title: Faecal microbiota composition in vegetarians: comparison with omnivores in a cohort of young women in southern India.
abstract: The effect of vegetarian diets on faecal microbiota has been explored largely through culture-based techniques. The present study compared the faecal microbiota of vegetarian and omnivorous young women in southern India. Faecal samples were obtained from thirty-two lacto-vegetarian and twenty-four omnivorous young adult women from a similar social and economic background. Macronutrient intake and anthropometric data were collected. Faecal microbiota of interest was quantified by real-time PCR with SYBR Green using primers targeting 16S rRNA genes of groups, including: Clostridium coccoides group (Clostridium cluster XIVa), Roseburia spp.-Eubacterium rectale, Bacteroides--Prevotella group, Bifidobacterium genus, Lactobacillus group, Clostridium leptum group (Clostridium cluster IV), Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Ruminococcus productus--C. coccoides, Butyrivibrio, Enterococcus species and Enterobacteriaceae. The groups were matched for age, socio-economic score and anthropometric indices. Intake of energy, complex carbohydrates and Ca were significantly higher in the omnivorous group. The faecal microbiota of the omnivorous group was enriched with Clostridium cluster XIVa bacteria, specifically Roseburia-E. rectale. The relative proportions of other microbial communities were similar in both groups. The butyryl-CoA CoA-transferase gene, associated with microbial butyrate production, was present in greater amounts in the faeces of omnivores, and the levels were highly correlated with Clostridium cluster XIVa and Roseburia-E. rectale abundance and to a lesser extent with Clostridium leptum and F. prausnitzii abundance and with crude fibre intake. Omnivores had an increased relative abundance of Clostridium cluster XIVa bacteria and butyryl-CoA CoA-transferase gene compared with vegetarians, but we were unable to identify the components of the diet responsible for this difference.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore              632 004, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Jayakanthan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kabeerdoss
authors.forename: R Shobana
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Devi
authors.forename: R Regina
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Mary
authors.forename: Balakrishnan S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Ramakrishna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015256:Coenzyme A-Transferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D058889:Molecular Typing; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000208:ethnology; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000378:metabolism; D012423:Rural Health / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D015256:Coenzyme A-Transferases; C019803:butyryl-CoA acetoacetate CoA transferase