Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Manipulation of Gut Microbiota: Focus on Microbiome Characterization, Pharmacology, Diagnostics and Therapeutic Indications

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 9354

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Guest Editor
School of Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Interests: gut microbiome; inflammatory bowel diseases; 16S rRNA sequencing; brain-gut axis; probiotics; metagenomics; gut homeostasis; systems biology; bacterial genomics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past two decades, advances in omics technology have allowed comprehensive characterizations of the gut microbiome in many health disorders. Gut microbiomes interact with the host through their metabolites, defense against pathogens, and/or immunological promotion. Perturbation of host–microbiome crosstalk has been associated with different health disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes, Clostridium difficile infection, and mental health disorders, in addition to the medications used to treat these disorders, such as antidepressants. While some therapeutics, such as some antivirals, are metabolized by the gut microbiota, others, such as antidepressants, affect the gut microbiota diversity. Therefore, the focus of interest of the current wave of microbiome research is investigating how to manipulate the gut microbiome consortium to promote human health and augment the efficiency of other therapeutics. Manipulation of the gut microbiome can be achieved through restoring microbiota diversity and composition or inducing certain functional activities. Several targeted and non-targeted approaches are being tested for their efficiency in modulating the microbiome balance. These approaches include fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) and prebiotic, probiotic, and CRISPR-Cas9-engineered phage. In addition, xenobiotics–gut microbiota interaction is bidirectional. The purpose of this Special Issue is to create a collection of scientific reports that help us to understand the microbiome’s therapeutic potential in different disorders. We invite original articles and extensive reviews in the areas of microbiome characterization, biomarker identification, microbiome pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, and microbiome-based therapeutic manipulations. Any type of article on host–microbiome crosstalk is welcome.

This collection is the second edition of the previous one "Gut Microbiome Manipulation: Focus on Microbiome Characterization, Diagnostics and Therapeutic Indications": https://www.mdpi.com/journal/biology/special_issues/GMMFOMCDATI.

Dr. Walid Mottawea
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • gut microbiome
  • microbiome pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
  • fecal microbiota therapy
  • prebiotics
  • probiotics
  • microbiome therapeutics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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16 pages, 2450 KiB  
Article
Survival and Interplay of γ-Aminobutyric Acid-Producing Psychobiotic Candidates with the Gut Microbiota in a Continuous Model of the Human Colon
by Rojaalsadat Mousavi, Walid Mottawea, Marie-Claude Audet and Riadh Hammami
Biology 2022, 11(9), 1311; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11091311 - 4 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2499
Abstract
Over decades, probiotic research has focused on their benefits to gut health. Recently, the gut microbiota has been proven to share bidirectional connections with the brain through the gut–brain axis. Therefore, the manipulation of this axis via probiotics has garnered interest. We have [...] Read more.
Over decades, probiotic research has focused on their benefits to gut health. Recently, the gut microbiota has been proven to share bidirectional connections with the brain through the gut–brain axis. Therefore, the manipulation of this axis via probiotics has garnered interest. We have recently isolated and characterized in vitro probiotic candidates producing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a major neuromodulator of the enteric nervous system. This study investigates the growth and competitiveness of selected GABA-producing probiotic candidates (Bifidobacterium animalis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) in the presence of human gut microbiota ex vivo in a model mimicking physiological and microbiological conditions of the human proximal colon. Supplementation with GABA-producing probiotic candidates did not affect the overall gut microbiota diversity over 48 h of treatment. However, these candidates modulated the microbiota composition, especially by increasing the Bacteroidetes population, a key gut microbe associated with anti-inflammatory activities. The level of microbiota-generated SCFAs within 12 h of treatment was also increased, compared to the control group. Results from this study demonstrate the probiotic potential of the tested GABA-producing bacteria and their impact on gut microbiota structure and metabolism, suggesting their suitability for gut health-promoting applications. Full article
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19 pages, 3725 KiB  
Systematic Review
Effect of Probiotics in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by May S. Thu, Thunnicha Ondee, Tanawin Nopsopon, Izzati A. K. Farzana, Joanne L. Fothergill, Nattiya Hirankarn, Barry J. Campbell and Krit Pongpirul
Biology 2023, 12(2), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12020280 - 9 Feb 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6337
Abstract
Probiotics may have the potential to protect against breast cancer, partly through systemic immunomodulatory action and active impact upon intestinal microbiota. Given a few clinical studies on their curative role, we conducted a systematic review of the potential effects of probiotics in breast [...] Read more.
Probiotics may have the potential to protect against breast cancer, partly through systemic immunomodulatory action and active impact upon intestinal microbiota. Given a few clinical studies on their curative role, we conducted a systematic review of the potential effects of probiotics in breast cancer patients and survivors of breast cancer, aiming to support further clinical studies. A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and the CENTRAL databases from inception through to March 2022. A total of eight randomized clinical trials were identified from thirteen articles published between 2004 and 2022. We evaluated quality-of-life measures, observed bacterial species and diversity indices, probiotic-related metabolites, inflammatory biomarkers, and other responses in breast cancer patients and survivors. Results were synthesized qualitatively and quantitatively using random-effects meta-analysis. Different probiotics supplements utilized included Lactobacillus species alone (Lacto), with or without estriol; probiotic combinations of Lactobacillus with Bifidobacterium (ProLB), with or without prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS); ProLB plus Streptococcus and FOS (ProLBS + FOS); and ProLB plus Enterococcus (ProLBE). We found that use of ProLBS with FOS in breast cancer patients and use of ProLBE in survivors of breast cancer show potential benefits in countering obesity and dyslipidemia. ProLBS with FOS use decreases pro-inflammatory TNF-α in breast cancer survivors and improves quality of life in those with breast-cancer-associated lymphedema. Supplementing probiotics capsules (109 CFU) with a prebiotic and using an intake duration of 10 weeks could provide a better approach than probiotics alone. Full article
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