Microbial community of gut and oral microbiota

The microbial community of the gut and oral microbiota consists of a vast array of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that maintain a symbiotic relationship with the human host (Dewhirst et al., 2010). These communities are essential for physiological processes such as the fermentation of non-digestible dietary fibers, the synthesis of vitamins (e.g., Vitamin K and B12), and the maturation of the host immune system (Thursby & Juge, 2017). In the oral cavity, the microbiota prevents the colonization of pathogens, while the gut microbiota influences systemic metabolism and the gut-brain axis (Kitamoto et al., 2020). Dysbiosis, characterized by a loss of microbial diversity or an overgrowth of pathogenic species, is implicated in diseases such as Clostridioides difficile infection, inflammatory bowel disease, and even systemic conditions like obesity and cardiovascular disease (Fan & Pedersen, 2021). Therapeutic interventions targeting these communities include live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), fecal microbiota transplants (FMT), and prebiotics or probiotics designed to restore ecological balance. Recent pharmacological advances have led to the FDA approval of standardized microbial consortia for the prevention of recurrent infections, marking a shift toward treating the microbiome as a distinct therapeutic target (FDA, 2023).

Other names

Human microbiomeGut-oral axisCommensal microfloraGastrointestinal microbiotaOral microbiome

Restoration of microbial diversity, competitive inhibition of pathogens, modulation of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and regulation of host immune signaling pathways (Thursby & Juge, 2017).