Gut microbiota—a positive contributor in the process of intermittent fasting-mediated obesity control

Historically, intermittent fasting (IF) has been considered as an effective strategy for controlling the weight of athletes before competition. Along with excellent insight into its application in various spaces by numerous studies, increasing IF-mediated positive effects have been reported, including anti-aging, neuroprotection, especially obesity control. Recently, the gut microbiota has been considered as an essential manipulator for host energy metabolism and its structure has been reported to be sensitive to dietary structure and habits, indicating that there is a potential and strong association between IF and gut microbiota. In this paper, we focus on the crosstalk between these symbionts and energy metabolism during IF which hold the promise to optimize host energy metabolism at various physical positions, including adipose tissue, liver and intestines, and further improve milieu internal homeostasis. Moreover, this paper also discusses the positive function of a potential recommendatory strain (Akkermansia muciniphila) based on the observational data for IF-mediated alternated pattern of gut microbiota and a hopefully regulatory pathway (circadian rhythm) for gut microbiota in IF-involved improvement on host energy metabolism. Finally, this review addresses the limitation and perspective originating from these studies, such as the association with tissue-specific bio-clock and single strain research, which may continuously reveal novel viewpoints and mechanisms to understand the energy metabolism and develop new strategies for treating obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders.     

光照时间对就巢期浙东白鹅血清生理生化指标、盲肠挥发性脂肪酸和肠道菌群的影响

本试验旨在探究光照时间对就巢期浙东白鹅血清生理生化指标、盲肠挥发性脂肪酸和肠道微生物组成的影响.选取16只220日龄、体重相近且健康正常的浙东白鹅,随机分为2组,每组6个重复.长光照组和短光照组每日分别给予15 h(15L:9D)和9 h(9L:15D)的人工光照,饲养管理条件相同,试验期60 d.试验结束后采集鹅血清...     

健康与患病凡纳滨对虾肠道菌群结构及功能差异研究

为探究病害发生后健康与患病凡纳滨对虾肠道菌群结构和功能的差异,并筛选肠道指示菌群来评估宿主健康状况,评价凡纳滨对虾肠道菌落的功能冗余性。实验采集健康和患病凡纳滨对虾样品,通过Illumina高通量测序技术测定肠道菌群组成,并利用PICRUSt进行功能预测,以此比较健康与患病凡纳滨对虾肠道微生物的群落结构和功能差异,并预测功能与群落组成的相关性。结果显示,病害的发生伴随着肠道菌群结构的显著变化,而多样性无显著差异。与健康凡纳滨对虾肠道细菌组成相比,患病凡纳滨对虾肠道中放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)和疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)相对丰度降低,而γ-变形菌纲(Gammaproteobacteria)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)增加。同时,筛选出16个指示细菌科,能够很好地指示宿主健康状况。与健康组相比,患病凡纳滨对虾中参与弧菌侵染的过程显著增加,而溶酶体和过氧化物酶等免疫功能代谢过程显著减弱。此外,肠道微生物群落结构与功能组成呈显著正相关,表明凡纳滨对虾肠道菌群组成具有较低的功能冗余性。研究表明,健康与患病凡纳滨对虾肠道菌群结构存在显著差异,并且由细菌介导的功能随之发生改变,能够用指示微生物评估宿主健康状况。     

Multiple effects of grape seed polyphenolics to prevent metabolic diseases

Obesity is increasing in developing countries. Population studies show a relationship between affluence and obesity. Changing food intake patterns with affluence such as preference for foods with less astringent polyphenolic compounds and dietary fibers may increase risk of metabolic dysfunctions due to caloric imbalance. Animal models of obesity consistently show that grape seed procyanidins prevent increases in body and abdo- minal adipose weight gain, plasma cholesterol, liver weight gain and inflammation in animals on high fat diets. The mechanisms are not clear because the oral intake of procyanidins results in pleiotropic interactions with proteins in the mouth, stomach, small intestine, cecum and colon that affect the rate of digestion of bioavailability of macronutrients, sterols, and dietary fiber. Procyanidins also bind bile acids and reduce intestinal permeability to inflammatory bacterial cell wall fragment. Procyanidins are not degraded or metabolized until reaching the lower gut where they can be metabolized into phenolic acids by gut bacteria. While they are metabolized by gut bacteria, they also alter total numbers and distribution of phyla and species of gut bacteria. Gut bacteria are recognized as significant contributors to obesity and obesity related metabolic diseases. The review examines the different pleiotropic effects of grape seed procyanidins that have a significant effect on metabolic disease in animal models of obesity.     

持续偏热环境对肉鸡盲肠菌群多样性的影响

【目的】环境温度是影响家禽肠道菌群的重要因素之一,随着环境温度的改变,家禽肠道正常菌群也会受到影响,研究持续偏热环境对肉鸡肠道微生物多样性及结构的影响,为肉鸡健康养殖提供理论依据。【方法】试验选取22 d爱拔益加（AA）肉鸡144只转入环境控制舱,随机分成3个处理组（21、26和31℃）,每个处理6个重复,每个重复8只鸡（公母各4只）,在21℃、相对湿度60%的环境下适应7 d。29 d时,试验温度分别调整到21、26和31℃,相对湿度60%,至试验结束,共14 d。于试验第7、14天末,每处理随机选取6只（公母各3只;每重复选1只）,无菌采集盲肠内容物,将同一处理组的6个样品混合均匀,迅速放入无菌的离心管中,液氮速冻,-80℃冰箱保存备用。采用16S rDNA的PCR-DGGE分子技术,结合共性和特异性条带割胶回收DNA进行克隆和测序,分析持续偏热处理7、14 d时,对盲肠内容物菌群的结构和多样性的影响。【结果】（1）26、31℃组肉仔鸡盲肠DGGE条带数（菌群丰富程度）均低于21℃组,且31℃组低于26℃组;31℃组肉仔鸡盲肠DGGE条带数,在试验14 d明显低于试验7 d;（2）不同组之间聚类图和多样性指数分析可知,26、31℃组对肉鸡盲肠菌群的影响较大,且31℃组肉鸡盲肠菌群多样性,在试验14 d明显低于试验7 d;（3）DGGE图谱条带序列分析表明,适温和偏热环境下肉鸡盲肠内的共性菌群是Alistipes timonensis和Barnesiella viscericola,21℃组肉鸡盲肠中特异性菌群是Ruminococus faecis,26、31℃组肉鸡盲肠中特异性菌群是Lutispora thermophila和Faecalibacterium prausnitzii,31℃组肉鸡盲肠中特异性菌群是Gemmiger formicilis。【结论】持续偏热处理（26和31℃）与21℃组相比,影响肉鸡肠道菌群的结构和多样性,且不同偏热程度、偏热处理时间对肉鸡影响程度不同。     

蜜蜂肠道菌群的调节作用及影响因素

近年来, 蜜蜂数量的大量减少导致全球养蜂业面临重要的经济损失,并对农业各个方面造成了严重后果。最新的研究表明肠道菌群与宿主的健康息息相关。综述了肠道菌群的种类和特性,阐述了肠道菌群在蜜蜂等昆虫健康中的调节作用及影响肠道菌群的因素,并对今后的研究方向进行了展望。     

Characterization of the bacterial community associated with early‐developmental stages of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Bacterial communities in eggs and larvae of grass carp were analysed. During the early‐developmental stages, grass carp harboured five bacterial phyla, i.e. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes and Firmicutes. However, the composition of bacterial communities varied among the different developmental stages. In eggs, the bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria, while in larvae the dominant bacterial community was Bacterioidetes. With the exception of a large proportion (>50%) of uncultured bacteria, Sphingobacterium (14.75%) and Acinetobacter (13.11%) were the most abundant groups in eggs at the fertilization stage (FS). However, Aermonas was the most abundant group, ranging from 40.54% to 61.76% in eggs at the cleavage (CS), blastula (BS), organ differentiation (ODS) and hatching stages (HS). In larvae after first ingestion (OW), Chitinophagaceae (79.41%) formed the predominant bacterial community. Changes in the bacterial community were further confirmed by statistical analysis, which demonstrated significant differences in the bacterial communities of eggs at FS, eggs from CS to HS and OW. However, no significant difference was found in bacterial communities of eggs from CS to HS. Furthermore, the present study revealed that bacteria related to Chitinophagaceae persisted from CS to OW, suggesting that these bacteria form part of the autochthonous microbiota of the fish.     

Diet-related composition of the gut microbiota of Lumbricus rubellus as revealed by a molecular fingerprinting technique and cloning

Interactions between earthworms and microorganisms are essential for the functioning of soil ecosystems as they affect organic matter degradation and nutrient cycling. This is also true for the alpine region, where socio-economic changes lead to the increasing abandonment of pastures, which in turn, causes a considerable shift in the diet of saprotrophic invertebrates and thus impacts food web and decomposition processes. To enhance our understanding of how this diet shift influences earthworms and associated microorganisms, we studied the gut content and cast microbiota of Lumbricus rubellus (Lumbricidae, Oligochaeta), a key macrodecomposer on alpine pastureland in the Central Alps. A feeding experiment with L. rubellus and three different food sources that represent the vegetation shift from an alpine pasture to an abandoned site was set up. Earthworms were collected in the field, transferred to a climate chamber and fed with cow manure, dwarf shrub or grass litter for six weeks. PCR-DGGE (Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) analysis of the DNA extracted from the substrates, the earthworms' gut contents and casts revealed that the gut and cast microbiota was strongly influenced by the food source ingested. Cloning of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments demonstrated that the intestinal content was dominated by Proteobacteria, especially from the Gamma-subclass, followed by members of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. In contrast, Actinobacteria were detected abundantly in all samples types when a cultivation approach was used. In conclusion, the gut microbiota of L. rubellus was shown to be substantially affected by the food source ingested, suggesting that this essential macrodecomposer is exposed to the diet shift resulting from a land-use change in the alpine area.     

Fucoidans and Bowel Health

Fucoidans are cell wall polysaccharides found in various species of brown seaweeds. They are fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides (FCSPs) and comprise 5–20% of the algal dry weight. Fucoidans possess multiple bioactivities, including antioxidant, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-lipidemic, anti-metastatic, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects. Dietary fucoidans provide small but constant amounts of FCSPs to the intestinal tract, which can reorganize the composition of commensal microbiota altered by FCSPs, and consequently control inflammation symptoms in the intestine. Although the bioactivities of fucoidans have been well described, there is limited evidence to implicate their effect on gut microbiota and bowel health. In this review, we summarize the recent studies that introduce the fundamental characteristics of various kinds of fucoidans and discuss their potential in altering commensal microorganisms and influencing intestinal diseases.