Milk formula diet alters bacterial and host protein profile in comparison to human milk diet in neonatal piglet model

Authors: ROSA, FERNANDA - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS); ZYBAILOV, BORIS - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS); GLAZKO, GALINA - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS); RAHMATALLAH, YASIR - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS); BYRUM, STEPHANIE - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS); MACKINTOSH, SAMUEL - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS); BOWLIN, ANNE - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS); Yeruva, Laxmi

Submitted to: Nutrients
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2021
Publication Date: 10/22/2021
Citation: Rosa, F., Zybailov, B., Glazko, G.V., Rahmatallah, Y., Byrum, S., Mackintosh, S.G., Bowlin, A.K., Yeruva, V. 2021. Milk formula diet alters bacterial and host protein profile in comparison to human milk diet in neonatal piglet model. Nutrients. 13(11):3718. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113718.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113718

Interpretive Summary: Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended to newborns during the first 6 months of life by the World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics, however dairy-based infant formula is recommended as an alternative nutrition source to human milk. It has been shown that breastfeeding reduces the mortality rate in preterm babies and decreases the incidence of infections including respiratory tract infections and necrotizing enterocolitis in full term babies. Additionally, studies demonstrated the different gut microbiota composition in infants that were breastfed versus formula fed. In this scenario, to understand the functional role of microbiota and their interactions with host, we conducted a metaproteomic analysis on the cecal contents of neonatal piglets fed pasteurized human milk (HM) or a dairy-based infant formula (MF) during the first 21 days of life. At 21 days of age, a subset of piglets from each diet group (n = 11/group) were euthanized and cecal contents were collected for further metaproteome analysis. Microbial composition analysis showed predominantly more Firmicutes phyla and Lachnospiraceae family in the lumen of cecum of HM-fed piglets in comparison to the MF-fed group. Ruminococcus gnavus was the most abundant specie from the Firmicutes phyla in the cecal contents of the HM-fed piglets at 21 days of age. A greater number of expressed proteins were identified in the cecal contents of the HM-fed relative to the MF-fed piglets. Differences were noted for proteins potentially expressed by Bacteroides vulgatus such as glycoside enzymes in the cecal lumen of HM-fed piglets relative to the MF. Additionally, lyases associated with Lachnospiraceae family were abundant in the cecum of HM relative to the MF group. Overall, our findings indicate that human milk and formula feeding distinctly impact the gut microbial composition and microbial proteins during the exclusive milk feeding period.

Technical Abstract: The metaproteome profiling of cecal contents collected from neonatal piglets fed pasteurized human milk (HM) or a dairy-based infant formula (MF) from postnatal day (PND) 2 to 21 were assessed. At PND 21, a subset of piglets from each group (n = 11/group) were euthanized, and cecal contents were collected for further metaproteome analysis. Cecal microbiota composition showed predominantly more Firmicutes phyla and Lachnospiraceae family in the lumen of cecum of HM-fed piglets in comparison to the MF-fed group. Ruminococcus gnavus was the most abundant species from the Firmicutes phyla in the cecal contents of the HM-fed piglets at 21 days of age. A greater number of expressed proteins were identified in the cecal contents of the HM-fed piglets relative to the MF-fed piglets. Greater abundances of proteins potentially expressed by Bacteroides spp. such as glycoside enzymes were noted in the cecal lumen of HM-fed piglets relative to the MF. Additionally, lyases associated with Lachnospiraceae family were abundant in the cecum of the HM group relative to the MF group. Overall, our findings indicate that neonatal diet impacts the gut bacterial taxa and microbial proteins prior to weaning. The metaproteomics data were deposited into PRIDE, PXD025432 and 10.6019/PXD025432.