Selenium (Se) is
an essential trace element with important health
roles due to the antioxidant properties of selenoproteins. To analyze
the interplay between Se and gut microbiota, gut metabolomic profiles
were determined in conventional (C) and microbiota depleted mice (Abx)
after Se-supplementation (Abx-Se) by untargeted metabolomics, using
an analytical multiplatform based on GC-MS and UHPLC-QTOF-MS (MassIVE
ID MSV000087829). Gut microbiota profiling was performed by 16S rRNA
gene amplicon sequencing. Significant differences in the levels of
about 70% of the gut metabolites determined, including fatty acyls,
glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, and steroids, were found in Abx-Se
compared to Abx, and only 30% were different between Abx-Se and C,
suggesting an important effect of Se-supplementation on Abx mice metabolism.
At genus level, the correlation analysis showed strong associations
between metabolites and gut bacterial profiles. Likewise, higher abundance
of
Lactobacillus spp.
, a potentially beneficial genus
enriched after Se-supplementation, was associated with higher levels
of prenol lipids, phosphatidylglycerols (C-Se), steroids and diterpenoids
(Abx-Se), and also with lower levels of fatty acids (Abx-Se). Thus,
we observed a crucial interaction between Se intake–microbiota–metabolites,
although further studies to clarify the specific mechanisms are needed.
This is the first study about untargeted gut metabolomics after microbiota
depletion and Se-supplementation.