Dietary lactoferrin has differential effects on gut microbiota in young versus middle-aged APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice but no effects on cognitive function

Abstract

Background:\xa0Existing evidence suggest that lactoferrin might be beneficial for Alzheimer’s disease, while precise mechanisms are not fully elucidated. \nObjective:\xa0To determine the effects of lactoferrin intervention on cognitive function from APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice, and potential mechanisms involved. \nDesign:\xa0Both the young and middle-aged male APP/PS1 mice were divided into the control and lactoferrin intervention groups with 16 weeks’ intervention. \nResults:\xa0Lactoferrin had no effects on cognitive function for both the young and middle-aged mice, and no key markers involved in Aβ, tau pathology, neuro-inflammation and synaptic plasticity were altered after lactoferrin intervention. With regards to gut microbiota profiles, in the young APP/PS1 mice, lactoferrin elevated the α diversity index including ACE and Chao 1, and reduced the relative abundance of the genera\xa0Bacteroides\xa0and\xa0Alistipes\xa0and elevated\xa0Oscillibacter; in addition,\xa0Oscillibacter, Anaerotruncus, EF096579_g, EU454405_g, Mollicutes_RF39, EU474361_g, EU774448_g, and EF096976_g\xa0were specifically abundant via linear discriminant analysis with effect size (LEfSe) analysis. In the middle-aged APP/PS1 mice, the relative abundance of the phylum\xa0Proteobacteria, as well as the genera\xa0Oscillospira, Coprococcus, and\xa0Ruminococcus\xa0was significantly reduced post lactoferrin; additionally,\xa0S24_7,\xa0Bacteroidia,\xa0Bacteroidetes,\xa0and\xa0Methylobacterium\xa0were specific via LEfSe analysis in the lactoferrin group. \nConclusions:\xa0Dietary lactoferrin might be beneficial for gut microbiota homeostasis although it might have no effects on cognition.