A 4-Week Diet Low or High in Advanced Glycation Endproducts Has Limited Impact on Gut Microbial Composition in Abdominally Obese Individuals: The deAGEing Trial

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 23; no. 10; p. 5328
• Main Authors: Linkens, Armand M A, van Best, Niels, Niessen, Petra M, Wijckmans, Nicole E G, de Goei, Erica E C, Scheijen, Jean L J M, van Dongen, Martien C J M, van Gool, Christel C J A W, de Vos, Willem M, Houben, Alfons J H M, Stehouwer, Coen D A, Eussen, Simone J M P, Penders, John, Schalkwijk, Casper G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 10.05.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: 16S rRNA; Abundance; Advanced glycosylation end products; Age groups; Biological effects; Community structure; Composition; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; dietary advanced glycation end products; dietary dicarbonyls; Dietary intake; Double-Blind Method; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Glycation End Products, Advanced - administration & dosage; Glycosylation; gut microbiota; Humans; Intervention; Intestinal microflora; Investigations; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Nutrient deficiency; Obesity - diet therapy; Obesity - microbiology; RCT; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; rRNA 16S; UPLC-MS/MS; beta diversity; 16S rRNA; RCT; alpha diversity; dietary advanced glycation end products; differential abundance; dietary dicarbonyls; UPLC-MS/MS; gut microbiota
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105328

Dietary advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), abundantly present in Westernized diets, are linked to negative health outcomes, but their impact on the gut microbiota has not yet been well investigated in humans. We investigated the effects of a 4-week isocaloric and macronutrient-matched diet low or high in AGEs on the gut microbial composition of 70 abdominally obese individuals in a double-blind parallel-design randomized controlled trial (NCT03866343). Additionally, we investigated the cross-sectional associations between the habitual intake of dietary dicarbonyls, reactive precursors to AGEs, and the gut microbial composition, as assessed by 16S rRNA amplicon-based sequencing. Despite a marked percentage difference in AGE intake, we observed no differences in microbial richness and the general community structure. Only the Anaerostipes spp. had a relative abundance >0.5% and showed differential abundance (0.5 versus 1.11%; p = 0.028, after low- or high-AGE diet, respectively). While the habitual intake of dicarbonyls was not associated with microbial richness or a general community structure, the intake of 3-deoxyglucosone was especially associated with an abundance of several genera. Thus, a 4-week diet low or high in AGEs has a limited impact on the gut microbial composition of abdominally obese humans, paralleling its previously observed limited biological consequences. The effects of dietary dicarbonyls on the gut microbiota composition deserve further investigation.