Exploring the Plasticity of Diet on Gut Microbiota and Its Correlation with Gut Health

Nutrients. 2023 Aug 4;15(15):3460. doi: 10.3390/nu15153460.

Abstract

Dietary habits have been proven to help alter the composition of gut microbiota, and exploring the impact of nutritional patterns on gut microbiota changes can help protect gut health. However, few studies have focused on the dietary impact on the gut microbiota over an experimental timeframe. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was employed to investigate the gut microbiota of mice under different dietary patterns, including AIN-93G diet (Control), high protein diet (HPD), high fiber diet (HFD), and switch diet (Switch). The alpha diversity of the HPD group significantly decreased, but HFD can restore this decline. During HPD, some genera were significantly upregulated (e.g., Feacalibaculum) and downregulated (e.g., Parabacteroides). However, after receiving HFD, other genera were upregulated (e.g., Akkermansia) and downregulated (e.g., Lactobacillus). In addition, the interaction between pathogenic bacteria was more pronounced during HPD, while the main effect was probiotics during HFD. In conclusion, the plasticity exhibited by the gut microbiota was subject to dietary influences, wherein disparate dietary regimens hold pivotal significance in upholding the well-being of the host. Therefore, our findings provide new ideas and references for the relationship between diets and gut microbiota.

Keywords: diet; gut health; gut microbiota; high fiber; high protein.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / genetics
  • Diet
  • Diet, High-Fat
  • Diet, High-Protein*
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82270564, 32000054, and 32170071), Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2022JJ30916), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M713521).