Articles
Artemisia annua, Curcuma longa, and Aloe vera as potential modulators of the canine gut microbiome: advances through metagenomics
Article number
1462_27
Pages
181 – 192
Language
English
Abstract
The microbiome is a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that plays a crucial role in overall health.
In animals, the gut microbiome is recognized to play crucial roles in important metabolic and immune functions, with its biodiversity being essential for maintaining balance and resilience in humans and animals.
Several approaches have been employed to characterize the canine gut microbiome.
Traditional techniques such as microbial culture and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) provided early insights but are limited by cultivability constraints and low taxonomic resolution.
The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed the field, enabling significant parallel sequencings of microbial DNA and RNA. Within these methods, 16S rRNA gene sequencing is widely used but generally restricted to genus-level classification, whereas shotgun metagenomics provides higher taxonomic resolution, functional insights, and inclusion of non-bacterial microbes, despite higher costs and technical demands.
Other approaches to modulate gut health have focused on probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and synbiotics.
Although effective at promoting the growth of specific beneficial microbes, these approaches fall short of offering a holistic strategy to improve the entire microbiome.
Medicinal plants, by contrast, are emerging as a promising complimentary alternative.
Nevertheless, their impact on dogs remains poorly studied.
Therefore, this review compiles current studies on medicinal plants, including Artemisia annua, Curcuma longa, and Aloe vera related to canine gut health, with particular emphasis on metagenomic approaches that enable a broader and more comprehensive characterization of microbial communities.
In animals, the gut microbiome is recognized to play crucial roles in important metabolic and immune functions, with its biodiversity being essential for maintaining balance and resilience in humans and animals.
Several approaches have been employed to characterize the canine gut microbiome.
Traditional techniques such as microbial culture and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) provided early insights but are limited by cultivability constraints and low taxonomic resolution.
The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed the field, enabling significant parallel sequencings of microbial DNA and RNA. Within these methods, 16S rRNA gene sequencing is widely used but generally restricted to genus-level classification, whereas shotgun metagenomics provides higher taxonomic resolution, functional insights, and inclusion of non-bacterial microbes, despite higher costs and technical demands.
Other approaches to modulate gut health have focused on probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and synbiotics.
Although effective at promoting the growth of specific beneficial microbes, these approaches fall short of offering a holistic strategy to improve the entire microbiome.
Medicinal plants, by contrast, are emerging as a promising complimentary alternative.
Nevertheless, their impact on dogs remains poorly studied.
Therefore, this review compiles current studies on medicinal plants, including Artemisia annua, Curcuma longa, and Aloe vera related to canine gut health, with particular emphasis on metagenomic approaches that enable a broader and more comprehensive characterization of microbial communities.
Publication
Authors
L. Cuyas, L. Criado, E. Morua, M. López, L. Matías-Hernández
Keywords
Artemisia annua, Curcuma longa, Aloe vera, canine health, gut microbiome, medicinal plants, metagenomics, next-generation sequencing, veterinary medicine
Online Articles (28)