Dietary Fiber Hierarchical Specificity: the Missing Link for Predictable and Strong Shifts in Gut Bacterial Communities
Thaisa M. Cantu-Jungles, Nuseybe Bulut, Eponine Chambry, Andréa Caroline Ruthes, Marcello Iacomini, Ali Keshavarzian, Timothy A. Johnson, Bruce R. Hamaker
Abstract
In the face of interindividual variability and complexity of gut microbial communities, prediction of outcomes from a given fiber utilized by many microbes would require a sophisticated comprehension of all competitive interactions that occur in the gut. Results presented here suggest that high-specificity fibers potentially circumvent the competitive scope in the gut for fiber utilization, providing a promising path to targeted and predictable microbial shifts in different individuals. These findings are the first to indicate that fiber specificity is related to similarity and intensity of response in distinct human gut microbiota communities.