AUTHOR=Tang Minghua , Frank Daniel N. , Tshefu Antoinette , Lokangaka Adrien , Goudar Shivaprasad S. , Dhaded Sangappa M. , Somannavar Manjunath S. , Hendricks Audrey E. , Ir Diana , Robertson Charles E. , Kemp Jennifer F. , Lander Rebecca L. , Westcott Jamie E. , Hambidge K. Michael , Krebs Nancy F. 

TITLE=Different Gut Microbial Profiles in Sub-Saharan African and South Asian Women of Childbearing Age Are Primarily Associated With Dietary Intakes

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01848

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2019.01848

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>To compare and characterize the gut microbiota in women of childbearing age from sub-Saharan Africa (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC) and South Asia (India), in relation to dietary intakes.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Women of childbearing age were recruited from rural DRC and India as part of the Women First (WF) preconception maternal nutrition trial. Findings presented include fecal 16S rRNA gene-based profiling of women in the WF trial from samples obtained at the time of randomization, prior to initiation of nutrition intervention and to conception.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Stool samples were collected from 217 women (DRC <italic>n</italic> = 117; India <italic>n</italic> = 100). Alpha diversity of the gut microbiota was higher in DRC than in India (Chao1: 91 ± 11 vs. 82 ± 12, <italic>P</italic> = 6.58E-07). The gut microbial community structure was not significantly affected by any demographical or environmental variables, such as maternal BMI, education, and water source. <italic>Prevotella, Succinivibrio</italic>, and <italic>Roseburia</italic> were at relatively high abundance without differences between sites. <italic>Bifidobacterium</italic> was higher in India (4.95 ± 1.0%) than DRC (0.3 ± 0.1%; <italic>P</italic> = 2.71E-27), as was <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> (DRC: 0.2 ± 0.0%; India: 1.2 ± 0.1%; <italic>P</italic> = 2.39E-13) and <italic>Faecalibacterium</italic> (DRC: 6.0 ± 1.7%; India: 8.4 ± 2.9%; <italic>P</italic> = 6.51E-7). <italic>Ruminococcus</italic> was higher in DRC (2.3 ± 0.7%) than in India (1.8 ± 0.4%; <italic>P</italic> = 3.24E-5) and was positively associated with consumption of flesh foods. <italic>Succinivibrio</italic> was positively associated with dairy intake in India and fish/insects in DRC. <italic>Faecalibacterium</italic> was positively associated with vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables. Overall, these observations were consistent with India being primarily vegetarian with regular fermented dairy consumption and DRC regularly consuming animal-flesh foods.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Consumption of animal-flesh foods and fermented dairy foods were independently associated with the gut microbiota while demographic variables were not, suggesting that diet may have a stronger association with microbiota than demographic characteristics.</p></sec>