Impact of environmental characteristics on children's gut microbiota – A pilot study in assessing the role of indoor microbiome and metabolites

Abstract

BackgroundA diverse and balanced human gut microbiota is crucial for maintaining normal human physiological functions. However, the impact of indoor microbiome and metabolites on gut microbiota is not well understood. MethodsA self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on more than 40 personal and environmental characteristics and dietary habits from 56 children in Shanghai, China. Shotgun metagenomics and untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were used to characterize the indoor microbiome and metabolomic/chemical exposure in children's living rooms. PacBio full-length 16 S rRNA sequencing was used to characterize children's gut microbiota. Associations between environmental characteristics and gut microbiota diversity/composition were assessed using PERMANOVA and regression. ResultsIn total, 6247 and 318 indoor and gut microbial species and 1442 indoor metabolites were characterized. Age of children (R2 = 0.033, p = 0.008), age start kindergarten (R2 = 0.029, p = 0.03), living adjacent to heavy traffic (R2 = 0.031, p = 0.01) and drinking soft drinks (R2 = 0.028, p = 0.04) significantly impacted overall gut microbial composition, consistent with previous studies. Having pets/plants and frequent vegetable intake were positively associated with gut microbiota diversity and the Gut Microbiome Health Index (GMHI), while frequent juice and fries intake decreased gut microbiota diversity (p < 0.05). The abundance of indoor Clostridia and Bacilli was positively associated with gut microbial diversity and GMHI (p < 0.01). Total indoor indole derivatives and 6 indole metabolites (L-tryptophan, indole, 3-methylindole, indole-3-acetate, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan and indolelactic acid, p < 0.05) were positively associated with the abundance of total protective gut bacteria, suggesting a potential role in promoting gut health. Neural network analysis revealed that these indole derivatives were derived from indoor microorganisms. ConclusionsThe study is the first to report associations between indoor microbiome/metabolites and gut microbiota, highlighting the potential role of indoor microbiome in shaping human gut microbiota.