AUTHOR=Li Xianping , Chu Qiongfang , Huang Yuanming , Xiao Yuchun , Song Liqiong , Zhu Siyi , Kang Ying , Lu Shan , Xu Jianguo , Ren Zhihong 

TITLE=Consortium of Probiotics Attenuates Colonization of Clostridioides difficile

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02871

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2019.02871

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Clostridioides difficile</italic> infection (CDI) is increasing morbidity and mortality rates globally. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), an effective therapy for eliminating <italic>Clostridioides difficile</italic> (<italic>C. difficile</italic>), cannot be used extensive due to a range of challenges. Probiotics thus constitutes a promising alternative therapy. In our study, we evaluated the effect of consortium of probiotics including five <italic>Lactobacilli</italic> strains and two <italic>Bifidobacterium</italic> strains on the colonization of toxigenic BI/NAP1/027 <italic>C. difficile</italic> in a mouse model. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing and targeted metabolomics showed the consortium of probiotics effectively decreased the colonization of <italic>C. difficile</italic>, changed the α- and β-diversity of the gut microbiota, decreased the primary bile acids, and increased the secondary bile acids. Spearman’s correlation showed that some of the OTUs such as <italic>Akkermansia</italic>, <italic>Bacteroides</italic>, <italic>Blautia et al</italic>. were positively correlated with <italic>C. difficile</italic> numbers and the primary bile acids, and negatively correlated with the secondary bile acids. However, some of the OTUs, such as <italic>Butyricicoccus</italic>, <italic>Ruminococcus</italic>, and Rikenellaceae, were negatively correlated with <italic>C. difficile</italic> copies and the primary bile acids, and positively correlated with the secondary bile acids. In summary, the consortium of probiotics effectively decreases the colonization of <italic>C. difficile</italic>, probably via alteration of gut microbiota and bile acids. Our probiotics mixture thus offers a promising FMT alternative.</p>