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Postbiotics—A Step Beyond Pre- and Probiotics
Article

Dynamics of Structural and Functional Changes in Gut Microbiota during Treatment with a Microalgal β-Glucan, Paramylon and the Impact on Gut Inflammation

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2020, 12(8), 2193; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082193
Received: 16 June 2020 / Revised: 9 July 2020 / Accepted: 21 July 2020 / Published: 23 July 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Prebiotics and Probiotics in Health and Disease)
Previously, we have shown that oral administration of yeast derived β-1,3/1,6-d-glucan enhances immune regulation and alters the composition of the gut microbiota. However, it is not known if other structurally distinct β-glucans have similar properties. Here, using C57BL/6 mice, we show the potential of a microalgae derived β-1,3-d-glucan, paramylon (PM), in shaping the gut microbiota and modulating the susceptibility to colitis. The community structure within the gut microbiota showed progressive changes including selective enrichment of specific communities and lowered community richness and diversity during prolonged oral treatment with PM. Compared to control mice, the gut microbiota of PM-treated mice had significantly higher abundance of Verrucomicrobia and lower abundance of Firmicutes. Specific taxa that were significantly more abundant in PM-treated mice include Akkermansia muciniphila and several Bacteroides members. Predictive functional analysis revealed overrepresentation of carbohydrate metabolism function in the fecal microbiota of PM recipients compared to controls, and this function was linked to Bacteroides spp. Prolonged pretreatment with PM not only diminished susceptibility to dextran sulfate sodium induced colitis severity, but also caused enhanced immune regulation. Overall, this study demonstrates the prebiotic properties of PM and the potential benefits of its prolonged oral consumption to gut health. View Full-Text
Keywords: microbiota; paramylon; β-glucan; gut mucosa; gut inflammation; immune modulation; immune regulation microbiota; paramylon; β-glucan; gut mucosa; gut inflammation; immune modulation; immune regulation
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MDPI and ACS Style

Taylor, H.B.; Gudi, R.; Brown, R.; Vasu, C. Dynamics of Structural and Functional Changes in Gut Microbiota during Treatment with a Microalgal β-Glucan, Paramylon and the Impact on Gut Inflammation. Nutrients 2020, 12, 2193. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082193

AMA Style

Taylor HB, Gudi R, Brown R, Vasu C. Dynamics of Structural and Functional Changes in Gut Microbiota during Treatment with a Microalgal β-Glucan, Paramylon and the Impact on Gut Inflammation. Nutrients. 2020; 12(8):2193. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082193

Chicago/Turabian Style

Taylor, Harrison B., Radhika Gudi, Robert Brown, and Chenthamarakshan Vasu. 2020. "Dynamics of Structural and Functional Changes in Gut Microbiota during Treatment with a Microalgal β-Glucan, Paramylon and the Impact on Gut Inflammation" Nutrients 12, no. 8: 2193. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082193

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