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The influence of maternal diet on offspring’s gut microbiota in early life

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Abstract

Background

The influence of maternal diet on offspring's health is an area of study that is linked to epigenetics. Maternal diet contributes to determining the health status of offspring and maternally linked mechanisms and is a global health challenge that requires attention. The impact of gut microbiota on host metabolism and offspring health is still not established.

Objective

In this review, we intend to discuss the evidence on the impact of maternal diet and the health of offspring gut microbiota. The paper focuses on the gut microbiome of animal models. It captures the maternal diet and its influence on the offspring's gut microbiota, behavior that is supported by cell experimental results. Both inflammation and immune status of offspring induced by maternal diet are discussed. Finally, this review used predicted biological pathways involved in maternal diet and offspring health, and the influence of maternal diet on gut microbiota and offspring behavior. Obesity, diabetes, asthma and allergies, and neurodegenerative disorders and prospects for maternal diet, and microbiota and offspring health were discussed.

Conclusion

The review was able to gather that a high-fat diet during pregnancy created a long-lasting metabolic signature on the infant's innate immune system, altering inflammation in the offspring microbiota, which predisposed offspring to obesity and metabolic diseases in adulthood.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Hunan Yongzhou Vocational Technical College, Yongzhou, China

    Li-Hua Peng

  2. Department of Medical Microbiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China

    Yurong Tan & Ousman Bajinka

  3. China-Africa Research Centre of Infectious Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China

    Yurong Tan & Ousman Bajinka

  4. School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of The Gambia, Serrekunda, Gambia

    Ousman Bajinka

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  1. Li-Hua Peng
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Li-Hua Peng wrote the manuscript. Yurong Tan and Ousman Bajinka proofread the manuscript and all authors approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yurong Tan or Ousman Bajinka.

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Peng, LH., Tan, Y. & Bajinka, O. The influence of maternal diet on offspring’s gut microbiota in early life. Arch Gynecol Obstet 309, 1183–1190 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-023-07305-0

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