Effect of Nutrition on Age-Related Metabolic Markers and the Gut Microbiota in Cats.

Eden Ephraim,Dennis E Jewell

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9122430

Abstract

Age-related changes in the gut microbiota and metabolites are associated with the increased risk of detrimental conditions also seen with age. This study evaluated whether a test food with potential anti-aging benefits results in favorable changes in plasma and fecal metabolites and the fecal microbiota in senior cats. Forty healthy domestic cats aged 8.3–13.5 years were fed a washout food for 30 days, then control or test food for 30 days. After another 30-day washout, cats were switched to the other study food for 30 days. Assessment of plasma and fecal metabolites showed lower levels of metabolites associated with detrimental processes (e.g., uremic toxins) and higher levels of metabolites associated with beneficial processes (e.g., tocopherols) after cats consumed the test food compared with the control food. A shift toward proteolysis with the control food is supported by higher levels of amino acid metabolites and lower levels of carbohydrate metabolites. Operational taxonomic units of greater abundance with the test food positively correlated with carbohydrate and nicotinic acid metabolites, and negatively correlated with uremic toxins, amino acid metabolism, secondary bile salts, and branched-chain fatty acids. Taken together, the test food appears to result in greater levels of metabolites and microbiota associated with a healthier state.

Highlights

Research into the microbiota of humans and animals has expanded at a rapid pace over the last several years
Much greater differences in gut microbiota have been observed when comparing disease states with healthy controls than when comparing consumption of different food types in humans or animals [9]. Despite these relatively small differences between food types in the present study, many of the Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) of greater abundance with the test food have been associated with healthier states, in prior studies focused on chronic kidney disease (CKD) or aging
This study showed that consumption of the test food resulted in higher levels of metabolites and microbiota associated with beneficial health states compared with the control food

Summary

Introduction

Research into the microbiota of humans and animals has expanded at a rapid pace over the last several years. Aging has a profound effect on the composition and diversity of the gastrointestinal microbiota [2], as has been shown in humans [3,4] and dogs [5,6]. Age-related changes in the gut microbiota may be associated with immunosenescence, or age-related dysfunction of the immune system, in humans [3]. Immunosenescence may lead to “inflammaging,” low-grade chronic inflammation that contributes to age-related diseases [10]. Detrimental effects of aging in cats include an increased risk of a variety of conditions associated with inflammation such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, gastrointestinal disease, cancer, and cognitive decline [11,12]

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