Abstract
The association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and gut microbes has been widely investigated. Our previous study demonstrated that Lactobacillus plantarum LP‑Onlly (LP) applied as a probiotic altered the gut flora and attenuated colitis in interleukin (IL)‑10 knockout (IL‑10‑/‑) mice. In the present study, metagenome sequencing was performed to investigate the gut microbiome in IL‑10‑/‑mice and the influence of oral administration of LP on microbial composition. Metagenomics sequencing was performed to investigate the influence of IBD on the gut microbiome with and without LP treatment. The alteration of the abundances of various taxonomic and functional groups were investigated across these gut microbiomes. The present study demonstrates that Akkermansia muciniphila was significantly enriched in IL‑10‑/‑ mice, and bacteroides were significantly increased following LP administration. In addition, the phylum Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were significantly influenced by LP administration. Further characterization of functional capacity revealed that in the gut metagenomes of IL‑10‑/‑mice, genes encoding cell cycle control, replication, recombination, repair and cell envelope biogenesis were decreased, but intracellular trafficking, secretion, and vesicular transport were increased. The present findings indicate that the gut metagenome is associated with IBD, and oral administration of LP contributes to prevention of gut inflammation, providing insight into the treatment of IBD.