Assessment of dietary zinc on SCFA cecal production
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a prevalent micronutrient insufficiency. Although the gut is a vital organ for Zn utilization, and Zn deficiency is associated with impaired intestinal permeability and a global decrease in gastrointestinal health, alterations in the gut microbial ecology of the host under conditions of Zn deficiency have yet to be studied. Using the broiler chicken (Gallus gallus) model, the aim of this study was to characterize distinct cecal microbiota shifts induced by chronic dietary Zn depletion. We demonstrate that Zn deficiency induces significant taxonomic alterations and decreases overall species richness and diversity, establishing a microbial profile resembling that of various other pathological states. Through metagenomic analysis, we show that predicted Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways responsible for macro- and micronutrient uptake are significantly depleted under Zn deficiency; along with concomitant decreases in beneficial short chain fatty acids, such depletions may further preclude optimal host Zn availability. We also identify several candidate microbes that may play a significant role in modulating the bioavailability and utilization of dietary Zn during prolonged deficiency. Our results are the first to characterize a unique and dysbiotic cecal microbiota during Zn deficiency, and provide evidence for such microbial perturbations as potential effectors of the Zn deficient phenotype.
Experiment setup
Upon hatching, chicks were randomly allocated into two treatment groups on the basis of body weight and gender (aimed to ensure equal distribution between groups, n = 6): 1. Zn(+): 42 µg/g zinc; 2. Zn(−): 2.5 µg/g zinc.
Research is published:
http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/7/12/5497/htm
ORGANISM(S): Gallus Gallus Chicken
TISSUE(S): Intestine
SUBMITTER: Maureen Kachman
PROVIDER: ST000190 | MetabolomicsWorkbench | Mon Jun 08 00:00:00 BST 2015
REPOSITORIES: MetabolomicsWorkbench
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