USDA Funds Texas Tech Vet School Study on Prebiotics and Maternal Health

Supported by USDA NIFA funding, this project investigates whether prebiotic fibers that promote beneficial gut bacteria can help protect maternal and child health.

Through a recently awarded $630,435 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA), Prasanth Chelikani, professor of physiology at Texas Tech University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, is addressing a growing public health challenge using a One Health approach.

Research shows that obesity, diabetes and hypertension during pregnancy increase medical complications for mothers and are linked to a heightened risk of metabolic diseases in their children later in life. This study will examine whether specific prebiotic fibers – a type of dietary fiber that supports beneficial gut bacteria – can help protect pregnant mothers and their offspring from obesity, high blood pressure and related metabolic issues.

“Majority of clinical drug trials exclude pregnant women, and despite the recent surge in anti-obesity medications for weight control, they are not recommended for pregnant women due to lack of safety data,” Chelikani said. “As an alternative and safer strategy, in this project, we will assess whether the consumption of diets enriched in prebiotic fibers will improve maternal health and protect the offspring against obesity and metabolic diseases later in life.”

Because a transgenerational human study involves substantial time, cost and ethical considerations, the Chelikani lab will use preclinical rodent models that mirror key features of human disease, including obesity, severe hypertension and stroke risk. This approach provides a practical and rigorous pathway to evaluate mechanisms by which dietary prebiotic fibers alter gut microbiota to improve maternal and offspring metabolic health and identify potential intervention windows.

“Over two decades, Dr. Chelikani has addressed complex questions relating to obesity, diabetes, and nutrition and advanced biomedical research via high-quality rodent models that are essential for understanding and studying diseases and conditions,” said Annelise Nguyen, associate dean of research and graduate programs at the School of Veterinary Medicine. “His research activities have played a pivotal part of our graduate program in One Health Sciences, training the next generation of scientists to continue addressing One Health challenges.”

School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Guy Loneragan believes Chelikani’s work is of paramount importance, as it aims to inform diet-based or microbiome-guided strategies that align with USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative priorities in food and human health.

“Findings of his critical research will help inform approaches to improve health outcomes for women and their kiddos,” Loneragan said. “In addition to being a fantastic scholar, Dr. Chelikani is a wonderful person and a hugely valued part of our School. I am excited to watch his research unfold.”