Functional Profiling Demonstrates That a Sulfide-Reducing Diet Achieves Microenvironmental Targets in Ulcerative...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Microbiome Research
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Ulcerative colitis (UC) involves excessive protein fermentation and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production in the colon.
• The 4-SURE (4 Strategies to Sulfide Reduction) diet aims to correct these pathogenic alterations.
• Understanding the diet's impact on the gut environment is crucial for UC management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a deep functional analysis of microbial and metabolomic changes in UC patients on the 4-SURE diet.
• To determine if the 4-SURE diet effectively modulates the colonic environment by reducing H2S production and protein fermentation.
• To explore the diet's effect on gut microbial diversity and specific bacterial groups.

Main Methods:

• Fecal samples were collected from 28 adults with mild-moderate UC at baseline and after 8 weeks of the 4-SURE diet.
• Metagenomic sequencing was used to analyze changes in H2S-metabolizing genes.
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyzed fecal volatile organic compounds and H2S production.

Main Results:

• The 4-SURE diet significantly increased gut microbial alpha diversity.
• Abundance of H2S-producing genera (Odoribacter, Peptostreptococcaceae) decreased significantly.
• Fecal H2S production and indole levels (a protein fermentation marker) were significantly reduced.

Conclusions:

• The 4-SURE diet successfully met its objectives in modulating the colonic environment.
• Deep functional analysis provides a novel framework for evaluating therapeutic diet strategies in UC.
• Microbial and metabolomic biomarkers are valuable for assessing the efficacy of dietary interventions.