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Fecal metabonomics combined with 16S rDNA sequencing to analyze the changes of gut microbiota in rats fed with different protein source diets

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Abstract

Purpose

When blended, animal and plant proteins can complement each other in terms of amino acid composition and release time. In this study, we investigated whether the blended protein diet has a better feeding effect than the single protein diet, and to reveal the differences in growth and intestinal microbiota composition caused by the blended protein diet.

Methods

Forty Sprague Dawley (SD) rats received diets with different protein sources, including casein (C), whey protein (WP), black soybean protein (BSP), and black soybean-whey blended protein (BS-WP), for eight weeks. To investigate the effects of blended protein supplement on gut microbiota and metabolites, we performed a high throughput 16S rDNA sequencing and fecal metabolomics profiling. In addition, we determined growth and serum biochemical indices, and conducted intestinal morphology analyses.

Results

Compared to those in the BSP and WP groups, the daily body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency increased in the BS-WP group. Serum biochemical indices indicated that the protein utilization efficiency of the WP and BS-WP groups was relatively high, and the BS-WP blended protein diet improved the protein adoption rate. The BS-WP blended protein diet also improved intestinal tissue morphology and promoted intestinal villi development compared to the single protein diets. Furthermore, dietary protein altered the composition of gut microbiota, the gut microbial diversity of rats fed with the BS-WP diet was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the other groups. The difference in dietary protein corresponded with an alteration of fecal amino acids and their metabolites, and tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism were the key mechanisms leading to the changes in fecal microbial composition.

Conclusion

Dietary protein sources played an important role in the growth and development of rats by influencing intestinal metabolism and microbial composition. The BS-WP blended protein diet was more conducive to nutrient absorption than the single protein diet. Furthermore, blended protein increased the diversity of intestinal microbes and aided the establishment of intestinal barrier function.

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Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

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Funding

This work was supported by National Key Research and Development Plan of the Ministry of Science and Technology (2018YFE0206300), Heilongjiang Province Post-doctoral Funded Project (LBH-Z20205), Heilongjiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (LH2020C087), Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University Talent Support Program Project (ZRCPY202004), Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University Introduced Talent Research Project (XYB201917).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Food Science, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China

    Kejin Zhuang, Weihong Meng, Xin Shu, Defu Liang, Lidong Wang & Dongjie Zhang

  2. Daqing Center of Inspection and Testing for Agricultural Products Ministry of Agriculture, Daqing, China

    Kejin Zhuang

  3. National Coarse Cereals Engineering Research Center, Daqing, China

    Dongjie Zhang

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  1. Kejin Zhuang
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Contributions

DZ and KZ designed the work; WM and DL performed the work; XS and DL analyzed the data; KZ wrote the first draft; LW and DZ approvaled of the version to be published.

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Correspondence to Dongjie Zhang.

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Zhuang, K., Meng, W., Shu, X. et al. Fecal metabonomics combined with 16S rDNA sequencing to analyze the changes of gut microbiota in rats fed with different protein source diets. Eur J Nutr 62, 2687–2703 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-023-03168-y

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