Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Permeability Responses to Ramadan Intermittent Fasting in Italian and Lebanese Cohorts: A Real-life Study

Overview

Ramadan Intermittent Fasting (RIF) is an annual fasting month from dawn to sunset, practiced by healthy Muslims. While its metabolic benefits are well studied, its effects on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, intestinal permeability, and GI microbiota remain less explored. This study investigated the effects of RIF on gut microbiota composition and markers of intestinal permeability in two distinct populations, i.e., Italy and Lebanon. Participants from Italy and Lebanon were enrolled in this observational longitudinal study and were monitored before, during, and after RIF. Dietary intake was assessed through a validated 3-day food questionnaire before and during RIF. Blood and fecal samples were collected to analyze the markers of intestinal permeability (zonulin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Fatty Acid Binding Protein 2 (FABP2), and total bile acids (TBA), and gut microbiota using the 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

The study has been developed developed as clinical trial. It is expected the signing of the informed consent and authorization to the personal data, A total of 79 subjects aging between 20 and 60 years, homogeneous for sex and body mass index will be enrolled in the study, Subjects will be required to practice a 29/30 day of religeous fasting. Blood and fecal samples collected before RIF were obtained during the three days preceding RIF (days -3 to -1), whereas samples collected after RIF were obtained during the three days following the end of RIF. Blood samples were analyzed for markers of intestinal permeability, and fecal samples were used for gastrointestinal microbiome analysis. Moreover, each participant completed a validated dietary assessment using a 3-day food record questionnaire, administered during the three days immediately preceding RIF (days -3, -2, -1) and again during RIF (days 14, 15, and 16).

Conditions