Dietary fiber content in clinical ketogenic diets modifies the gut microbiome and seizure resistance in mice

Many variations of the ketogenic diet are used clinically to treat refractory epilepsy, and how different dietary formulations differentially modify the gut microbiome in ways that impact seizure outcome is poorly understood. We tested how clinically prescribed ketogenic infant formulas vary in macronutrient ratio, fat source, and fiber content affect the microbiome and seizure outcomes. We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing on the fecal samples collected from mice post-dietary treatment. Additionally, we screened specific dietary variables for their effects on a model human infant microbial community, compromising 9 bacterial species, measured their abundances post-fermentation with the diets and created synthetic metagenomes to see the shifts in their functional potential in response to various dietary variables. This study allowed us to understand the interactions between dietary components of the ketogenic diet, the gut microbiome, and host susceptibility to seizures.