%0 Journal Article
%T Modulation of Gut Microbiota by Glucosamine and Chondroitin in a Randomized, Double-Blind Pilot Trial in Humans.
%A Navarro SL
%A Levy L
%A Curtis KR
%A Lampe JW
%A Hullar MAJ
%J Microorganisms
%V 7
%N 12
%D Nov 2019 23
%M 31771179
%F 4.926
%R 10.3390/microorganisms7120610
%X Glucosamine and chondroitin (G&C), typically taken for joint pain, are among the most frequently used specialty supplements by US adults. More recently, G&C have been associated with lower incidence of colorectal cancer in human observational studies and reduced severity of experimentally-induced ulcerative colitis in rodents. However, little is known about their effects on colon-related physiology. G&C are poorly absorbed and therefore metabolized by gut microbiota. G&C have been associated with changes in microbial structure, which may alter host response. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in ten healthy adults to evaluate the effects of a common dose of G&C compared to placebo for 14 days on gut microbial community structure, measured by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the effect of G&C compared to placebo on fecal microbial alpha and beta diversity, seven phyla, and 137 genera. Nine genera were significantly different between interventions (False Discovery Rate < 0.05). Abundances of four Lachnospiraceae genera, two Prevotellaceae genera, and Desulfovibrio were increased after G&C compared to placebo, while Bifidobacterium and a member of the Christensenellaceae family were decreased. Our results suggest that G&C affect the composition of the gut microbiome which may have implications for therapeutic efficacy.