Carbohydrates great and small, from dietary fiber to sialic acids: How glycans influence the gut microbiome and affect human health

Gut microbiome composition depends heavily upon diet and has strong ties to human health. Dietary carbohydrates shape the gut microbiome by providing a potent nutrient source for particular microbes. This review explores how dietary carbohydrates in general, including individual monosaccharides and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gut microbes 2021-01, Vol.13 (1), p.1-18
Main Authors: Coker, Joanna K, Moyne, Oriane, Rodionov, Dmitry A., Zengler, Karsten
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bacteria - classification
Bacteria - isolation & purification
Bacteria - metabolism
Carbohydrates
diet
Dietary Carbohydrates - metabolism
Dietary Fiber - metabolism
fiber
Gastrointestinal Microbiome - physiology
glycans
gut microbiome
human milk oligosaccharides
Humans
Monosaccharides - metabolism
mucin-linked O-glycans
Mucins - metabolism
neu5gc
Polysaccharides - metabolism
Review
sialic acids
Sialic Acids - metabolism
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Summary:Gut microbiome composition depends heavily upon diet and has strong ties to human health. Dietary carbohydrates shape the gut microbiome by providing a potent nutrient source for particular microbes. This review explores how dietary carbohydrates in general, including individual monosaccharides and complex polysaccharides, influence the gut microbiome with subsequent effects on host health and disease. In particular, the effects of sialic acids, a prominent and influential class of monosaccharides, are discussed. Complex plant carbohydrates, such as dietary fiber, generally promote microbial production of compounds beneficial to the host while preventing degradation of host carbohydrates from colonic mucus. In contrast, simple and easily digestible sugars such as glucose are often associated with adverse effects on health and the microbiome. The monosaccharide class of sialic acids exerts a powerful but nuanced effect on gut microbiota. Sialic acid consumption (in monosaccharide form, or as part of human milk oligosaccharides or certain animal-based foods) drives the growth of organisms with sialic acid metabolism capabilities. Minor chemical modifications of Neu5Ac, the most common form of sialic acid, can alter these effects. All aspects of carbohydrate composition are therefore relevant to consider when designing dietary therapeutic strategies to alter the gut microbiome.
ISSN:1949-0976
1949-0984
DOI:10.1080/19490976.2020.1869502