Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-14-2023
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First Advisor
Colin Jackson
Second Advisor
Jason Hoeksema
Third Advisor
Erik Hom
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The human gut microbiome is a diverse community of bacteria influenced by multiple factors including host age, geographical location, and diet. This study observed the effects of aloe vera juice on the human gut microbiome. Fecal samples were taken every two weeks over a period of one year; the subject consumed aloe vera juice in alternating cycles of consumption “on” and abstaining “off” with each cycle lasting for eight weeks. The bacterial community in each sample was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sequences were identified and their relative abundances were used to look for patterns distinguishing “on” and “off” periods from each other. Fluctuations in the subject’s microbiome across all taxonomic levels were present and generally corresponded to the cycles of “on” and “off”. No drastic changes occurred during cycles, but the overall composition of the gut microbiome differed from the composition seen in typical, healthy subjects, the main difference being that the relative abundance of Phylum Actinobacteria was higher than expected. Similarly, the relative abundance of Phylum Verrucomicrobia was greater than seen in other studies whereas that of Phylum Bacteroidetes was lower. Most likely, these differences from other studies were due to external factors such as the subject’s food sensitivities affecting their diet and their irritable bowel syndrome. Overall, results were too inconclusive to show that aloe vera affected gut bacterial composition.
Recommended Citation
Leon, Samantha, "The Effects of Aloe Vera on the Human Gut Microbiome" (2023). Honors Theses. 2924.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2924
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