Methods: Faeces were collected from 10 healthy tribal adults (TAs) in the Jawadhi hills and
from 10 healthy villagers [rural adults (RAs)] in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. DNA was
extracted, and 456 bp segments comprising hypervariable regions 3 and 4 of the 16S rRNA
gene were amplified, barcoded and 454 sequenced. Results: Totally 227,710 good-quality
reads were analyzed. TAs consumed a millets-based diet, ate pork every day, and did not
consume milk or milk products. RAs consumed a rice-based diet with meat intake once a …

Background & objectives: The relevance of the gut microbiota to human health is
increasingly appreciated. The objective of this study was to compare the gut microbiota of a
group of adult tribals with that of healthy adult villagers in Tamil Nadu, India. Methods:
Faeces were collected from 10 healthy tribal adults (TAs) in the Jawadhi hills and from 10
healthy villagers [rural adults (RAs)] in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. DNA was extracted, and
456 bp segments comprising hypervariable regions 3 and 4 of the 16S rRNA gene were …