Abstract
BackgroundDaily fiber intake can increase the diversity of the human gut microbiota as well as the abundance of beneficial microbes and their metabolites. Whole-grain wheat is high in fiber.ObjectiveThis manuscript presents a study protocol designed to understand the effects of different types of wheat on gastrointestinal tract microbes.MethodsHuman adults will consume crackers made from three types of wheat flour (refined soft white wheat, whole-grain soft white wheat, and whole-grain soft red wheat). In this study, participants will alternate between crackers made from refined soft white wheat flour to those made from whole-grain soft white wheat and whole-grain soft red wheat flour. Survey and stool sample collection will occur after 7-day treatment periods. We will assess how wheat consumption affects gastrointestinal bacteria by sequencing the V4 region of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and the inflammatory state of participants’ intestines using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The butyrate production capacity of the gut microbiota will be determined by targeted quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.ResultsWe will report the treatment effects on alpha and beta diversity of the microbiota and taxa-specific differences. Microbiota results will be analyzed using the vegan package in R. Butyrate production capacity and biomarkers of intestinal inflammation will be analyzed using parametric statistical methods such as analysis of variance or linear regression. We expect whole wheat intake to increase butyrate production capacity, bacterial alpha diversity, and abundance of bacterial taxa responsive to phenolic compounds. Soft red wheat is also expected to decrease the concentration of inflammatory biomarkers in the stool of participants.ConclusionsThis protocol describes the methods to be used in a study on the impact of wheat types on the human gastrointestinal microbiota and biomarkers of intestinal inflammation. The analysis of intestinal responses to the consumption of two types of whole wheat will expand our understanding of how specific foods affect health-associated outcomes.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/29046
Highlights
BackgroundAn individual’s gut microbial community is colonized by trillions of microorganisms [1]
The primary aim of this study is to measure the alpha diversity of gut microbiota following each week of cracker treatment to determine whether whole-wheat consumption increases alpha diversity
Additional aims are to measure the levels of gastrointestinal inflammation as well as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and butyrate-producing bacteria that are present following each treatment
Summary
BackgroundAn individual’s gut microbial community is colonized by trillions of microorganisms [1]. Dietary intake is strongly associated with the composition of the gut microbiota [4,5,6,7,8,9] This effect of diet on the gut bacterial community can occur within days, quickly switching among functional profiles characteristic of different diets, and thereby making food intake an important factor for managing the gut microbiota [5,10]. The Western dietary pattern results in a gut microbiota characterized by decreased bacterial diversity with specific losses of important microbes such as Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., and Bacteroidetes [12,13,14,15]. We expect whole wheat intake to increase butyrate production capacity, bacterial alpha diversity, and abundance of bacterial taxa responsive to phenolic compounds. Conclusions: This protocol describes the methods to be used in a study on the impact of wheat types on the human gastrointestinal microbiota and biomarkers of intestinal inflammation.
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