Consumption of traditional Sardinian fermented milk promotes changes in the rat gut microbiota composition and functionsOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Researchers examined how 8 weeks of dietary supplementation with casu axedu, a traditional Sardinian fermented milk, affects gut microbiota composition and function in rats.
How was it studied?
The team combined 16S rRNA gene taxonomic profiling with metaproteomics based functional analysis to compare treated rats against controls.
What did they find?
Phascolarctobacterium, Prevotella, Blautia glucerasea, and Lactococcus lactis increased, while Bacteroides dorei and Helicobacter rodentium decreased. Prevotella proteome shifts pointed to more Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas glycolysis, succinate biosynthesis enzymes rose and boosted Phascolarctobacterium propionate production, and synthesis of L-valine and L-leucine increased.
Why it matters
Metaproteomic data showed reduced bacterial virulence factors and host inflammatory markers, suggesting casu axedu consumption may support gut mucosal health through favorable microbiota and metabolic shifts.