Dysbiosis-Driven Microbial Signatures in Neuromodulation, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress

A well-balanced ecosystem keeps its environment stable; the human gut relies on a diverse community of microbes working in harmony to support health. This delicate balance between beneficial anaerobes and opportunistic organisms is vital, not only for digestion but also for neurological well-being. When disrupted, a condition known as microbiome dysbiosis occurs and the consequences can extend beyond the gut, influencing brain function through altered metabolite production. In this study, we analysed data from the Dysbiosis database using a custom Python pipeline to investigate microbial shifts in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. Our findings reveal a consistent increase in genera such as Bifidobacterium, Odoribacter, Oscillobacter, Parabacteroides, and Shigella, and a reduction in key taxa like Bacillota, Bacteroides, Blautia, and Clostridium. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the elevated microbes are more actively involved in the degradation of GABA and glutamate and the metabolism of arginine into polyamines pathways linked to excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and immune activation in the central nervous system. Conversely, the reduced microbiota reflected a loss of regulatory or neuroprotective functions. Together, these results underscore the critical role of gut microbial balance in neuroprotection and open new avenues for targeting microbial metabolites in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.