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Review
. 2022 Feb;11(1):e1260.
doi: 10.1002/mbo3.1260.

Impact of antibiotics on the human microbiome and consequences for host health

Dhrati V Patangia  1   2   3 , Cornelius Anthony Ryan  1 , Eugene Dempsey  1 , Reynolds Paul Ross  1   3 , Catherine Stanton  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Impact of antibiotics on the human microbiome and consequences for host health

Dhrati V Patangia et al. Microbiologyopen. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

It is well established that the gut microbiota plays an important role in host health and is perturbed by several factors including antibiotics. Antibiotic-induced changes in microbial composition can have a negative impact on host health including reduced microbial diversity, changes in functional attributes of the microbiota, formation, and selection of antibiotic-resistant strains making hosts more susceptible to infection with pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile. Antibiotic resistance is a global crisis and the increased use of antibiotics over time warrants investigation into its effects on microbiota and health. In this review, we discuss the adverse effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiota and thus host health, and suggest alternative approaches to antibiotic use.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance; gut bacteria; microbiome.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The negative impacts that can occur on host health due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics
Figure 2
Figure 2
Diagrammatic representation of the effect of various antibiotics on human gut bacteria. Green (left) denotes increasing levels, while red (right) indicates decreasing levels
Figure 3
Figure 3
Figure demonstrating cyclical relation between gut microbiota, xenobiotics, and metabolites
Figure 4
Figure 4
Various alternatives to antibiotics that can be used alone or in some cases in combination with antibiotic treatment
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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