Effect of edible bird's nest and N-acetylneuraminic acid on gut microbiota in different stages of pregnant rats fed with zinc deficient diet

Abstract

Zinc deficiency diet during pregnancy and lactation have become an important hidden danger to the healthy development of offspring. Therefore, natural supplements are urgently needed to treat gut microbiota disorder induced by zinc deficiency diet. The study aims to investigate the effects of edible bird's nest (EBN) and N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) on gut microbiota in different stages of pregnant rats fed with zinc deficient diet. Zinc deficiency diet was used to induce gut microbiota disorder in pregnant rats. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis technology were also conducted. And the relationship between body weight, food intake and organ index of pregnant rats and differential microbiota was analyzed. It was found that dietary zinc deficiency can lead to gut microbiota disturbance in pregnant rats, which can be improved by EBN and NANA to increase beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and reduce the harmful ones such as Enterococcus, Turicibacter and Parabacteroides. These results can not only deepen the understanding of the effects of EBN and NANA on gut microbiota in pregnant rats, but also lay an important foundation for the further utilization of them in the pregnant population.