Microbiomes can be helpful or harmful, playing important and dynamic roles in the development and regulation of numerous physiological pathways of their host.
The gut microbiome (microbial community inhabiting the gut) plays a vital role in host health, being involved in many physiological processes.
During pregnancy, humans and animals experience a range of changes in their bodily processes such as the immune and endocrine systems. These changes are strongly associated with fluctuations in the gut microbiome composition.
However, findings have varied regarding the types and relative abundances of microbiota during pregnancy.
Since diet is known to be a key factor shaping the gut microbiome, the study authors questioned how the diet may impact microbiome data in pregnant rats and their offspring.
In a new study by Hasebe et al., female rats were fed a diet of either:
Gut microbiota composition was examined in mothers pre-pregnancy, across gestation and at lactation, as well as in the offspring at weaning (3 weeks) and at 14 weeks old (on Chow diet).
At the end of lactation, the maternal metabolic state, plasma folate and B12 status were measured. Faecal samples were collected at each timepoint and the faecal (gut microbiome) DNA was extracted.
The Ramaciotti Centre performed 16S (V4 region) amplicon library preparation and sequencing on an Illumina MiSeq (2 x 250 bp).
This study found that
For the full details of this study, access the publication .
Hasebe, K., Kendig, M. D., Kaakoush, N. O., Tajaddini, A., Hesam-Shariati, S., Westbrook, R. F., & Morris, M. J. (2025). Pregnancy-related changes in microbiome are disrupted by obesogenic diet exposure: implications for offspring microbiome development. Food & Function.