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Distinct gut microbiota of healthy children from two different geographic regions of Thailand

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Abstract

In Thailand, food consumption by people from each region is different. This can be an important environmental factor which shapes the gut microbiota further affecting their health. This study aimed to use quantitative PCR (qPCR) to investigate the intestinal microbial community in 60 healthy children (aged 8–11 years) living in specific areas, namely central (CT) and northeastern (NE) Thailand where each region has its own typical food consumption. The children from NE had significantly higher consumption frequency of meat (chicken and beef), a wide variety of carbohydrate sources (noodle, fermented rice and sweet potato) including vegetables and fruit, while in CT, there was a significant preference for rice, breakfast cereal and cow milk. The qPCR analysis resulted in significantly higher abundance of lactobacilli, Clostridium coccoides–Eubacterium rectale, Clostridium leptum, Prevotella and Bacteroides fragilis in children from the NE region. However, no significant difference in the count of Bifidobacterium spp., Enterobacteriaceae and methanogens was observed. Considering the correlation of food sources and microbial groups, the consumption frequency of vegetables showed a moderately positive correlation coefficient of 0.42 and 0.34 to the Lactobacillus group (P = 0.001) and the Prevotella group (P = 0.008), respectively, while a diet of fish and beef showed a moderately negative correlation coefficient of −0.41 (P = 0.001) and −0.33 (P = 0.09) to Bifidobacterium spp., respectively. Our results suggested that high frequency consumption of varieties of carbohydrates, protein sources, fruits and vegetables by the NE children promoted a high abundance of bacterial species in the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their thanks to all the volunteers who were willing to provide fecal samples for this research. This work was supported by a Royal Golden Jubilee (RGJ) grant, the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) and Kasetsart University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Specialized Research Unit: Prebiotics and Probiotics for Health, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngam Wong Wan Rd., Lat Yao Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Orawan La-ongkham, Massalin Nakphaichit, Suttipun Keawsompong & Sunee Nitisinprasert

  2. Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Cumpus, Nakhon Pathom, 73140, Thailand

    Suttipun Keawsompong & Sunee Nitisinprasert

  3. Fermentation Research Center for Value Added Agricultural Products, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, Amphur Muang, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand

    Vichai Leelavatcharamas

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  1. Orawan La-ongkham
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  2. Massalin Nakphaichit
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  3. Vichai Leelavatcharamas
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  4. Suttipun Keawsompong
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Correspondence to Sunee Nitisinprasert.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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La-ongkham, O., Nakphaichit, M., Leelavatcharamas, V. et al. Distinct gut microbiota of healthy children from two different geographic regions of Thailand. Arch Microbiol 197, 561–573 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-015-1089-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-015-1089-0

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