Increased dietary iron alters taxonomic composition and function of zebrafish gut microbiome

Gut microbiota are crucial to both gastrointestinal tract health and host well-being. Oral iron supplementation is commonly used, but knowledge of iron's impact on the gut microbiome is limited. Using Zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) as a model organism, we tested effects of increased dietary iron on gut taxonomic composition and function. Increased dietary iron significantly altered the zebrafish microbiome taxonomic composition and enriched physiological conditions of aerobic respiration. Mass spectrometry (GCMS and LCMS), utilized to measure primary metabolite and lipid levels, pointed to significant increases in amino acids under increased iron supplementation, but no significant change in lipid metabolite levels.