The relationship between energy and macronutrient intake with feces microbiota profile and serum levels of butyric acid during Ramadan

Abstract

Aim: This study aims at investigating the effect of Ramadan fasting on gut bacterium (Bacteroides and Firmicutes), serum levels of butyrate and lipid profile. Material and Methods: Apparently healthy subjects (n=30) were recruited in this study. Before and after Ramadan, anthropometrics variables were measured. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis, targeting the genome of Bacteroides and Firmicutes were performed to determine its presence in the stool. In addition, on the first and last days of Ramadan, serum levels of butyrate were measured after 8 hours of fasting. Also, before Ramadan and on the last week of Ramadan, dietary intake of the study subjects was assessed by 3-day food records. Fasting blood sugar (FBS) and lipid profile were evaluated before and after Ramadan. Data analysis was done with SPSS ver.16 and Minitab ver.17 software. Results: The study results showed that serum levels of butyrate significantly increase during the month from 0.23 ± 0.18 to 0.46 ±0.16 (P<0.05). Also, intermittent fasting during the month caused significant reduction of BMI from 25.72± 0.58 to 25.25± 0.55 (P<0.05). The dietary intake of energy and macronutrients also decreased during Ramadan month in the current study (P<0.05). The gut Bacteroides and Firmicutes increased by 21 and 13 percent after Ramadan compared to before, respectively (P<0.05). The increment in Bacteroides occurred in both sexes, but Firmicutes significantly increased only in women. Serum levels of LDL, HDL, LDL/HDL ratio and total cholesterol significantly decreased during Ramadan month (P<0.05). However, the decrease in FBS and TG level were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: It can be stated that the promotion of Bacteroides and Firmicutes in the gut might play a crucial role in health promotion. However, the need for more studies seems to be essential to achieve a definite conclusion.