Abstract
Diet is one of the main factors that affects the composition of gut microbiota. When people move from a rural environment to urban areas, and experience improved socio-economic conditions, they are often exposed to a “globalized” Western type diet. Here, we present preliminary observations on the metagenomic scale of microbial changes in small groups of African children belonging to the same ethnicity and living in different environments, compared to children living on the urban area of Florence (Italy). We analyzed dietary habits and, by pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, gut microbiota profiles from fecal samples of children living in a rural village of Burkina Faso (n = 11), of two groups of children living in different urban settings (Nanoro town, n = 8; Ouagadougou, the capital city, n = 5) and of a group of Italian children (n = 13). We observed that when foods of animal origin, those rich in fat and simple sugars are introduced into a traditional African diet, composed of cereals, legumes and vegetables, the gut microbiota profiles changes. Microbiota of rural children retain a geographically unique bacterial reservoir (Prevotella, Treponema, and Succinivibrio), assigned to ferment fiber and polysaccharides from vegetables. Independently of geography and ethnicity, in children living in urban areas these bacterial genera were progressively outcompeted by bacteria more suited to the metabolism of animal protein, fat and sugar rich foods, similarly to Italian children, as resulted by PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States), a predictive functional profiling of microbial communities using 16S rRNA marker gene. Consequently, we observed a progressive reduction of SCFAs measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, in urban populations, especially in Italian children, respect to rural ones. Our results even if in a limited number of individuals point out that dietary habit modifications in the course of urbanization play a role in shaping gut microbiota, and that ancient microorganisms, such as fiber-degrading bacteria, are at risk of being eliminated by the fast paced globalization of foods and by the advent of westernized lifestyle.
Highlights
Microbial colonization of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a fundamental process in human life cycle since microbiota–host interactions influence health and disease (Qin et al, 2010; Collado et al, 2012; Human Microbiome Project Consortium, 2012; Tremaroli and Backhed, 2012; Rodriguez et al, 2015)
In order to investigate the effect of diet modifications, corresponding to different socio-economic conditions and food availability, on gut microbial communities, we studied dietary habits of three populations of healthy children, living in different areas of Burkina Faso
We compared a previously analyzed population (De Filippo et al, 2010) of 11 children living in Boulpon, a typical rural village of Burkina Faso (Boulkiemdé province, Nanoro department; geographic coordinates 12◦39 N 2◦4 W) with 8 children living in Nanoro, a small African town surrounded by rural villages, corresponding to an initial urbanization status, and 5 children (Capital city, BC) from wealthy families, living in the capital city of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, about 90 Km from Nanoro (Figure 1)
Summary
Microbial colonization of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a fundamental process in human life cycle since microbiota–host interactions influence health and disease (Qin et al, 2010; Collado et al, 2012; Human Microbiome Project Consortium, 2012; Tremaroli and Backhed, 2012; Rodriguez et al, 2015). Animal and human hosts and their microbiota have co-evolved together over the millennia into a homeostatic and symbiotic relationship. Dietary habits are one of the main factors contributing to the diversity of human gut microbiota (De Filippo et al, 2010; David et al, 2014). Dietary changes and gut microbiota alterations have the potential to profoundly affect host health and development (Palmer et al, 2007; Agans et al, 2011; Ringel-Kulka et al, 2013). During the first year of life, dietary richness and environmental exposures increase and in parallel, the richness and complexity of the GI microbiota increase (Koenig et al, 2011; Yatsunenko et al, 2012). Microbial colonization in children, following dietary and environmental changes, is still being completely uncovered
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