Increased Relative Abundance of Ruminoccocus Is Associated With Reduced Cardiovascular Risk in an Obese Population

Abstract

BackgroundObesity is a complex disease with underlying genetic, environmental, psychological, physiological, medical, and epigenetic factors. Obesity can cause various disorders, including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), that are among the most prevalent chronic conditions in Qatar. Recent studies have highlighted the significant roles of the gut microbiome in improving the pathology of various diseases, including obesity. Thus, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of dietary intake and gut microbial composition in modulating the risk of CVD development in obese Qatari adults.MethodsWe enrolled 46 adult subjects (18–65 years of age) who were classified based on their CVD risk scores, calculated using the Framingham formula, into a CVD no-risk group (score of <10%, n = 36) and CVD risk group (score of ≥10%, n = 10). For each study subject, we measured the gut microbial composition with a 16s rDNA sequencing method that targeted the v3-v4 region using Illumina Miseq, and their nutritional status was recorded based on 24-h dietary recall. Dietary intake, bacterial taxa summary, diversity index, microbial markers, pathway analysis, and network correlation were determined for the study subjects.ResultsThe CVD risk group showed a lower intake of vitamin D, reduced relative abundance of genera Ruminococcus and Bifidobacterium, no change in bacterial diversity, and higher levels of taurine, hypotaurine, and lipoic acid metabolism than the CVD no-risk group. Besides, the relative abundance of genus Ruminococcus was positively correlated with the intake of protein, monounsaturated fat, vitamin A, and vitamin D.ConclusionTaken together, our results suggest that the genus Ruminococcus could be used as a microbial marker, and its reduced relative abundance could mediate the risk of CVDs in the Obese Qatari population.

Investigation of the therapeutic effect of Hedan tablets on high‐fat diet‐induced obesity in rats by GC–MS technology and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing

“…Related studies have shown that the relative abundance of Ruminococcus is significantly reduced in populations with obesity and cardiovascular disease risk (Salas-Perez et al, 2023). Ruminococcus plays a key role in the production of SCFAs such as butyric acid through the fermentation of dietary fiber (Lakshmanan et al, 2022). As a type of beneficial bacteria, certain strains of Enterococcus have demonstrated anti-obesity properties.…”

“…Limosilactobacillus strains exhibit the ability to modulate energy homeostasis, alter intestinal microbiome composition, synthesize SCFAs, and enhance intestinal barrier function (Abuqwider et al, 2022;Kim et al, 2021). Ruminococcus is the most common bacterium in the gut, capable of producing SCFAs, stabilizing the intestinal barrier (Lakshmanan et al, 2022;Salas-Perez et al, 2023;Zhang et al, 2022), and playing a "cornerstone" role in degrading dietaryresistant starch. Some members of Enterococcus are used as probiotics and participate in the production of acetic acid and propionic acid (Celiberto et al, 2017;Panattoni et al, 2022).…”

Exploring the modulatory effects of brown seaweed meal and extracts on intestinal microbiota and morphology of broiler chickens challenged with heat stress

“…Previous studies have reported that Ruminococcus plays an essential role in the conversion and degradation of complex polysaccharides into nutrients for their hosts (La Reau and Suen, 2018 ). The reduction in the relative abundance of Ruminococcus could increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in humans ( Lakshmanan et al, 2022 ). In addition, Flavonifractor can metabolize catechin in the gut and help in alleviating antigen-induced Th2 immune responses ( Ogita et al, 2020 ).…”

Dietary supplementation of microalgae mitigates the negative effects of heat stress in broilers

“…However, the dietary supplementation of microalgae increased the abundance of Oscillospira. Ruminococcus is one of the dominant bacteria with a dietary fiber fermenting role in producing volatile fatty acids such as butyrate, which is crucial in reducing inflammation and maintaining gut epithelial health ( Lakshmanan et al, 2022 ). Moreover, Ruminococcus is also associated with the production of neurometabolites such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and N-acetyl aspartate, potentially affecting brain function and behavior ( Mudd et al, 2017 ; Lukić et al, 2019 ).…”