Modulation of the gut microbiome and resistome by antibiotic use, but not by subsequent 2'-fucosyllactose intake, in adults with overweight or obesity.
- 1Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- 2Department of Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention, NUTRIM Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Abstract
Antibiotics are widely used to treat bacterial infections, yet overuse and misuse causes disruption of the gut microbiome and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) could be a determinant of the response to antibiotics. Supplementation with prebiotics may limit the detrimental antibiotic-induced effects on the microbiome, but whether this results in changes in the gut resistome is unclear. This study investigated the impact of eight-week 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) supplementation after seven-day vancomycin use in 18 adults with overweight/obesity, a subset from a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized intervention. Whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing was used to characterize the gut microbiome and resistome at baseline, after vancomycin use and after supplementation. Seven-day vancomycin use disrupted microbial richness and diversity (p < 0.001) and changed microbial composition. No improvements in microbial recovery were detected after eight week 2'-FL supplementation compared to placebo. Resistome richness and diversity were not affected by vancomycin use, although the presence of specific ARGs changed. No differential impact of 2'-FL supplementation on resistome richness, diversity and composition was detected. While vancomycin use disrupted the gut microbiome and affected the resistome, the detectable effects of 2'-FL supplementation were limited. Future research should investigate antibiotic- and prebiotic-induced changes in the gut resistome in more detail.
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BibTeX
@article{vliex2026modulation,
title = {{Modulation of the gut microbiome and resistome by antibiotic use, but not by subsequent 2'-fucosyllactose intake, in adults with overweight or obesity.}},
author = {Lars M M Vliex and Iúri F Godinho Mimoso and Giang N Le and Ellen E Blaak and John Penders},
journal = {Gut microbes},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/19490976.2026.2746814},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42878177},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Modulation of the gut microbiome and resistome by antibiotic use, but not by subsequent 2'-fucosyllactose intake, in adults with overweight or obesity.
AU - Lars M M Vliex
AU - Iúri F Godinho Mimoso
AU - Giang N Le
AU - Ellen E Blaak
AU - John Penders
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - Gut microbes
DO - 10.1080/19490976.2026.2746814
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42878177
AB - Antibiotics are widely used to treat bacterial infections, yet overuse and misuse causes disruption of the gut microbiome and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) could be a determinant of the response to antibiotics. Supplementation with prebiotics may limit the detrimental antibiotic-induced effects on the microbiome, but whether this results in changes in the gut resistome is unclear. This study investigated the impact of eight-week 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) supplementation after seven-day vancomycin use in 18 adults with overweight/obesity, a subset from a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized intervention. Whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing was used to characterize the gut microbiome and resistome at baseline, after vancomycin use and after supplementation. Seven-day vancomycin use disrupted microbial richness and diversity (p < 0.001) and changed microbial composition. No improvements in microbial recovery were detected after eight week 2'-FL supplementation compared to placebo. Resistome richness and diversity were not affected by vancomycin use, although the presence of specific ARGs changed. No differential impact of 2'-FL supplementation on resistome richness, diversity and composition was detected. While vancomycin use disrupted the gut microbiome and affected the resistome, the detectable effects of 2'-FL supplementation were limited. Future research should investigate antibiotic- and prebiotic-induced changes in the gut resistome in more detail.
SN - 1949-0976
SN - 1949-0984
ER -