Tormentic Acid Alters the Gut Microbiota of the Silkworm (Bombyx mori)

Abstract In recent years, phytochemicals have started to attract more attention due to their contribution to health and bioactivity. Microorganisms in the intestines of organisms contribute to the processing, function, and biotransformation of these substances. The silkworm (Bombyx mori) is one of the organisms used for the biotransformation of phytochemicals due to its controlled reproduction and liability to microbial manipulation. In this study, a bioactive compound, tormentic acid (TA), extracted from Sarcopoterium spinosum was used in the diet of silkworm and the alterations of intestinal microbiota of the silkworm were assessed. To do this, silkworms were fed on diet with various tormentic acid content, and 16S metagenomic analysis was performed to determine and the alterations in the gut microbiota profile of these organisms. Diet with different TA content did not cause a change in bacterial diversity of the samples. Comprehensive comparisons between different feeding groups indicated increased abundance of bacteria associated with health, i.e., Intestinibacter spp., Flavonifractor spp., Senegalimassilia spp., through the utilization of bioactive substances such as flavonoids. In conclusion, it might be said that use of TA as a supplementary product might help ameliorating the infected gut and promoting the healthy gut and relieving the undesirable effects of medicines to gastrointestinal system.