compared to other groups. In addition, Coprobacillus, Eubacterium, and Clostridium were significantly higher in the PC group compared to other treatment groups. On the contrary, Fecalibacterium and Enterococcus in CR, unknown genus of Erysipelotrichaceae at CA-CR, and unknown genus of Lachnospiraceae at CA were significantly more abundant respectively. CONCLUSIONS:CR treatment was the most effective treatment to reduce S. Typhimurium intestinal colonization and maintain better intestinal homeostasis which might be achieved through modulation of cecal microbiota. 10.1186/s40104-021-00545-7
Kazachstania turicensis CAU Y1706 ameliorates atopic dermatitis by regulation of the gut-skin axis. Kim Jong-Hwa,Kim Kiyoung,Kanjanasuntree Rungravee,Kim Wonyong Journal of dairy science Atopic dermatitis (AD) causes chronic inflammatory skin disease that results in a considerable economic expense and social burden. Certain Lactobacillus strains ameliorate AD, but the effects of probiotic yeast on AD have not been investigated to date. In this study, we isolated Kazachstania turicensis CAU Y1706, commonly known as a kefir yeast, and evaluated its mitigating effects using an ovalbumin-sensitized AD mouse model. Overall, K. turicensis CAU Y1706 was generally effective against AD. Oral administration of K. turicensis CAU Y1706 suppressed T helper type 2 immune response factors by regulatory T cells and upregulation of T helper type 1 cytokine levels. Kazachstania turicensis CAU Y1706 also reduced IgE levels as well as the number of eosinophil and mast cells. Furthermore, feces from K. turicensis CAU Y1706-treated mice had more butyrate-producing bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Ruminococcus, and Akkermansia, although the level of Fecalibacterium was significantly reduced. Therefore, K. turicensis CAU Y1706 modulates immune responses as well as gut microbiota, thus indicating that it has potential for application as a supplement for alleviation of AD. 10.3168/jds.2018-15849
Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 affects health, growth, and fecal microbiota in milk-fed veal calves. Villot C,Ma T,Renaud D L,Ghaffari M H,Gibson D J,Skidmore A,Chevaux E,Guan L L,Steele M A Journal of dairy science The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of one specific strain of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 (SCB), on the growth performance, health, and fecal bacterial profile of veal calves. A total of 84 animals were enrolled in an experiment at a commercial veal farm for a total of 7 wk. Calves were fed twice a day with a milk replacer meal during the entire experiment and were randomly assigned to receive daily either SCB supplementation (10 × 10 cfu/d) or a placebo (CON). Individual feed intake and body weight were monitored on a daily and weekly basis, respectively. Fecal samples were collected at arrival to the veal facility (wk 0) and additional samples were taken on d 14 (wk 2) and d 49 (wk 7). These samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing using Illumina MiSeq (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA) to examine the bacterial profiles and real-time quantitative PCR to quantify Saccharomyces cerevisiae and specific bacterial groups. The significant increase of S. cerevisiae in the feces of SCB calves at wk 2 and 7 compared with wk 0 (respectively 1.7 × 10, 1.2 × 10, and 2.2 × 10 copy number of S. cerevisiae/g of feces) indicates a good survival of that yeast strain along the gastrointestinal tract. Supplementation of SCB did not improve overall growth performance with regard to average daily gain (ADG), final body weight, and feed intake. Nevertheless, a total of 69.1% of nonsupplemented calves had diarrhea and 28.6% experienced severe diarrhea, whereas 50.0% of the calves supplemented with SCB had diarrhea and 9.5% experienced severe diarrhea. With respect to antibiotic use, 89.7% of the diarrheic calves recorded in the CON group were treated, whereas only 66.7% of the SCB diarrheic calves received an antibiotic. In addition, diarrheic calves supplemented with SCB maintained an ADG similar to nondiarrheic animals, whereas the CON diarrheic calves had a significantly lower ADG in comparison with nondiarrheic CON calves. Fecalibacterium was the most predominant bacterial genus in fecal samples of nondiarrheic and diarrheic calves supplemented with SCB, whereas fecal microbiota was predominated by Collinsella in diarrheic calves from the CON group. Live yeast supplementation in milk replacer led to a decrease of diarrhea in milk-fed veal calves and the fecal microbiota of diarrheic calves maintained a healthy community similar to nondiarrheic animals, with Fecalibacterium being the predominant genus. 10.3168/jds.2018-16149
Alterations of the Gut Microbiota in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Patients. Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association BACKGROUND:Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease in which both genetic predisposition and environmental factors serve as disease triggers. Many studies have indicated that alterations in the gut microbiota are important environmental factors in the development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. A comparative analysis was systematically performed of the gut microbiota in HT patients and healthy controls. METHODS:First, a cross-sectional study of 28 HT patients and 16 matched healthy controls was conducted. Fecal samples were collected, and microbiota were analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Second, an independent cohort of 22 HT patients and 11 healthy controls was used to evaluate the diagnostic potential of the selected biomarkers. RESULTS:Similar levels of bacterial richness and diversity were found in the gut microbiota of HT patients and healthy controls (p = 0.11). A detailed fecal microbiota Mann-Whitney U-test (Q value <0.05) revealed that the abundance levels of Blautia, Roseburia, Ruminococcus_torques_group, Romboutsia, Dorea, Fusicatenibacter, and Eubacterium_hallii_group genera were increased in HT patients, whereas the abundance levels of Fecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Prevotella_9, and Lachnoclostridium genera were decreased. A correlation matrix based on the Spearman correlation distance confirmed correlations among seven clinical parameters. Additionally, the linear discriminant analysis effect size method showed significant differences in 27 genera between the two groups that were strongly correlated with clinical parameters. The linear discriminant analysis value was used to select the first 10 species from the 27 different genera as biomarkers, achieving area under the curve values of 0.91 and 0.88 for exploration and validation data, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Characterization of the gut microbiota in HT patients confirmed that HT patients have altered gut microbiota and that gut microbiota are correlated with clinical parameters, suggesting that microbiome composition data could be used for disease diagnosis. Further investigation is required to understand better the role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of HT. 10.1089/thy.2017.0395