Gut microbiota composition and metabolism

The gut microbiota composition and metabolism represents the vast ecosystem of microorganisms and their collective genetic material residing in the human digestive tract (Lynch & Pedersen, 2016). This system functions as a metabolic hub, performing essential tasks such as the fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate (Fan & Pedersen, 2021). Beyond digestion, the microbiota is critical for the development and regulation of the host immune system and the maintenance of the intestinal epithelial barrier (Guinane & Cotter, 2013). Alterations in microbial diversity or the prevalence of specific taxa, known as dysbiosis, are strongly associated with diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and even neurodegenerative conditions (NIH, 2023). Therapeutic interventions aim to modulate this composition through probiotics, prebiotics, or fecal microbiota transplantation to restore homeostasis (Khoury et al., 2022). Furthermore, microbial metabolism significantly influences the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of various drugs, including chemotherapeutics and metformin (Spanogiannopoulos et al., 2016). Understanding the interplay between microbial metabolites and host receptors is a burgeoning area of drug discovery targeting metabolic and inflammatory pathways.

Other names

Gut microbiomeIntestinal floraGastrointestinal microbiotaGut microfloraHuman intestinal microbiome

Modulation of microbial diversity, restoration of commensal bacterial populations, inhibition of pathogenic overgrowth, and alteration of microbial metabolite production (e.g., increasing SCFAs or decreasing TMAO).