Gut microbiota composition in obese and non-obese adult relatives from the highlands of Papua New Guinea

Obesity is a condition that results from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. Recently, obesity has been linked to differences in the composition of gut microbiota. To examine this association in Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlanders, fecal samples were collected from 18 adults; nine obese participants were paired with their non-obese relative. Amplification of the 16S rRNA gene targeting the V1–V2 region was performed on DNA extracts for each participant, with high-quality sequences selected and used for operational taxonomic unit clustering. The data showed Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the two dominant phyla, while at genus level Prevotella was the most dominant genus in all of the samples. Nonetheless, statistical evaluation of potential association between nutritional status and bacterial abundance at both phyla and genus levels showed no significant difference. Further studies, ideally in both rural and urban areas, are needed to evaluate the role of the gut microbiome in the occurrence of obesity in PNG and other resource-limited settings.