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Effect of Dietary Magnesium Content on Intestinal Microbiota of Rats

Arantxa García-Legorreta1, Luis Alfonso Soriano-Pérez2, Aline Mariana Flores-Buendía2

  • 1Unidad de Vinculación Científica de la Facultad de Medicina, de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico en el Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City 14600, Mexico.

Nutrients
|September 25, 2020
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

High dietary magnesium intake can disrupt gut microbiota balance, leading to intestinal dysbiosis. Conversely, low magnesium diets promote a gut microbiome with enhanced energy harvesting capabilities, impacting host metabolism.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Magnesium is a vital mineral involved in numerous physiological functions.
  • The impact of dietary magnesium on the intestinal microbiota remains underexplored.
  • This study investigates how magnesium content in the diet influences gut microbial composition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the effect of varying dietary magnesium levels on the intestinal microbiota of Wistar male rats.
  • To identify specific microbial and metabolic changes associated with different magnesium intakes.

Main Methods:

  • Rats were fed control, low magnesium (L-Mg), or high magnesium (H-Mg) diets for two weeks.
  • Fecal samples were collected post-treatment for microbiota analysis.
  • Microbiota composition was analyzed using V3-V4 16S rRNA gene sequencing and PICRUSt analysis.

Main Results:

  • High magnesium diet (H-Mg) resulted in lower microbial diversity compared to control and low magnesium (L-Mg) groups.
  • Specific bacteria like *Dorea*, *Lactobacillus*, and *Turibacter* were enriched in the L-Mg group.
  • The L-Mg group exhibited increased abundance of carbohydrate and butanoate metabolism pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Excessive dietary magnesium, in the absence of deficiency, can induce intestinal dysbiosis.
  • Low dietary magnesium intake is linked to a gut microbiota with a greater capacity for energy extraction from food.
  • Dietary magnesium levels significantly modulate gut microbial composition and function.
Keywords:
Wistar male ratdietary magnesiumgut microbiotaminerals

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