Gut Microbiome Composition Reveals the Distinctiveness between the Bengali people and the Indigenous Ethnicities in Bangladesh

Human gut microbiome is influenced by ethnicity and other factors. In this study, we have explored the gut microbiome of Bengali population (n=13) and four Tibeto-Burman indigenous communities- Chakma (n=15), Marma (n=6), Khyang (n=10), and Tripura (n=11) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. A total of 19 characterized phyla were identified in 5 cohorts, with Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes being the most prevalent. At the genus level, the abundance of Prevotella was relatively similar across all ethnicities. However, the Chakma population demonstrated higher Bacteroides abundance. Chakma people were more distinct than other ethnicities and exhibited a higher quantity of differentially abundant microbial features. The Bengali population had relatively low bacterial richness and Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio than others with lower qualitative microbial diversity. A phylosymbiotic link between Bangladeshi indigenous people and certain ethnic groups in India have also been discovered. A comparative analysis between all Bangladeshi samples (n=55) and several tropical and subtropical countries (n=132) such as Australia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam revealed that the gut microbiota profile of Bangladeshi people is remarkably distinct from others. The insights from this study will aid further epidemiological and translational research. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.