Gut microbiome and microbial metabolites: a new system affecting metabolic disorders

The gut microbiome is emerging as an important player in the field of metabolic disorders.

Currently, several studies are ongoing to determine whether the effect of gut microbiome on obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and other metabolic diseases is determined by singular species or rather by a functional role of bacterial metabolism at higher taxonomical level. Deciphering if a single or more species are responsible for metabolic traits or rather microbial metabolic pathways are responsible for effects on host metabolism may help to identify appropriate dietary interventions to support microbial functions according to the prevalent host disease. Furthermore, the combination of metagenomics and metabolomics-based signature might be applied in the future to improve the risk prediction in healthy subjects.

In this review, I will summarize the current findings regarding the role of gut microbiome and metabolites in metabolic disorders to argue whether the current achievements may be translated into clinical practice.