Comparative gut microbiome analysis of the Prakriti and Sasang systems reveals functional level similarities in constitutionally similar classes

Abstract

The traditional medicinal systems (TMS) of India (Prakriti) and Korea (Sasang) classify human individuals based on their constitution determined by the physiological and psychological traits of individuals. Similarities in the constitutions are already found between the classes of Prakriti (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) and Sasang (TE: Taeeumin, SE: Soeumin, and SY: Soyangin) systems. Gut health is an important aspect of this constitution based classification in TMS. To determine the role of gut microbes in such classifications, we have analyzed the gut microbiome (taxa and imputed functions) in the constitutionally similar Prakriti and Sasang classes. An enrichment of Bacteroides and Prevotella enterotypes is observed in the Sasang and Prakriti samples, respectively. The impact of the constitution is found to be more prominent with respect to the taxa and predicted-functions within the Prakriti classes. Gut microbiome functional-level similarities are found to correlate well with the host phenotypes of the constitutionally similar Prakriti and Sasang classes. An enrichment of carbohydrate and amino-acid metabolism is observed in the Vata and SE classes which may be responsible for meeting with their high energy demands and lean phenotype. The Pitta and SY classes exhibit the high capacity to metabolize toxins. An enrichment of functions responsible for predisposition to obesity and high drug metabolism is observed in the Kapha and TE classes. The contribution of gut adaptive functions is found to correlate with the constitution-based classification in both Prakriti and Sasang systems. The TE class harboured the highest number of biofilm-forming and stress-tolerant microbes thus exhibiting the maximum tolerance of environmental stress. Similarities in the gut microbiota and the resulting disease predisposition patterns are found to exist between the constitutionally matching Prakriti and Sasang classes.

Keywords: Ayurveda; Human gut microbiome; India; Korea; Prakriti; Sasang; Traditional medicinal systems.

Fig. 1

The enterotypes identified in the Indian (n = 113) and Korean (n = 40) samples using the double principal coordinate analysis (dPCoA). X and Y axes show the PC1 and PC2 components, respectively. The number of Prakriti samples used in this analysis includes Vata (42 samples), Pitta (29 samples), and Kapha (42 samples) classes, whereas the Sasang samples include SE (13 samples), TE (14 samples), and SY (13 samples)

Fig. 2

The relative abundance of the enterotype taxa a Prevotella and b Bacteroides in the Prakriti (P, n = 113) and Sasang (S, n = 40) systems. X-axis shows the Prakriti and Sasang classes and Y-axis shows the relative abundance values. The number of Prakriti samples used in this analysis includes Vata (42 samples), Pitta (29 samples), and Kapha (42 samples) classes, whereas the Sasang samples include SE (13 samples), TE (14 samples), and SY (13 samples)

Fig. 3

The predicted organism-level functional traits viz., a aerobic, b anaerobic, c facultative anaerobic, d gram-negative, e gram-positive, f contains mobile elements, g potentially pathogenic, h stress tolerant, and i forms biofilms in the Prakriti and Sasang systems. X-axis shows the TMS and Y-axis shows the relative abundance of the functional traits. The number of Prakriti samples used in this analysis includes Vata (42 samples), Pitta (29 samples), and Kapha (42 samples) classes, whereas the Sasang samples include SE (13 samples), TE (14 samples), and SY (13 samples)

Fig. 4

Relative abundance of the a forms biofilm, b stress tolerant, and c gram-positive microbes in the Prakriti and Sasang classes. X-axis shows the Prakriti and Sasang classes and Y-axis shows the relative abundance. The number of Prakriti samples used in this analysis includes Vata (42 samples), Pitta (29 samples), and Kapha (42 samples) classes, whereas the Sasang samples include SE (13 samples), TE (14 samples), and SY (13 samples)