Impact of Kamut® Khorasan on gut microbiota and metabolome in healthy volunteers

The aim of this study was to explore in 30 healthy volunteers the impact of whole Kamut® Khorasan on the fecal microbiota by the phylogenetic microarray platform High Taxonomic Fingerprint (HTF)-Microbi.Array, and metabolic profiles by using solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME–GC–MS). With regard to the fecal microbiota, a tendency towards a reduction in Bacteroides/Prevotella and an enrichment in Clostridium cluster XIVa was observed after whole Kamut® Khorasan intake, compared to whole durum wheat adopted as control diet. The metabolic profile of subjects administered with the whole Kamut® Khorasan-based diet, in comparison to the control, was mainly characterized by phenol, nonanol and short chain fatty acids (SCFA), whereas alcohols, such as oleyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol, better discriminated the whole durum wheat intake. Co-abundance analysis of microbiota and metabolome data evidenced the presence of a potentially health-promoting co-abundance group (CAG), which was more abundant in the whole Kamut® Khorasan-based diet group. These results may contribute to support our previous in vivo findings related to the anti-inflammatory activity and counteraction of oxidative stress by Kamut® Khorasan-based cereal foods.