Effect of Long-Term and Short-Term Imbalanced Zn Manipulation on Gut Microbiota and Screening for Microbial Markers Sensitive to Zinc Status
Lingjun Chen, Zhonghang Wang, Peng Wang, Xiaonan Yu, Haoxuan Ding, Zinan Wang, Jie Feng
Abstract
Zn insufficiency is an essential health problem in developing countries. To prevent the occurrence of zinc deficit, zinc fortification and supplementation are widely used. However, in developed countries, the amounts of Zn consumed often exceed the tolerable upper intake limit. Our results demonstrated that dietary Zn is an essential mediator of microbial community structure and that both Zn deficiency and Zn overdose can generate a dysbiosis in the gut microbiota. Moreover, specific microbial biomarkers of Zn status were identified and correlated with serum Zn level. Our study found that a short-term low-Zn diet (0 mg/kg) and a long-term high-zinc diet (150 mg/kg) had obvious negative effects in a mouse model. Thus, these results indicate that the provision and duration of supplemental Zn should be approached with caution.