AUTHOR=El Hage Racha , Hernandez-Sanabria Emma , Calatayud Arroyo Marta , Props Ruben , Van de Wiele Tom 

TITLE=Propionate-Producing Consortium Restores Antibiotic-Induced Dysbiosis in a Dynamic in vitro Model of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01206

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2019.01206

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Metabolic syndrome is a growing public health concern. Efforts at searching for links with the gut microbiome have revealed that propionate is a major fermentation product in the gut with several health benefits toward energy homeostasis. For instance, propionate stimulates satiety-inducing hormones, leading to lower energy intake and reducing weight gain and associated risk factors. In (disease) scenarios where microbial dysbiosis is apparent, gut microbial production of propionate may be decreased. Here, we investigated the effect of a propionogenic bacterial consortium composed of <italic>Lactobacillus</italic><italic>plantarum</italic>, <italic>Bacteroides</italic><italic>thetaiotaomicron</italic>, <italic>Ruminococcus</italic><italic>obeum</italic>, <italic>Coprococcus</italic><italic>catus</italic>, <italic>Bacteroides</italic><italic>vulgatus</italic>, <italic>Akkermansia</italic><italic>muciniphila</italic>, and <italic>Veillonella</italic><italic>parvula</italic> for its potential to restore <italic>in vitro</italic> propionate concentrations upon antibiotic-induced microbial dysbiosis. Using the mucosal simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem (M-SHIME), we challenged the simulated colon microbiome with clindamycin. Addition of the propionogenic consortium resulted in successful colonization and subsequent restoration of propionate levels, while a positive effect on the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ<sub>m</sub>) was observed in comparison with the controls. Our results support the development and application of next generation probiotics, which are composed of multiple bacterial strains with diverse functionality and phylogenetic background.</p>