The study, published in Gut Microbes, is reportedly the first large-scale integrated metagenomic cohort study of the microbiomes of long-lived people.
Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University and the Center of Human Microecology Engineering and Technology of Guangdong Province also used a statistical analysis technique called Mendelian randomization (MR) to infer the potential causal relationship between longevity and gut microbiome.
“The first notable finding of our study is that when combining data from eight longevity cohorts, the alpha-diversity of gut microbiota in long-lived populations was observed to be higher compared to that in younger populations,” they wrote.
“… a diverse gut microbiota ecosystem may suggest flexible adaptability to perturbations, such as illness, and could potentially serve as a marker of longevity,” they added.
Centenarian microbiota
The study adds to a small but growing body of science exploring how the microbiota and microbiome of long-lived humans may hold some key to healthy aging and longevity.
As reported in 2021 by NutraIngredients-USA, a distinct set of gut microbes in centenarians may contribute to longevity.
The new study expands the evidence in this emerging area, with analysis of 1,156 fecal samples revealing that many bacterial species such as Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Christensenellaceae bacterium NSJ-44 and Neglecta timonensis are specifically prevalent in the guts of extremely elderly people, compared to younger people.
“Some of these species may be associated with longevity or specific to aging,” the researchers wrote.
Additionally, people over the age of 90 (including centenarians) were found to have consistently higher levels of Eisenbergiella tayi, Methanobrevibacter smithii, Hungatella hathewayi, Ruthenibacterium lactatiformans and Enterocloster lavalensis.
Commenting on specific functional pathways linked to these species, the researchers noted that all are linked to processes associated with physiological processes during aging. For example, E. tayi may contribute to bacterial protein N-glycosylation linked to the “folding, quality control, stability, transport and function of proteins”, they noted.
In addition, M. smithii and D. fairfieldensis are involved in multiple different processes that are linked to aging, including the production of metabolites such as coenzyme Q10 and vitamin K2.
The data also showed that Alistipes and Akkermansia muciniphila were enriched in the gut microbiota of the three largest cohorts of long-lived individuals, and “MR analysis also suggests their potential causal relationships with longevity.”
Mining for novel probiotics
Other research groups around the world have already begun to explore if the microbiomes of centenarians could be mined for novel probiotic strains to support healthspan in other individuals.
Indeed, a 2021 paper in Frontiers in Immunology reported that the combination of centenarian-derived Limosilactobacillus fermentum SX-0718, Lacticaseibacillus casei SX-1107, Bifidobacterium longum SX-1326 and B. animalis SX-0582 may exhibit anti-aging potential and protect against neuro-inflammation via the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
When administered to lab mice, the probiotic combination was also associated with an increase in the expression of molecules that improve the integrity of the intestinal barrier and reduce leaky gut.
PROBIOTA – Healthspan and Longevity
This topic will be the focus of a dedicated session at the IPA World Congress + Probiota 2025 in Copenhagen, Feb. 5 to 7.
The microbiome is increasingly implicated as a central player in healthy aging, particularly when we look at its impacts on immunosenescence and cognition. This session will bring together experts on the cutting edge of this research and try to understand if and how our microbiomes may offer a way to boost healthspan.
For more information and to register, please click HERE.
Source: Gut Microbes
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2393756
“Consistent signatures in the human gut microbiome of longevous populations”
Authors: S. Chen et al.
