Gut Microbiome Composition Reveals the Distinctiveness between the Bengali people and the Indigenous Ethnicities in Bangladesh

Abstract

AbstractHuman gut microbiome is influenced by ethnicity and other factors. In this study, we have explored the gut microbiome of Bengali population (n=13) and four Tibeto-Burman indigenous communities-Chakma (n=15), Marma (n=6), Khyang (n=10), and Tripura (n=11) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. A total of 19 characterized phyla were identified in 5 cohorts, withFirmicutesandBacteroidetesbeing the most prevalent. At the genus level, the abundance ofPrevotellawas relatively similar across all ethnicities. However, the Chakma population demonstrated higherBacteroidesabundance. Chakma people were more distinct than other ethnicities and exhibited a higher quantity of differentially abundant microbial features. The Bengali population had relatively low bacterial richness and‘FirmicutestoBacteroidetesratio’ than others with lower qualitative microbial diversity. A phylosymbiotic link between Bangladeshi indigenous people and certain ethnic groups in India have also been discovered. A comparative analysis between all Bangladeshi samples (n=55) and several tropical and subtropical countries (n=132) such as Australia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam revealed that the gut microbiota profile of Bangladeshi people is remarkably distinct from others. The insights from this study will aid further epidemiological and translational research.