Search Results (832)

Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by ectopic implantation of endometrial-like tissue, primarily on the ovaries, pelvic peritoneum, and bowel. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate updated in 2025, endometriosis affects approximately 10% (about 190 million) of reproductive-age women worldwide and is a major contributor to chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and infertility. Standard medical therapies focus on ovarian suppression, which alleviates symptoms but precludes conception and carries significant metabolic and skeletal adverse effects. Recent multi-omics research has raised interest in the gut microbiome and the estrobolome, defined as the microbial gene repertoire involved in estrogen metabolism, as potential modulators of systemic estrogen exposure and immune homeostasis. Altered microbiota composition and microbial β-glucuronidase activity may influence enterohepatic estrogen recirculation; however, endometriosis-specific evidence is predominantly associative or preclinical and does not establish a causal pathway. Dysbiosis and increased bacterial β-glucuronidase activity promote enterohepatic recirculation of estrogens, contributing to hyperestrogenism and ectopic lesion proliferation. Concurrently, oxidative stress, peritoneal inflammation, aberrant macrophage polarization, and neoangiogenesis sustain lesion survival and contribute to chronic pelvic pain. This comprehensive review synthesizes mechanistic, preclinical, and clinical evidence regarding microbiome-targeted interventions and nutritional compounds, including probiotics, prebiotics, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and vitamin D, in modulating the estrobolome, immune responses, and oxidative microenvironment in endometriosis. We further discuss dietary patterns, bioavailability challenges, and the potential of precision nutrition to optimize reproductive outcomes. These approaches may be considered complementary or investigational adjuncts; current evidence is insufficient to demonstrate disease modification or improvements in spontaneous pregnancy, assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes, or live birth. Here, “fertility-sparing” denotes the absence of intentional ovulation suppression rather than proven fertility enhancement. Full article

Background: Although dietary fat and carbohydrates are major determinants of gut microbiota composition, their interactive effects across changing dietary monosaccharide-to-lard energy ratios remain incompletely understood. This study descriptively examined treatment-level cecal microbiome profiles across dietary gradients in which lard (L) was progressively replaced with glucose (G) or fructose (F). Methods: A carbohydrate-free, lard-rich control diet was formulated, and lard was progressively replaced with glucose or fructose while maintaining a constant protein-to-energy ratio. Cecal contents from eight rats per dietary group were pooled in equal amounts, yielding one composite microbiome sample per treatment. Pooled samples were characterized by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Sequencing/classified read counts (CRs) and relative abundance (RA) were treated as complementary sequencing-derived representations rather than measures of absolute bacterial abundance. Microbiome outcomes were interpreted descriptively at the treatment level. Results: Across the pooled treatment profiles, CRs and RA showed non-linear patterns and did not consistently change in parallel, providing complementary descriptions of treatment-level taxonomic responses. CR patterns indicated a combined effect of L and monosaccharide content, with several mixed L–monosaccharide diets showing lower CRs than both the L_6.03 reference and the lard-free endpoints. Differences between the G and F series were most apparent at low L and high monosaccharide levels, particularly under lard-free conditions, although their magnitude and direction varied among taxa. Hierarchical clustering and exploratory correlation networks provided complementary descriptions of treatment-level community organization. Conclusions: The pooled treatment-level microbiome profiles revealed non-linear responses to changing dietary L–monosaccharide composition, with CRs and RA providing partly different information on taxonomic patterns. Differences between the G and F series were most apparent at low L and high monosaccharide levels, particularly under lard-free conditions. Full article

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remains a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, with recurrence largely driven by disruption of the gut microbiota and impaired colonization resistance. Bile acids have emerged as key mediators in this process, as primary conjugated bile acids promote C. difficile spore germination, whereas microbiota-derived secondary bile acids can inhibit germination, vegetative growth, and toxin activity. Diet further modulates CDI susceptibility by shaping microbial composition, short-chain fatty acid production, bile acid transformation, epithelial barrier integrity, and intestinal inflammation. Western-style diets, and low fiber intake, may favor dysbiosis and a bile acid profile permissive to CDI, while fiber-rich and Mediterranean-type dietary patterns may support beneficial anaerobes, microbial metabolites, and mucosal resilience. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the bile acid–diet–microbiome axis in CDI pathogenesis, recurrence, and therapy. It also discusses standard treatment limitations, microbiome-based therapeutics, dietary interventions, and emerging bile acid-targeted strategies. Understanding this axis may support future precision approaches aimed not only at suppressing C. difficile, but also at restoring microbiota function and durable colonization resistance. Full article

Population aging, the rising burden of chronic non-communicable diseases, and environmental degradation are increasingly recognized as interconnected global challenges, underscoring the need for integrated strategies that simultaneously promote human and planetary health. The Planetary Health Diet (PHD), originally proposed to address these challenges, has emerged as a promising dietary framework for supporting healthy aging. Although its health benefits are increasingly supported by epidemiological and clinical evidence, the biological mechanisms underlying these effects remain incompletely understood. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on the interplay among the PHD, the gut microbiome, and biological aging, with emphasis on microbiome-mediated pathways connecting sustainable nutrition with healthspan. Adherence to PHD-consistent dietary patterns is associated with greater microbial diversity and functional capacity, increased production of bioactive microbial metabolites, and more favorable intestinal barrier, immune, and metabolic profiles. These adaptations may modulate several hallmarks of aging and contribute to the preservation of physiological resilience. Evidence from prospective cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews further indicates that dietary patterns consistent with the PHD are associated with lower risks of cardiometabolic diseases, frailty, cognitive decline, and premature mortality. By integrating findings from nutritional science, microbiome research, geroscience, and public health, this review positions the gut microbiome as an important, although not exclusive, biological interface through which sustainable dietary patterns may support healthspan while contributing to environmental sustainability. Full article

The stem-boring herbivore Aeolesthes induta severely threatens tea (Camellia sinensis) production, yet the systemic defense mechanisms of tea plants remain largely elusive. The unique age-dependent infestation pattern of A. induta—with minimal damage to young tea plants but infestation rates reaching 20% in 30-year-old trees and nearly 100% in ancient tea trees—necessitated field sampling from naturally infested old tea plantations rather than controlled laboratory conditions. By integrating rhizosphere microbiomics, transcriptomics, and multi-omics modeling, this study characterized the defensive regulatory networks of 30-year-old Shuixian tea cultivars under A. induta infestation. Rhizosphere microbiome analysis revealed that herbivore attack significantly reshaped the microbial community structure, reducing bacterial diversity and simplifying co-occurrence network complexity. Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling demonstrated a precise source–sink defense allocation between host tissues. In leaves acting as the photosynthetic source, metabolic reprogramming was dominated by the systematic accumulation of soluble sugars and sugar acids for systemic energy reallocation. Concurrently, the roots acting as the metabolic sink vigorously activated the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling cascade and upregulated genes enriched in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism. This molecular activation drove the substantial de novo synthesis of defensive phenolic acids, while downregulating growth-related flavonoids. Integrated network modeling further highlighted the phenylpropanoid pathway as the central regulatory node coupling transcript–metabolite fluctuations. This study constructs an integrated soil microbiome–root–leaf defense network, providing novel mechanistic insights into plant–borer interactions and a valuable foundation for future insect-resistant breeding programs in the tea industry. Full article

The respiratory tract is a dynamic biological interface where microbiome, environmental exposure, epithelial integrity, and host metabolic regulation converge to maintain pulmonary homeostasis. Once considered sterile, the lung is now recognized as a low-biomass yet structured microbial ecosystem that contributes to immune calibration, colonization resistance, epithelial barrier function, and tissue resilience. Disruption of this equilibrium, known as pulmonary dysbiosis, has been increasingly associated with acute and chronic lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, bronchiectasis, and lung cancer. In parallel, mitochondria have emerged as central regulators of pulmonary cell function, extending beyond ATP production to control redox signaling, apoptosis, innate immunity, epithelial repair, and inflammatory responses. This review examines the bidirectional crosstalk between the respiratory microbiome and mitochondria as an integrated pathogenic axis in lung disease. Dysbiotic microbial communities and respiratory pathogens can induce mitochondrial stress through toxins, virulence factors, microbial metabolites, and pattern-recognition receptor activation, leading to mitochondrial alteration and the release of mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns. Conversely, dysfunctional mitochondria reshape the pulmonary microenvironment by altering oxygen consumption, nutrient availability, cytokine production, redox balance, and barrier repair, thereby favoring pathogen persistence and chronic inflammation. Understanding mitochondria–microbiome interactions may support precision medicine strategies that integrate microbial, metabolic, inflammatory, and bioenergetic biomarkers to improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of inflammatory-related lung diseases. Full article

Avian coccidiosis is an intestinal disease caused by several different Eimeria spp. that impair the host’s intestinal system, resulting in poor nutrition absorption, reduced growth, and often death. Increasing evidence from recent studies indicates that Eimeria infection disrupts epithelial integrity and reshapes the intestinal microbial ecosystem. Probiotics can enhance poultry productivity and gut health by modulating the microbiome, with certain probiotics demonstrating anticoccidial properties. A detailed understanding of Eimeria-induced dysbiosis, barrier injury, mucosal inflammation, secondary bacterial risk, and probiotic-mediated control is necessary for the effective application of probiotics in commercial practice and for developing logical strategies to control coccidiosis in the post-antibiotic era. This review differs from general coccidiosis or probiotic reviews by integrating evidence across five linked dimensions: Eimeria species, intestinal site, time after infection, probiotic strain or function, and production translation. It summarizes the current understanding of Eimeria-driven gut microbiota dysbiosis and probiotic-based interventions for chicken coccidiosis, with a focus on intestinal site specificity, temporal microbial patterns, microbial metabolism, host–microbiota interactions, and practical implications for poultry production. Future research should move from correlation-based microbiota profiling toward strain-resolved, mechanism-oriented, and production-relevant evaluation. Full article

Objective: This study aims to provide a global landscape of research into oral hygiene products with antimicrobial or microbiome-modulating activity through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to identify trends and hotspots that may influence future research frontiers. Methods: A structured bibliographic search was conducted within the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2006 to 2025. Manual screening was performed to exclude duplicate records, studies that did not align with the core topic, and those failing to meet the predefined inclusion criteria. Bibliometric and visual analyses were performed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package ‘bibliometrix’ to evaluate production metrics, citation networks, and multi-level collaboration patterns. Results: The analysis included 1007 publications. Sreenivasan PK was the most productive author, and Lundberg JO was the most cited. The United States, followed by India, Brazil, and China, led global research volume, while the United Kingdom and the Netherlands led in total citations. The International Journal of Dental Hygiene was the most productive journal (n = 48), and the Journal of Dentistry was the most cited (n = 1356). Burgeoning research hotspots include the impact of mouthwashes on the oral microbiome and systemic disorders, the controlled clinical use of chlorhexidine, and alternative formulations incorporating probiotics, herbal extracts, or hyaluronic acid. Conclusions: This study underscores a global shift in dental research priorities from traditional bacterial elimination toward preserving oral microbiota eubiosis. While chlorhexidine remains a subject of research due to its widespread use for therapeutic benefits, bibliometric research highlights its potential systemic consequences as a hotspot. Therefore, future research should focus on innovative antimicrobial formulations for mouthwashes and toothpastes that maintain oral health without causing dysbiosis. Full article

Background/Objectives: Female infertility represents a significant public health issue. Available evidence supports the hypothesis that the gut microbiota may play an essential role in women’s reproductive health and may serve as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker in specific gynecological disorders. A substantial part of current research concerns disturbed communication between the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis and the gut microbiota, providing the basis for analyzing this phenomenon as the gut–ovary axis or the gut–vagina–ovary axis. The primary aim of this scoping review was to map the available evidence on the relationship between gut microbiota composition and female infertility, with particular emphasis on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, currently polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, PMOS) endometriosis, and uterine fibroids. Methods: The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched using terms related to gut microbiota, female infertility, PCOS, endometriosis, and uterine leiomyomas. Peer-reviewed publications in English published between 2015 and 2025 were considered. The included studies were descriptively synthesized to identify recurring microbiota patterns and research gaps. Results: The reviewed evidence indicates that gut dysbiosis may be associated with selected gynecological disorders affecting fertility, including PCOS, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids. The gut microbiome may have potential value as a biomarker supporting diagnosis, treatment selection, and prognosis. Conclusions: The gut microbiome represents a promising but still insufficiently validated area in the management of gynecological diseases associated with female infertility. Further high-quality clinical studies are needed to verify the effectiveness of microbiome-based therapies and to develop evidence-based guidelines for managing infertility associated with gut dysbiosis. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite increasing interest in the human gut microbiome, particularly in Bifidobacterium, studies focusing on traditionally living populations with high habitual dairy consumption remain limited. This study investigated species-level diversity, abundance, and regional variation of Bifidobacterium among healthy Mongolian adults and contextualized these findings within a global comparative framework. Methods: A total of 100 healthy adults were recruited from four Mongolian regions. Fecal samples were analyzed using species-resolved shotgun metagenomics, and dietary intake was assessed through a standardized food frequency questionnaire. Alpha- and beta-diversity metrics, differential abundance tests, and diet–microbe correlations were performed on members of the Bifidobacterium species. To assess the broader significance of the Mongolian Bifidobacterium profile, Shannon diversity was further compared against a curated global dataset comprising 1286 healthy adults from 29 countries using harmonized bioinformatic and statistical pipelines. Results: Shannon diversity within the Bifidobacterium genus was significantly higher in nomadic Mongolians, particularly those from Khuvsgul and Dundgobi, and strong geographic structuring was observed in beta-diversity analyses (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001). Nomadic populations showed higher relative abundances of B. adolescentis and B. angulatum, whereas B. pseudocatenulatum predominated in Ulaanbaatar. Although overall Bifidobacterium abundance was lowest in Bulgan, B. longum remained the dominant species in this region. Spearman correlation analysis with false discovery rate correction identified significant associations between dairy intake and specific Bifidobacterium species. Homemade yogurt and traditional dairy intake were positively associated with B. angulatum. B. catenulatum was positively associated with homemade yogurt, traditional dairy, and total fermented dairy intake, whereas factory milk intake was negatively associated with B. angulatum but positively associated with B. pseudocatenulatum. Mongolia ranked among the top eight of 30 countries for Bifidobacterium Shannon diversity though total Bifidobacterium abundance showed substantial inter-individual and regional variation. Conclusions: Mongolian adults exhibit relatively high Bifidobacterium diversity at both national and global scales. Traditional dairy consumption was associated with species-specific variation in Bifidobacterium composition, supporting the contribution of dietary practices to regional gut microbiota patterns. Full article

Organic fertilizer and season are established sources of variation in tea plantation soil microbiomes. A repeated-measure field experiment was conducted in Yunnan, China, comprising an unfertilized control (CK), sheep manure (SM), pig manure (PM), rapeseed cake manure (RM), and commercial organic fertilizer (OF). The same 15 mature tea trees were sampled in spring, summer, and autumn, yielding 45 composite soil samples. Soil properties, as well as 16S rRNA gene and ITS amplicon profiles, were evaluated using mixed-effect models, restricted-permutation PERMANOVA, and design-adjusted partial redundancy analysis (pRDA). Fertilization regime, season, and their interaction showed property-specific associations, most clearly for alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium. Bacterial alpha diversity was more responsive than fungal alpha diversity. Both factors were significantly associated with bacterial and fungal community structures. Season accounted for most bacterial variation (68.70%), whereas fungal variation was associated more evenly with season (27.33%) and fertilization regime (18.61%); no significant interaction was detected for either group. Nine fungal genera retained significant treatment-associated differences after FDR correction, whereas the bacterial genus-level patterns remained exploratory. After conditioning for fertilization regime and season, measured soil variables collectively explained 6.51% and 13.56% of bacterial and fungal variation, respectively, but no individual variable remained significant after FDR correction. Because fertilizer inputs were not nutrient-standardized, treatment contrasts represent integrated material-and-dose regimes rather than isolated fertilizer-type effects. These context-specific results illustrate the value of repeated seasonal sampling with design-adjusted analyses for evaluating practical fertilization regimes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Stingless bees (tribe Meliponini) are the most species-rich group of eusocial bees and critical pollinators across tropical ecosystems. Over the past seven decades, a growing number of studies have addressed their genetics and genomics, but coverage of the tribe remains taxonomically and geographically uneven. Here, we present a systematic evidence map and bibliometric science-mapping synthesis of this literature. Methods: We searched Scopus and Web of Science, retained 410 peer-reviewed articles published between 1950 and 2026, and applied structural topic modeling (STM) to characterize the thematic, temporal, taxonomic, and biogeographic structure of the corpus. Results: STM with K = 10 topics identified ten research themes, ranging from classical marker-based genetics and cytogenetics to phylogenomics, mitochondrial genomics, microbiome, and functional genomics. The estimated prevalence of phylogenomics/taxonomy and mitogenomics increased most steeply in recent years, a publication pattern consistent with—although not proof of—a shift toward genome-scale comparative approaches. Topic prevalence differed across biogeographic regions and subtribes: Neotropical and Meliponina-dominated studies were concentrated in population genetics, cytogenetics, and gene expression, whereas Indo-Australasian and Hypotrigonina-associated studies showed higher relative representation of DNA barcoding, mitogenomics, and microbiome research. Taxonomic representation was strongly skewed toward a few genera, with Melipona alone accounting for 43% of the corpus and most lineages across the Meliponini phylogeny remaining poorly studied. Conclusions: The principal contribution is a reproducible quantitative map of publication patterns; proposed research and conservation priorities are evidence-informed interpretations rather than direct outputs of STM. Full article

Background: The dynamic advancement of pediatric hemato-oncology and intensified therapeutic protocols have significantly increased survival rates while simultaneously highlighting the challenge of long-term treatment complications. Within the cohort of adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors, delayed neurocognitive deficits, often manifesting as the chemobrain phenotype, and psychosocial disorders constitute a particularly substantial burden. Contemporary neurogastroenterological evidence indicates a fundamental role of persistent dysbiosis and gut–brain axis dysfunction in the pathogenesis of these alterations. This review aims to critically synthesize translational evidence elucidating the impact of iatrogenic gut microbiota damage and modifiable dietary patterns on the development of long-term neurocognitive sequelae in survivors of early childhood cancer. Methods: A systematized narrative review was conducted in accordance with the SANRA guidelines by integrating data from in vivo models and observational studies. A comprehensive literature search across the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to June 2026 was performed utilizing the Population, Exposure, and Outcomes (PEO) framework. Results: Oncological therapies, including myeloablative conditioning and broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, induce a microbial scar phenomenon characterized by the depletion of commensal Firmicutes in favor of resistant pathobionts. The subsequent decline in the synthesis of neuroprotective short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) alongside the pathological activation of the kynurenine pathway disrupts central nervous system homeostasis. Translocation of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) across the compromised intestinal barrier generates systemic inflammation recognized as inflammaging, which, in turn, stimulates neurotoxic microglial hyperreactivity. This pathophysiological cascade is accelerated by a pro-inflammatory Western diet, whereas anti-inflammatory interventions such as the MIND diet and postbiotics demonstrate measurable restorative potential. Conclusions: The pathophysiology of delayed neurotoxicity is largely a consequence of systemic neuroinflammation driven by intestinal dysbiosis. Implementing individualized dietary and microbiome-targeted strategies into survivorship care protocols constitutes a crucial direction for clinical prophylaxis. Validating their clinical efficacy in the AYA population necessitates prospective randomized controlled trials integrated with shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Full article

Soil salinisation and periodic flooding jointly shape coastal wetland ecosystems, but how coexisting halophytes differ in their rhizosphere bacterial communities under these conditions remains insufficiently understood. Here, we investigated rhizosphere bacterial communities associated with Suaeda glauca Bunge and Tamarix chinensis Lour. in saline–alkaline habitats of the Yellow River Delta, China. Twenty quadrat-level rhizosphere samples were collected across four plant–habitat groups, and near-full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicons were sequenced using Pacific Biosciences single-molecule real-time sequencing. Our analysis revealed that hydrological habitat and plant identity together contributed to differences in rhizosphere bacterial community composition. Across the dataset, 2325 bacterial operational taxonomic units were identified. T. chinensis showed higher Shannon and Gini–Simpson diversity, whereas richness patterns depended on habitat and the metric examined. Meanwhile, exploratory genus-level association networks revealed host- and habitat-dependent differences in node number, network density and average degree. PICRUSt2-based functional prediction suggested contrasting predicted functional response patterns: the S. glauca rhizosphere showed 19 significantly altered predicted pathways between flooded and non-flooded habitats, whereas the T. chinensis rhizosphere showed no significant pathway shifts after multiple-testing correction. These findings suggest that coexisting halophytes are associated with divergent rhizosphere bacterial community patterns under saline–alkaline and flooding-associated habitat conditions. Full article

Exercise alters gut microbiome composition, but the temporal dynamics and diet-dependent metabolic interactions remain unclear. We investigated longitudinal changes in gut microbiota, functional pathways, and metabolite profiles during and after an exercise intervention. Twenty-four healthy adults completed a sequential three-phase protocol: an 8-week self-directed exercise intervention, an 8-week washout, and an 8-week no-exercise control period. Fecal samples were collected at T1 (baseline), T2 (post-exercise), T3 (post-washout), and T4 (post-control). Microbiota composition was assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing, functional pathways predicted using PICRUSt2, metabolites predicted using COBRA Toolbox, and fecal SCFAs and bile acids quantified by GC and HPLC. Temporal causal relationships were examined using Tigramite analysis with dietary pattern stratification, and microbiota-environment associations were assessed by redundancy analysis (RDA). Alpha diversity was significantly higher at T2 than at T4 (p < 0.05). Beta diversity differed significantly between T2 and both T3 and T4, with no difference between T1 and T4, indicating reversibility. Ruminococcus gnavus was significantly higher at T2 than at T4 (p < 0.001), with several additional taxa higher at T2 at a less stringent threshold. Propionate and butyrate were elevated at T2, while total bile acids were lower. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron was positively associated with body weight in the total cohort and specifically under a balanced dietary pattern (BD), with no significant time-lagged associations detected under a Western-style diet (WSD). In RDA, taxa associated with body weight substantially overlapped with taxa found to increase during exercise, whereas physical performance measures showed no direct temporal association with microbiota composition in causal analysis. In conclusion, exercise-induced changes in the gut microbiome were not sustained after structured exercise ended, suggesting that continuous exercise may be required. Diet further shaped whether microbiota–host associations were detectable, underscoring dietary pattern as a factor for future microbiome-targeted exercise interventions. Full article