Researchers at IISER Bhopal have undertaken an important research that will help in the development of new probiotics and prebiotics.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal have displayed the differences in the type of gut bacteria between Indian and Western populations due to the differences in the diet patterns in these two regions -- the Indian diet being richer in carbohydrates and fibre than the Western.In the largest study of its kind from India, the research team studied the bacterial profile of 200 gut samples taken from people from several Indian locations.

The team behind the research

This research by IISER Bhopal scientists has been published in the journal 'Biofilms and Microbiomes', in a paper co-authored by Dr. Vineet K. Sharma along with his research scholars, Vishnu Prasoodanan, Dr. Ashok Sharma, Shruti Mahajan, Dr. Darshan B. Dhakan, and Dr. Abhijit Maji from IISER Bhopal and Dr. Joy Scaria from Animal Disease Research & Diagnostic Laboratory, South Dakota State University, USA.

Background for research

• The human gut contains 300-500 types of bacteria that are necessary for our survival. These bacteria help in digestion, protect us from infections and even produce essential vitamins and neurochemicals.
• Earlier in 2011, German scientists had classified human beings into three "enterotypes", depending on the kind of bacteria that dominates the gut - Prevotella, Bacteroides or Ruminococcus.
• Highlighting the uniqueness of his research, Dr Vineet K. Sharma, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, IISER Bhopal, said, "Most enterotype studies are largely based on the western population and have not correlated the type of dominant gut bacteria with the type of diet."
• The research is the largest gut metagenome study in India, in which the IISER team studied the bacterial profile of 200 gut samples taken from people from several Indian locations, like Madhya Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, Bihar, and Kerala.

Major findings of the IISER research

• The research found that the Indian gut microbiome has the highest abundance of the Prevotella genus of bacteria, in particular, a species called Prevotella copri.
• This bacterium also dominates the guts of other populations that consume a carbohydrate- and fibre-rich diet, such as the Italian, Madagascarian, Peruvian, and Tanzanian.
• The gut microbiomes of people from Western countries like the USA are dominated by Bacteroides.
• The researchers performed genomic analyses which showed that the bacteria contained specific locations ("loci") in their genomes that are responsible for metabolising complex plant carbohydrates and fibres.
• The lead author further explained, "This is a pioneering study that investigates the role of Prevotella species on human health in different populations, and reveals the significance of P. copri in the metabolism of complex polysaccharides and dietary fibres in non-western populations."

Significance of the study

Speaking on the significance and practical implications of the product, Dr.Vineet K. Sharma said, "Our insights would help in the development of new probiotics and prebiotics for different health-related conditions associated with the gut which is much needed for non-western populations."

Source and Credit : India Today