Abstract
The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem that affects the development, immunological responses and nutritional status of the host. Efforts are being made to unravel the complex interaction between the gut microbiome and host to have a greater understanding about its role in human health. Colonization of the gut by microbes begins at birth, but the succession and composition of the microbial community depends on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the age, diet, genetic composition, gender, geographic location, and health status of an individual. Therefore, inclusion of diverse human subjects in the study of the gut microbiome is indispensable. However, conducting such studies in India presents unique opportunities and challenges. The vast diversity in human genetic composition, dietary habits, and geographic distribution that exists in the Indian population adds to the complexity in understanding the gut microbiome. Gut microbiome-related studies from other parts of the world have reported a possible association of diseases such as obesity and diabetes with the human gut microbiome. In contrast, an in-depth assessment of risk factors associated with altered gut microbiome in such diseases in the Indian population is lacking. Studies including the Indian population may give insights into the association of the gut microbiome with various factors and diseases that may not be possible from studies on western populations. This review briefly discusses the significance of the gut microbiome on human health and the present status of gut microbiome studies in the Indian population. In addition, this review will highlight the unique opportunities and challenges for gut microbiome studies in the Indian population.
Highlights
The human gastrointestinal tract is a unique ecosystem that harbors a diverse population of microorganisms
This study suggested that there is an underlying relationship between diet, microbiome and health, which essentially means that studies on the gut microbiome related to diet in various disease conditions may be able to show a correlation among these three factors
The Indian population, which encompasses a vast diversity of individuals, is yet to be studied extensively for the gut microbiome
Summary
The human gastrointestinal tract is a unique ecosystem that harbors a diverse population of microorganisms. It is imperative to study individuals with different genetic make-up to have a better understanding of the association of gut microbiome and host genotype In this aspect, the Indian population provides one of the most genetically diverse human populations. Several generations of the individuals from these groups have been on diet devoid of meat These populations can serve as ideal subjects for studying the effect of diet in evolution of the gut microbiome compared to the other humans that consume meat. This is possible with Indian populations as there is a fair difference between the rural and urban population in terms of lifestyle and dietary habits Such studies are necessary to have a comprehensive view of the microbiome and its association with disease state. This may underpin the role of the gut microbiome in various diseases
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