Gut Microbiota Modulation and Metabolic Health
Summary
The human gastrointestinal tract harbours a complex community of microorganisms whose collective metabolic activities exert profound influences on host energy balance, glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Perturbations of this community composition, often linked to diet, antibiotic use or disease, can precipitate metabolic dysregulation manifesting as obesity, type 2 diabetes and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. Modulation of gut microbiota through dietary interventions—most notably the administration of nondigestible carbohydrates, polyphenols or other bioactive compounds—aims to restore ecological balance, promote the generation of beneficial metabolites such as short‐chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids, reinforce gut barrier integrity and attenuate low‐grade systemic inflammation. Emerging strategies include precision prebiotics derived from terrestrial or marine sources, designer probiotics, synbiotics and faecal microbiota transplantation. Collectively, these approaches underscore a paradigm shift towards microbiome‐centric therapies for metabolic health.
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Gut Microbiota Modulation and Metabolic Health publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in gut microbiota modulation and metabolic health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Gut microbiota: The assemblage of bacteria, archaea, viruses and fungi residing in the gastrointestinal tract that collectively influence host physiology.
Short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs): Metabolic by‐products (e.g. acetate, propionate, butyrate) of microbial fermentation of nondigestible carbohydrates, which serve as signalling molecules and energy substrates.
Prebiotics: Selectively fermented ingredients that confer health benefits by modulating the composition or activity of gut microbiota.
Metagenomics: The genomic analysis of microbial communities by direct sequencing of environmental DNA, enabling taxonomic and functional profiling.
Metabolomics: The comprehensive study of small‐molecule metabolites within biological systems, used to characterise metabolic responses to interventions.
References
- Integrated Metagenomic and Metabolomic Analyses of the Effect of Astragalus Polysaccharides on Alleviating High-Fat Diet–Induced Metabolic Disorders. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2020).
- Seaweed Components as Potential Modulators of the Gut Microbiota. Marine Drugs (2021).
- Polygonatum odoratum Polysaccharides Modulate Gut Microbiota and Mitigate Experimentally Induced Obesity in Rats. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2018).
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