Gut Microbiota Profiles in Common Non-Communicable Diseases- A Narrative Review

  • Authors

    • Thiagarajan Sowmiya Department of Biochemistry, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, India 600116 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8908-9432
    • Emmanuel Bhaskar Department of General Medicine, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, India 600116 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3524-641X
    • Veeraraghavan Gayathri CEFTE, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, India 600116 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9764-0140
    • Parthasarathy Mohanalakshmi Department of Biochemistry, Sri Muthukumaran Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, Kunrathur Road, Chikkarayapuram, Chennai, India 600069 https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4917-5901
    • Santhi Silambanan Department of Biochemistry, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, India 600116
    https://doi.org/10.14419/cshmpj82

    Received date: January 14, 2026

    Accepted date: February 28, 2026

    Published date: March 2, 2026

  • Non-Communicable Diseases; Gut Microbiota; Gut Dysbiosis; Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; Obesity
  • Abstract

    Purpose:‎ The gastrointestinal tract in humans is composed of various microorganisms including bacteria, ‎viruses, archaea, protozoa, and fungi. The interactions between gut and the microorganisms are ‎crucial for the processes such as digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function, and metabolic ‎regulation. Altered gut microbiota called dysbiosis, has been linked to the development and ‎progression of various non-communicable diseases. This review has been aimed to address the ‎alterations of gut microbiota in various non-communicable diseases.‎

    Methods:‎ A thorough literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and ‎Google Scholar between January 2015 and December 2024 to identify studies examining the ‎impact of gut microbiota in metabolic diseases. The search utilized keywords such as gut ‎microbiota, gut dysbiosis, and altered microbiota in non-communicable diseases. The studies ‎included were full research articles and studies published in English. In this comprehensive ‎review, we explored the complex interplay between the gut microbiota and human health, ‎focusing on its role in common metabolic disorders such as obesity, metabolic dysfunction-‎associated fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune ‎diseases, mental disorders, and cancer. Studies involving animal models, and cell lines and ‎reviews were excluded.‎

    Conclusions: ‎The altered gut microbiota is involved in the initiation and progression of various non-‎communicable diseases. The dysbiosis not only aggravates the disease, but also causes ‎refractoriness to the management of the disease. Hence, it is better to identify the causes of ‎dysbiosis to control the harmful bacteria and to bring relief to the individuals with common con-‎communicable diseases‎.

  • References

    1. Burden of NCDs and their risk factors in India. Available at-‎http://www.searo.who.int/india/topics/ ‎noncommunicable_diseases/ncd_situation_global_report_ncds_2014.pdf.
    2. Rinninella, E., Raoul, P., Cintoni, M., Franceschi, F., Miggiano, G. A. D., Gasbarrini, A., & ‎Mele, M. C. (2019). What is the healthy gut microbiota composition? A changing ‎ecosystem across age, environment, diet, and diseases. Microorganisms, 7(1), 14.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7010014.
    3. Ma, Z. F., & Lee, Y. Y. (2025). The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Health, Diet, and Disease ‎with a Focus on Obesity. Foods, 14(3), 492.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14030492.
    4. Zhao, M. A., Chu, J., Feng, S., Guo, C., Xue, B., He, K., & Li, L. (2023). Immunological ‎mechanisms of inflammatory diseases caused by gut mi-crobiota dysbiosis: A review. ‎Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 164, 114985.‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114985.
    5. Hu, C., & Shen, H. (2024). Microbes in Health and Disease: Human Gut Microbiota. Applied ‎Sciences, 14(23), 11354.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311354.
    6. Plamada, D., & Vodnar, D. C. (2021). Polyphenols—Gut microbiota interrelationship: A ‎transition to a new generation of prebiotics. Nutrients, 14(1), 137.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010137.
    7. Yanni, A. E., Mitropoulou, G., Prapa, I., Agrogiannis, G., Kostomitsopoulos, N., Bezirtzoglou, ‎E., et al. (2020). Functional modulation of gut mi-crobiota in diabetic rats following dietary ‎intervention with pistachio nuts (Pistacia vera L.). Metabolism Open, 7, 100040.‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metop.2020.100040.
    8. Van Hul, M., Cani, P. D., Petitfils, C., De Vos, W. M., Tilg, H., & El-Omar, E. M. (2024). ‎What defines a healthy gut microbiome? Gut, 73(11), 1893-1908.‎ https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2024-333378.
    9. Rehner, J., Molano, L. A. G., Christodoulou, C., Holländer, S., Förster, M. O., Keller, V., et al. ‎‎(2025). Examining spatial microbiome variations across gastrointestinal tract regions in ‎obesity. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 25423.‎ https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10931-0.
    10. Ogobuiro, I., Gonzales, J., Shumway, K. R., Tuma, F. Physiology, Gastrointestinal. 2023 Apr ‎‎8. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. PMID: ‎‎30725788.‎
    11. Rajasekaran, J. J., Krishnamurthy, H. K., Bosco, J., Jayaraman, V., Krishna, K., Wang, T., & ‎Bei, K. (2024). Oral microbiome: a review of its im-pact on oral and systemic health. ‎Microorganisms, 12(9), 1797.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12091797.
    12. Barchi, A., Massimino, L., Mandarino, F. V., Vespa, E., Sinagra, E., Almolla, O., et al. (2024). ‎Microbiota profiling in esophageal diseases: Novel insights into molecular staining and ‎clinical outcomes. Computational and structural biotechnology journal, 23, 626-637. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2023.12.026.
    13. Kennedy, M. S., & Chang, E. B. (2020). The microbiome: Composition and locations. ‎Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science, 176, 1–42.‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.013.
    14. Kastl, A. J., Jr., Terry, N. A., Wu, G. D., & Albenberg, L. G. (2020). The structure and function ‎of the human small intestinal microbiota: Current understanding and future directions. ‎Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 9(1), 33–45.‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2019.07.006.
    15. Chavoya-Guardado, M. A., Vasquez-Garibay, E. M., Ruiz-Quezada, S. L., Ramírez-Cordero, ‎M. I., Larrosa-Haro, A., Castro-Albarran, J. (2022). Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and ‎Actinobacteria in Human Milk and Maternal Adiposity. Nutrients, 14(14), 2887.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14142887.
    16. Jensen, B. A. H., Heyndrickx, M., Jonkers, D., Mackie, A., Millet, S., Naghibi, M., et al. ‎‎(2023). Small intestine vs. colon ecology and physiology: Why it matters in probiotic ‎administration. Cell Reports Medicine, 4(9).‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101190.
    17. Sasso, J. M., Ammar, R. M., Tenchov, R., Lemmel, S., Kelber, O., Grieswelle, M., & Zhou, Q. ‎A. (2023). Gut microbiome–brain alliance: a land-scape view into mental and ‎gastrointestinal health and disorders. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 14(10), 1717-1763.‎ https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00127.
    18. Shalon, D., Culver, R. N., Grembi, J. A., Folz, J., Treit, P. V., Shi, H., et al. (2023). Profiling ‎the human intestinal environment under physiological conditions. Nature, 617(7961), 581–‎‎591.‎ https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05989-7.
    19. Fusco, W., Lorenzo, M. B., Cintoni, M., Porcari, S., Rinninella, E., Kaitsas, F. et al. (2023). ‎Short-chain fatty-acid-producing bacteria: key compo-nents of the human gut microbiota. ‎Nutrients, 15(9), 2211.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092211.
    20. Shen, Y., Fan, N., Ma, S. X., Cheng, X., Yang, X., & Wang, G. (2025). Gut microbiota ‎dysbiosis: pathogenesis, diseases, prevention, and therapy. MedComm, 6(5), e70168. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1002/mco2.70168.
    21. Pérez-Reytor, D., Puebla, C., Karahanian, E., & García, K. (2021). Use of short-chain fatty ‎acids for the recovery of the intestinal epithelial barrier affected by bacterial toxins. ‎Frontiers in physiology, 12, 650313.‎ https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.650313.
    22. Kang, G. G., Trevaskis, N. L., Murphy, A. J., & Febbraio, M. A. (2022). Diet-induced gut ‎dysbiosis and inflammation: Key drivers of obesity-driven NASH. iScience, 26(1), 105905. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105905.
    23. Du, W., Zou, Z. P., Ye, B. C., & Zhou, Y. (2025). Gut microbiota and associated metabolites: ‎key players in high-fat diet-induced chronic diseases. Gut Microbes, 17(1), 2494703.‎ https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2025.2494703.
    24. Khavandegar, A., Heidarzadeh, A., Angoorani, P., Hasani-Ranjbar, S., Ejtahed, H. S., Larijani, ‎B., & Qorbani, M. (2024). Adherence to the Medi-terranean diet can beneficially affect the ‎gut microbiota composition: a systematic review. BMC Medical Genomics, 17(1), 91.‎ https://doi.org/10.1186/s12920-024-01861-3.
    25. Kesavelu, D., & Jog, P. (2023). Current understanding of antibiotic-associated dysbiosis and ‎approaches for its management. Therapeutic advances in infectious disease, 10, ‎‎20499361231154443.‎ https://doi.org/10.1177/20499361231154443.
    26. Hoseini, R., Rahim, H. A., Saifalddin, D. L., Kareem, D. A., & Fatah, A. M. (2025). Exercise ‎intensity-mediated regulation of gut epithelial cells and immune function in gut microbiota ‎dysbiosis. Journal of Translational Medicine, 24, 10.‎ https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-025-07492-1.
    27. Tofani, G. S., Leigh, S. J., Gheorghe, C. E., Bastiaanssen, T. F., Wilmes, L., Sen, P., et al. ‎‎(2025). Gut microbiota regulates stress responsivity via the circadian system. Cell ‎metabolism, 37(1), 138-153.‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2024.10.003.
    28. Rusch, J. A., Layden, B. T., & Dugas, L. R. (2023). Signalling cognition: the gut microbiota ‎and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Frontiers in endocrinology, 14, 1130689.‎ https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1130689.
    29. Zhang, Q., Liu, Y., Li, Y., Bai, G., Pang, J., Wu, M., et al. (2025). Implications of gut ‎microbiota-mediated epigenetic modifications in intestinal diseases. Gut Microbes, 17(1), ‎‎2508426.‎ https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2025.2508426.
    30. Schoultz, I., Claesson, M. J., Dominguez‐Bello, M. G., Fåk Hållenius, F., Konturek, P., ‎Korpela, K., et al. (2025). Gut microbiota development across the lifespan: Disease links ‎and health‐promoting interventions. Journal of internal medicine, 297(6), 560-583. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.20089.
    31. Mariat, D., Firmesse, O., Levenez, F., Guimarăes, V., Sokol, H., Doré, J., et al. (2009). The ‎Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio of the human microbiota changes with age. BMC ‎Microbiology, 9, 123.‎ https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2180-9-123.
    32. Gyriki, D., Nikolaidis, C. G., Bezirtzoglou, E., Voidarou, C., Stavropoulou, E., & Tsigalou, C. ‎‎(2025). The gut microbiota and aging: interactions, implications, and interventions. ‎Frontiers in aging, 6, 1452917.‎ https://doi.org/10.3389/fragi.2025.1452917.
    33. Zheng, Z., Hu, Y., Tang, J., Xu, W., Zhu, W., & Zhang, W. (2023). The implication of gut ‎microbiota in recovery from gastrointestinal surgery. Frontiers in cellular and infection ‎microbiology, 13, 1110787. ‎ https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1110787.
    34. Suga, D., Mizutani, H., Fukui, S., Kobayashi, M., Shimada, Y., Nakazawa, Y., et al. (2022). ‎The gut microbiota composition in patients with right- and left-sided colorectal cancer and ‎after curative colectomy, as analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. BMC ‎Gastroenterology, 22(1), 313.‎ https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-022-02382-y.
    35. Segal, J. P., Oke, S., Hold, G. L., Clark, S. K., Faiz, O. D., & Hart, A. L. (2018). Systematic ‎review: Ileoanal pouch microbiota in health and dis-ease. Alimentary Pharmacology & ‎Therapeutics, 47(4), 466–477.‎ https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14454.
    36. Shi, F., Liu, G., Lin, Y., Guo, C. L., Han, J., Chu, E. S. H., et al. (2023). Altered gut ‎microbiome composition by appendectomy contributes to col-orectal cancer. Oncogene, ‎‎42(7), 530–540.‎ https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-022-02569-3.
    37. Van Hul, M., & Cani, P. D. (2026). From microbiome to metabolism: Bridging a two-decade ‎translational gap. Cell metabolism, 38(1), 14-32.‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2025.10.011.
    38. Cunningham, A. L., Stephens, J. W., & Harris, D. A. (2021). Gut microbiota influence in type ‎‎2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Gut pathogens, 13(1), 50. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1186/s13099-021-00446-0.
    39. Wang, C., Ge, F., Ge, F., Xu, Z., & Jiang, J. (2025). Harnessing stem cell therapeutics in LPS-‎induced animal models: mechanisms, efficacies, and future directions. Stem Cell Research ‎& Therapy, 16(1), 176.‎ https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-025-04290-w.
    40. Skinner, A. G., Malik, A., Siddiqui, M. R., Singh, V., & Akhtar, S. (2025). Inulin Protects ‎Caco‐2 Cells against Lipopolysaccharide‐induced Epi-thelial Barrier Dysfunction. Food ‎Science & Nutrition, 13(4), e70046. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.70046.
    41. Yu, X., Li, M., & Li, H. (2025). The role of gut dysbiosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in ‎type 2 diabetes: Insights on pathogenesis, intervention and future perspective. Biomedicine ‎& Pharmacotherapy, 193, 118846. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118846.
    42. De Vos, W. M., Tilg, H., Van Hul, M., & Cani, P. D. (2022). Gut microbiome and health: ‎mechanistic insights. Gut, 71(5), 1020-1032.‎ https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326789.
    43. Noor, J., Chaudhry, A., Batool, S., Noor, R., & Fatima, G. (2023). Exploring the impact of the ‎gut microbiome on obesity and weight loss: a review article. Cureus, 15(6), e40948. ‎ https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.40948.
    44. Zhang, K., Zhang, Q., Qiu, H., Ma, Y., Hou, N., Zhang, J., et al. (2024). The complex link ‎between the gut microbiome and obesity-associated met-abolic disorders: Mechanisms and ‎therapeutic opportunities. Heliyon, 10(17). ‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37609.
    45. Kilic, E., & Basaran, P. (2025). Dietary Fatty Acids Modulate Gut Microbiota-Derived ‎Trimethylamine-N-Oxide: Potential Mechanisms and Future Perspective. Nutrients, 17(23), ‎‎3787. ‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233787.
    46. Trøseid, M., Andersen, G. Ø., Broch, K., & Hov, J. R. (2020). The gut microbiome in coronary ‎artery disease and heart failure: Current knowledge and future directions. EBioMedicine, ‎‎52, 102649.‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102649.
    47. Avram, A. C., Craciun, M. L., Pah, A. M., Buleu, F., Cotet, I. G., Mateescu, D. M., et al. ‎‎(2025). Association Between Gut Microbiome Alterations and Hypertension-Related ‎Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Microbiology ‎Research, 16(11), 244.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres16110244.
    48. Sun, M., Lu, F., Yu, D., Wang, Y., Chen, P., & Liu, S. (2014). Respiratory diseases and gut ‎microbiota: relevance, pathogenesis, and treatment. Front Microbiol, 15, 1358597.‎ https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1358597.
    49. Ramírez-Mejía, M. M., Ponciano-Rodríguez, G., & Méndez-Sánchez, N. (2025). Implications ‎of the liver-gut axis in liver disease: from mechanisms to therapeutic targets. Archives of ‎Medical Research, 56(8), 103335. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcmed.2025.103335.
    50. He, X., Hu, M., Xu, Y., Xia, F., Tan, Y., Wang, Y, et al. (2025). The gut–brain axis underlying ‎hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis. Nature medicine, 31(2), 627-638. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03405-9.
    51. Ren, G., Bai, C., Yi, S., Cong, Q., & Zhu, Y. (2024). Mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for ‎MAFLD targeting TLR4 signaling pathways. Jour-nal of Innate Immunity, 16(1), 45-55. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1159/000535524.
    52. Shen, S., Liu, Y., Wang, N., Huang, Z., & Deng, G. (2025). The role of microbiota in ‎nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: mechanism of action and treatment strategy. Frontiers in ‎Microbiology, 16, 1621583. ‎ https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1621583.
    53. Lopez, L. R., Bleich, R. M., & Arthur, J. C. (2021). Microbiota effects on carcinogenesis: ‎initiation, promotion, and progression. Annual review of medicine, 72(1), 243-261. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-med-080719-091604.
    54. Yao, Y., Zhu, Y., Chen, K., Chen, J., Li, Y., Li, D., & Wei, P. (2026). Microbiota in cancer: ‎current understandings and future perspectives. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, ‎‎11(1), 39. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-025-02335-3.
    55. Chang, S. H., & Choi, Y. (2023). Gut dysbiosis in autoimmune diseases: Association with ‎mortality. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 13, 1157918. ‎ https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1157918.
    56. Kumar, A., Pramanik, J., Goyal, N., Chauhan, D., Sivamaruthi, B. S., Prajapati, B. G., & ‎Chaiyasut, C. (2023). Gut microbiota in anxiety and de-pression: unveiling the relationships ‎and management options. Pharmaceuticals, 16(4), 565. ‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16040565.
    57. Ataei, P., Kalantari, H., Bodnar, T. S., & Turner, R. J. (2025). The gut–brain connection: ‎microbes’ influence on mental health and psychological disorders. Frontiers in ‎Microbiomes, 4, 1701608. ‎ https://doi.org/10.3389/frmbi.2025.1701608.
    58. Singh, S., & Rastogi, M. (2024). Prebiotics and probiotics: An overview on mechanism of ‎action and therapeutic applications. SALT Journal of Sci-entific Research in Healthcare, 10–‎‎16.‎ https://doi.org/10.56735/saltjsrh.ms2404011016.
    59. Ji, J., Jin, W., Liu, S. J., Jiao, Z., & Li, X. (2023). Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in ‎health and disease. MedComm, 4(6), e420. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1002/mco2.420.
    60. de Sequeira C. L. M., Hengstberger C., Enck P., Mack I. (2022). Effect of probiotics on ‎psychiatric symptoms and central nervous system functions in human health and disease: a ‎systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 14, 621.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030621.
    61. Al-Habsi, N., Al-Khalili, M., Haque, S. A., Elias, M., Olqi, N. A., & Al Uraimi, T. (2024). ‎Health benefits of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics. Nutrients, 16(22), ‎‎3955.‎ https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16223955.
    62. Yang, S. Y., Han, S. M., Lee, J. Y., Kim, K. S., Lee, J. E., & Lee, D. W. (2025). Advancing gut ‎microbiome research: the shift from metagenomics to multi-omics and future perspectives. ‎Journal of microbiology and biotechnology, 35, e2412001.‎ https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2412.12001.
  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Sowmiya , T. ., Bhaskar, E., Gayathri , V. ., Mohanalakshmi , P. ., & Silambanan, S. (2026). Gut Microbiota Profiles in Common Non-Communicable Diseases- A Narrative Review. International Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 15(2), 46-54. https://doi.org/10.14419/cshmpj82