Influence of Two Root Media and Three Vermicompost Amendments on Bacterial Communities in a Greenhouse Container Garden Model System.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of two root media and three vermicompost amendments on the root zone bacterial communities and harvest mass of lettuce grown in a greenhouse container garden model system. Lettuce seeds were planted in seven root media/amendment conditions. Lettuce was later harvested, and root media DNA was extracted for 16S rRNA sequencing to determine the composition of, as well as the alpha and beta diversity of, the bacterial communities.

Edinburgh postpartum depression scores are associated with vaginal and gut microbiota in pregnancy.

Background: Prenatal and postpartum depression may be influenced by the composition of host associated microbiomes. As such, the objective of this study was to elucidate the relationship between the human gut or vaginal microbiomes in pregnancy with prenatal or postpartum depression.

Methods: 140 female participants were recruited at their first prenatal visit and completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to screen for depression and anxiety, in addition the EPDS was completed one month postpartum.

Impacts of Whole-Grain Soft Red, Whole-Grain Soft White, and Refined Soft White Wheat Flour Crackers on Gastrointestinal Inflammation and the Gut Microbiota of Adult Humans.

Consumption of whole-grain wheat has been associated with positive health outcomes, but it remains unclear whether different types of wheat elicit varying effects on the gut microbiome and intestinal inflammation. The objectives of this research were to investigate the effect of two whole-grain wheat flours versus refined wheat flour on the diversity of the human gut microbiota, as well as on butyrate production capacity and gastrointestinal inflammation, using one-week dietary interventions. For this study, 28 participants were recruited, with ages ranging from 18 to 55 years and a mean BMI of 26.

Distinct Plasma Metabolomic and Gut Microbiome Profiles after Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Diet Treatment: Implications for Personalized Dietary Interventions.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) triggers alterations in the maternal microbiome. Alongside metabolic shifts, microbial products may impact clinical factors and influence pregnancy outcomes. We investigated maternal microbiome-metabolomic changes, including over 600 metabolites from a subset of the "Choosing Healthy Options in Carbohydrate Energy" (CHOICE) study.

Vertical Transfer of Maternal Gut Microbes to Offspring of Western Diet-Fed Dams Drives Reduced Levels of Tryptophan Metabolites and Postnatal Innate Immune Response.

Maternal obesity and/or Western diet (WD) is associated with an increased risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in offspring, driven, in part, by the dysregulation of the early life microbiome. Here, using a mouse model of WD-induced maternal obesity, we demonstrate that exposure to a disordered microbiome from WD-fed dams suppressed circulating levels of endogenous ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR; indole, indole-3-acetate) and TMAO (a product of AHR-mediated transcription), as well as hepatic expression of (an AHR target), in offspring at 3 weeks of age. This signature was recapitulated by fecal microbial transfer from WD-fed pregnant dams to chow-fed germ-free (GF) lactating dams following parturition and was associated with a reduced abundance of in GF offspring.

Influence of Compost Amendments on Soil and Human Gastrointestinal Bacterial Communities during a Single Gardening Season.

To measure associations between gardening with different compost amendments and the human gut microbiota composition, gardeners (n = 25) were provided with one of three types of compost: chicken manure (CM), dairy manure and plant material (DMP), or plant-based (P). Stool samples were collected before gardening (T1), after compost amendment (T2), and at peak garden harvest (T3). Compost and soil samples were collected.

A maternal higher-complex carbohydrate diet increases bifidobacteria and alters early life acquisition of the infant microbiome in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with considerable imbalances in intestinal microbiota that may underlie pathological conditions in both mothers and infants. To more definitively identify these alterations, we evaluated the maternal and infant gut microbiota through the shotgun metagenomic analysis of a subset of stool specimens collected from a randomized, controlled trial in diet-controlled women with GDM. The women were fed either a CHOICE diet (60% complex carbohydrate/25% fat/15% protein, n=18) or a conventional diet (CONV, 40% complex carbohydrate/45% fat/15% protein, n=16) from 30 weeks' gestation through delivery.

Western diet-induced shifts in the maternal microbiome are associated with altered microRNA expression in baboon placenta and fetal liver.

Maternal consumption of a high-fat, Western-style diet (WD) disrupts the maternal/infant microbiome and contributes to developmental programming of the immune system and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the offspring. Epigenetic changes, including non-coding miRNAs in the fetus and/or placenta may also underlie this risk. We previously showed that obese nonhuman primates fed a WD during pregnancy results in the loss of beneficial maternal gut microbes and dysregulation of cellular metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction in the fetal liver, leading to a perturbed postnatal immune response with accelerated NAFLD in juvenile offspring.

Fecal Bacterial Communities Differ by Lactation Status in Postpartum Women and Their Infants.

Background: Previous research examined effects of human milk on the infant gut microbiota, but little attention has been given to the microbiota of lactating women.

Research Aim: To determine associations between exclusive human milk feeding and gut microbiota characteristics in mothers and infants at 6-weeks postpartum.

Methods: A sample of mother-infant dyads ( = 24) provided fecal samples and questionnaire responses at 6-weeks postpartum as part of the Pregnancy, EAting & POstpartum Diapers study.

Effect of Environmental Exposures on the Gut Microbiota from Early Infancy to Two Years of Age.

The gut microbiota undergoes rapid changes during infancy in response to early-life exposures. We have investigated how the infant gut bacterial community matures over time and how exposures such as human milk and antibiotic treatment alter gut microbiota development. We used the LonGP program to create predictive models to determine the contribution of exposures on infant gut bacterial abundances from one month to two years of age.

The Abundance of Human Milk Oligosaccharide (HMO)-Metabolizing Genes in Fecal Samples from Six-Month-Old Human Infants.

Herein, we report the abundance and prevalence of HMO-metabolizing genes, specifically those of , in fecal samples from human infants. Forty dyads were enrolled, and each mother collected a fecal sample from her infant at six months of age. Genomic DNA was extracted, and quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine gene abundance.

The infant gut microbiota at 12 months of age is associated with human milk exposure but not with maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index or infant BMI-for-age z-scores.

Background: As obesity rates continue to rise, it is increasingly important to understand factors that can influence body weight and growth, especially from an early age. The infant gut microbiota has broad effects on a variety of bodily processes, but its relation to infant growth is not yet fully characterized. Since the infant gut microbiota is closely related to breastfeeding practices and maternal health, understanding the relationship between these factors and infant growth may provide insight into the origins of childhood obesity.

Dietary and plasma carotenoids are positively associated with alpha diversity in the fecal microbiota of pregnant women.

Because microbes use carotenoids as an antioxidant for protection, dietary carotenoids could be associated with gut microbiota composition. We aimed to determine associations among reported carotenoid intake, plasma carotenoid concentrations, and fecal bacterial communities in pregnant women. Pregnant women (n = 27) were enrolled in a two-arm study designed to assess feasibility of biospecimen collection and delivery of a practical nutrition intervention.

Human Milk Feeding Patterns at 6 Months of Age are a Major Determinant of Fecal Bacterial Diversity in Infants.

Background: Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and human milk feeding have been associated with altered infant gut microbiota.

Research Aim: Determine the relationships between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, human milk exposure, and their influence on the infant microbiota simultaneously.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of infants at 6 months of age ( = 36), a time when many infants are fed a mixed diet of human milk and other foods.

Perinatal risk factors for fecal antibiotic resistance gene patterns in pregnant women and their infants.

Perinatal factors can shape fecal microbiome patterns among pregnant women and their infants. However, there is scarce information about the effect of maternal demographics and perinatal exposures on antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) and mobile genetic element (MGE) patterns in pregnant women and infants. We examined fecal samples from pregnant women during their third trimester of pregnancy (n = 51) and 6-month-old infants (n = 40).

Gut enterotypes are stable during Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus probiotic supplementation.

The human gut microbiome has been classified into three distinct enterotypes (Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Ruminococcus). The relationship between probiotics and gut enterotype is not yet clear. Cayenne pepper is effective in vitro as a prebiotic for Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, so cayenne ingestion with probiotics may lead to more profound gut microbial shifts.

Michigan cohorts to determine associations of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index with pregnancy and infant gastrointestinal microbial communities: Late pregnancy and early infancy.

Background: About 25% of women in the United States are obese prior to becoming pregnant. Although there is some knowledge about the relationship between the gastrointestinal microbiota and obesity, little is known about the relationship between pre-pregnancy obesity and the gastrointestinal microbiota in pregnancy or its impact on infant gut microbiota. However, the composition of the gut microbiota early in life may influence childhood health.

Chemical Management of Invasive Shot Hole Borer and Fusarium Dieback in California Sycamore (Platanus racemosa) in Southern California.

Fusarium dieback (FD) is a new vascular disease of hardwood trees caused by Fusarium spp. and other associated fungal species which are vectored by two recently introduced and highly invasive species of ambrosia beetle (Euwallacea spp. nr.