Abstract
The concept of the human oral microbiome was applied to understand health and disease, lifestyles, and dietary habits throughout part of human history. In the present study, we augment the understanding of ancient oral microbiomes by characterizing human dental calculus samples recovered from the ancient Abbey of Badia Pozzeveri (central Italy), with differences in socioeconomic status, time period, burial type, and sex. Samples dating from the Middle Ages (11th century) to the Industrial Revolution era (19th century) were characterized using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene V4 region. Consistent with previous studies, individuals from Badia Pozzeveri possessed commensal oral bacteria that resembled modern oral microbiomes. These results suggest that members of the oral microbiome are ubiquitous despite differences in geographical regions, time period, sex, and socioeconomic status. The presence of fecal bacteria could be in agreement with poor hygiene practices, consistent with the time period. Respiratory tract, nosocomial, and other rare pathogens detected in the dental calculus samples are intriguing and could suggest subject-specific comorbidities that could be reflected in the oral microbiome.
Highlights
The oral microbiome is the second most characterized after the gut microbiome, and it is known to possess over 700 bacterial species belonging to the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes [1]
Β-diversity was visualized in a principal coordinate analyses (PCoA) plot to determine the effect of filtering the Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified in the blank control and soil samples from the dental calculus samples
When plotting the percentage of OTUs prior to and after filtering, as well as those identified in the extraction blank control and soil samples, results show that soil may have had a greater number of identified OTUs impacting the dental calculus samples (Figure S1C, Supplementary Materials; Dataset 4)
Summary
The oral microbiome is the second most characterized after the gut microbiome, and it is known to possess over 700 bacterial species belonging to the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes [1]. The human oral microbiome is known to differ and form complex interactions according to biogeographical sites, which include the tongue, palate, and saliva, as well as subgingival and supragingival plaque [8,9]. Of these oral biogeographical sites, dental plaque harbors bacteria that could reflect oral health and disease, lifestyles, and dietary habits [10]; yet, a limited number of studies addressed the association of disease, dietary habits, and lifestyles with the oral microbiome of westernized and isolated modern human societies using dental plaque
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
