From Feed to One Health: Nutritional Modulation of the Gut Microbiome and its Implications for Animal, Human and Environmental Health: Review Article

Author

Dr. Rajwardhan Chandrakant Nimbalkar, Dr. Yogeshwar Rajendra Nimbalkar, Dr. Vaibhav Pandurang Kharade


Abstract

 The gut microbiome has emerged as a biological interface through which diet, host physiology, animal productivity, food safety and environmental processes become interconnected. In livestock, microorganisms inhabiting the rumen and intestinal tract transform dietary substrates into short-chain fatty acids, microbial protein, vitamins and other metabolites that influence nutrient capture, immune function and host metabolism. At the same time, microbial activity can generate methane, ammonia and other nitrogenous losses, while disruption of microbial communities may facilitate pathogen colonization and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This review develops a feed-to-One-Health framework in which nutritional inputs are considered upstream determinants of microbial structure and function, with downstream consequences extending from animal health and productivity to food safety, human exposure and environmental sustainability. Particular attention is given to fibre and carbohydrate supply, protein and nitrogen nutrition, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, phytogenic feed additives, mycotoxin control, antimicrobial stewardship and precision nutrition. Recent literature indicates that microbiome-directed nutrition can improve nutrient-use efficiency and support animal resilience, but responses are context dependent and may vary with species, diet, host genotype, production system and baseline microbiome. In ruminants, manipulating hydrogen flow and rumen fermentation offers opportunities to reduce methane, although reductions in emissions do not consistently translate into proportional improvements in feed efficiency. The review also examines the rumenofaecobiome as a potential AMR reservoir and emphasizes the need to connect feed, microbiome and resistome surveillance. For India, where livestock systems are diverse and crop residues, agro-industrial by-products and region-specific feed resources are important, a One Health nutrition strategy should combine feed safety, local resource optimization, microbial ecology and farmer-oriented precision feeding. Future progress will depend on multi-omics, longitudinal studies, standardized microbiome endpoints, causal validation and integration of animal, food and environmental surveillance.


Keywords

gut microbiome; rumen microbiome; animal nutrition; One Health; probiotics; prebiotics; antimicrobial resistance; feed safety; methane; mycotoxins; precision nutrition; livestock



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