Exploring the multifactorial aspects of Gut Microbiome in Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Advanced research in health science has broadened our view in approaching and understanding the pathophysiology of diseases and has also revolutionised diagnosis and treatment. Ever since the establishment of Braak's hypothesis in the propagation of alpha-synuclein from the distant olfactory and enteric nervous system towards the brain in Parkinson's Disease (PD), studies have explored and revealed the involvement of altered gut microbiota in PD. This review recapitulates the gut microbiome associated with PD severity, duration, motor and non-motor symptoms, and antiparkinsonian treatment from recent literature. Gut microbial signatures in PD are potential predictors of the disease and are speculated to be used in early diagnosis and treatment. In brief, the review also emphasises on implications of the prebiotic, probiotic, faecal microbiota transplantation, and dietary interventions as alternative treatments in modulating the disease symptoms in PD.

Keywords: Gut dysbiosis; Gut-Brain Axis; Microbial Metabolites; Microbiome; Parkinson’s Disease.

Fig. 1

Schematic diagram summarizing the factors associated with PD. Abbreviations: LPS- Lipopolysaccharides, FMT- Faecal microbiome transplantation, SCFA- Short-chain fatty acids, AA- Amino acids, α-syn- alpha synuclein

Fig. 2

Studies on Gut Microbiome in Parkinson’s Disease. Note: Numbers mentioned in the {} are the number of articles. 16S rRNA gene codes for 30S subunit of bacterial ribosome. 16S rRNA gene sequencing aid in determining the bacterial diversity in a specific niche