School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550000, China.
Nutrients. 2024 Apr 26;16(9):1289. doi: 10.3390/nu16091289.
Zinc deficiency affects the physical and intellectual development of school-age children, while studies on the effects on intestinal microbes and metabolites in school-age children have not been reported. School-age children were enrolled to conduct anthropometric measurements and serum zinc and serum inflammatory factors detection, and children were divided into a zinc deficiency group (ZD) and control group (CK) based on the results of serum zinc. Stool samples were collected to conduct metagenome, metabolome, and diversity analysis, and species composition analysis, functional annotation, and correlation analysis were conducted to further explore the function and composition of the gut flora and metabolites of children with zinc deficiency. Beta-diversity analysis revealed a significantly different gut microbial community composition between ZD and CK groups. For instance, the relative abundances of , , , sp000434735, and were more enriched in the ZD group, while probiotic bacteria showed the reverse trend. The functional profile of intestinal flora was also under the influence of zinc deficiency, as reflected by higher levels of various glycoside hydrolases in the ZD group. In addition, saccharin, the pro-inflammatory metabolites, and taurocholic acid, the potential factor inducing intestinal leakage, were higher in the ZD group. In conclusion, zinc deficiency may disturb the gut microbiome community and metabolic function profile of school-age children, potentially affecting human health.
锌缺乏影响学龄儿童的身体和智力发育，而关于其对学龄儿童肠道微生物和代谢物影响的研究尚未报道。本研究纳入学龄儿童进行人体测量学指标及血清锌和血清炎症因子检测，根据血清锌结果将儿童分为锌缺乏组（ZD）和对照组（CK）。采集粪便样本进行宏基因组、代谢组和多样性分析，并进行物种组成分析、功能注释和相关性分析，以进一步探讨锌缺乏儿童肠道菌群和代谢物的功能和组成。β多样性分析显示 ZD 和 CK 组之间肠道微生物群落组成存在显著差异。例如， 、 、 、 sp000434735 和 的相对丰度在 ZD 组中更为丰富，而益生菌 则呈现相反的趋势。肠道菌群的功能谱也受到锌缺乏的影响，ZD 组中各种糖苷水解酶的水平更高。此外，ZD 组中甜味剂、促炎代谢物和潜在诱导肠漏的牛磺胆酸水平更高。总之，锌缺乏可能会扰乱学龄儿童的肠道微生物群落和代谢功能谱，从而可能影响人类健康。
