Characteristics of the Gut Microbiome and Serum Metabolome in Patients with Functional Constipation

Abstract

Functional constipation (FC) is a gastrointestinal disorder with high incidence, and it seriously affects patients’ physical and mental health. Several studies have shown that the gut microbiome is associated with FC, but these studies have produced inconsistent findings, with few reflecting the relationship between the gut microbiome and metabolites. This study used 16S rRNA microbial genomics and non-target metabolome based on liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry to analyze the gut microbiota composition and serum metabolic profiles of 30 FC patients and 28 healthy individuals. We found that patients with FC and healthy individuals have different gut microbiota structures and serum metabolic profiles. FC patients had more Bacteroides and butyrate-producing bacteria (Roseburia, Faecaliberium, Butyriccoccus). The upstream products of host arginine biosynthesis (2-oxoglutaric acid, L-glutamic acid, N-acetylornithine, and L-ornithine) were significantly reduced in FC patients’ serum metabolites. In summary, our study describes the gut microbiome and serum metabolome of patients with functional constipation. It reveals that functional constipation may be associated with increased Bacteroidetes and downregulation of upstream products of host arginine biosynthesis, which may be potential markers for diagnosing functional constipation.

Efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture for functional constipation in older adults: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…Gastrointestinal dysbiosis plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of FC. Some studies have shown that patients with FC have significant differences in their intestinal microbiota compared to healthy individuals ( 44 , 45 ). Moreover, some studies have found the changing of certain microbial groups in older people ( 46 , 47 ).…”

Moringa oleifera leaf alleviates functional constipation via regulating the gut microbiota and the enteric nervous system in mice

“…Oligosaccharides, konjac glucomannan, and yellow tea extracts all significantly reduced the abundance of Bacteroides in animals with constipation (Wang et al, 2017;Hayeeawaema et al, 2020;Cao et al, 2021). The results of clinical studies have also shown that FC patients have a higher abundance of Bacteroides, especially elderly FC patients (Guo et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2023). A study evaluating the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation for chronic FC suggested that a high abundance of Bacteroides may be one of the causes of constipation (Tian et al, 2020).…”

Genus-Level Analysis of Gut Microbiota in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Mini Review

“…There have been reports that the concentration level of Bacteroides decreases with age [17], so the median age of the participants should be close in order to compare the findings of other research groups. Moreover, the concentration levels of different genera could be influenced by diarrhea and constipation and these should be considered when including patients in a study [71,72]. For example, it has been reported that patients with functional constipation had higher levels of Bacteroides [71] and that other comorbidities, such as gall stones, could alter the composition of the microbiome [72].…”