Study of Ciprofloxacin Degradation Potential of Human Gut Microbiota of Depression Patients

Abstract

The human body is considered a microbial reservoir that colonizes various surfaces in continuous contact with the external environment. The human digestive tract is also inhabited by microorganisms including fungi, bacteria, viruses, archaea, protozoan, and viruses. These complex microbial communities of the gut are involved in diverse physiological and developmental processes. In clinical depression, the functional and taxonomical status of the gut microbiota changes which leads to the dysbiotic gut. It also impacts the pharmacodynamics of frequently used antibiotics like ciprofloxacin. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of ciprofloxacin degradation by the gut microbiota of clinically depressed patients. For this purpose, stool samples of clinically depressed patients with known gut microbial diversity were taken from the laboratory collection. For degradation, the microbiota of these subjects was suspended with 4 and 8 µg ml-1 of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in a basic salt medium (BSM) for one week. Spectrophotometry and HPLC were performed to check the CIP degradation, which revealed that the fecal microbiota has the potential to degrade CIP. The degradation levels at concentrations of 4 µg/ml and 8 µg/ml were observed to range from 6% to 90% and 10% to 60%, respectively. The variability in degradation capabilities among individuals, influenced by factors such as microbial diversity, prior antibiotic exposure, and environmental and host genetic factors. The sensitive assay of the ciprofloxacin aliquots that were taken at different intervals unveils that the gut microbiota of clinically patients have reduced ciprofloxacin potency. However, it was found that gut microbiota of these individuals did not transform the ciprofloxacin into compounds having higher antibacterial. Moreover, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing showed that every individual fecal microbial profile has a unique pattern and personalized composition, which forms the basis for the personalized response of gut microbiota to ciprofloxacin. This study also helps in understanding the intricate association within microbial ecosystems of the human body, highlighting their potential for drug metabolism and therapeutic outcomes.