A new study reveals that different sources of protein in the animal diet can drastically alter the intestinal microbiome, both in its composition and in its function.
This investigation, conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University, revealed that the type of protein in the diet of an animal influences Significantly the composition and activity of the intestinal microbiome – the community of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract.
According to, these intestinal microbes perform a crucial role in various aspects of health And the study conclusions may contribute to improving the prevention and treatment strategies of gastrointestinal diseases that affect millions of people worldwide.
“There is something wrong with what we are eating today and we are not close to knowing what it is,” he said Alfredo Blakeley-RuizNC State postdoctoral researcher and corresponding co-author of an article describing the study in the The ISME Journal.
“Our lab wanted to know how the different diets affect what lives in the intestine And learn something about what these microbes are functionally doing in response to this diet. ”
In your experience, the investigators examined the effects of protein sources Specific foods, such as milk, eggs and plants such as peas and soy, in the intestinal microbiomas of the mice. Each mice was fed a diet consisting of a single source of protein for a week.
These sources included egg whites, brown rice, soy and yeast, allowing investigators isolate the impact of each protein In the intestinal microbial ecosystem.
Using a Metagenomic-Metaproteomic approach Integrated that requires high -resolution mass conceion, researchers found that the intestinal microbiome of mice has changed a lot throughout the study, with some sources of proteins to show Extreme effects.
“The composition of the intestinal microbiome has changed significantly whenever we changed the source of proteins,” said Blakeley-Ruiz. “Protein sources with the largest functional effects were the Integral ricea yeast e and egg whites”.
By examining functional changes in the intestinal microbiome, the study showed that the two largest effects of dietary protein were in Metabolism two amino acidswhat was expected by the researchers, and in Complex sugar degradationwhat was not.
“Diets based on brown rice and egg white increased the degradation of amino acids in the intestinal microbiome of the mice, which means that microbes were decomposing these proteins rather than producing their own amino acids from scratch,” said Blakeley-Ruiz.
“This makes sense intuitively Because proteins are made of amino acids, but it is something we want to deepen more. Some amino acids may degrade in toxins and others may affect the intestine-brain axis, so there are potential implications for the health of these diets. ”
The study also showed that long chains of sugars linked to dietary proteins, called glycanosalso play a role in changing the intestinal microbiome function. Multiple sources of food proteins, including soybean, rice, yeast and egg white, caused microbes in the intestine to alter the production of enzymes that break the glycans sometimes substantially.
“This can be very significant in terms of health”Said Blakeley-Ruiz. egg white dietIn particular, a bacterium took control and activated a series of enzymes that degrade the Glycans. Then we cultivated this bacteria in the laboratory and found that the glycan degradation enzymes that produced in media containing egg white protein were similar to those produced in the media they contained mucina“.
Mucina is the substance that covers the intestine, protecting the digestive system of things such as acid and pathogenic agents. Thus, if bacteria are producing enzymes that, purposely or not, decomposes the mucina, may be damage the intestinal coating and cause negative impacts on intestinal health.
“I am enthusiastic about exploring this potential connection between the expression of glycan-degrading enzymes in the egg white diet and the degradation of mucin by the intestinal microbiome in future studies,” says Blakeley-Ruiz.
Manuel smallerAssociate Professor of Plant and Microbial Biology at NC State and corresponding co -author of the article, said the study launchesbases for future investigations on the effects of protein sources on the intestinal microbiome.
“One of the limitations of our study is that, of course, diets are very artificial and can lead to amplified results,” said Kleiner. “But now we show that egg white has extreme effects on the microbiome. For the future, we are very interested in understanding what is the mechanism of this effect in a mixed protein diet in rats.
“Our study shows not only what bacterial species are present in the intestinal microbiome and their abundance, but also what they are really doing. In this case, are specifically digesting the glycans. The result is a very complete image of what really matters in the intestine in terms of diet and function. ”
Teresa Oliveira Campos, Zap //
