Gut microbiota and fecal short chain fatty acids differ with adiposity and country of origin: the METS-microbiome study.

ABSTRACT: The relationship between microbiota, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and obesity remains enigmatic. We employ amplicon sequencing and targeted metabolomics in a large (n = 1904) African origin cohort from Ghana, South Africa, Jamaica, Seychelles, and the US. Microbiota diversity and fecal SCFAs are greatest in Ghanaians, and lowest in Americans, representing each end of the urbanization spectrum. Obesity is significantly associated with a reduction in SCFA concentration, microbial diversity, and SCFA synthesizing bacteria, with country of origin being the strongest explanatory factor. Diabetes, glucose state, hypertension, obesity, and sex can be accurately predicted from the global microbiota, but when analyzed at the level of country, predictive accuracy is only universally maintained f

SUBMITTER: Ecklu-Mensah G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10449869 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature