Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38175236›Full record

ArticleApplied microbiology and biotechnology2024

Role of folic acid in regulating gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids based on an in vitro fermentation model.

Xiaogu Zheng, Chenlan Xia, Manman Liu, Hongchen Wu, Jiaqian Yan, Zihao Zhang, Yingjie Huang, Qing Gu, Ping Li

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. A Novel Mixture ContainingInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Xiaogu Zheng *Key Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China.
Chenlan Xia *Key Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China.
Manman LiuKey Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China.
Hongchen WuKey Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China.
Jiaqian YanKey Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China.
Zihao ZhangKey Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China.
Yingjie HuangKey Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China.
Qing GuKey Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China.
Ping LiKey Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People's Republic of China. ping-biology@outlook.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7671-1584
Zhejiang Gongshang University · CN

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 31972974
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Folic acid deficiency is common worldwide and is linked to an imbalance in gut microbiota. However, based on model animals used to study the utilization of folic acid by gut microbes, there are challenges of reproducibility and individual differences. In this study, an in vitro fecal slurry culture model of folic acid deficiency was established to investigate the effects of supplementation with 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF) and non-reduced folic acid (FA) on the modulation of gut microbiota. 16S rRNA sequencing results revealed that both FA (29.7%) and MTHF (27.9%) supplementation significantly reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes compared with control case (34.3%). MTHF supplementation significantly improved the relative abundance of Firmicutes by 4.49%. Notably, compared with the control case, FA and MTHF supplementation promoted an increase in fecal levels of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Pediococcus. Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) analysis showed that folic acid supplementation decreased acetate levels and increased fermentative production of isobutyric acid. The in vitro fecal slurry culture model developed in this study can be utilized as a model of folic acid deficiency in humans to study the gut microbiota and demonstrate that exogenous folic acid affects the composition of the gut microbiota and the level of SCFAs. KEY POINTS: • Establishment of folic acid deficiency in an in vitro culture model. • Folic acid supplementation regulates intestinal microbes and SCFAs. • Connections between microbes and SCFAs after adding folic acid are built.

Indexed as

Folic Acid DeficiencyGastrointestinal MicrobiomeAnimalsFatty Acids, VolatileFermentationFolic AcidHumansReproducibility of ResultsRNA, Ribosomal, 16SFatty Acids, VolatileFolic AcidRNA, Ribosomal, 16S5-MethyltetrahydrofolateFolic acid deficiencyIn vitro fecal slurry culture modelMicrobial communityNon-reduced folic acidSCFAs

Identifiers

PMID38175236
PMCPMC13498118
OpenAlexW4390587002

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.