Akkermansia muciniphila: from its critical role in human health to strategies for promoting its abundance in human gut microbiome

• Published in: Critical reviews in food science and nutrition Vol. 63; no. 25; pp. 7357 - 7377
• Main Authors: Ghaffari, Sima, Abbasi, Amin, Somi, Mohammad Hossein, Moaddab, Seyed Yaghoub, Nikniaz, Leila, Kafil, Hossein Samadi, Ebrahimzadeh Leylabadlo, Hamed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 03-10-2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Akkermansia muciniphila; biomarker; Clinical trials; Digestive system; Dysbacteriosis; Gastrointestinal tract; health benefit; host physiology; In vivo methods and tests; Intestinal microflora; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Physiology; probiotic; Probiotics; host physiology; health benefit; probiotic; Akkermansia muciniphila; biomarker
• ISSN: 1040-8398; 1549-7852
• DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2045894

Akkermansia muciniphila, a frequent colonizer in the gut mucous layer of individuals, has constantly been recognized as a promising candidate for the next generation of probiotics due to its biological advantages from in vitro and in vivo investigations. This manuscript comprehensively reviewed the features of A. muciniphila in terms of its function in host physiology and frequently utilized nutrition using the published peer-reviewed articles, which should present valuable and critical information to scientists, engineers, and even the general population. A. muciniphila is an important bacterium that shows host physiology. However, its physiological advantages in several clinical settings also have excellent potential to become a probiotic. Consequently, it can be stated that there is a coherent and direct relation between the biological activities of the gut microbiota, intestinal dysbiosis/eubiosis, and the population of A. muciniphila in the gut milieu, which is influenced by various genetical and nutritional factors. Current regulatory barriers, the need for large-scale clinical trials, and the feasibility of production must be removed before A muciniphila can be extensively used as a next-generation probiotic.