Exploring Maternal Diet-Epigenetic-Gut Microbiome Crosstalk as an Intervention Strategy to Counter Early Obesity Programming

Abstract

Alterations in a mother's metabolism and endocrine system, due to unbalanced nutrition, may increase the risk of both metabolic and non-metabolic disorders in the offspring's childhood and adulthood. The risk of obesity in the offspring can be determined by the interplay between maternal nutrition and lifestyle, intrauterine environment, epigenetic modifications, and early postnatal factors. Several studies have indicated that the fetal bowel begins to colonize before birth and that, during birth and nursing, the gut microbiota continues to change. The mother's gut microbiota is primarily transferred to the fetus through maternal nutrition and the environment. In this way, it is able to impact the establishment of the early fetal and neonatal microbiome, resulting in epigenetic signatures that can possibly predispose the offspring to the development of obesity in later life. However, antioxidants and exercise in the mother have been shown to improve the offspring's metabolism, with improvements in leptin, triglycerides, adiponectin, and insulin resistance, as well as in the fetal birth weight through epigenetic mechanisms. Therefore, in this extensive literature review, we aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal diet, epigenetics, and gut microbiota in order to expand on current knowledge and identify novel potential preventative strategies for lowering the risk of obesity in children and adults.

Keywords: chronic non-communicable diseases; epigenetics; maternal nutrition; microbiome; prevention strategies.

Figure 1

Different studies suggest that infants delivered via natural childbirth exhibit an initial and better gut microbiota for the presence of Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, and Prevotella. These bacteria are known to participate in DNA methylation processes, due to their role as methyl group donors for the production of nutrients such as vitamin B12, folate, betaine, and choline, which, for example, are potentially involved in the synthesis of 6-methyltetrahydrofolate, for the generation of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Conversely, infants delivered via cesarean section experience a postponement in the appearance or reduced quantities of Bacteroides, Bifidobacteria, and Lactobacillus, with a predominant colonization of Clostridium difficile and Escherichia coli.

Figure 2

The role of gut microbiota in healthy patients and in patients with dysbiosis: healthy microbiota confers stability, resilience, and symbiotic interaction with the host due to high taxonomic diversity, microbial gene richness, and a consistent core microbiota. Differently, the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is associated with the pathogenesis of both intestinal and extra-intestinal disorders.

Figure 3

Schematic overview of the epigenetic modifications and health complications in the offspring due to an unbalanced prenatal and postnatal maternal diet, as well as the possible prevention strategies cancelling out this effect.