Plant compositions and methods for modulating gut microbiome

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a plant composition comprising a plant extract, wherein the plant extract is present in the plant composition in an amount effective to produce a beneficial effect on intestinal health of an animal. The benefits may include one or more effects on the intestinal health of the animal, which may include one or more improvements in the intestinal health and immune health of the animal. The plant extracts can comprise dandelion leaf extracts, dandelion leaves, ground dandelion leaves, dandelion roots, panax japonicus, ferula asafetida, ligustrum lucidum, fennel, Indian mulberries, quispualis indica, capsicum annuum, Indian nelumbo nucifera, red peppers / capsicum, shiitake mushroom, custard apples, hericium erinaceus, caraway, saw palmetto, phoenix-tail cymbidium, mountain lily yucca, carob beans, wild lupin, goat heads, sweet rosa roxburghii tratt, damnacanthus indicus and herba lycopi; , Amaranthus spinosus, and Sambucus williamsii, or any combination thereof. Other aspects are also provided herein.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 503,990, filed May 24, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to plant compositions for regulating the gut microbiome. Specifically, this disclosure relates to plant compositions containing various plant extracts for regulating the gut microbiome of felines. Background Technology

[0004] Trillions of microorganisms constitute an animal's gut microbiome, and their presence throughout the gastrointestinal tract plays a crucial role in gut and immune health. The gut microbiome can include many different types of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast, fungi, and archaea. When the gut microbiome is imbalanced, such as when the relative abundance of one or more benign or beneficial microorganisms decreases and / or the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or other harmful microorganisms increases above a certain threshold, these microbial population imbalances within the community can lead to a variety of adverse health conditions and symptoms in the host animal. Imbalances in the microbial populations within the community composition can also lead to imbalances in microbial metabolites, such as volatile fatty acid compounds, which are produced by the microbial population within the gastrointestinal tract and can also serve as biomarkers for various adverse health conditions.

[0005] The composition of the feline gut microbiome has a wide-ranging impact on feline gut health, immune function, and mental health, and also influences their overall lifestyle. Gut discomfort resulting from alterations in the feline gut microbiome can lead to several undesirable digestive symptoms, including vomiting, constipation, and acute or chronic diarrhea. These symptoms can manifest as several adverse health conditions associated with gut microbiome alterations, including obesity, diarrhea, diabetes, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, flatulence, loss of appetite, poor weight gain, bacterial infections, microbial infections, lethargy, and physical and emotional malaise. These conditions and symptoms can significantly impact the physical and mental health, as well as the overall well-being of felines.

[0006] Traditional treatments, including the use of antimicrobial agents, can lead to antibiotic resistance with prolonged use. Furthermore, existing treatments, including the use of probiotic preparations, may be inadequate due to limitations on the viability of probiotic organisms during processing and storage, and due to limitations on the degradation of these products throughout the gut as they reach their intended sites. Therefore, alternative interventions are needed to address the various health conditions associated with alterations in the gut microbiome. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This disclosure provides a plant composition comprising at least one plant extract. The plant extract may be present in the plant composition in an amount effective for producing beneficial effects on the gut microbiome of animals. The plant extract may include one or more plant extracts, including dandelion leaf extract, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaf, dandelion root, *Panax japonicus*, *Ferula assa-foetida*, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, *Quisqualis indica*, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, velvet foot winter mushroom, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, Spanish dagger, mound lily yucca, carob, field lupine, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, partridge berry, bugleweed, *Stelmatrocryption khasianum*, *Amaranthus spinosus*, and elderberry, or any combination thereof.

[0008] In one respect, plant extracts include one or more of the following: custard apple, shiitake mushroom, or dandelion leaf.

[0009] In one aspect, multiple plant extracts are present in the plant composition, wherein each plant extract is present in an amount effective for producing beneficial effects on the gut microbiome.

[0010] In one respect, beneficial effects include one or more of the following: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains; an increase in the Shannon diversity index; or an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome.

[0011] In one respect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the relative abundance of one or more of the following species: Bifidobacterium, Ruminococaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, or Prevotella.

[0012] In one aspect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0013] In one aspect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition, compared to the relative abundance of beneficial strains in animals experiencing one or more adverse health conditions.

[0014] In one aspect, the reduction of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains includes a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more of the following: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collinsella aerofaciens, Desulfovibriovulgaris, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium, or Streptococcus canis.

[0015] In one aspect, a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains includes a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition, relative to the relative abundance of pathogenic strains that cause disease.

[0016] In one aspect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the Bifidobacterium population in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0017] In one aspect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the rumenbacteria population in animals fed a diet containing plant compositions compared to animals fed a diet lacking plant compositions.

[0018] In one aspect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in Bacteroidetes populations in animals fed a diet containing plant compositions compared to animals fed a diet lacking plant compositions.

[0019] In one aspect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the population of *Faecalibacterium* in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0020] In one aspect, the increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome includes an increase in the total concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing plant compositions compared to animals fed a diet lacking plant compositions.

[0021] In one respect, the increase in volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome includes an increase in one or more of the following: acetate, propionate, butyrate, and valerate, or their derivatives.

[0022] In one aspect, the increase in volatile fatty acid production from the gut microbiome includes an increase in the concentration of acetate produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing plant compositions compared to animals fed a diet lacking plant compositions.

[0023] In one aspect, the increase in volatile fatty acid production from the gut microbiome includes an increase in butyrate concentrations produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed diets containing plant compositions, compared to animals fed diets lacking plant compositions.

[0024] In one aspect, the increase in volatile fatty acid production from the gut microbiome includes an increase in propionate concentrations produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed diets containing plant compositions, compared to animals fed diets lacking plant compositions.

[0025] In one respect, the animal is a feline.

[0026] In one respect, the effective amount of plant extracts for producing beneficial effects on the gut health of animals is 0.0001% to 10% by weight, or 0.01% to 5.0% by weight, or 0.1% to 1.0% by weight of the animal's diet.

[0027] This disclosure provides a method for modulating the gut microbiome of an animal, the method comprising administering to the animal a plant composition containing a plant extract, the amount of which is effective in producing a beneficial effect on the gut health of the animal.

[0028] The method may further include a method in which the amount of plant extract effective in producing beneficial effects causes one or more of the following: beneficial effects are measured by determining one or more of the following: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains; an increase in the Shannon diversity index; and a change in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome. The method may also include a method in which the plant composition comprises one or more plant extracts, including dandelion leaf extract, dandelion leaves, ground dandelion leaves, dandelion root, *Panax japonicus*, *Ferula assa-foetida*, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, *Quisqualis indica*, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, shiitake mushroom, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, *Yucca filamentosa*, *Yucca sylvestre*, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, *Cynanchum paniculatum*, *Eupatorium fortunei*, *Symplocos edulis*, *Amaranthus spinosa*, and elderberry, or combinations thereof.

[0029] In one respect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the relative abundance of one or more of the following: Bifidobacteria, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, or Faecalibacterium, Lactobacillus, Roseola, or Prevotella.

[0030] In one respect, the animal is a feline.

[0031] In one respect, the amount of plant extract effective for producing beneficial effects on the gut microbiome of animals is 0.0001% to 10% by weight, or 0.01% to 5.0% by weight, or 0.1% to 1.0% by weight.

[0032] In one aspect, one or more pathogenic bacterial strains include one or more of the following: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collins aerogenes, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subspecies, Salmonella enterica serotype, Salmonella typhimurium, or Streptococcus canis.

[0033] In one respect, the beneficial effects are determined by comparing the effects observed in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition with the effects observed in animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0034] In one respect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the relative abundance of one or more of the following species: Bifidobacteria, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, or Faecalibacterium.

[0035] In one aspect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to other animals. In another aspect, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to the relative abundance of beneficial strains in animals experiencing one or more adverse health conditions.

[0036] In one respect, the reduction of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains includes a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more of the following: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collins aerogenes, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subspecies, Salmonella enterica serotype, Salmonella typhimurium, or Streptococcus canis.

[0037] In one aspect, a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains includes a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition, relative to the relative abundance of pathogenic strains that cause disease.

[0038] In one aspect, the increase in Bifidobacteria includes: an increase in the relative abundance of the Bifidobacterium bacterial population in animals fed a diet containing plant compositions compared to animals fed a diet lacking plant compositions.

[0039] In one respect, the increase in rumen bacteriaceae includes an increase in the relative abundance of rumen bacteriaceae bacterial populations in animals fed diets containing plant compositions compared to animals fed diets lacking plant compositions.

[0040] In one aspect, the increase in Bacteroidetes includes an increase in the Bacteroidetes population in animals fed a diet containing plant compositions compared to animals fed a diet lacking plant compositions.

[0041] In one aspect, the increase in *Femobacterium* includes an increase in the relative abundance of *Femobacterium* populations in animals fed diets containing plant compositions compared to animals fed diets lacking plant compositions.

[0042] In one aspect, changes in the production of volatile fatty acids by the gut microbiome include an increase in the concentration of total volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed diets containing plant compositions, compared to animals fed diets lacking plant compositions.

[0043] In one aspect, changes in the concentration of volatile fatty acids in the gut microbiome include increases in one or more of the following: acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, butyrate, isovalerate, and valerate, or their derivatives.

[0044] In one aspect, the changes in volatile fatty acid concentrations were measured in animals fed a diet containing plant-based compositions compared to animals fed a diet lacking plant-based compositions.

[0045] In one aspect, the change in volatile fatty acid concentrations in diseased animals was measured compared to baseline concentrations in animals in a non-disease state.

[0046] In one aspect, disease states include diarrhea, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, primary gastrointestinal disease, and severe gastrointestinal disease.

[0047] In one aspect, the methods described herein may also include alleviating one or more symptoms or intestinal discomfort in animals, including acute diarrhea, chronic diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting.

[0048] In one aspect, administering a plant composition to an animal includes: the plant composition producing at least one health benefit in a feline suffering from one or more health conditions, including diarrhea, obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel disease, and primary gastrointestinal disease.

[0049] In one respect, at least one of the health benefits includes cessation of diarrhea, reduction of obesity, reduction of diabetes biomarkers, improvement of irritable bowel disease, or reduction of the incidence of primary gastrointestinal diseases. Attached Figure Description

[0050] not applicable. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Reference will now be made to certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter. While the disclosed subject matter will be described in conjunction with the enumerated claims, it should be understood that the illustrated subject matter is not intended to limit the claims to the disclosed subject matter.

[0052] As stated above, various adverse health conditions may be associated with an increase or decrease in the relative abundance of various types of microorganisms within an animal's gut microbiome. As used herein, the term "microorganism" may include, but is not limited to, bacteria, yeast, fungi, and archaea. In each respect, one or more adverse health conditions may be associated with an increase or decrease in the relative abundance of various types of bacteria, yeast, fungi, and archaea, or any combination thereof, within an animal's gut microbiome. In other respects, various adverse health conditions may be associated with an increase or decrease in the relative abundance of various types of bacteria within an animal's gut microbiome. Adverse health conditions may include, but are not limited to, obesity, diarrhea, diabetes, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, flatulence, loss of appetite, poor weight gain, bacterial infections, lethargy, physical and emotional malaise, or combinations thereof.

[0053] As used in this paper, the term “relative abundance” refers to the evenness of distribution of a single species in the total community of a species or among all species in a population, and can be measured as a function of all microorganisms or a subset of a given type of microorganism.

[0054] The relative abundance of a single microbial species in a total microbial community can refer to the contribution fraction of a single microbial species to the total microbial count in the community (i.e., a value between 0 and 1). It should be understood that the relative abundance of any given microorganism can be measured within the total community of a single healthy animal species, or it can be further measured against previously measured average or predicted average relative abundance in a healthy animal population. Similarly, the relative abundance of any given microorganism can be measured within the total community of a single animal species experiencing one or more adverse health conditions, or it can be further measured against previously measured average or predicted average relative abundance in an animal population experiencing one or more adverse health conditions.

[0055] Imbalances in the relative abundance of the microbial populations that constitute the gut microbiome can include a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more benign or beneficial microorganisms, and / or an increase in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms. Imbalances in the relative abundance of the microbial populations that constitute the gut microbiome can include a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more benign or beneficial bacterial, yeast, fungal, and archaea strains, and / or an increase in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms (including bacterial, yeast, fungal, and archaea strains). In each respect, the imbalance can be measured relative to a predetermined baseline abundance of a given microorganism. It should be understood that the predetermined baseline relative abundance can be an indicator of the healthy community structure in the gut. A healthy community structure in the gut supports digestion and immunity and helps maintain a state free of various adverse health conditions in animals. Imbalances in the gut microbiome that lead to a shift in the relative abundance of a given microorganism can cause clinical or subclinical symptoms in animals associated with one or more adverse health conditions. As industry needs to shift away from the use of antimicrobial agents (such as antibiotics), there is a need to enhance beneficial microorganisms and reduce pathogenic or harmful microorganisms through the use of alternative interventions. According to various aspects of this article, plant compositions and methods for feeding plant compositions to animals are included. The plant compositions and methods described herein are configured to modulate various microbial populations in the gut to address any imbalances in the gut microbiome and improve various gut health and immune health measures in the process.

[0056] This disclosure provides plant compositions that may comprise at least one plant extract in an amount effective to produce beneficial effects on the gut health of animals. As used herein, the term "gut health" may refer to efficient and effective digestion of food by the digestive system (e.g., esophagus, stomach, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, spleen, large intestine (i.e., colon), small intestine, rectum, and anus); the absence of abdominal pain caused by one or more adverse health conditions; the absence of increased intestinal permeability, mucosal inflammation, excessive gas, pH, and deficiency or excess of volatile fatty acids; or any combination thereof.

[0057] It should be understood that gut health and immune health are interdependent, meaning that improvements in gut health can lead to improvements in immune health, and vice versa.

[0058] As used in this article, the term "immune health" can refer to the standard function of the immune system, as understood, which includes at least the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and throat; tonsils; lymph nodes; thymus; spleen; large and small intestines; bone marrow; immune cells in the blood, including at least monocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, macrophages, erythrocytes, platelets, stem cells, etc.; and skin.

[0059] As used herein, the term "plant extract" refers to an extract isolated from a plant source. Examples of plant extracts applicable to the plant compositions herein may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: dandelion leaf, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaf, dandelion root, bamboo rhizome, devil's dung, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, Quisqualis indica, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, winter jasmine, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, yucca, mountain lily, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, thorny thorn, eupatorium, Sheng Teng, spiny amaranth, and elderberry, or combinations thereof.

[0060] As used herein, the term "volatile fatty acid" may include, but is not limited to, short-chain fatty acids, including those having C2-C6 carbon atoms, and which are carboxylic acids produced during the anaerobic digestion of one or more microorganisms. Short-chain fatty acids may include, but are not limited to, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, and hexanoic acid. It should be understood that the anionic conjugate base forms of the short-chain fatty acids described herein include acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, valerate, isovalerate, and 2-methylbutyrate and hexanoate, respectively. The anionic conjugate base forms of the short-chain fatty acids described herein may exist as balanced salts having any of their associated alkali or alkaline earth metals, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc. Unless otherwise specified, the volatile fatty acids mentioned herein may include any form, including one or more of acidic, anionic, or salt forms. It should be understood that the form in which volatile fatty acids are presented will be based on the pH of the intestinal environment in which they are produced.

[0061] As used herein, “beneficial effect” can refer to the effect of the plant composition described herein on the gut microbiome of an animal, which can manifest as one or more improvements in the animal’s gut health and immune health, and can include: increased efficiency and effectiveness of food digestion; relief or prevention of abdominal pain caused by one or more adverse health conditions; reduction or prevention of adverse health conditions; reduction or prevention of increased intestinal permeability or mucosal inflammation; and balancing any deficiency or excess of volatile fatty acids; or any combination thereof. Beneficial effects can be determined by one or more of the following: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial microbial strains; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful microbial strains; an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains; an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial yeast strains; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful yeast strains; an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial fungal strains; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful fungal strains; an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial archaea strains; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful archaea strains; an increase in the Shannon diversity index; and changes in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome, as described elsewhere herein. Beneficial effects can be measured in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. Beneficial effects can be further measured in healthy animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals experiencing poor health conditions and fed a diet lacking the plant composition. The beneficial effects can be further measured in animals that are in poor health and fed a diet lacking the plant composition, compared to animals that are in poor health and fed a diet lacking the plant composition. The beneficial effects can also be further measured in animals that are in poor health and fed a diet lacking the plant composition, compared to healthy animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0062] This disclosure provides a plant composition having a plant extract that modulates the microbial population of the gut microbiome, the amount of which is effective in producing beneficial effects on the gut health of animals. The plant composition described herein can be administered to animals in amounts effective in producing beneficial effects that can lead to the prevention, improvement, or reversal of one or more adverse health conditions, including obesity, diarrhea, diabetes, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, flatulence, loss of appetite, poor weight gain, bacterial infections, microbial infections, lethargy, and physical and emotional malaise. Modulation of the gut microbiome can be achieved by administering the plant composition described herein. Modulation of the microbial population can be achieved by inhibiting one or more pathogenic or otherwise harmful types of microorganisms. Modulation of the microbial population can be further achieved by promoting the growth of one or more beneficial types of microorganisms. For example, modulation of the microbial population can be achieved by inhibiting the growth of one or more pathogenic or otherwise harmful types of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and archaea; or by promoting the growth of one or more beneficial types of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and archaea. In various ways, the regulation of microbial populations can be achieved by suppressing the growth of one or more pathogenic or otherwise harmful bacterial populations, or by promoting the growth of one or more beneficial bacterial populations.

[0063] This disclosure specifies that the plant compositions herein may contain one or more plant extracts, the amount of which is effective in inhibiting one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms. Inhibition may include reducing or preventing infection by one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms through growth inhibition. In various aspects, the amount of one or more plant extracts effective in inhibiting one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms may produce an inhibitory effect, including reducing or preventing infection by one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms through growth inhibition. An effective amount of one or more plant extracts in the diet may directly or indirectly inhibit the growth of one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms and may confer one or more beneficial effects on animals. For example, an effective amount of one or more plant extracts in the diet may directly or indirectly inhibit the growth of one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms and may confer one or more beneficial effects on animals by reducing the relative abundance of pathogenic or harmful microorganisms present in the gut microbiome. This disclosure also provides plant compositions containing one or more plant extracts, the amount of which is effective in increasing the relative abundance of one or more beneficial microorganisms through growth promotion. The amount of one or more plant extracts in the plant compositions applicable herein may be effective in directly or indirectly promoting the growth of one or more beneficial microorganisms and may confer one or more beneficial effects on animals. In some aspects, this disclosure provides plant compositions containing one or more plant extracts, the amounts of which are effective in reducing or preventing the growth of pathogenic or harmful microorganisms and in promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms. It should be understood that microorganisms may include any of bacteria, yeast, fungi, or archaea.

[0064] Examples of plant extracts in the plant compositions applicable to this document may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: dandelion leaves, dandelion leaf extract, ground dandelion leaves, dandelion root, *Panax japonicus*, *Ferula assa-foetida*, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, *Quisqualis indica*, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, shiitake mushroom, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, *Yucca filamentosa*, *Yucca sylvestre*, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, *Pyracantha fortuneana*, *Eupatorium fortunei*, *Amaranthus spinosa*, spiny amaranth, and elderberry, or combinations thereof. In some aspects, suitable botanicals may include one or more of the following: custard apple, shiitake mushroom, and dandelion leaves, or any combination thereof. It should be understood that in some aspects, the plant composition contains only one or more plant extracts.

[0065] Plant composition

[0066] The plant compositions described herein can be included in the diet of animals as a supplement to any complete and balanced food product, or can be provided as an ingredient in a food product. The plant compositions described herein can be administered directly to any suitable animal species, or can be administered to animals as a component of a food product or supplement product suitable for multiple species. In some respects, the animal is a feline. In various respects, the food referred to herein can include complete and balanced food products suitable for multiple species, including felines. In some respects, complete food products are feline food products. Complete feline food products can include a nutritionally complete and balanced daily dietary composition that, when fed as a sole ration, can sustain life, promote growth, and maintain reproduction without the ingestion of any additional substances other than water. Complete feline food products can include a mixture containing appropriate levels of nutrients required to sustain feline life, including proteins, fats, carbohydrates, etc.

[0067] The plant compositions described herein may comprise one or more plant extracts. The plant extracts may be present in the plant composition in an amount effective for producing one or more beneficial effects on the gut microbiome of an animal. In various aspects, the plant extracts may include one or more extracts of the following: dandelion leaves, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaves, dandelion root, bamboo rhizome, asafoetida, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, quisqualis indica, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, shiitake mushroom, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, yucca, mountain lily, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, thorn of the vine, eupatorium, purslane, spiny vine, spiny amaranth, and elderberry, or combinations thereof. In some aspects, suitable plant extracts may include one or more extracts of the following: custard apple and shiitake mushroom, or any combination thereof. In various aspects, the plant composition may comprise multiple plant extracts, wherein each plant extract is present, independently or collectively, in an amount effective for producing beneficial effects on the gut microbiome.

[0068] The effective amount of plant extracts that produce beneficial effects on the gut health of animals may include 0.0001% to 10% by weight, or 0.01% to 5.0% by weight, or 0.1% to 1.0% by weight of the animal's diet. The amount of one or more plant extracts effective for producing beneficial effects on the gut health of animals may be 0.0001% by weight, 0.001% by weight, 0.01% by weight, 0.1% by weight, 0.2% by weight, 0.3% by weight, 0.4% by weight, 0.5% by weight, 0.6% by weight, 0.7% by weight, 0.8% by weight, 0.9% by weight, 1.0% by weight, 1.25% by weight, 1.5% by weight, 1.75% by weight, 2.0% by weight, 2.25% by weight, 2.5% by weight, 2.75% by weight, 3.0% by weight, 3.25% by weight, 3.5% by weight, 3.75% by weight, 4.0% by weight, 4.25% by weight, 4.5% by weight, 4.75% by weight, 5.0% by weight, 6.0% by weight, 7.0% by weight, 8.0% by weight, 9.0% by weight, or 10% by weight of the diet, or it may be any amount falling within any of the foregoing ranges.

[0069] In addition to plant extracts, the plant compositions described herein may also contain a variety of ingredients suitable for feline diets, including but not limited to meats, including poultry such as chicken, turkey, goose, duck, ostrich, quail, and pheasant; beef; buffalo; pork; lamb; venison; fish, including but not limited to whitefish, cod, pollock, salmon, and tuna; crustaceans; liver; or animal by-products. The plant compositions described herein may also contain grains such as wheat, rice, oats, soybeans, other grains, and their flours. The plant compositions may also contain a variety of fruits and vegetables, including but not limited to sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, potatoes, peas, squash, beets, pumpkins, leafy greens, apples, berries, and corn. The plant compositions described herein may also contain seeds or legumes, including but not limited to chickpeas and chickpea flour, black beans, white beans, kidney beans, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and meal, flax seeds and meal, peas and pea flour, soybeans, and gluten derived from grains such as oats, barley, rice, corn, and wheat. The plant compositions may also contain various oils, including but not limited to vegetable oils, sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, olive oil, and coconut oil. The plant compositions described herein may also contain herbs, natural and artificial flavorings, fragrances, extracts, glycerin, tapioca starch, soybean lecithin, sunflower seed lecithin, and natural preservatives. In all respects, the plant compositions described herein do not contain inulin.

[0070] The total protein in the plant composition can be from about 5% to about 75% by weight based on dry matter (DM), from about 10% to about 50% by weight based on DM, from about 20% to about 45% by weight based on DM, or from about 16% to about 26% by weight based on DM. The total protein in the plant composition can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, or 75% by weight based on DM, or can be any amount falling within any of the foregoing ranges. The total protein in the plant composition can vary depending on the formulation and intended use of the plant composition. For example, a plant composition formulated for kittens may contain about 30% to about 50.0% protein based on DM. A plant composition formulated for adult cats may contain about 26% to about 75.0% protein based on DM.

[0071] The total fat (e.g., oil, fat, and / or lipid) in the plant composition may be from about 2% to about 50% by weight, from about 10% to about 30% by weight, or from about 15% to about 25% by weight based on DM. The total fat in the plant composition may be 2.0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, 5.25%, 5.5%, 5.75%, 6.0%, 6.5%, 7.0%, 7.5%, 8.0%, 8.5%, 9.0%, 9.5%, 10.0%, 12.0%, 13.0%, 14.0%, 15.0%, 16.0%, 17.0%, 18.0%, 19.0%, 20.0%, 30.0%, 40.0%, or 50.0% by weight based on DM, or may be any amount falling within any of the foregoing ranges. The total fat content in a plant-based composition can vary depending on the formulation and intended use of the composition. For example, a plant-based composition formulated for kittens may contain about 9% to about 30.0% fat based on DM. A plant-based composition formulated for adult cats may contain about 9% to about 50.0% fat based on DM. It should be understood that fats suitable for feline consumption may include linoleic acid, α-linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid.

[0072] The total carbohydrates in the plant composition can be from about 0% to 75% by weight, from about 10% to about 50% by weight, or from about 20% to about 45% by weight based on DM. The total carbohydrates in the plant composition can be 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, or 75% by weight based on DM, or any amount falling within any of the foregoing ranges. The total carbohydrates in the plant composition can vary depending on the formulation and intended use of the plant composition.

[0073] The plant compositions described herein can be configured such that water can be added to the plant compositions prior to their application to animals. The plant compositions described herein can be prepared in the following formulations: wet formulation (about 35% to 80% by weight of water content), semi-wet formulation (about 15% to 30% by weight of water content), or dry formulation (about 6% to 10% by weight of water content).

[0074] In addition, vitamins and minerals can be added to the plant compositions described herein. These additions may include, but are not limited to, vitamin A (retinol-acetate), vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), vitamin E (DL-α-tocopherol), vitamin K3 (menaquinone), vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine-HCl), vitamin B7 (biotin), vitamin B9 (folic acid), and vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)), minerals (e.g., calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, iodine, selenium, monocalcium phosphate (CaH4P2O8), and sodium bicarbonate). (NaHCO3), sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), potassium iodide (KI), amino acids (e.g., arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, methionine-cysteine, phenylalanine, phenylalanine-tyrosine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, taurine), ferrous sulfate monohydrate (FeSO4·H2O); copper sulfate (CuSO4·5H2O); manganese oxide (MnO); MnSO4·H2O; zinc sulfate (ZnSO4·H2O), sodium selenite (Na2SeO3), choline chloride (C5H2O) 14 ClNO), enzymes, and their various combinations. In various aspects, ferrous sulfate monohydrate (FeSO4·H2O); copper sulfate (CuSO4·5H2O); manganese oxide (MnO); MnSO4·H2O; zinc sulfate (ZnSO4·H2O; Na2SeO3); choline chloride (C5H2O)14 ClNO), enzymes can be included in the form of chelated minerals. For example, chelated minerals may include minerals chelated with one or more types of amino acids to promote absorption and uptake by animals.

[0075] The plant compositions described herein can be in any suitable form, including dry solids, semi-solids, or liquids. For example, plant compositions can be solid compositions in the form of granules, flakes, pellets, powders, tablets, pills, capsules, cubes, chewables, crumbs, pastes, gels, etc. Plant compositions suitable for use herein can be designed to be mixed with feline food products or fed directly to felines. In various aspects, the plant compositions can be dry solids. In some aspects, the plant compositions can be applied to felines as a surface additive to a daily food ration or diet. In other aspects, the plant compositions can be wet solids. In some aspects, the plant compositions can be liquids, such as liquid sprays for application to food products, liquid water additives, liquid irrigation agents, or liquid water baths. It should be understood that liquid irrigation agents as described herein can include one or more of suspensions, solutions, or emulsions. In various aspects, the plant compositions described herein can be suspensions containing one or more oils, including but not limited to vegetable oils, sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, olive oil, and coconut oil. In some respects, the plant compositions described herein may comprise mixtures of solid and liquid components. The plant compositions are suitable for use in the diets of various species of felines, as described in more detail below.

[0076] In all respects, the plant composition described herein can be formed into many shapes and sizes. In all respects, the plant composition described herein can be triangular, square, rectangular, spherical, rhomboid, heart-shaped, small spherical, clover-shaped, flower-shaped, fish-shaped, vegetable-shaped, star-shaped, amorphous, etc. The plant composition can be formed by one or more methods including extrusion, distillation, cold pressing, high-pressure processing, etc.

[0077] Methods to produce beneficial effects

[0078] This disclosure provides methods for feeding animals the plant compositions described herein to produce beneficial effects on the animal's gut microbiome. The methods herein may include administering the plant compositions to animals suffering from adverse health conditions. The methods may also include administering the plant compositions to animals to prevent adverse health conditions. Methods for feeding animals may include administering the plant compositions comprising at least one plant extract to an animal or group of animals in an amount effective for producing beneficial effects on gut health. In various aspects, the methods herein can be used to feed and administer the plant compositions to felines.

[0079] The beneficial effects described herein can be identified as the effects exerted by the plant composition on the gut health of animals, which can manifest as one or more improvements associated with: increased efficiency and effectiveness of food digestion; relief or prevention of abdominal pain caused by one or more adverse health conditions; prevention of one or more adverse health conditions; reduction or prevention of increased intestinal permeability, mucosal inflammation, and deficiency or excess of volatile fatty acids; or any combination thereof. The beneficial effects can be further identified as enhanced gut health or immune health, as a direct or indirect result of the plant composition's effects on the gut health of animals, or both. It should be understood that the beneficial effects described herein can be observed in animals suffering from clinical or subclinical symptoms of adverse health conditions. It should also be understood that, in various respects, animals not experiencing one or more adverse health conditions may also exhibit beneficial effects when fed the plant composition.

[0080] The beneficial effects described herein can be determined in several ways using the methods described herein. The beneficial effects described herein can be determined by comparing the effects observed in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition with those observed in animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some aspects, the beneficial effects can be determined by comparing the effects observed in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition with those observed at different time points when animals were fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various other aspects, the beneficial effects can be determined by comparing the effects observed in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition with those observed in a representative population of healthy animals without any adverse health conditions. The methods described herein can also include producing beneficial effects in animals, which can be a result of the direct or indirect effects of the plant composition on the animal's gut health.

[0081] The method described herein provides effective amounts of plant extracts that produce beneficial effects resulting from one or more of the following: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial microorganisms; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains; an increase in the Shannon diversity index; or an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome. One or more beneficial microorganisms may include, but are not limited to, one or more beneficial strains belonging to families or genera including: Bifidobacteria, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, or Faecalibacterium, Lactobacillus, Roseola, or Prevotella. One or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collins aerogenes, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Salmonella typhimurium, Streptococcus canis, one or more Enterobacteriaceae strains, one or more Peptostreptococcaceae strains, one or more Brucella strains, or one or more Blautia strains. It should be understood that microorganisms may include any of bacteria, yeast, fungi, or archaea.

[0082] Increase beneficial microorganisms

[0083] The methods described herein may include determining a beneficial effect, wherein the beneficial effect is a result of an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial microorganisms. In various aspects, one or more beneficial microorganisms include one or more beneficial bacterial strains. It should be understood that beneficial microorganisms may include any of bacteria, yeast, fungi, or archaea. In various aspects, the plant compositions described herein can modulate the beneficial bacterial strains within the gut microbiome of an animal. The plant compositions described herein can produce a beneficial effect resulting in an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains, such as one or more strains including Bifidobacterium, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, or Faecalibacterium, Lactobacillus, Roselle, or Prevotella. In one aspect, the beneficial effect can be determined by an increase in the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria in the gut of an animal. An increase in the relative abundance of beneficial bacterial strains can modulate the gut microbiome's production of volatile fatty acids. It should be understood that a beneficial effect can be measured as an increase in beneficial bacterial strains accompanied by a decrease in pathogenic or harmful bacteria.

[0084] The increase in the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria in the animal gut can be measured as: the increase in the relative abundance of one or more strains of beneficial bacteria in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition, compared to the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria in the animals before administration of the plant composition. In various aspects, comparisons are made between healthy animals fed a diet containing the plant composition and healthy animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some aspects, comparisons are made between animals experiencing poor health and fed a diet containing the plant composition and animals experiencing poor health and fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In other aspects, comparisons are made between animals experiencing poor health and fed a diet containing the plant composition and healthy animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In a further aspect, comparisons are made between healthy animals fed a diet containing the plant composition and animals experiencing poor health and fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0085] In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains can be measured as: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains in the same animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains can be measured as: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains in different animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains can include: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to the average relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains in a representative animal population suffering from one or more adverse health conditions. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains can be measured as: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains in the same animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to different time points when the animals were fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some aspects, different time points can include the time when the animals were experiencing adverse health conditions and were not consuming the plant composition.

[0086] An increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains may include an increase in the relative abundance of one or more strains belonging to families or genera including Bifidobacterium, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, Faecalibacterium, Lactobacillus, Roseola, or Prevotella, or any combination thereof. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains may include an increase in the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains may include an increase in the relative abundance of Ruminaceae in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains may include an increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains may include: an increase in the relative abundance of *Femobacterium* in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains may include: an increase in the relative abundance of *Lactobacillus* in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains may include: an increase in the relative abundance of *Roseola* in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various aspects, an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains may include: an increase in the relative abundance of *Prevotella* in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0087] Reduce pathogenic or harmful microorganisms

[0088] The methods described herein may include determining a beneficial effect, wherein the beneficial effect is a result of moderating the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms. It should be understood that pathogenic or harmful microorganisms may include any of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, or archaea. In various aspects, one or more pathogenic or harmful microorganisms include one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains. In various aspects, the plant compositions of this invention may produce a beneficial effect by causing a reduction in the relative abundance of pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains within the gut microbiome of an animal. The plant compositions of this invention may produce a beneficial effect due to a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains, including a reduction in one or more of the following strains: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collins aerogenes, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Salmonella typhimurium, or Streptococcus canis. In one aspect, the beneficial effect may be measured as a reduction in pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains in the gut of an animal. A decrease in the relative abundance of pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains can modulate the production of volatile fatty acids by the gut microbiome. It should be understood that beneficial effects can be measured as a reduction in pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains accompanied by an increase in beneficial bacteria.

[0089] The reduction in pathogenic or harmful bacteria in the animal's gut can be measured as the reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful strains in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition, compared to their relative abundance in the animals before the application of the plant composition. In various aspects, comparisons are made between healthy animals fed a diet containing the plant composition and healthy animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some aspects, comparisons are made between animals experiencing poor health and fed a diet containing the plant composition and animals experiencing poor health and fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In other aspects, comparisons are made between animals experiencing poor health and fed a diet containing the plant composition and healthy animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In a further aspect, comparisons are made between healthy animals fed a diet containing the plant composition and animals experiencing poor health and fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0090] In each aspect, a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacteria can be measured as: a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains in the same animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In each aspect, a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains can be measured as: a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains in different animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In each aspect, a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains can include: a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to the average relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains in a representative animal population suffering from one or more adverse health conditions. In various respects, a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains can be measured as: a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains in the same animal fed a diet containing the plant composition, compared to different time points when the animal was fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some respects, different time points may include the time when the animal is experiencing poor health and is not consuming the plant composition.

[0091] Shannon Diversity Index

[0092] The methods described herein may include determining beneficial effects, where beneficial effects are a result of an increase in the Shannon diversity index. In various respects, the application of the plant compositions described herein can affect the value of the Shannon diversity index. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, the Shannon diversity index is believed to be a measure of species diversity within a population. The Shannon diversity index H can be calculated as:

[0093]

[0094] Where ∑ indicates the sum, p i Indicates the proportion of a population consisting of species i, and ln(p) iH represents the natural logarithm of the proportion of a population composed of species i. In all respects, the higher the value of H, the greater the species diversity in the population (such as a bacterial population). Conversely, the lower the value of H, the lower the species diversity in the population. In all respects, an increase in the Shannon diversity index can be measured as: the increase in the Shannon diversity index in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In all respects, an increase in the Shannon diversity index can be measured as: the increase in the Shannon diversity index in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to the average Shannon diversity index in representative animal populations suffering from one or more adverse health conditions. In all respects, an increase in the Shannon diversity index can be measured as: the increase in the Shannon diversity index in the same animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to different time points when the animals were fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some respects, different time points may include the time when the animals were experiencing adverse health conditions and were not consuming the plant composition.

[0095] Regulation of volatile fatty acids

[0096] The methods described herein may include determining beneficial effects, wherein such beneficial effects are the result of regulating the production of volatile fatty acids by the gut microbiome. Regulation of the gut microbiome microbiota can further lead to an increase or decrease in various microbial metabolites (including, but not limited to, volatile fatty acids) within the gut. Regulation of various volatile fatty acids may include an increase or decrease in one or more of the following: acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, isovaleric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, and hexanoic acid; or their anionic forms, salt forms, or derivatives. In each respect, an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome can be measured as: an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In each respect, an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome can be measured as: an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to the average concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in representative animal populations suffering from one or more adverse health conditions. In various respects, the increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome can be measured as the increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in the same animal fed a diet containing the plant composition, compared to different time points when the animal was fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some respects, different time points may include the time when the animal is experiencing poor health and is not consuming the plant composition.

[0097] It should also be understood that the reduction in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome can be measured as: the reduction in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In various aspects, the reduction in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome can be measured as: the reduction in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to the average concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in a representative animal population suffering from one or more adverse health conditions. In various aspects, the reduction in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome can be measured as: the reduction in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in the same animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to different time points when the animals were fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some aspects, different time points may include the time when the animals were experiencing adverse health conditions and were not consuming the plant composition.

[0098] In various aspects, an increase in volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome may include an increase in one or more of the following: acetate, propionate, butyrate, and valerate, or derivatives thereof. In some aspects, an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome includes an increase in the total concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking a plant composition. In some aspects, an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome includes an increase in the concentration of acetate produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking a plant composition. In some aspects, an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome includes an increase in the concentration of butyrate produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking a plant composition. In some aspects, an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome includes an increase in the concentration of propionate produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing a plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking a plant composition.

[0099] The methods described herein may include modulating the gut microbiome of animals suffering from adverse health conditions, including obesity, diarrhea, diabetes, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, flatulence, loss of appetite, poor weight gain, bacterial infections, lethargy, physical and emotional malaise, etc. The methods may include administering a plant composition comprising plant extracts to an animal (the animal suffering from the adverse health condition) in an amount effective for producing a beneficial effect on the animal's gut health. The methods may include measuring one or more beneficial effects in the animal. One or more measured beneficial effects may indicate improvement or cessation of one or more adverse health conditions. In all respects, animals fed and administered the plant compositions described herein did not have adverse health conditions.

[0100] Feeding animals with the plant compositions described herein can begin at birth or weaning and can be extended throughout the animal's lifespan. Feeding animals with the plant compositions described herein can be done over discrete time spans or life stages, and can be done over multiple discrete time spans or life stages within the animal's lifespan. It should be understood that the plant compositions described herein can be administered as a daily plant composition fed to animals on most or all days. In various aspects, the plant compositions can be administered to animals on one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven days of the week, continuing for a predetermined time span or the animal's life. In some aspects, the plant compositions can be administered to animals once or twice daily.

[0101] The plant composition described herein may be fed to animals during any discrete life stage, throughout their lifespan, or only when the animal suffers from an imbalance in the activity of its gut microbiome, as demonstrated by any of a number of adverse health conditions. Adverse health conditions may include, but are not limited to, obesity, diarrhea, diabetes, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, flatulence, loss of appetite, poor weight gain, bacterial infection, lethargy, physical and emotional malaise, or any combination thereof. For example, in some aspects, the plant composition may be fed to the animal for the entire duration of the adverse health condition and until the adverse health condition no longer causes symptoms or threats in the animal, whereby the animal can then be switched back to a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0102] In some respects, the plant compositions described herein can be fed to animals preventively to prevent adverse health conditions. In some respects, the plant compositions described herein can be fed to animals at a first dose, and if the animal experiences an adverse health condition, the animal can be switched to a second dose of a diet containing the plant compositions, wherein the second dose is higher than the first dose. Once the animal has overcome the adverse health condition from consuming the second dose of the diet, the animal can return to the first dose of the diet or a diet without the plant compositions. The first and second doses can include any dose or dose range effective in producing beneficial effects, as described elsewhere herein. Furthermore, in various respects, once the animal has overcome the adverse health condition, the animal can continue to consume the plant compositions at either the first or second dose as a daily dietary supplement to maintain health.

[0103] The methods described herein may include feeding animals directly with the plant composition, or the methods may include feeding animals with a food product containing the plant composition, such that the application of the plant composition has a beneficial effect on gut health. In one aspect, the amount of the plant composition applied may be determined based on the concentration of the plant extract required to provide an effective amount for producing a beneficial effect on the gut health of the animal. The methods using the plant compositions described herein may provide certain advantages to animals compared to corresponding methods using food products that do not contain the plant compositions described herein. As observed in animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition, the methods using the plant compositions described herein may produce beneficial effects on the gut health of animals fed the plant compositions. In various aspects, animals fed the plant compositions described herein include felines.

[0104] As described herein, beneficial effects can be determined by comparing the effects observed in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition with those observed in animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some aspects, comparing beneficial effects observed in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition can be done by comparing different time points when the same animals were fed a diet lacking the plant composition. In some aspects, different time points can include the time when animals were experiencing adverse health conditions and were not consuming the plant composition. In other aspects, comparing beneficial effects observed in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition can be done by comparing the average of a representative population of felines suffering from one or more adverse health conditions. In all aspects, beneficial effects can be determined by comparing the effects observed in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition with those observed at different time periods when animals were fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0105] In various aspects, the methods described herein include administering to an animal a plant composition comprising one or more plant extracts, the amount of which is effective in producing at least one health benefit for the animal, wherein the animal suffers from one or more adverse health conditions, including diarrhea, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, primary gastrointestinal disease, and severe gastrointestinal disease. In various aspects, at least one health benefit includes cessation of diarrhea, reduction of obesity, reduction of diabetes biomarkers, improvement of irritable bowel disease, or reduction of the incidence of primary gastrointestinal disease. In various aspects, adverse health conditions may include one or more of diarrhea, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, primary gastrointestinal disease, and severe gastrointestinal disease. The methods described herein may also include alleviating one or more symptoms or intestinal discomfort in the animal, including acute diarrhea, chronic diarrhea, constipation, and excessive vomiting.

[0106] The methods described herein may include applying a plant composition comprising one or more plant extracts, including dandelion leaf extract, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaf, dandelion root, bamboo rhizome, asafoetida, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, quisqualis indica, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, winter jasmine, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, yucca, mountain lily, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, thorny thorn, eupatorium, sedge, spiny vine, amaranth, and elderberry, or combinations thereof.

[0107] The methods described herein may include applying a plant composition containing plant extracts in an amount effective for producing a beneficial effect on the gut health of an animal, the amount being 0.0001% to 10% by weight, or 0.01% to 5.0% by weight, or 0.1% to 1.0% by weight of the animal's diet. The amount of one or more plant extracts effective for producing beneficial effects on the gut health of animals may be 0.0001% by weight, 0.001% by weight, 0.01% by weight, 0.1% by weight, 0.2% by weight, 0.3% by weight, 0.4% by weight, 0.5% by weight, 0.6% by weight, 0.7% by weight, 0.8% by weight, 0.9% by weight, 1.0% by weight, 1.25% by weight, 1.5% by weight, 1.75% by weight, 2.0% by weight, 2.25% by weight, 2.5% by weight, 2.75% by weight, 3.0% by weight, 3.25% by weight, 3.5% by weight, 3.75% by weight, 4.0% by weight, 4.25% by weight, 4.5% by weight, 4.75% by weight, 5.0% by weight, 6.0% by weight, 7.0% by weight, 8.0% by weight, 9.0% by weight, or 10% by weight of the diet, or may be any amount falling within any of the foregoing ranges.

[0108] felines

[0109] The plant compositions described herein can be formulated for any suitable life stage of any suitable domesticated cat. As used herein, the term "felid" refers to domestic cats belonging to the genus and species *Felis catus* or other non-domesticated cats belonging to the family *Felidae*. Domestic cats suitable for ingesting the plant compositions described herein may include, but are not limited to, the following breeds: Abyssinian, American Bobtail, American Curl, American Shorthair, American Wirehair, Balinese, Bengal, British Shorthair, Birman, Bombay, Burmese, Burmilla, Calico, Canadian Sphinx, Chartreux, Chausie, Cornish Rex, Cymric, Devon Rex, Domestic Long Hair, Domestic Medium Hair, Domestic Shorthair, Elf, Egyptian Mau. Mau, Exotic Shorthair, Havana, Himalayan, Japanese Bobtail, Javanese, Korat, Kurilian Bobtail, LaPerm, Lykoi, Maine Coon, Manx, Munchkin, Nebelung, Norwegian Forest CatForest, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, Persian, Pixie-bob, Ragamuffin, Ragdoll, Russian Blue, Savannah, Scottish Fold, Selkirk Rex, Siamese, Siberian, Singapura, Snowshoe, Somali, Sphynx, Tabby, Tonkinese, Tortoiseshell, Toyger, Turkish Angora, Turkish Van, Tuxedo, Yorkshire Chocolate Cat Chocolate) or any hybrids thereof. It should be understood that the plant compositions described herein can also be formulated for one or more non-domesticated cats, including one or more wild cat species, such as those belonging to the genera *Panthera*, *Lynx*, *Leptailurus*, *Leopardus*, and *Acinonyx*.

[0110] Experimental Examples

[0111] Various aspects of this disclosure can be better understood by referring to the following embodiments provided by way of example. This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments given herein.

[0112] Example 1: Plant Extracts

[0113] The plant extracts analyzed in this article include: dandelion leaf extract, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaf, dandelion root, *Panax japonicus*, *Ferula assa-foetida*, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, *Quisqualis indica*, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, *Eriocaulon buergerianum*, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, *Yucca filamentosa*, *Yucca sylvestre*, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, *Symplocos edulis*, *Eupatorium fortunei*, *Amaranthus spinosa*, and elderberry fruit. As described below, all plant extracts were extracted using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).

[0114] Example 2: Modulation of short-chain volatile fatty acid profiles by plant extracts

[0115] The determination and analysis described in this embodiment analyzed the production of volatile fatty acids in representative samples of feline feces in an in vitro digestion model.

[0116] Fresh feces were collected from a single cat, and a representative 30g sample was immediately placed into a filtered SewardStomacher. ® Inside the bag. Transfer the fecal sample to the anaerobic chamber (90% nitrogen, 5% carbon dioxide, 5% hydrogen) and add 220 ml of pre-reduced 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). Seal the bag and homogenize the sample for 2 minutes. Add 10 ml of the filtered homogenate to 190 ml of buffered medium (8.0 mM NaCl, 0.7 mM Na2SO4, 50 mM KH2PO4, 0.654 mM CaCl2-2H2O, 1.0 mM MgSO4-7H2O, resazurin (1 ml / L 1 wt% solution), 2.8 mM cysteine ​​HCl-H2O, 7.3 mM NaHCO3, urea (10 ml / L 4 wt% pre-reduced solution) and 14 mM FeSO4-7H2O, 1.6 mM ZnSO4, 11 mM MnSO4-H2O, 0.50 mM CoCl2-6H2O, 11.1 mM... The mixture was thoroughly mixed in CuCl2-H2O and Na2MoO4-2H2O, and then aliquoted into 1.2 ml aliquots. These aliquots were then added to 10 replicate airtight 2 ml tubes containing pre-weighed food matrix and liquid (dry matter (DM) equivalent weight / volume (% weight / volume)). The sample tubes were then placed on a tube vortex mixer and fermented at 39°C for 24 hours. After fermentation, the short-chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs) of the samples were analyzed by gas chromatography (Agilent DB FFAP, Santa Clara, CA). Exemplary VFAs measured herein include acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, butyrate, isovalerate, and valerate. It should be understood that the VFAs measured herein are reported as the fatty acid anionic form or conjugate base of each corresponding acid. For example, acetate is the conjugate base of acetic acid.

[0117] Predigested cat food (commercially available, inulin-free and supplement-free cat food) was used as the food base. To mimic feline digestion, the food was digested by using 20 ml of pepsin stock solution per 20 g of predigested cat food at pH 2.0, and then using 20 ml of pancreatic enzyme stock solution per 20 g of predigested cat food at pH 7.0. Pepsin stock solution was prepared by adding 7.5 g of pepsin (Project P-7000, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) to every 150 ml of doubly deionized water (ddH2O). Pancreatic enzyme stock solution (Project P-1750, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) was prepared by adding 9 g of pancreatic enzyme to 90 mL of ddH2O, mixing, and centrifuging at 4,000 rpm for 5 minutes.

[0118] The solids remaining after digestion were collected by filtration, washed, dried at 60°C, and added at 12 mg (based on dry matter (DM)) to each replicate tube to simulate dietary residue in the hindgut. Test samples were undigested and added to tubes at 6 mg (based on DM), repeated twice. The experimental test samples included the following plant extracts: dandelion leaf extract, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaf, dandelion root, bamboo rhizome, asafoetida, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, quisqualis indica, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / capsicum, winter melon, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, yucca, mountain lily, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, thorn of the vine, eupatorium, purslane, amaranth, and elderberry. Each experimental test batch contained two controls, including a blank control without plant extracts and an inulin sample. Experimental test batches A and B were conducted according to the experimental design reported in Table 1.

[0119] Table 1. Experimental Design for Test Batches

[0120]

[0121] VFAs were measured on a Perkin Elmer Clarus 680 gas chromatograph and analyzed using Empower software. The effect of each plant extract on gut microbial fermentation was determined by comparing differences in VFA production using a control without plant extracts as a negative control. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA (JMP 15 SASInstitute Inc.). The Tukey-Kramer test was used to compare the means of each test condition within each test group. Means with a p-value ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Concentrations of various VFAs, including acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, butyrate, isovalerate, valerate, and total VFAs, were measured. pH was also measured. Samples were performed in quadruplicate or quintile fractions. The analytical results for each condition are presented as the concentration of short-chain volatile fatty acids (in mM) versus the standard deviation for each condition in Tables 2 and 3.

[0122] Table 2. Test Batch A: Effects of Plant Extracts on Short-Chain Volatile Fatty Acids Produced by the Feline Microbiome Effect of concentration

[0123]

[0124] Table 3. Test Batch B: Effects of Plant Extracts on Short-Chain Volatile Fatty Acids Produced by the Feline Microbiome Effect of concentration

[0125]

[0126] The results showed that, compared with inulin, custard apple followed by shiitake mushroom produced higher levels of propionate. For butyrate, custard apple followed by shiitake mushroom produced the highest level of butyrate. Dandelion leaves produced the highest level of acetate. Among all the plant extracts measured, custard apple followed by shiitake mushroom produced the highest level of total vitamin A (VFA).

[0127] Example 3: Effects of plant extracts on the metagenomic profile of the in vitro feline microbiome

[0128] Cat fecal samples were analyzed to assess changes in the microbiome response to each plant extract, as outlined in Example 2.

[0129] Genomic DNA was extracted using the ZymoBIOMICS 96 MagBead DNA Kit equipped with a Biomek i7 automated liquid processor (Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Indianapolis, IN). Nanopore sequencing libraries were executed using the Rapid PCR-Barcoding Kit (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Oxford, UK). Samples were multiplexed at 12 samples per flow cell and sequenced for 72 hours.

[0130] Taxonomic assignment was performed using the Kraken2 taxonomic sequence system (Bayesian Reestimation of Abundance with Kraken, Johns Hopkins University Center for Computational Biology, Baltimore, MD), with a curated database containing publicly available genomes from RefSeq (https: / / www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / refseq / ) and metagenomic studies. Abundance estimation at the species level was performed using *Baltissima spp.* (Bayesian Reestimation of Abundance with Kraken, Johns Hopkins University Center for Computational Biology, Baltimore, MD). The central log-log ratio (CLR) was used with the R package zCompositions to normalize the counts to zero.

[0131] Unbound by any particular theory, it should be understood that data obtained through nanopore sequencing is inherently constitutive, meaning that the abundance of any given nucleotide fragment from a representative taxa present in a given sample is interpretable only relative to another different nucleotide fragment from a different representative taxa in the same sample. The amount of any given nucleotide in a sample can be an artificial product of the sequencing method and therefore can vary from sample to sample. However, it is still possible to determine the relative abundance of taxa in different samples using these techniques. After the taxonomic assignment as described above, read counts are assigned to all taxa within a given sample, and the ratio of read counts between different taxa can be determined for comparison within the dataset. Therefore, the data must be transformed so that relative comparisons can be made. In various respects, the transformation can be interpreted as normalization. The central log-ratio (CLR) transformation value can be calculated by taking the logarithm of the ratio of the taxa read counts within a sample to the geometric mean of the read counts of all taxa within the sample. Since the CLR value for each sample is logarithmically transformed due to the nature of this transformation, when comparing these values ​​across samples, numerical differences are equivalent to logarithmic fold changes. For example, when comparing two samples A and B of species X (i.e., when observing X...) clrB -X clrA (At time), a difference of 0 between two samples means that the log ratios of the two samples are the same and unchanged. A positive value indicates that the relative abundance in sample B is higher than that in sample A, and the log-fold difference is reported as positive. Similarly, a negative value indicates that the relative abundance in sample A is higher than that in sample B. The method for determining the center-log ratio is described, for example, in Gloor et al., “Microbiome Datasets Are Compositional: And This Is Not Optional,” Frontiers in Microbiology, 2017, Vol. 8, No. 2224. https: / / doi.org / 10.3389%2Ffmicb.2017.02224.

[0132] Ecological diversity analysis was performed using R packages, with Phyloseq and Vegan used for alpha diversity analysis. For alpha difference analysis, sparsity was first used to adjust for library size differences.

[0133] The overall characterization of the microbial community at the species level (raw counts and central log-ratio transform values) and derived measures of the microbial community (such as Shannon diversity) were determined. The central log-ratio (CLR) values, Shannon diversity values, and standard deviations for the species of interest (e.g., Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Bifidobacterium, Collinsella, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococci, Escherichia coli, Faecalibacterium, Peptostreptococci, Prevotella, Rosella, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, Salmonella, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus hirae) are summarized in Tables 4 and 5.

[0134] Table 4. Experimental Batch A: Relative Abundance of Plant Extracts for Bacterial Species of Interest in the Feline Microbiome The influence of degree

[0135]

[0136] Table 5. Experimental Batch B: Relative Abundance of Plant Extracts for Bacterial Species of Interest in the Feline Microbiome The influence of degree

[0137]

[0138] The results showed that dandelion leaves, followed by *Symplocos rubra*, led to the strongest increase in Bifidobacterium levels. Custard apple, dandelion leaves, sweet prickly pear, *Symplocos rubra*, and *Smilax china* led to the strongest increase in Bacteroidetes levels. Dandelion leaves led to the strongest increase in Rumenaceae levels. Dandelion leaves, followed by *Smilax china* and custard apple, led to the strongest increase in *Femobacterium* levels.

[0139] Example 4: Effects of plant extracts on bacterial growth

[0140] The assays described in this embodiment include in vitro activation assays to monitor the effects of experimental plant extracts on the growth characteristics of various beneficial gut bacteria. Each beneficial bacterial strain was cultured on agar plates according to the growth conditions for each corresponding bacterial strain presented in Table 6.

[0141] By using the initial OD 600 (i.e., optical density at 600 nm) Inoculate the corresponding culture medium and perform activation assays in 96-well plates. Briefly, add 145 μl of assay medium, 145 μl of the corresponding bacterial strain slurry, and 5 μl of each corresponding plant extract to the corresponding well of the 96-well plate. The plant extracts are tested together with a baseline no-plant-extract control and a positive control. The baseline no-plant-extract control consists of the corresponding preferred culture medium supplemented with water or DMSO to simulate the solvent used to prepare the plant material, and the positive control consists of the corresponding preferred culture medium supplemented with MRS, which is known to stimulate growth. Each sample is tested in triplicate.

[0142] Plant extracts were tested in DMSO at a concentration of 0.6 g / L. The raw materials were prepared by dissolving each plant material separately in DMSO and shaking at 250 rpm for 30 minutes. The stock solution was removed from the shaker and allowed to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow insoluble sample substances to settle to the bottom. The supernatant was removed and stored at -20°C until future use.

[0143] The activation medium was selected based on a modified standard ileal effluent medium (SIEM) composition (according to Minekus et al., 1999), and modified in (g / L) as shown in Table 7. Yeast casein peptone fatty acid broth (YCFAC broth) and membrane trypsin peptone glucose extract anaerobic enrichment broth (MTGE broth) containing carbohydrates were purchased from Anaerobe Systems, Inc. (MorganHills, CA, USA).

[0144] The 96-well plates were incubated at 37°C with constant oscillation for 48 hours using a Biotek LogPhase 600 instrument from Agilent Technologies, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA). OD was measured every 20 minutes. 600 And record it. Create a Python script and use it to analyze the growth data to determine the lag time, growth rate, and total growth of each bacterial culture under each test condition.

[0145] Table 6. Experimental conditions for activation assay

[0146]

[0147] 1. Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH – namely, German Collection of Microorganisms and CellCultures GmbH; Braunschweig, Germany.

[0148] 2. Aerican Type Culture Collection (USA); Manassas, Virginia

[0149] 3De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe agar

[0150] 4. Yeast casein peptone fatty acid agar and carbohydrates

[0151] 5 Brucella blood agar

[0152] Anaerobic enrichment of 6-membrane trypsin-glucose extract

[0153] Table 7. Activation medium used in the activation assay

[0154]

[0155] The effects of plant extracts on the growth of various bacterial strains were determined and compared with control growth conditions without plant extracts. An internal activation assay scoring system was used to determine the effects of each component on growth rate, hysteresis time, and OD. 600 The effect of changes. If a significant change is identified compared to the baseline control (i.e., p < 0.05, t test), the activation assay score is calculated as effect size × 3. If a significant change is identified compared to the positive control, the activation assay score is calculated as effect size × 6. The final activation assay score is calculated across growth rate, lag time, and OD. 600 The cumulative activation assay score reflects the changes. It should be understood that as the activation assay score increases positively, the plant extract has a stronger effect on promoting bacterial growth, while as the activation assay score increases negatively, the plant extract has a stronger effect on inhibiting bacterial growth. A score of zero indicates that the plant extract has no statistically significant effect on the growth of the bacterial strain. Three factors are considered: growth rate, hysteresis, and OD. 600 The changes, and the overall cumulative activation assay scores for each plant extract tested are listed in Table 8.

[0156] Table 8. Cumulative activation assay scores of plant extracts

[0157]

[0158] The results showed that privet, followed by custard apple and elderberry, were the strongest activators of *Lactobacillus reuteri*. Elderberry, followed by custard apple, *Hericium erinaceus*, *Polygonum aviculare*, privet, and *Codonopsis pilosula*, were the strongest activators of *Enterococcus haematococcus*. *Phyllostachys edulis*, *Lilium lancifolium*, *Yucca sylvestris*, and *Rhizoma prickly pear* were the strongest activators of *R. inulinivarons*. Custard apple, followed by privet, *Codonopsis pilosula*, and elderberry, were the strongest activators of *Bifidobacterium longum*. Custard apple, followed by *Polygonum aviculare*, *Hericium erinaceus*, and *Codonopsis pilosula*, were the strongest activators of species in the Ruminaceae family.

[0159] Example 5: Effects of plant extracts on bacterial growth inhibition

[0160] The assays described in this embodiment were performed as an in vitro model to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the tested plant extract against various pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains. MIC is the lowest concentration of the product that inhibits the growth of the tested bacterial organism.

[0161] Plant extract stock solutions were prepared by dissolving 25 mg of each plant extract in 1 ml of DMSO (0.25% by weight / volume dilution) and extracting for 30 minutes with gentle stirring as described in Example 4. The plant stock solutions were removed from the shaker and allowed to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow insoluble sample material to settle to the bottom. The supernatant was removed and the solutions were stored at -20°C until future use.

[0162] In the presence of plant extracts, the growth inhibition of eight different concentrations of bacteria was determined using a 2-fold serial dilution method, starting at 0.125% (w / v) of the extracted plant product (diluted in appropriate culture media for each microorganism). Additional dilutions tested included 0.0625% w / v, 0.03125% w / v, 0.015625% w / v, 0.0078% w / v, 0.0039% w / v, 0.0019% w / v, and 0.00097% w / v. The dilution series were inoculated with bacterial cultures grown in broth to reach approximately 5 × 10⁻⁶. 5 The initial concentration was set at colony-forming units / ml (cfu / ml), and incubated overnight. The sterility of the plant extract in each culture reagent was confirmed using both bacterial extracts and a broth-only control. A series of DMSO dilutions was also evaluated for each bacterial species to rule out any adverse effects of the individual solvent on bacterial growth. The bacteria used, assay media, and growth conditions are summarized in Table 9.

[0163] Table 9: Bacterial strains, assay media, and growth conditions used for inhibition assays

[0164]

[0165] In summary, the efficacy of plant extracts in inhibiting bacterial growth is summarized in Table 10.

[0166] Table 10: Inhibition test scores of plant extracts

[0167]

[0168] The following plant extracts showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against a single bacterial strain: dandelion leaf (MIC: 0.0625% W / V for *Clostridium perfringens*); privet (MIC: 0.125% W / V for *Burkholderia cepacia*); quisqualis indica (MIC: 0.125% W / V for *Burkholderia cepacia*); saw palmetto (MIC: 0.125% W / V for *Desulfovibrio*); wild lupin (MIC: 0.0625% W / V for *Clostridium perfringens*); sweet prickly pear (MIC: 0.125% W / V for *Desulfovibrio*); and prickly amaranth (MIC: 0.125% W / V for *Burkholderia cepacia*).

[0169] The following plant extracts show MICs against two bacterial strains: *Ipomoea quamoclit* (MIC: 0.125% W / V for *Burkholderia cepacia*, and MIC: 0.0625% W / V for *Collinsella oxyphylla*).

[0170] The following plant extracts showed MICs against three bacterial strains: Indian mulberry (MIC: 0.125% W / V for Burkholderia cepacia, MIC: 0.125% W / V for Streptococcus canis, and 0.03125% W / V for Clostridium perfringens); coriander (MIC: 0.0625% W / V for Burkholderia cepacia, MIC: 0.0625% W / V for Streptococcus canis, and MIC: 0.015625% W / V for Desulfurization Vibrio); and goat's head (MIC: 0.125% W / V for Burkholderia cepacia, MIC: 0.0625% W / V for Streptococcus canis, and MIC: 0.03125% W / V for Desulfurization Vibrio).

[0171] The following plant extracts showed MICs against four bacterial strains: Indian lotus (MIC: 0.03125% W / V for Burkholderia cepacia, MIC: 0.015625% W / V for Campylobacter helveticus, MIC: 0.015625% W / V for Campylobacter jejuni, and MIC: 0.00391% W / V for Clostridium perfringens).

[0172] The following plant extracts showed MICs against five bacterial strains: fennel (MIC: 0.125% W / V for Burkholderia cepacia, MIC: 0.125% W / V for Streptococcus canis, MIC: 0.125% W / V for Collins aerogenes, MIC: 0.03125% W / V for Desulfovibrio, and MIC: 0.03125% W / V for Clostridium perfringens).

[0173] The following plant extracts showed MICs against six bacterial strains: red pepper / capsicum (MIC: 0.0625% W / V for Enterococcus, MIC: 0.125% W / V for Burkholderia cepacia, MIC: 0.0156% W / V for Streptococcus canis, MIC: 0.0625% W / V for Collins aerogenes, MIC: 0.00781% W / V for Desulfovibrio, and MIC: 0.0625% W / V for Clostridium perfringens).

[0174] Example 6: Effects of plant extracts on the gut microbiome of felines in a digestion and fermentation model

[0175] This embodiment uses a feline digestion and fermentation model to determine the effects of various plant extracts on the feline gut microbiota. The model simulates the feline gut microbiota using a separately sealed bioreactor containing fecal inoculum and nutrients, and includes a headspace volume and a sampling port.

[0176] The experiments described in this embodiment detail the effects of various plant extracts on the following: (i) total metabolic activity (pH and gas production); (ii) glycolytic metabolites (lactic acid and short-chain fatty acids, including acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate); and proteolytic metabolites (ammonium and branched-chain fatty acids, including isobutyrate, isovalerate and isohexanoate; and total short-chain fatty acids); and (iii) bacterial community composition assessed by nanopore shotgun sequencing.

[0177] The digestion simulation system comprises a series of individually sealed, independent bioreactors. Each bioreactor contains a top space volume above a sample chamber containing fecal matter, sampling ports for monitoring gas production and pH, and temperature control to maintain the temperature of each bioreactor at 37°C for each experimental condition. A total of six feline donors (n=6) were analyzed.

[0178] Three plant extracts were used, including dandelion leaf, winter jasmine, and custard apple. A control sample was also included, comprising inulin and a non-plant extract blank (which included culture medium and microbiome inoculum). The plant extracts were used at a concentration of 5 mg / ml. The control sample included inulin and a non-plant extract blank containing culture medium and microbiome inoculum. The concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) (i.e., the sum of isobutyrate, isovalerate, and isohexanoate) were determined by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). pH and gas production were also measured as key markers of microbial metabolic activity. The results for the fermentation parameters are presented in Table 11.

[0179] Table 11. Effects of plant extracts on the concentration of short-chain volatile fatty acids produced by the feline microbiome （n=6）

[0180]

[0181] Cat fecal samples were analyzed to assess changes in the microbiome response to each plant extract. Experimental samples contained plant extracts, including dandelion leaf, shiitake mushroom, and custard apple, while controls included inulin and non-plant extract blanks. Culture media and microbiome inoculum were also included.

[0182] Genomic DNA was extracted using the ZymoBIOMICS 96 MagBead DNA Kit equipped with a Biomek i7 automated liquid processor (Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Indianapolis, IN). Nanopore sequencing libraries were executed using the Rapid PCR-Barcoding Kit (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Oxford, UK). Samples were multiplexed at 12 samples per flow cell and sequenced for 72 hours.

[0183] Taxonomic assignment was performed using the Kraken2 taxonomic sequence system (Bayesian Reestimation of Abundance with Kraken, Johns Hopkins University Center for Computational Biology, Baltimore, MD), with a curated database containing publicly available genomes from RefSeq (https: / / www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / refseq / ) and metagenomic studies. Abundance estimation at the species level was performed using *Baltissima spp.* (Bayesian Reestimation of Abundance with Kraken, Johns Hopkins University Center for Computational Biology, Baltimore, MD). The central log-log ratio (CLR) was used with the R package zCompositions to normalize the counts to zero.

[0184] Ecological diversity analysis was performed using R packages, with Phyloseq and Vegan used for alpha diversity analysis. For alpha difference analysis, sparsity was first used to adjust for library size differences.

[0185] The overall characterization of the microbial community at the species level (using raw counts and central log ratio transformed data) and derived measures of the microbial community (such as Shannon diversity) were determined. The central log ratio (CLR), Shannon diversity values, and standard deviations for the species of interest (e.g., Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Bifidobacterium, Collinsella, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococci, Escherichia coli, Faecalibacterium, Peptostreptococci, Prevotella, Rosella, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, Salmonella, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus hirae) are summarized in Table 14.

[0186] Table 12. Effects of plant extracts on the relative abundance of bacterial species of interest in the feline microbiome (n) =6）

[0187]

[0188]

[0189] Example 7: Effects of plant extracts on cell monolayer integrity

[0190] This embodiment measured transepithelial electrical resistance across model cell lines to assess cell integrity at the gas-liquid interface in response to various plant extracts.

[0191] The pre-coated human colon cancer cell line Caco-2 (i.e., CacoReady cells) was obtained from Adari Cell (Oakland, CA, USA). Upon receipt, the transport medium was replaced with a complete medium consisting of Dulbecco minimum basal medium (Mediatech Inc, Manassas, VA, USA) supplemented with 1% penicillin-streptomycin solution and 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (Life Technologies, Burlington, Canada). The complete medium was replaced every other day according to the manufacturer's instructions until day 21. The CacoReady cells were incubated at 37°C in a humid atmosphere with 5% CO2.

[0192] On day 21, the permeability of cell monolayers was monitored by measuring transepithelial resistance (TER) in complete culture medium at 37°C using a REMS automated sampler (World Precision Instruments). Only TER values ​​of 1,000 were considered. cm 2 Or a larger hole for experiments.

[0193] Samples for TER analysis were obtained by using fecal microbiomes from six different feline donors via an in vitro fermentation model to produce various plant extracts. Supernatants from the six donors were pooled for each treatment. TER values ​​were measured at baseline (e.g., at time 0 hours) on day 21 of cell differentiation. The culture medium was then replaced, and 0.625% (v / v) of the treatment was added to the top chamber, exposing the cells for 24 hours. As a positive control, cells were treated with the anti-inflammatory compound 2-[(aminocarbonyl)amino]-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-thiophene carboxamide (TPCA-1). After 24 hours of incubation with the test product, the top chamber of the transwell plate was treated for 18 hours with a mixture of inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). TER values ​​for each sample were measured after the 18-hour incubation.

[0194] This study examined the ability of plant extracts to reduce inflammation-induced epithelial permeability on differentiated human intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers. A decrease in TER values ​​after exposure to a mixture of inflammatory cytokines indicates reduced Caco-2 cell monolayer integrity and is a representative model of “leaky gut.” The TER ratio was calculated by dividing the TER value of each individual well at 18 hours by the baseline TER value at 0 hours. Values ​​below 1 indicate a decrease in TER from the initial time 0, meaning the lower the value, the more permeable the cell monolayer becomes after incubation, and the closer the value is to 1, the less inflammation-induced permeability and the more protective the treatment. Therefore, plant extracts that reduce or improve inflammation-induced TER reduction (e.g., values ​​close to 1) may be beneficial for overall gut health.

[0195] Table 12 shows the 24-hour pretreatment and additional 18-hour incubation period for the plant extracts, with or without the addition of inflammatory stimulants. Treatments showed no decrease in TER, indicating that treatment without exposure to inflammatory stimuli did not cause a significant decrease in TER. No significant decrease in TER was observed for the treatments of dandelion and winter melon. Cell monolayer integrity was maintained when exposed to inflammatory agonists for 18 hours. This indicates that treatments protected the integrity and permeability of the cell monolayer after exposure to inflammatory stimuli. TPCA-1 (i.e., 2-[(aminocarbonyl)amino]-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-thiophenecarboxamide) – a potent and selective inhibitor of I-κ-kinase-2 – was used as a control and maintained cell monolayer integrity after exposure to the cytokine mixture. Baseline TER (0 hours) was measured before the 24-hour pretreatment of the plant extracts and after an additional 18 hours with or without inflammatory stimuli (i.e., TNF-α and IL-1β). Treatments were repeated twice. Each value presented in Table 13 is the standard error (SEM) of the mean TER ratio ± mean between the two groups of experiments.

[0196] Table 13. Average TER ratio with or without TNF-α and IL-1β

[0197]

[0198] Unless otherwise stated, the definitions described herein apply to all aspects.

[0199] In this document, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the terms "an," "a," or "the" are used to include one or more. Unless otherwise indicated, the term "or" is used to mean a non-exclusive "or." All publications, patents, and patent documents cited in this document are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if individually cited. In the event of any inconsistency between the usage in this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated references shall be considered supplementary to the usage in this document; in the case of irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document shall prevail.

[0200] Values ​​expressed in range format should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the values ​​explicitly listed as limits of the range, but also all individual values ​​or subranges covered within the range, as if each value and subrange were explicitly listed. For example, a range of "about 0.1% to about 5%" or "about 0.1% to 5%" should be interpreted to include not only about 0.1% to about 5%, but also individual values ​​(e.g., 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and subranges (e.g., 0.1% to 0.5%, 1.1% to 2.2%, 3.3% to 4.4%) within the specified range. Unless otherwise stated, the statement "about X to Y" has the same meaning as "about X to about Y". Similarly, unless otherwise stated, the statement "about X, Y, or about Z" has the same meaning as "about X, about Y, or about Z".

[0201] Unless otherwise specified, ppm (parts per million), percentages, and ratios are based on weight. Weight-based percentages (% w / w or w / w%) are also referred to herein as weight percentages (weight %) or weight percentages (%wt.).

[0202] Additional Examples

[0203] The following is a non-complete list of additional embodiments of the present invention.

[0204] Example 1. A plant composition comprising: at least one plant extract; wherein the plant extract is present in the plant composition in an amount effective for producing a beneficial effect on the gut microbiome of an animal; wherein the plant extract comprises one or more plant extracts, including dandelion leaf extract, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaf, dandelion root, bamboo rhizome, asafoetida, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, Quisqualis indica, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, winter jasmine, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, yucca, mountain lily, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, thorny thorn, eupatorium, sedge, spiny amaranth, and elderberry, or any combination thereof.

[0205] Example 2. The composition according to Example 1, wherein the plant extract comprises one or more of the following: custard apple, winter melon, or dandelion leaf.

[0206] Example 3. The composition according to Example 1, wherein multiple plant extracts are present in the plant composition, each plant extract being present in an amount effective for producing a beneficial effect on the gut microbiome.

[0207] Example 4. The composition according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the beneficial effect includes one or more of the following: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains; an increase in the Shannon diversity index; or an increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome.

[0208] Example 5. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the relative abundance of one or more of the following species: Bifidobacterium, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, Faecalibacterium, Roselle, or Prevotella.

[0209] Example 6. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains comprises: an increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0210] Example 7. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains comprises: an increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to the relative abundance of beneficial strains in animals experiencing one or more adverse health conditions.

[0211] Example 8. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the reduction of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains includes a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more of the following: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collins aerogenes, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, Salmonella enterica serotype Salmonella typhimurium, or Streptococcus canis.

[0212] Example 9. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the reduction in the relative abundance of the one or more pathogenic bacterial strains comprises: a reduction in the relative abundance of the one or more pathogenic bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition relative to the relative abundance of pathogenic strains that cause disease.

[0213] Example 10. According to the composition of Example 4, the increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes: an increase in the Bifidobacterium population in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0214] Example 11. According to the composition of Example 4, the increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes: an increase in the Rumenaceae population in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0215] Example 12. According to the composition of Example 4, the increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes: an increase in the Bacteroidetes population in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0216] Example 13. According to the composition of Example 4, the increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes: an increase in the population of *Femtobacter* in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0217] Example 14. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome comprises: an increase in the total concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0218] Example 15. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the increase in volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome includes an increase in one or more of the following: acetate, propionate, butyrate, and valerate, or derivatives thereof.

[0219] Example 16. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the increase in volatile fatty acid production by the gut microbiome comprises: an increase in the concentration of acetate produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0220] Example 17. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the increase in volatile fatty acid production by the gut microbiome comprises: an increase in butyrate concentration produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0221] Example 18. The composition according to Example 4, wherein the increase in volatile fatty acid production by the gut microbiome comprises: an increase in the concentration of propionate produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0222] Example 19. The composition according to any one of Examples 1 to 18, wherein the animal is a feline.

[0223] Example 20. A method for feeding a feline, the method comprising feeding a plant composition according to any one of Examples 1 to 19.

[0224] Example 21. The composition according to any one of Examples 1 to 20, wherein the amount of plant extract effective for producing a beneficial effect on the gut health of an animal is 0.0001% to 10% by weight, or 0.01% to 5.0% by weight, or 0.1% to 1.0% by weight of the animal's diet.

[0225] Example 22. A method for modulating the gut microbiome of an animal, the method comprising: administering to the animal a plant composition comprising a plant extract in an amount effective for producing a beneficial effect on the animal's gut health; wherein the amount of the plant extract effective for producing a beneficial effect causes one or more of the following: the beneficial effect is measured by determining one or more of the following: an increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains; a decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains; an increase in the Shannon diversity index; and by... The changes in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome; and the plant composition comprising one or more plant extracts, including dandelion leaf extract, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaf, dandelion root, bamboo rhizome, asafoetida, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, quisqualis indica, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, winter jasmine, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, yucca lily, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, thorn of the vine, eupatorium, purslane, spiny vine, amaranth, and elderberry, or combinations thereof.

[0226] Example 23. The method according to any Example 22, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the relative abundance of one or more of the following: Bifidobacteria, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, or Faecalibacterium, Lactobacillus, Roseola, or Prevotella.

[0227] Example 24. The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 23, wherein the animal is a feline.

[0228] Example 25. The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 24, wherein the amount of the plant extract effective for producing a beneficial effect on the intestinal microbiome of an animal is 0.0001% to 10% by weight, or 0.1% to 5.0% by weight, or 0.1% to 1.0% by weight.

[0229] Example 26. The method according to Example 22, wherein the one or more pathogenic bacterial strains include one or more of the following: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collins aerogenes, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Salmonella typhimurium or Streptococcus canis.

[0230] Example 27. The method according to Example 22, wherein the beneficial effect is determined by comparing the effects observed in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition with the effects observed in animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0231] Example 28. The method according to Example 22, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains includes an increase in the relative abundance of one or more of the following species: Bifidobacteria, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, or Faecalibacterium.

[0232] Example 29. The method according to Example 22, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains comprises: an increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0233] Example 30. The method according to Example 22, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains comprises: an increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to the relative abundance of beneficial strains in animals experiencing one or more adverse health conditions.

[0234] Example 31. The method according to Example 22, wherein the reduction of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains includes a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more of the following: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collins aerogenes, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Salmonella typhimurium or Streptococcus canis.

[0235] Example 32. The method according to Example 22, wherein the reduction in the relative abundance of the one or more pathogenic bacterial strains comprises: a reduction in the relative abundance of the one or more pathogenic bacterial strains in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition relative to the relative abundance of pathogenic strains that cause disease.

[0236] Example 33. The method according to Example 22, wherein the increase in Bifidobacteria comprises: an increase in the relative abundance of the Bifidobacterium bacterial population in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0237] Example 34. The method according to Example 21, wherein the increase in rumen bacteriaceae comprises: an increase in the relative abundance of rumen bacteriaceae bacterial populations in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0238] Example 35. The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 34, wherein the increase in Bacteroidetes comprises: an increase in the Bacteroidetes population in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0239] Example 36. The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 35, wherein the increase in *Femtobacter* comprises: an increase in the relative abundance of *Femtobacter* population in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0240] Example 37. The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 36, wherein the change in volatile fatty acid production of the gut microbiome includes: an increase in the total volatile fatty acid concentration produced by the gut microbiome in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0241] Example 38. The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 37, wherein the change in the concentration of volatile fatty acids in the gut microbiome includes an increase in one or more of the following: acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, butyrate, isovalerate, and valerate or derivatives thereof.

[0242] Example 39. The method according to any one of Examples 21 to 38, wherein the change in volatile fatty acid concentration is measured in animals fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

[0243] Example 40. The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 39, wherein the change in the concentration of volatile fatty acids in an animal in a disease state is measured compared with the baseline concentration of volatile fatty acids in an animal in a non-disease state.

[0244] Example 41. The method according to embodiment 40, wherein the disease state includes diarrhea, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, primary gastrointestinal disease, and severe gastrointestinal disease.

[0245] Example 42. The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 41, the method further comprising alleviating one or more symptoms or intestinal discomfort in the animal, the symptoms including acute diarrhea, chronic diarrhea, constipation and vomiting.

[0246] Example 43. The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 42, wherein administering the plant composition to the animal comprises: the plant composition producing at least one health benefit in a feline suffering from one or more health conditions, including diarrhea, obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel disease, and primary gastrointestinal disease.

[0247] Example 44. The method according to Example 43, wherein at least one health benefit includes cessation of diarrhea, reduction of obesity, reduction of diabetes biomarkers, improvement of irritable bowel disease, or reduction of the incidence of primary gastrointestinal diseases.

Claims

1. A plant composition comprising: at least one plant extract; wherein the plant extract is present in the plant composition in an amount effective to produce a beneficial effect on an intestinal microbiome of an animal; wherein the plant extract comprises one or more plant extracts including dandelion leaf extract, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaf, dandelion root, Panax japonicus, Ferula foetida, Ligustrum lucidum, Cuminum cyminum, Lycium indicum, Premna spicata, Nelumbo nucifera, Capsicum annuum / cayenne pepper, Atractylodes lancea, Ficus benghalensis, Hericium erinaceus, Coriandrum sativum, Serenoa repens, Chlorophytum comosum, Yucca filamentosa, Ceratonia siliqua, Lupinus polyphyllus, Capra hircus, Malus hallingsensis, Vitis vinifera, Eupatorium odoratum, Paederia foetida, and Sambucus nigra, or any combination thereof.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plant extract comprises one or more of the following: Ficus benghalensis, Atractylodes lancea, or dandelion leaf extract.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein a plurality of plant extracts are present in the plant composition, each plant extract present in an amount effective to produce a beneficial effect on the intestinal microbiome.

4. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the beneficial effect comprises one or more of: an increase in relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains; a decrease in relative abundance of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains; an increase in Shannon diversity index; or an increase in concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the intestinal microbiome.

5. The composition of claim 4, wherein the increase in relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains comprises an increase in relative abundance of one or more of the following species: Bifidobacterium, Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, or Prevotella.

6. The composition of claim 4, wherein the decrease in one or more pathogenic bacterial strains comprises a decrease in relative abundance of one or more of the following: Burkholderia cenocepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collinsella aerofaciens, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar typhimurium, or Streptococcus canis.

7. The composition of claim 4, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strain comprises: an increase in Bifidobacterium population in an animal fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to an animal fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

8. The composition of claim 4, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strain comprises: an increase in Ruminococcaceae population in an animal fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to an animal fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

9. The composition of claim 4, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strain comprises: an increase in Bacteroidaceae population in an animal fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to an animal fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

10. The composition of claim 4, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strain comprises: an increase in Faecalibacterium population in an animal fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to an animal fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

11. The composition of claim 4, wherein the increase in volatile fatty acid concentration produced by the gut microbiome comprises: an increase in total volatile fatty acid concentration produced by the intestinal microbiome in an animal fed a diet containing the plant composition compared to an animal fed a diet lacking the plant composition.

12. The composition of claim 4, wherein the increase in volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome comprises an increase in the concentration of one or more of the following: acetate, propionate, butyrate, and valerate, or derivatives thereof.

13. A method for feeding a feline, the method comprising feeding a plant composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the amount of plant extract effective for producing a beneficial effect on the intestinal health of the animal is from 0.0001% to 10% by weight, or from 0.01% to 5.0% by weight, or from 0.1% to 1.0% by weight of the animal's diet.

15. A method for modulating the gut microbiome of an animal, the method comprising: The plant composition comprising plant extracts was administered to the animal in an amount effective in producing a beneficial effect on the animal's intestinal health. The amount of the plant extract effective in producing beneficial effects causes one or more of the following: The beneficial effects are measured by determining one or more of the following: An increase in the relative abundance of one or more beneficial bacterial strains; A decrease in the relative abundance of one or more pathogenic or harmful bacterial strains; The increase in Shannon's diversity index; and Changes in the concentration of volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome; and The plant composition described herein comprises one or more plant extracts, including dandelion leaf extract, dandelion leaf, ground dandelion leaf, dandelion root, bamboo rhizome, asafoetida, privet, fennel, Indian mulberry, quisqualis indica, long pepper, Indian lotus, red chili pepper / chili pepper, winter jasmine, custard apple, lion's mane mushroom, coriander, saw palmetto, yucca, mountain lily, carob, wild lupin, goat's head, sweet prickly pear, thorny thorn, eupatorium, purslane, spiny vine, spiny amaranth, and elderberry, or combinations thereof.

16. The method according to any claim 15, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of said one or more beneficial bacterial strains comprises an increase in the relative abundance of one or more of the following: Bifidobacteria, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, or Faecalibacterium, Lactobacillus, Roseola, or Prevotella.

17. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 16, wherein the animal is a feline.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the amount of the plant extract effective for producing a beneficial effect on the intestinal microbiome of an animal is from 0.0001% to 10% by weight, or from 0.1% to 5.0% by weight, or from 0.1% to 1.0% by weight.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more pathogenic bacterial strains comprise one or more of the following: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collins aerogenes, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Salmonella typhimurium, or Streptococcus canis.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the increase in the relative abundance of the one or more beneficial bacterial strains comprises an increase in the relative abundance of one or more species of Bifidobacteria, Ruminaceae, Bacteroidetes, or Faecalibacterium.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the reduction of one or more pathogenic bacterial strains comprises a reduction in the relative abundance of one or more of the following: Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter helveticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Collins aerogenes, Desulfovibrio, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Salmonella typhimurium, or Streptococcus canis.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the increase in Bifidobacterium comprises: Compared with animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition, animals fed a diet containing the plant composition showed an increase in the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium bacterial population.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the increase in Ruminococcaceae comprises: Compared with animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition, animals fed a diet containing the plant composition showed an increase in the relative abundance of Rumenaceae bacteria.

24. The method of any one of claims 15 to 23, wherein the increase in Bacteroidaceae comprises: Animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition showed an increase in Bacteroidetes populations compared to animals fed a diet containing the plant composition.

25. The method of any one of claims 15 to 24, wherein the increase in Faecalibacterium comprises: Compared with animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition, animals fed a diet containing the plant composition showed an increase in the relative abundance of the *Femobacterium* population.

26. The method of any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the change in volatile fatty acid production by the gut microbiome comprises: Compared with animals fed a diet lacking the plant composition, animals fed a diet containing the plant composition showed an increase in the concentration of total volatile fatty acids produced by the gut microbiome.

27. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 26, wherein the change in the concentration of volatile fatty acids in the gut microbiome comprises an increase in one or more of the following: acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, butyrate, isovalerate, and valerate or derivatives thereof.

28. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 27, further comprising alleviating one or more symptoms or intestinal discomfort in the animal, including acute diarrhea, chronic diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting.

29. The method of any one of claims 15 to 28, wherein administering a plant composition to the animal comprises: The plant composition produces at least one health benefit in felines suffering from one or more health conditions, including diarrhea, obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel disease, and primary gastrointestinal diseases.

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