Relationships between gut microbiota, plasma metabolites, and metabolic syndrome traits in the METSIM cohort

Integrated omics analysis reveals the alteration of gut microbiota and fecal metabolites in Cervus elaphus kansuensis

The gut microbiota is the largest and most complex microecosystem in animals. It is influenced by the host's dietary habits and living environment, and its composition and diversity play irreplaceable roles in animal nutrient metabolism, immunity, and adaptation to the environment. Although the gut microbiota of red deer has been studied, the composition and function of the gut microbiota in Gansu red deer (Cervus elaphus kansuensis), an endemic subspecies of red deer in China, has not been reported. In this study, the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome and fecal metabolomics of C. elaphus kansuensis were identified and compared for the first time by using 16S rDNA sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, and LC-MS/MS. There were significant differences in gut microbiota structure and diversity between wild and farmed C. elaphus kansuensis. The 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that the genus UCRD-005 was dominant in both captive red deer (CRD) and wild red deer (WRD). Metagenomic sequencing showed similar results to those of 16S rDNA sequencing for gut microbiota in CRD and WRD at the phylum and genus levels. 16S rDNA and metagenomics sequencing data suggested that Bacteroides and Bacillus might serve as marker genera for CRD and WRD, respectively. Fecal metabolomics results showed that 520 metabolites with significant differences were detected between CRD and WRD and most differential metabolites were involved in lipid metabolism. The results suggested that large differences in gut microbiota composition and fecal metabolites between CRD and WRD, indicating that different dietary habits and living environments over time have led to the development of stable gut microbiome characteristics for CRD and WRD to meet their respective survival and reproduction needs. KEY POINTS: • Environment and food affected the gut microbiota and fecal metabolites in red deer • Genera Bacteroides and Bacillus may play important roles in CRD and WRD, respectively • Flavonoids and ascorbic acid in fecal metabolites may influence health of red deer.

Association between Gut Microbiota Profiles, Dietary Intake, and Inflammatory Markers in Overweight and Obese Women

Being overweight and obesity are significant global public health challenges due to their association with adipose tissue dysfunction, pro-inflammatory marker production, and alterations in gut microbiota composition. To explore the relationship between gut microbiota, dietary factors, and inflammatory markers in overweight or obese women, we conducted a cross-sectional study involving a healthy group (n = 20) and an overweight or obese group (n = 75). We collected data, including clinical, anthropometric, and dietary assessments, and carried out a blood biochemical analysis, the measurement of inflammatory biomarkers (hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α), and the 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal samples. The gut microbiota analysis revealed notable differences in alpha and beta diversity between the two groups. Moreover, the abundance of gut microbiota in the overweight or obese group correlated positively with adiposity markers, blood pressure, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers. These findings highlight significant changes in gut microbiota associated with obesity, potentially implicating pathways such as lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Understanding the role of the gut microbiome in obesity could reveal specific avenues for intervention.

Investigating gut microbiota-blood and urine metabolite correlations in early sepsis-induced acute kidney injury: insights from targeted KEGG analyses

Background

The interplay between gut microbiota and metabolites in the early stages of sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is not yet clearly understood. This study explores the characteristics and interactions of gut microbiota, and blood and urinary metabolites in patients with SA-AKI.

Methods

Utilizing a prospective observational approach, we conducted comparative analyses of gut microbiota and metabolites via metabolomics and metagenomics in individuals diagnosed with SA-AKI compared to those without AKI (NCT06197828). Pearson correlations were used to identify associations between microbiota, metabolites, and clinical indicators. The Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database was employed to detect antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), while Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways informed on metabolic processes and microbial resistance patterns.

Results

Our study included analysis of four patients with SA-AKI and five without AKI. Significant disparities in bacterial composition were observed, illustrated by diversity indices (Shannon index: 2.0 ± 0.4 vs. 1.4 ± 0.6, P = 0.230; Simpson index: 0.8 ± 0.1 vs. 0.6 ± 0.2, P = 0.494) between the SA-AKI group and the non-AKI group. N6, N6, N6-Trimethyl-L-lysine was detected in both blood and urine metabolites, and also showed significant correlations with specific gut microbiota (Campylobacter hominis and Bacteroides caccae, R > 0, P < 0.05). Both blood and urine metabolites were enriched in the lysine degradation pathway. We also identified the citrate cycle (TCA cycle) as a KEGG pathway enriched in sets of differentially expressed ARGs in the gut microbiota, which exhibits an association with lysine degradation.

Conclusions

Significant differences in gut microbiota and metabolites were observed between the SA-AKI and non-AKI groups, uncovering potential biomarkers and metabolic changes linked to SA-AKI. The lysine degradation pathway may serve as a crucial link connecting gut microbiota and metabolites.

Effects of dietary fibre on metabolic health and obesity

Obesity and metabolic syndrome represent a growing epidemic worldwide. Body weight is regulated through complex interactions between hormonal, neural and metabolic pathways and is influenced by numerous environmental factors. Imbalances between energy intake and expenditure can occur due to several factors, including alterations in eating behaviours, abnormal satiation and satiety, and low energy expenditure. The gut microbiota profoundly affects all aspects of energy homeostasis through diverse mechanisms involving effects on mucosal and systemic immune, hormonal and neural systems. The benefits of dietary fibre on metabolism and obesity have been demonstrated through mechanistic studies and clinical trials, but many questions remain as to how different fibres are best utilized in managing obesity. In this Review, we discuss the physiochemical properties of different fibres, current findings on how fibre and the gut microbiota interact to regulate body weight homeostasis, and knowledge gaps related to using dietary fibres as a complementary strategy. Precision medicine approaches that utilize baseline microbiota and clinical characteristics to predict individual responses to fibre supplementation represent a new paradigm with great potential to enhance weight management efficacy, but many challenges remain before these approaches can be fully implemented.

The Effect of Broccoli Glucoraphanin Supplementation on Ameliorating High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obesity through the Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Interface

SCOPE

Obesity and its metabolic comorbidities pose a major global challenge for public health. Glucoraphanin (GRN) is a natural bioactive compound enriched in broccoli that is known to have potential health benefits against various human chronic diseases.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study investigats the effects of broccoli GRN supplementation on body weight, metabolic parameters, gut microbiome and metabolome associated with obesity. The study is conducted on an obese-related C57BL/6J mouse model through the treatment of normal control diet, high-fat diet (HFD)and GRN-supplemented HFD (HFD-GRN) to determine the metabolic protection of GRN. The results shows that GRN treatment alleviates obesity-related traits leading to improved glucose metabolism in HFD-fed animals. Mechanically, the study noticed that GRN significantly shifts the gut microbial diversity and composition to an eubiosis status. GRN supplement also significantly alters plasma metabolite profiles. Further integrated analysis reveal a complex interaction between the gut microbes and host metabolism that may contribute to GRN-induced beneficial effects against HFD.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that beneficial effects of broccoli GRN on reversing HFD-induced adverse metabolic parameters may be attributed to its impacts on reprogramming microbial community and metabolites. Identification of the mechanistic functions of GRN further warrants it as a dietary candidate for obesity prevention.

The Role of Gut Microbiota in the Etiopathogenesis of Multiple Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases (CD) may result from a combination of genetic factors, lifestyle and social behaviours, healthcare system influences, community factors, and environmental determinants of health. These risk factors frequently coexist and interact with one another. Ongoing research and a focus on personalized interventions are pivotal strategies for preventing and managing chronic disease outcomes. A wealth of literature suggests the potential involvement of gut microbiota in influencing host metabolism, thereby impacting various risk factors associated with chronic diseases. Dysbiosis, the perturbation of the composition and activity of the gut microbiota, is crucial in the etiopathogenesis of multiple CD. Recent studies indicate that specific microorganism-derived metabolites, including trimethylamine N-oxide, lipopolysaccharide and uremic toxins, contribute to subclinical inflammatory processes implicated in CD. Various factors, including diet, lifestyle, and medications, can alter the taxonomic species or abundance of gut microbiota. Researchers are currently dedicating efforts to understanding how the natural progression of microbiome development in humans affects health outcomes. Simultaneously, there is a focus on enhancing the understanding of microbiome-host molecular interactions. These endeavours ultimately aim to devise practical approaches for rehabilitating dysregulated human microbial ecosystems, intending to restore health and prevent diseases. This review investigates how the gut microbiome contributes to CD and explains ways to modulate it for managing or preventing chronic conditions.

Networks of gut bacteria relate to cardiovascular disease in a multi-ethnic population: the HELIUS study

AIMS

Gut microbiota have been linked to blood lipid levels and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The composition and abundance of gut microbiota trophic networks differ between ethnicities. We aim to evaluate the relationship between gut microbiotal trophic networks and CVD phenotypes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We included cross-sectional data from 3860 individuals without CVD history from 6 ethnicities living in the Amsterdam region participating in the prospective Healthy Life in Urban Setting (HELIUS) study. Genetic variants were genotyped, faecal gut microbiota were profiled, and blood and anthropometric parameters were measured. A machine learning approach was used to assess the relationship between CVD risk (Framingham score) and gut microbiota stratified by ethnicity. Potential causal relationships between gut microbiota composition and CVD were inferred by performing two-sample Mendelian randomization with hard CVD events from the Pan-UK Biobank and microbiome genome-wide association studies summary data from a subset of the HELIUS cohort (n = 4117). Microbial taxa identified to be associated with CVD by machine learning and Mendelian randomization were often ethnic-specific, but some concordance across ethnicities was found. The microbes Akkermansia muciniphila and Ruminococcaceae UCG-002 were protective against ischaemic heart disease in African-Surinamese and Moroccans, respectively. We identified a strong inverse association between blood lipids, CVD risk, and the combined abundance of the correlated microbes Christensenellaceae-Methanobrevibacter-Ruminococcaceae (CMR). The CMR cluster was also identified in two independent cohorts and the association with triglycerides was replicated.

CONCLUSION

Certain gut microbes can have a potentially causal relationship with CVD events, with possible ethnic-specific effects. We identified a trophic network centred around Christensenellaceae, Methanobrevibacter, and various Ruminococcaceae, frequently lacking in South-Asian Surinamese, to be protective against CVD risk and associated with low triglyceride levels.

Inflammatory response in dairy cows caused by heat stress and biological mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis

Climate change increases global temperatures, which is lethal to both livestock and humans. Heat stress is known as one of the various livestock stresses, and dairy cows react sensitively to high-temperature stress. We aimed to better understand the effects of heat stress on the health of dairy cows and observing biological changes. Individual cows were divided into normal (21-22 °C, 50-60% humidity) and high temperature (31-32 °C, 80-95% humidity), respectively, for 7-days. We performed metabolomic and transcriptome analyses of the blood and gut microbiomes of feces. In the high-temperature group, nine metabolites including linoleic acid and fructose were downregulated, and 154 upregulated and 72 downregulated DEGs (Differentially Expressed Genes) were identified, and eighteen microbes including Intestinimonas and Pseudoflavonifractor in genus level were significantly different from normal group. Linoleic acid and fructose have confirmed that associated with various stresses, and functional analysis of DEG and microorganisms showing significant differences confirmed that high-temperature stress is related to the inflammatory response, immune system, cellular energy mechanism, and microbial butyrate production. These biological changes were likely to withstand high-temperature stress. Immune and inflammatory responses are known to be induced by heat stress, which has been identified to maintain homeostasis through modulation at metabolome, transcriptome and microbiome levels. In these findings, heat stress condition can trigger alteration of immune system and cellular energy metabolism, which is shown as reduced metabolites, pathway enrichment and differential microbes. As results of this study did not include direct phenotypic data, we believe that additional validation is required in the future. In conclusion, high-temperature stress contributed to the reduction of metabolites, changes in gene expression patterns and composition of gut microbiota, which are thought to support dairy cows in withstanding high-temperature stress via modulating immune-related genes, and cellular energy metabolism to maintain homeostasis.

Ethnic variations in metabolic syndrome components and their associations with the gut microbiota: the HELIUS study

BACKGROUND

The occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the gut microbiota composition are known to differ across ethnicities yet how these three factors are interwoven is unknown. Also, it is unknown what the relative contribution of the gut microbiota composition is to each MetS component and whether this differs between ethnicities. We therefore determined the occurrence of MetS and its components in the multi-ethnic HELIUS cohort and tested the overall and ethnic-specific associations with the gut microbiota composition.

METHODS

We included 16,209 treatment naïve participants of the HELIUS study, which were of Dutch, African Surinamese, South-Asian Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish, and Moroccan descent to analyze MetS and its components across ethnicities. In a subset (n = 3443), the gut microbiota composition (16S) was associated with MetS outcomes using linear and logistic regression models.

RESULTS

A differential, often sex-dependent, prevalence of MetS components and their combinations were observed across ethnicities. Increased blood pressure was commonly seen especially in Ghanaians, while South-Asian Surinamese and Turkish had higher MetS rates in general and were characterized by worse lipid-related measures. Regarding the gut microbiota, when ethnic-independent associations were assumed, a higher α-diversity, higher abundance of several ASVs (mostly for waist and triglyceride-related outcomes) and a trophic network of ASVs of Ruminococcaceae, Christensenellaceae, and Methanobrevibacter (RCM) bacteria were associated with better MetS outcomes. Statistically significant ethnic-specific associations were however noticed for α-diversity and the RCM trophic network. Associations were significant in the Dutch but not always in all other ethnicities. In Ghanaians, a higher α-diversity and RCM network abundance showed an aberrant positive association with high blood pressure measures compared to the other ethnicities. Even though adjustment for socioeconomic status-, lifestyle-, and diet-related variables often attenuated the effect size and/or the statistical significance of the ethnic-specific associations, an overall similar pattern across outcomes and ethnicities remained.

CONCLUSIONS

The occurrence of MetS characteristics among ethnicities is heterogeneous. Both ethnic-independent and ethnic-specific associations were identified between the gut microbiota and MetS outcomes. Across multiple ethnicities, a one-size-fits-all approach may thus be reconsidered in regard to both the definition and/or treatment of MetS and its relation to the gut microbiota.

Exploring the Dynamic Relationship between the Gut Microbiome and Body Composition across the Human Lifespan: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aimed to identify different gut microbiome profiles across the human lifespan and to correlate such profiles with the body composition. PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched from inception to March 2022. Sixty studies were included in this systematic review. Overall, the gut microbiome composition in overweight participants exhibited decreased α-diversity, decreased levels of the phylum Bacteroidetes and its taxa, and increased levels of the phylum Firmicutes, its taxa, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, in comparison to normal-weight participants. Other body composition parameters showed similar correlations. Fat mass and waist circumference were found to correlate positively with the Firmicutes taxa and negatively with the Bacteroidetes taxa. In contrast, lean body mass and muscle mass demonstrated a positive correlation with the Bacteroidetes taxa. Notably, these correlations were more pronounced in athletes than in obese and normal-weight individuals. The composition of the gut microbiome is evidently different in overweight individuals or athletes of all age groups, with the former tending towards decreased Bacteroidetes taxa and increased Firmicutes taxa, while a reversed relationship is observed concerning athletes. Further studies are needed to explore the dynamic relationship between energy intake, body composition, and the gut microbiome across the human lifespan.

Translational bioinformatics approach to combat cardiovascular disease and cancers

Bioinformatics is an interconnected subject of science dealing with diverse fields including biology, chemistry, physics, statistics, mathematics, and computer science as the key fields to answer complicated physiological problems. Key intention of bioinformatics is to store, analyze, organize, and retrieve essential information about genome, proteome, transcriptome, metabolome, as well as organisms to investigate the biological system along with its dynamics, if any. The outcome of bioinformatics depends on the type, quantity, and quality of the raw data provided and the algorithm employed to analyze the same. Despite several approved medicines available, cardiovascular disorders (CVDs) and cancers comprises of the two leading causes of human deaths. Understanding the unknown facts of both these non-communicable disorders is inevitable to discover new pathways, find new drug targets, and eventually newer drugs to combat them successfully. Since, all these goals involve complex investigation and handling of various types of macro- and small- molecules of the human body, bioinformatics plays a key role in such processes. Results from such investigation has direct human application and thus we call this filed as translational bioinformatics. Current book chapter thus deals with diverse scope and applications of this translational bioinformatics to find cure, diagnosis, and understanding the mechanisms of CVDs and cancers. Developing complex yet small or long algorithms to address such problems is very common in translational bioinformatics. Structure-based drug discovery or AI-guided invention of novel antibodies that too with super-high accuracy, speed, and involvement of considerably low amount of investment are some of the astonishing features of the translational bioinformatics and its applications in the fields of CVDs and cancers.

Gut microbiome-metabolome interactions predict host condition

BACKGROUND

The effect of microbes on their human host is often mediated through changes in metabolite concentrations. As such, multiple tools have been proposed to predict metabolite concentrations from microbial taxa frequencies. Such tools typically fail to capture the dependence of the microbiome-metabolite relation on the environment.

RESULTS

We propose to treat the microbiome-metabolome relation as the equilibrium of a complex interaction and to relate the host condition to a latent representation of the interaction between the log concentration of the metabolome and the log frequencies of the microbiome. We develop LOCATE (Latent variables Of miCrobiome And meTabolites rElations), a machine learning tool to predict the metabolite concentration from the microbiome composition and produce a latent representation of the interaction. This representation is then used to predict the host condition. LOCATE's accuracy in predicting the metabolome is higher than all current predictors. The metabolite concentration prediction accuracy significantly decreases cross datasets, and cross conditions, especially in 16S data. LOCATE's latent representation predicts the host condition better than either the microbiome or the metabolome. This representation is strongly correlated with host demographics. A significant improvement in accuracy (0.793 vs. 0.724 average accuracy) is obtained even with a small number of metabolite samples ([Formula: see text]).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that a latent representation of the microbiome-metabolome interaction leads to a better association with the host condition than any of the two separated or the simple combination of the two. Video Abstract.

Enteral nutrition promotes the remission of colitis by gut bacteria-mediated histidine biosynthesis

BACKGROUND

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is an important alternative strategy for patients with Crohn's disease (CD), and during this process, microbiota alterations have been observed. However, the underlying mechanisms by which EEN reduces intestinal inflammation are currently unclear.

METHODS

The therapeutic potential of enteral nutrition (EN) was assessed using various mouse models. Fecal full-length 16S rDNA sequencing analysis and several CD metagenome datasets were used to identify the candidate therapeutic bacteria Faecalibaculum rodentium (F. rodentium). Whole genome sequencing of F. rodentium and widely-targeted metabolome analysis of the supernatant showed that EN-induced F. rodentium accumulation protected against colitis via histidine biosynthesis.

FINDINGS

The therapeutic potential of EN therapy was observed in both dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and Il10-/- spontaneous colitis mouse models. Accumulation of F. rodentium after EN therapy was determined using full-length 16S rDNA sequencing and verified with several metagenome datasets from patients with CD. Colonization of an isolated F. rodentium could reduce colitis in Il10-/- mice. Significant histidine enrichment was observed in the F. rodentium culture supernatant, and a series of histidine biosynthesis genes were observed in the F. rodentium genome. Engineered Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN), encoding the heterologous hisG of F. rodentium (EcN-hisG), which was a key driver of histidine biosynthesis in F. rodentium, was found to protect against colitis.

INTERPRETATION

This study suggests that EN-induced F. rodentium accumulation protects against colitis in mice via gut bacteria-mediated histidine biosynthesis.

FUNDING

A full list of funding bodies can be found in the Acknowledgements section.

Christensenella minuta, a new candidate next-generation probiotic: current evidence and future trajectories

Background

As the field of probiotic research continues to expand, new beneficial strains are being discovered. The Christensenellaceae family and its newly described member, Christensenella minuta, have been shown to offer great health benefits. We aimed to extensively review the existing literature on these microorganisms to highlight the advantages of their use as probiotics and address some of the most challenging aspects of their commercial production and potential solutions.

Methods

We applied a simple search algorithm using the key words "Christensenellaceae" and "Christensenella minuta" to find all articles reporting the biotherapeutic effects of these microorganisms. Only articles reporting evidence-based results were reviewed.

Results

The review showed that Christensenella minuta has demonstrated numerous beneficial properties and a wider range of uses than previously thought. Moreover, it has been shown to be oxygen-tolerant, which is an immense advantage in the manufacturing and production of Christensenella minuta-based biotherapeutics. The results suggest that Christensenellaceae and Christensenella munita specifically can play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Furthermore, Christensenellaceae have been associated with weight management. Preliminary studies suggest that this probiotic strain could have a positive impact on metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity, as well as inflammatory bowel disease.

Conclusion

Christensenellaceae and Christensenella munita specifically offer immense health benefits and could be used in the management and therapy of a wide range of health conditions. In addition to the impressive biotherapeutic effect, Christensenella munita is oxygen-tolerant, which facilitates commercial production and storage.

Interaction and Metabolic Pathways: Elucidating the Role of Gut Microbiota in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Pathogenesis

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a complex metabolic condition during pregnancy with an intricate link to gut microbiota alterations. Throughout gestation, notable shifts in the gut microbial component occur. GDM is marked by significant dysbiosis, with a decline in beneficial taxa like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and a surge in opportunistic taxa such as Enterococcus. These changes, detectable in the first trimester, hint as the potential early markers for GDM risk. Alongside these taxa shifts, microbial metabolic outputs, especially short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, are perturbed in GDM. These metabolites play pivotal roles in host glucose regulation, insulin responsiveness, and inflammation modulation, which are the key pathways disrupted in GDM. Moreover, maternal GDM status influences neonatal gut microbiota, indicating potential intergenerational health implications. With the advance of multi-omics approaches, a deeper understanding of the nuanced microbiota-host interactions via metabolites in GDM is emerging. The reviewed knowledge offers avenues for targeted microbiota-based interventions, holding promise for innovative strategies in GDM diagnosis, management, and prevention.

The significance of dynamic monitoring plasma TMAO level in pulmonary arterial hypertension - a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Gut microbiota assumes an essential role in the development and progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut microbiota-dependent metabolite, is correlated with the prognosis of patients with PAH. However, the correlation between changes in TMAO (ΔTMAO) and the prognosis of PAH remains elusive.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between ΔTMAO and prognosis of PAH, and explore whether dynamic assessment of TMAO level was superior to measurement at a single time point in predicting prognosis.

DESIGN

Single-center cohort study.

METHODS

Consecutive patients diagnosed with PAH and had at least two TMAO measurements taken from May 2019 to June 2020 were eligible. The outcome events of this study were defined as adverse clinical events.

RESULTS

A total of 117 patients with PAH who had two TMAO measurements and follow-up were included in this study. Patients with ΔTMAO ⩾1.082 μmol/L had over four times increased risk of adverse clinical events than their counterparts after adjusting for confounders [hazard ratio (HR) 4.050, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.468-11.174; p = 0.007]. Patients with constant high TMAO levels at both time points had the highest risk of adverse clinical events compared with patients with constant low TMAO levels (HR 3.717, 95% CI: 1.627-8.492; p = 0.002). ΔTMAO was also associated with changes in parameters reflecting PAH severity (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Changes in TMAO were independently correlated with prognosis in patients with PAH, irrespective of baseline level of TMAO. ΔTMAO also correlated with alteration in disease severity. Repeated assessment of TMAO level contributes to better identification of patients with increased risk of adverse clinical events.

Excess iron intake induced liver injury: The role of gut-liver axis and therapeutic potential

Excessive iron intake is detrimental to human health, especially to the liver, which is the main organ for iron storage. Excessive iron intake can lead to liver injury. The gut-liver axis (GLA) refers to the bidirectional relationship between the gut and its microbiota and the liver, which is a combination of signals generated by dietary, genetic and environmental factors. Excessive iron intake disrupts the GLA at multiple interconnected levels, including the gut microbiota, gut barrier function, and the liver's innate immune system. Excessive iron intake induces gut microbiota dysbiosis, destroys gut barriers, promotes liver exposure to gut microbiota and its derived metabolites, and increases the pro-inflammatory environment of the liver. There is increasing evidence that excess iron intake alters the levels of gut microbiota-derived metabolites such as secondary bile acids (BAs), short-chain fatty acids, indoles, and trimethylamine N-oxide, which play an important role in maintaining homeostasis of the GLA. In addition to iron chelators, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory agents currently used in iron overload therapy, gut barrier intervention may be a potential target for iron overload therapy. In this paper, we review the relationship between excess iron intake and chronic liver diseases, the regulation of iron homeostasis by the GLA, and focus on the effects of excess iron intake on the GLA. It has been suggested that probiotics, fecal microbiota transfer, farnesoid X receptor agonists, and microRNA may be potential therapeutic targets for iron overload-induced liver injury by protecting gut barrier function.

Gut microbiota profiles in two New Zealand cohorts with overweight and prediabetes: a Tū Ora/PREVIEW comparative study

Obesity-related metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) are major global health issues, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The underlying factors are both diverse and complex, incorporating biological as well as cultural considerations. A role for ethnicity - a measure of self-perceived cultural affiliation which encompasses diet, lifestyle and genetic components - in susceptibility to metabolic diseases such as T2D is well established. For example, Asian populations may be disproportionally affected by the adverse 'TOFI' (Thin on the Outside, Fat on the Inside) profile, whereby outwardly lean individuals have increased susceptibility due to excess visceral and ectopic organ fat deposition. A potential link between the gut microbiota and metabolic disease has more recently come under consideration, yet our understanding of the interplay between ethnicity, the microbiota and T2D remains incomplete. We present here a 16S rRNA gene-based comparison of the fecal microbiota of European-ancestry and Chinese-ancestry cohorts with overweight and prediabetes, residing in New Zealand. The cohorts were matched for mean fasting plasma glucose (FPG: mean ± SD, European-ancestry: 6.1 ± 0.4; Chinese-ancestry: 6.0 ± 0.4 mmol/L), a consequence of which was a significantly higher mean body mass index in the European group (BMI: European-ancestry: 37.4 ± 6.8; Chinese-ancestry: 27.7 ± 4.0 kg/m2; p < 0.001). Our findings reveal significant microbiota differences between the two ethnicities, though we cannot determine the underpinning factors. In both cohorts Firmicutes was by far the dominant bacterial phylum (European-ancestry: 93.4 ± 5.5%; Chinese-ancestry: 79.6 ± 10.4% of 16S rRNA gene sequences), with Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria the next most abundant. Among the more abundant (≥1% overall relative sequence abundance) genus-level taxa, four zero-radius operational taxonomic units (zOTUs) were significantly higher in the European-ancestry cohort, namely members of the Subdoligranulum, Blautia, Ruminoclostridium, and Dorea genera. Differential abundance analysis further identified a number of additional zOTUs to be disproportionately overrepresented across the two ethnicities, with the majority of taxa exhibiting a higher abundance in the Chinese-ancestry cohort. Our findings underscore a potential influence of ethnicity on gut microbiota composition in the context of individuals with overweight and prediabetes.

Gut microbiota bridges dietary nutrients and host immunity

Dietary nutrients and the gut microbiota are increasingly recognized to cross-regulate and entrain each other, and thus affect host health and immune-mediated diseases. Here, we systematically review the current understanding linking dietary nutrients to gut microbiota-host immune interactions, emphasizing how this axis might influence host immunity in health and diseases. Of relevance, we highlight that the implications of gut microbiota-targeted dietary intervention could be harnessed in orchestrating a spectrum of immune-associated diseases.

Effect of red wheat, aleurone, and testa layers on colon cancer biomarkers, nitrosative stress, and gut microbiome composition in rats

We previously found greater reduction of colon cancer (CC) biomarkers for red wheat compared to white wheat regardless of refinement state. In the present study we examined whether the phenolic-rich aleurone and testa layers are drivers of chemoprevention by red wheat and their influence on gut microbiota composition using a 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced CC rat model. Rats were fed a low-fat diet (16% of energy as fat), high-fat diet (50% of energy as fat), or high-fat diet containing whole red wheat, refined red wheat, refined white wheat, or aleurone- or testa-enriched fractions for 12 weeks. Morphological markers (aberrant crypt foci, ACF) were assessed after methylene blue staining and biochemical markers (3-nitrotyrosine [3-NT], Dclk1) by immunohistochemical determination of staining positivity within aberrant crypts. Gut microbiota composition was evaluated from 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA extracted from cecal contents. Relative to the high-fat diet, the whole and refined red wheat, refined white wheat, and testa-enriched fraction decreased ACF, while only the refined red wheat and aleurone-enriched fraction decreased 3-NT. No significant differences were observed for Dclk1. An increase in microbial diversity was observed for the aleurone-enriched fraction (ACE index) and whole red wheat (Inverse Simpson Index). The diet groups significantly modified overall microbiome composition, including altered abundances of Lactobacillus, Mucispirillum, Phascolarctobacterium, and Blautia coccoides. These results suggest that red wheat may reduce CC risk through modifications to the gut microbiota and nitrosative stress, which may be due, in part, to the influence of dietary fiber and the phenolic-rich aleurone layer.

Gut Microbiota Composition and Functionality Are Associated With REM Sleep Duration and Continuous Glucose Levels

CONTEXT

Sleep disruption is associated with worse glucose metabolic control and altered gut microbiota in animal models.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the possible links among rapid eye movement (REM) sleep duration, continuous glucose levels, and gut microbiota composition.

METHODS

This observational, prospective, real-life, cross-sectional case-control study included 118 (60 with obesity), middle-aged (39.1-54.8 years) healthy volunteers recruited at a tertiary hospital. Glucose variability and REM sleep duration were assessed by 10-day continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) (Dexcom G6) and wrist actigraphy (Fitbit Charge 3), respectively. The coefficient of variation (CV), interquartile range (IQR), and SD of glucose variability was assessed and the percentage of time in range (% TIR), at 126-139 mg/dL (TIR2), and 140-199 mg/dL (TIR3) were calculated. Shotgun metagenomics sequencing was applied to study gut microbiota taxonomy and functionality.

RESULTS

Increased glycemic variability (SD, CV, and IQR) was observed among subjects with obesity in parallel to increased % TIR2 and % TIR3. REM sleep duration was independently associated with % TIR3 (β = -.339; P < .001) and glucose variability (SD, β = -.350; P < .001). Microbial taxa from the Christensenellaceae family (Firmicutes phylum) were positively associated with REM sleep and negatively with CGM levels, while bacteria from Enterobacteriacea family and bacterial functions involved in iron metabolism showed opposite associations.

CONCLUSION

Decreased REM sleep duration was independently associated with a worse glucose profile. The associations of species from Christensenellaceae and Enterobacteriaceae families with REM sleep duration and continuous glucose values suggest an integrated picture of metabolic health.

Gut macrobiotic and its metabolic pathways modulate cardiovascular disease

Thousands of microorganisms reside in the human gut, and extensive research has demonstrated the crucial role of the gut microbiota in overall health and maintaining homeostasis. The disruption of microbial populations, known as dysbiosis, can impair the host's metabolism and contribute to the development of various diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Furthermore, a growing body of evidence indicates that metabolites produced by the gut microbiota play a significant role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. These bioactive metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), trimethylamine (TMA), trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), bile acids (BAs), and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), are implicated in conditions such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. These metabolites impact cardiovascular function through various pathways, such as altering the composition of the gut microbiota and activating specific signaling pathways. Targeting the gut microbiota and their metabolic pathways represents a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Intervention strategies, such as probiotic drug delivery and fecal transplantation, can selectively modify the composition of the gut microbiota and enhance its beneficial metabolic functions, ultimately leading to improved cardiovascular outcomes. These interventions hold the potential to reshape the gut microbial community and restore its balance, thereby promoting cardiovascular health. Harnessing the potential of these microbial metabolites through targeted interventions offers a novel avenue for tackling cardiovascular health issues. This manuscript provides an in-depth review of the recent advances in gut microbiota research and its impact on cardiovascular health and offers a promising avenue for tackling cardiovascular health issues through gut microbiome-targeted therapies.

Lifestyle patterns influence the composition of the gut microbiome in a healthy Chinese population

High-throughput sequencing allows for the comprehensive analysis of the human intestinal microbiota. However, extensive association analyses between the microbiome and lifestyle differences in the Chinese population are limited. Here, we carried out an independent cohort study-the Chinese Healthy Gut Project (n = 483)-where correlations between the gut microbiota and dietary and lifestyle variables in a healthy Chinese population are defined. We collected both questionnaire data, including basic information and lifestyle and dietary variables, and fecal stools from the enrolled volunteers. We then performed 16S rRNA sequencing on the microbial DNA isolated from the stools to assess the composition of the intestinal microbiota. We found that Prevotella and Bacteroides were the most abundant genera in the healthy Chinese gut microbiome. Additionally, 9 out of 29 clinical and questionnaire-based phenotype covariates were found to be associated with the variation in the composition of the gut microbiota. Among these lifestyle phenotypes, sleep procrastination, negative mood, and drinking habits had the largest effect size. Additionally, an appreciable effect of urbanization was observed, resulting in decreased intra-individual diversity, increased inter-individual diversity, and an increased abundance of the Bacteroides enterotype. The results of this study provide a foundation for assessing the healthy Chinese gut microbiota community structure at baseline in a healthy Chinese population. Furthermore, this study also provides insights into understanding how distinctive living habits influence the relationships between the Chinese gut microbiome and systemic health state.

The Role of Diet and Gut Microbiota Interactions in Metabolic Homeostasis

Diet is a pivotal determinant in shaping the structure and function of resident microorganisms in the gut through different food components, nutritive proportion, and calories. The effects of diet on host metabolism and physiology can be mediated through the gut microbiota. Gut microbiota-derived metabolites have been shown to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, energy consumption, and the immune system. On the other hand, emerging evidence indicates that baseline gut microbiota could predict the efficacy of diet intervention, highlighting gut microbiota can be harnessed as a biomarker in personalized nutrition. In this review, the alterations of gut microbiota in different dietary components and dietary patterns, and the potential mechanisms in the diet-microbiota crosstalk are summarized to understand the interactions of diet and gut microbiota on the impact of metabolic homeostasis.

The Intestinal Microbiome and the Metabolic Syndrome-How Its Manipulation May Affect Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD)

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is now the predominant liver disease worldwide consequent to the epidemic of obesity. The intestinal microbiome (IM), consisting of the bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses residing in the gastrointestinal tract, plays an important role in human metabolism and preserving the epithelial barrier function. Disturbances in the IM have been shown to influence the development and progression of MAFLD and play a role in the development of metabolic syndrome (MS). The main treatment for MAFLD involves lifestyle changes, which also influence the IM. Manipulation of the IM by fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) has been approved for the treatment of recurrent Closteroides difficile infection. This may be administered by endoscopic administration from the lower or upper GI tract. Other methods of administration include nasogastric tube, enema, and oral capsules of stool from healthy donors. In this narrative review, we elaborate on the role of the IM in developing MS and MAFLD and on the current experience with IM modulation by FMT on MAFLD.

Neuroprotection in metabolic syndrome by environmental enrichment. A lifespan perspective

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined by the concurrence of different metabolic conditions: obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia. Its incidence has been increasingly rising over the past decades and has become a global health problem. MetS has deleterious consequences on the central nervous system (CNS) and neurological development. MetS can last several years or be lifelong, affecting the CNS in different ways and treatments can help manage condition, though there is no known cure. The early childhood years are extremely important in neurodevelopment, which extends beyond, encompassing a lifetime. Neuroplastic changes take place all life through - childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age - are highly sensitive to environmental input. Environmental factors have an important role in the etiopathogenesis and treatment of MetS, so environmental enrichment (EE) stands as a promising non-invasive therapeutic approach. While the EE paradigm has been designed for animal housing, its principles can be and actually are applied in cognitive, sensory, social, and physical stimulation programs for humans. Here, we briefly review the central milestones in neurodevelopment at each life stage, along with the research studies carried out on how MetS affects neurodevelopment at each life stage and the contributions that EE models can provide to improve health over the lifespan.

Mulberry leaf water extract alleviates type 2 diabetes in mice via modulating gut microbiota-host co-metabolism of branched-chain amino acid

Elevations in circling branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) levels associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Morus alba L. water extracts (MLE) show hypoglycemic function, but the precise mechanism remains obscure. This study is designed to investigate the association of the antidiabetes effect of MLE with the BCAAs co-metabolism modulated by host and gut microbiota. Tissue-specific expressions of BCAA-catabolizing enzymes were detected by RT-PCR and western blot, respectively. The components of the intestinal microflora were analyzed by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that MLE administration improved blood glucose and insulin level, decreased inflammatory cytokines expression, and lowered serum and feces BCAAs levels. Furthermore, MLE reversed the abundance changes of the bacterial genera correlated with serum and feces BCAAs, such as Anaerovorax, Bilophila, Blautia, Colidextribacter, Dubosiella, Intestinimonas, Lachnoclostridium, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136, Oscillibacter, and Roseburia. Functionality prediction indicated that MLE potentially inhibited bacterial BCAAs biosynthesis, and promoted the tissue-specific expression of BCAAs catabolic enzyme. More importantly, MLE had obvious impacts on BCAA catabolism in germ-free-mimic T2DM mice. Those results indicated that MLE improving T2DM-related biochemical abnormalities is associated with not only gut microbiota modification but also the tissue-specific expression of BCAAs catabolic enzyme.

Short-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids and indoles: gut microbial metabolites with effects on enteroendocrine cell function and their potential as therapies for metabolic disease

The gastrointestinal tract hosts the largest ecosystem of microorganisms in the body. The metabolism of ingested nutrients by gut bacteria produces novel chemical mediators that can influence chemosensory cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. Specifically, hormone-releasing enteroendocrine cells which express a host of receptors activated by these bacterial metabolites. This review will focus on the activation mechanisms of glucagon-like peptide-1 releasing enteroendocrine cells by the three main bacterial metabolites produced in the gut: short-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids and indoles. Given the importance of enteroendocrine cells in regulating glucose homeostasis and food intake, we will also discuss therapies based on these bacterial metabolites used in the treatment of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Elucidating the mechanisms gut bacteria can influence cellular function in the host will advance our understanding of this fundamental symbiotic relationship and unlock the potential of harnessing these pathways to improve human health.

Alterations of gut microbiota are associated with blood pressure: a cross-sectional clinical trial in Northwestern China

BACKGROUND

The human gut microbiota (GM) is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension (HTN), and could be affected by various factors, including sex and geography. However, available data directly linking GM to HTN based on sex differences are limited.

METHODS

This study investigated the GM characteristics in HTN subjects in Northwestern China, and evaluate the associations of GM with blood pressure levels based on sex differences. A total of 87 HTN subjects and 45 controls were recruited with demographic and clinical characteristics documented. Fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomic sequencing.

RESULTS

GM diversity was observed higher in females compared to males, and principal coordinate analysis showed an obvious segregation of females and males. Four predominant phyla of fecal GM included Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. LEfSe analysis indicated that phylum unidentified_Bacteria was enriched in HTN females, while Leuconostocaceae, Weissella and Weissella_cibaria were enriched in control females (P < 0.05). Functionally, ROC analysis revealed that Cellular Processes (0.796, 95% CI 0.620 ~ 0.916), Human Diseases (0.773, 95% CI 0.595 ~ 0.900), Signal transduction (0.806, 95% CI 0.631 ~ 0.922) and Two-component system (0.806, 95% CI 0.631 ~ 0.922) could differentiate HTN females as effective functional classifiers, which were also positively correlated with systolic blood pressure levels.

CONCLUSIONS

This work provides evidence of fecal GM characteristics in HTN females and males in a northwestern Chinese population, further supporting the notion that GM dysbiosis may participate in the pathogenesis of HTN, and the role of sex differences should be considered. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800019191. Registered 30 October 2018 - Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/ .

The effect of synbiotics in patients with NAFLD: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the highest incidence of chronic liver disease worldwide, seriously endangering human health, and its pathogenesis is still unclear. In the recent years, increasing evidence has shown that intestinal flora plays an important role in the occurrence and development of NAFLD. Synbiotics can alter gut microbiota and may be a treatment option for NAFLD in the future.

Objectives

To systematically investigate the therapeutic effect of synbiotic supplementation on NAFLD patients.

Design

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted.

Data sources and methods

We conducted a search on four databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) to identify relevant studies. Eligible studies were then screened, and data from the included studies were extracted, combined, and analyzed.

Result

This study analyzed 10 randomized controlled trials involving 634 patients with NAFLD. The results showed that synbiotic supplementation could significantly reduce the level of alanine aminotransferase (mean difference (MD) = -8.80; (95% CI [-13.06, -4.53]), p < 0.0001), aspartate aminotransferase (MD = -9.48; 95% CI [-12.54, -6.43], p < 0.0001), and γ-glutamyl transferase (MD = -12.55; 95% CI [-19.40, -5.69], p = 0.0003) in NAFLD patients. In the field of metabolism, synbiotic supplementation could significantly reduce the level of total cholesterol (MD = -11.93; 95% CI [-20.43, -3.42], p = 0.006) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = -16.2; 95% CI [-19.79, -12.60], p < 0.0001) and increase the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = 1.56; 95% CI [0.43, 2.68], p = 0.007) in NAFLD patients. In addition, synbiotic supplementation could significantly reduce liver stiffness measurement indicator (MD = -1.09; 95% CI [-1.87, -0.30], p = 0.006) and controlled attenuation parameter indicator (MD = -37.04; 95% CI [-56.78, -17.30], p = 0.0002) in NAFLD patients.

Conclusion

Based on the current evidence, synbiotic supplementation can improve liver function, adjust lipid metabolism, and reduce the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD, but these effects need to be confirmed by further studies.

Reconstructing the landscape of gut microbial species across 29,000 diverse individuals

The human gut microbiome has been linked to health and disease. Investigation of the human microbiome has largely employed 16S amplicon sequencing, with limited ability to distinguish microbes at the species level. Herein, we describe the development of Reference-based Exact Mapping (RExMap) of microbial amplicon variants that enables mapping of microbial species from standard 16S sequencing data. RExMap analysis of 16S data captures ∼75% of microbial species identified by whole-genome shotgun sequencing, despite hundreds-fold less sequencing depth. RExMap re-analysis of existing 16S data from 29,349 individuals across 16 regions from around the world reveals a detailed landscape of gut microbial species across populations and geography. Moreover, RExMap identifies a core set of fifteen gut microbes shared by humans. Core microbes are established soon after birth and closely associate with BMI across multiple independent studies. RExMap and the human microbiome dataset are presented as resources with which to explore the role of the human microbiome.

Obesity, Gut Microbiota, and Metabolome: From Pathophysiology to Nutritional Interventions

Obesity is a disorder identified by an inappropriate increase in weight in relation to height and is considered by many international health institutions to be a major pandemic of the 21st century. The gut microbial ecosystem impacts obesity in multiple ways that yield downstream metabolic consequences, such as affecting systemic inflammation, immune response, and energy harvest, but also the gut-host interface. Metabolomics, a systematized study of low-molecular-weight molecules that take part in metabolic pathways, represents a serviceable method for elucidation of the crosstalk between hosts' metabolism and gut microbiota. In the present review, we confer about clinical and preclinical studies exploring the association of obesity and related metabolic disorders with various gut microbiome profiles, and the effects of several dietary interventions on gut microbiome composition and the metabolome. It is well established that various nutritional interventions may serve as an efficient therapeutic approach to support weight loss in obese individuals, yet no agreement exists in regard to the most effective dietary protocol, both in the short and long term. However, metabolite profiling and the gut microbiota composition might represent an opportunity to methodically establish predictors for obesity control that are relatively simple to measure in comparison to traditional approaches, and it may also present a tool to determine the optimal nutritional intervention to ameliorate obesity in an individual. Nevertheless, a lack of adequately powered randomized trials impedes the application of observations to clinical practice.

Bacterial Extracellular Vesicle Composition in Human Urine and the 10-Year Risk of Abdominal Obesity

Objective: We aimed to evaluate a causal relationship between commensal bacteria and abdominal obesity. Methods: A prospective study, including 2222 adults who provided urine samples at baseline, was performed. These samples were used for assays of genomic DNA from bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs). During the 10-year period, the incidence rates of obesity (measured as body mass index) and abdominal obesity (measured as waist circumference) were ascertained as outcomes. To evaluate associations of bacterial composition at the phylum and genus levels with the outcomes, the hazard ratio (HR) and its confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated. Results: No significant association was observed for the risk of obesity, whereas the risk of abdominal obesity was inversely associated with the composition of Proteobacteria and positively associated with that of Firmicutes (adjusted P value <0.05). In joint analysis for the combination groups of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes composition tertiles, the group with top tertiles of both Proteobacteria and Firmicutes showed a significant HR of 2.59 (95% CI: 1.33 - 5.01) compared with the reference with lower tertiles (adjusted P value <0.05). Some genera of these phyla were associated with the risk of abdominal obesity. Conclusions: These findings suggest that bacterial composition in urinary EV samples can predict the 10-year risk of abdominal obesity.

Additive fungal interactions drive biocontrol of Fusarium wilt disease

Host-associated fungi can help protect plants from pathogens, and empirical evidence suggests that such microorganisms can be manipulated by introducing probiotic to increase disease suppression. However, we still generally lack the mechanistic knowledge of what determines the success of probiotic application, hampering the development of reliable disease suppression strategies. We conducted a three-season consecutive microcosm experiment in which we amended banana Fusarium wilt disease-conducive soil with Trichoderma-amended biofertilizer or lacking this inoculum. High-throughput sequencing was complemented with cultivation-based methods to follow changes in fungal microbiome and explore potential links with plant health. Trichoderma application increased banana biomass by decreasing disease incidence by up to 72%, and this effect was attributed to changes in fungal microbiome, including the reduction in Fusarium oxysporum density and enrichment of pathogen-suppressing fungi (Humicola). These changes were accompanied by an expansion in microbial carbon resource utilization potential, features that contribute to disease suppression. We further demonstrated the disease suppression actions of Trichoderma-Humicola consortia, and results suggest niche overlap with pathogen and induction of plant systemic resistance may be mechanisms driving the observed biocontrol effects. Together, we demonstrate that fungal inoculants can modify the composition and functioning of the resident soil fungal microbiome to suppress soilborne disease.

Gut microbiota in a mouse model of obesity and peripheral neuropathy associated with plasma and nerve lipidomics and nerve transcriptomics

BACKGROUND

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a common complication in obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes, though its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. In a murine high-fat diet (HFD) obesity model of PN, dietary reversal (HFD-R) to a low-fat standard diet (SD) restores nerve function and the nerve lipidome to normal. As the gut microbiome represents a potential link between dietary fat intake and nerve health, the current study assessed shifts in microbiome community structure by 16S rRNA profiling during the paradigm of dietary reversal (HFD-R) in various gut niches. Dietary fat content (HFD versus SD) was also correlated to gut flora and metabolic and PN phenotypes. Finally, PN-associated microbial taxa that correlated with the plasma and sciatic nerve lipidome and nerve transcriptome were used to identify lipid species and genes intimately related to PN phenotypes.

RESULTS

Microbiome structure was altered in HFD relative to SD but rapidly reversed with HFD-R. Specific taxa variants correlating positively with metabolic health associated inversely with PN, while specific taxa negatively linked to metabolic health positively associated with PN. In HFD, PN-associated taxa variants, including Lactobacillus, Lachnoclostridium, and Anaerotruncus, also positively correlated with several lipid species, especially elevated plasma sphingomyelins and sciatic nerve triglycerides. Negative correlations were additionally present with other taxa variants. Moreover, relationships that emerged between specific PN-associated taxa variants and the sciatic nerve transcriptome were related to inflammation, lipid metabolism, and antioxidant defense pathways, which are all established in PN pathogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

The current results indicate that microbiome structure is altered with HFD, and that certain taxa variants correlate with metabolic health and PN. Apparent links between PN-associated taxa and certain lipid species and nerve transcriptome-related pathways additionally provide insight into new targets for microbiota and the associated underlying mechanisms of action in PN. Thus, these findings strengthen the possibility of a gut-microbiome-peripheral nervous system signature in PN and support continuing studies focused on defining the connection between the gut microbiome and nerve health to inform mechanistic insight and therapeutic opportunities. Video Abstract.

The gut microbiome: a core regulator of metabolism

The human body is inhabited by numerous bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and each part has a unique microbial community structure. The gastrointestinal tract harbors approximately 100 trillion strains comprising more than 1000 bacterial species that maintain symbiotic relationships with the host. The gut microbiota consists mainly of the phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. Of these, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes constitute 70-90% of the total abundance. Gut microbiota utilize nutrients ingested by the host, interact with other bacterial species, and help maintain healthy homeostasis in the host. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that a breakdown of the microbial structure and its functions, known as dysbiosis, is associated with the development of allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancers, and arteriosclerosis, among others. Metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, also have a causal relationship with dysbiosis. The present review provides a brief overview of the general roles of the gut microbiota and their relationship with metabolic disorders.

Changyanning regulates gut microbiota and metabolism to ameliorate intestinal injury induced by ETEC K88

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a common pathogen of swine colibacillosis, which can causing a variety of diseases initiate serious economic losses to the animal husbandry industry. The traditional Chinese medicine Changyanning (CYN) often used for diarrhea caused by the accumulation of damp heat in the gastrointestinal tract, has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation effects. This study investigated the effect of CYN on gut microbiota and metabolism in mice infected with ETEC K88. A total of 60 Kunming mices were divided into Control group, ETEC K88 group, CYN.L group (2.5 g/kg), CYN.M group (5 g/kg), CYN.H group (10 g/kg) and BTW group (10 g/kg), determined clinical symptoms, intestinal morphology, inflammatory responses, gut microbiota as well as serum metabolites. CYN administration elevated ETEC K88-induced body weight loss, ameliorated duodenum, ilem, colon pathological injury, and reduced the increase of spleen index caused by ETEC. CYN also reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNE-α) in the serum. 16s rRNA gene sequencing results showed that CYN increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus but decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria Escherichia in the feces of mice. Moreover, CYN participates in amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism in the process of serum metabolism to regulates ameliorate intestinal injury induced by ETEC K88. In conclusion, CYN regulates gut microbiota and metabolism to ameliorate intestinal injury induced by ETEC K88.

Response of gut microbiota and ileal transcriptome to inulin intervention in HFD induced obese mice

Inulin, as a dietary fiber, exerted prominent anti-obesity effects by modulating gut microbiota. However, the possible relationship and interplay of gut microbiome and function of distal intestine is still unclear now. This study aimed to investigate the possible targets of microbes and the related intestinal genes mediated by inulin. C57 BL/6 male mice were randomly allocated to chow diet (Chow) group, high-fat diet (HFD) group, and HFD supplemented with 3 % inulin (Inulin) group. Compared with HFD treatment, inulin supplementation significantly decreased the body weight, fat deposition, and fasting blood glucose level. In addition, mice treated with inulin had a remarkable alteration in the structure of cecal microbiota and transcriptomic profiling of ileum. In particular, inulin supplementation significantly reversed the HFD induced expression of Bacteroides, Allobaculum and nonrank_f_Bacteroidates_S24-7_group, and reversed the expression of genes belonging to phospholipase A2 (PLA2) family and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) family. In summary, inulin might alleviate HFD-induced fat deposition and metabolic disorders via regulating lipid metabolism of ileum, while the interaction between the sPLA2s and gut microbes might play important roles in the process.

Effects of Initial Combinations of Gemigliptin Plus Metformin Compared with Glimepiride Plus Metformin on Gut Microbiota and Glucose Regulation in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: The INTESTINE Study

The efficacy and safety of medications can be affected by alterations in gut microbiota in human beings. Among antidiabetic medications, incretin-based therapy such as dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors might affect gut microbiomes, which are related to glucose metabolism. This was a randomized, controlled, active-competitor study that aimed to compare the effects of combinations of gemigliptin−metformin vs. glimepiride−metformin as initial therapies on gut microbiota and glucose homeostasis in drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes. Seventy drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age, 52.2 years) with a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level ≥7.5% were assigned to either gemigliptin−metformin or glimepiride−metformin combination therapies for 24 weeks. Changes in gut microbiota, biomarkers linked to glucose regulation, body composition, and amino acid blood levels were investigated. Although both treatments decreased the HbA1c levels significantly, the gemigliptin−metformin group achieved HbA1c ≤ 7.0% without hypoglycemia or weight gain more effectively than did the glimepiride−metformin group (59% vs. 24%; p < 0.05). At the phylum level, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio tended to decrease after gemigliptin−metformin therapy (p = 0.065), with a notable depletion of taxa belonging to Firmicutes, including Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus torques, and Streptococcus (all p < 0.05). However, regardless of the treatment modality, a distinct difference in the overall gut microbiome composition was noted between patients who reached the HbA1c target goal and those who did not (p < 0.001). Treatment with gemigliptin−metformin resulted in a higher achievement of the glycemic target without hypoglycemia or weight gain, better than with glimepiride−metformin; these improvements might be related to beneficial changes in gut microbiota.

Tea Consumption and Gut Microbiome in Older Chinese Adults

BACKGROUND

Animal and small-cohort human studies have shown that tea consumption affects the gut microbiome, but evidence from large cohort studies is lacking.

OBJECTIVES

We examined associations between tea consumption and gut microbiome composition among older Chinese adults.

METHODS

The study included 1179 men and 1078 women from the Shanghai Men's and Women's Health Studies, who reported tea drinking status, type, amount, and duration at baseline and follow-up surveys (1996-2017) and were free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes at stool collection (2015-2018). Fecal microbiome was profiled using 16S rRNA sequencing. Associations of tea variables with microbiome diversity and taxa abundance were evaluated using linear or negative binomial hurdle models after adjusting for sociodemographics, lifestyle, and hypertension status.

RESULTS

Mean age at stool collection was 67.2 ± 9.0 y in men and 69.6 ± 8.5 y in women. Tea drinking was not associated with microbiome ɑ-diversity in men or women; however, all tea variables were associated with β-diversity in men (P < 0.001). Significant associations with taxa abundance were also observed mostly in men. Current tea drinking, mainly green tea drinking, was associated with increase in orders Synergistales and RF39 in men (β = 0.30 to 0.42, all PFDR ≤ 0.10) but not in women (PInteraction-sex = 0.01). Also, increase in families Coriobacteriaceae, Odoribacteraceae, genera Collinsella, Odoribacter, and species Collinsella aerofaciens, Coprococcus catus, and Dorea formicigenerans were observed among men who drank >3.3 cups (781 mL)/d compared to that of nondrinkers (all PFDR <0.10). The increased Coprococcus catus related to tea drinking was more evident among men without hypertension and inversely associated with the prevalence of hypertension (OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.84, 0.97; PFDR = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Tea consumption may affect gut microbiome β-diversity and abundance of some bacteria, which may contribute to reduced hypertension risk in Chinese men. Future studies should examine the sex-specific tea-gut microbiome associations and how certain bacteria may mediate the health benefits of tea.

N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Gut Microbiota

For several decades, studies have reported that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play a beneficial role in cardiovascular, immune, cognitive, visual, mental and metabolic health. The mammalian intestine is colonized by microbiota, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, protozoans, and fungi. The composition of the gut microbiota is influenced by long-term dietary habits, disease-associated dysbiosis, and the use of antibiotics. Accumulating evidence suggests a relationship between n-3 PUFAs and the gut microbiota. N-3 PUFAs can alter the diversity and abundance of the gut microbiome, and gut microbiota can also affect the metabolism and absorption of n-3 PUFAs. Changes in the populations of certain gut microbiota can lead to negative effects on inflammation, obesity, and metabolic diseases. An imbalanced consumption of n-3/n-6 PUFAs may lead to gut microbial dysbiosis, in particular, a significant increase in the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, which eventually results in being overweight and obesity. N-3 PUFA deficiency disrupts the microbiota community in metabolic disorders. In addition, accumulating evidence indicates that the interplay between n-3 PUFAs, gut microbiota, and immune reactions helps to maintain the integrity of the intestinal wall and interacts with host immune cells. Supplementation with n-3 PUFAs may be an effective therapeutic measure to restore gut microbiota homeostasis and correct metabolic disturbances associated with modern chronic diseases. In particular, marine extracts from seaweed contain a considerable dry weight of lipids, including n-3 PUFAs such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20: 5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22: 6). This review describes how gut microbiota function in intestinal health, how n-3 PUFAs interact with the gut microbiota, and the potential of n-3 PUFAs to influence the gut-brain axis, acting through gut microbiota composition.

Mechanism of Huangqi-Honghua combination regulating the gut microbiota to affect bile acid metabolism towards preventing cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats

CONTEXT

Effective treatment of ischaemic stroke is required to combat its high prevalence and incidence. Although the combination of Astragalus membranaeus (Fisch.) Bge. (Fabaceae) and Carthamus tinctorius L. (Asteraceae) is used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of stroke, its underlying mechanism remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to elucidate the mechanism underlying Huangqi-Honghua (HQ-HH) for the treatment of ischaemic stroke by gut microbiota analysis and metabonomics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the sham, model, HQ-HH, and Naoxintong (NXT) groups. The middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion model was established after 7 days of intragastric administration in the HQ-HH (4.5 g/kg, qd) and NXT (1.0 g/kg, qd) groups. The neurological examination, infarct volume, gut microbiota, bile acids, and inflammation markers were assessed after 72 h of reperfusion.

RESULTS

Compared with the model group, HQ-HH significantly reduced the neurological deficit scores of the model rats (2.0 ± 0.2 vs. 3.16 ± 0.56), and reduced the cerebral infarct volume (27.83 ± 3.95 vs. 45.17 ± 2.75), and reduced the rate of necrotic neurons (26.35 ± 4.37 vs. 53.50 ± 9.61). HQ-HH regulating gut microbiota, activating the bile acid receptor FXR, maintaining the homeostasis of bile acid, reducing Th17 cells and increasing Treg cells in the rat brain, reducing the inflammatory response, and improving cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that HQ-HH combination can improve ischaemic stroke by regulating the gut microbiota to affect bile acid metabolism, providing experimental evidence for the wide application of HQ-HH in clinical practice of ischaemic stroke.

Fecal microbiota transplantation treatment of autoimmune-mediated type 1 diabetes: A systematic review

There is a strong link between fecal microbiota and the development of type 1 diabetes. As an emerging therapeutic modality, fecal microbiota transplantation has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of many intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Various studies have found that fecal microbiota transplantation can treat diseases by correcting patients' immune disorders. Besides, many studies have found that fecal microbiota transplantation can improve glycemic control and insulin resistance in diabetic patients. Therefore, this paper reviews the mechanism of action of fecal microbiota transplantation on autoimmune-mediated T1DM and the current research progress, feasibility, and issues that need to be addressed in the future development of fecal microbiota transplantation in the treatment of autoimmune-mediated T1DM.

Association of intestinal microbiota markers and dietary pattern in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes: The Henan rural cohort study

Studies on intestinal microbiota in Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients are scarce and correlation studies with dietary intake are lacking. The case-control study included 150 participants (74 T2DM patients and 76 controls) and microbiome analysis was performed using 16S rDNA sequencing. Principal component analysis was used to determine dietary patterns and correlation analysis was used to evaluate the associations between microbiota diversity, T2DM indicators and dietary variables. Compared to controls, the T2DM group had different gut flora characteristics, including lower alpha diversity, higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratios, statistically significant beta diversity and other specific bacterial species differences. Gut microbiota was associated with several diabetes-related metabolic markers including HOMA2-β, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c and fasting insulin. Significant associations were also observed between dietary intake pattern and gut flora. The animal foods pattern scores were positively correlated with the relative abundance of the phylum Fusobacteria, and the vegetarian diet pattern scores were positively correlated with the relative abundance of the phylum Actinobacteria. Phylum Actinobacteria mediated the association of vegetarian diet pattern with fasting insulin and HOMA2-β (all P < 0.05). Composition of intestinal microbiota in Chinese T2DM patients differs from that of control population, and the intestinal flora is affected by dietary intake while being associated with several diabetes-related metabolic markers. The gut microbiota may play an important role in linking dietary intake and the etiology of T2DM.

Dynamics of Gut Microbiota and Clinical Variables after Ketogenic and Mediterranean Diets in Drug-Naïve Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the most common form of diabetes, is a progressive chronic metabolic disease that has increasingly spread worldwide, enhancing the mortality rate, particularly from cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Lifestyle improvement through diet and physical activity is, together with drug treatment, the cornerstone of T2DM management. The Mediterranean diet (MD), which favors a prevalence of unprocessed vegetable foods and a reduction in red meats and industrial foods, without excluding any food category, is usually recommended. Recently, scientific societies have promoted a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD), a multiphasic protocol that limits carbohydrates and then gradually re-introduces them, with a favorable outcome on body weight and metabolic parameters. Indeed, gut microbiota (GM) modifications have been linked to overweight/obesity and metabolic alterations typical of T2DM. Diet is known to affect GM largely, but only a few studies have investigated the effects of VLCKD on GM, especially in T2DM. In this study, we have compared anthropometric, biochemical, lifestyle parameters, the quality of life, and the GM of eleven patients with recently diagnosed T2DM and overweight or obesity, randomly assigned to two groups of six and five patients who followed the VLCKD (KETO) or hypocaloric MD (MEDI) respectively; parameters were recorded at baseline (T0) and after two (T2) and three months (T3). The results showed that VLCKD had more significant beneficial effects than MD on anthropometric parameters, while biochemical improvements did not statistically differ. As for the GM, despite the lack of significant results regarding the alpha and beta diversity, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio between the two groups, in the KETO group, a significant increase in beneficial microbial taxa such as Verrucomicrobiota phylum with its members Verrucomicrobiae, Verrucomicrobiales, Akkermansiaceae, and Akkermansia, Christensenellaceae family, Eubacterium spp., and a reduction in microbial taxa previously associated with obesity (Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota) or other diseases (Alistipes) was observed both at T2 and T3. With regards to the MEDI group, variations were limited to a significant increase in Actinobacteroidota phylum at T2 and T3 and Firmicutes phylum at T3. Moreover, a metagenomic alteration linked to some metabolic pathways was found exclusively in the KETO group. In conclusion, both dietary approaches allowed patients to improve their state of health, but VLCKD has shown better results on body composition as well as on GM profile.

Microbiota Modulation in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MS) comprises a vast range of metabolic dysfunctions, which can be associated to cardiovascular disease risk factors. MS is reaching pandemic levels worldwide and it currently affects around 25% in the adult population of developed countries. The definition states for the diagnosis of MS may be clear, but it is also relevant to interpret the patient data and realize whether similar criteria were used by different clinicians. The different criteria explain, at least in part, the controversies on the theme. Several studies are presently focusing on the microbiota changes according to the components of MS. It is widely accepted that the gut microbiota is a regulator of metabolic homeostasis, being the gut microbiome in MS described as dysbiotic and certain taxonomic groups associated to metabolic changes. Probiotics, and more recently synbiotics, arise as promising therapeutic alternatives that can mitigate some metabolic disturbances, namely by correcting the microbiome and bringing homeostasis to the gut. The most recent studies were revised and the promising results and perspectives revealed in this review.

Flooding-induced rhizosphere Clostridium assemblage prevents root-to-shoot cadmium translocation in rice by promoting the formation of root apoplastic barriers

Water managements are the most effective agricultural practices for restraining cadmium (Cd) uptake and translocation in rice, which closely correlated with rhizosphere assembly of beneficial microbiome. However, the role of the assemblage of specific microbiota in controlling root-to-shoot Cd translocation in rice remains scarcely clear. The aim of this study was to ascertain how water managements shaped rhizosphere microbiome and mediated root-to-shoot Cd translocation. To disentangle the acting mechanisms of water managements, we performed an experiment monitoring Cd uptake and transport in rice and changes in soil microbial communities in response to continuously flooding and moistening irrigation. Continuously flooding changed rhizosphere microbial communities, leading to the increased abundance of anaerobic bacteria such as Clostridium populations. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) showed that a dominant OTU163, corresponding to Clostridium sp. CSP1, exhibited a strong negative correlation with root-to-shoot Cd translocation. An integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome further indicated that the Clostridium-secreted butyric acid was involved in the regulation of phenylpropanoid pathway in rice roots. The formation of endodermal suberized barriers and lignified xylems was remarkably enhanced in the Clostridium-treated roots, which led to more Cd retained in root cell wall and less Cd in the xylem sap. Collectively, our results indicate that the development of root apoplastic barriers can be orchestrated by beneficial Clostridium strains that are assembled by host plants grown under flooding regime, thereby inhibiting root-to-shoot Cd translocation.

Fecal microbiota of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and metabolic syndrome: an exploratory study

Metabolic syndrome and obesity occur commonly in long-term pediatric cancer survivors. The intestinal microbiome is associated with metabolic syndrome and obesity in the general population, and is perturbed during cancer therapy. We aimed to determine if long-term survivors of pediatric cancer would have reduced bacterial microbiome diversity, and if these findings would be associated with components of the metabolic syndrome, obesity, and chronic inflammation. We performed a cross-sectional exploratory study examining the intestinal microbiome via 16S amplicon sequencing, treatment history, clinical measurements (blood pressure, body mass index) and biomarkers (hemoglobin A1c, lipoproteins, adiponectin: leptin ratio, C-reactive protein, TNFα, Interleukin-6, and Interleukin-10) between 35 long-term survivors and 32 age, sex, and race matched controls. All subjects were aged 10-40 years, and survivors were at least five years from therapy completion. Survivors had lower alpha diversity compared to controls (Shannon index p = .001, Simpson index p = .032) and differently abundant bacterial taxa. Further, among survivors, those who received radiation (18/35) to the central nervous system or abdomen/pelvis had decreased alpha diversity compared to those who did not receive radiation (Shannon and Simpson p < .05 for both). Although, no specific component of metabolic syndrome or cytokine was associated with measures of alpha diversity, survivors with low adiponectin-lectin ratio, elevated body mass index, and elevated C-reactive protein had differently abundant taxa compared to those with normal measures. The microbiome of cancer survivors remains less diverse than controls even many years after diagnosis, and exposure to radiation may lead to further loss of diversity in survivors.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08880018.2022.2049937.

Optimization of a GC-MS method for the profiling of microbiota-dependent metabolites in blood samples: An application to type 2 diabetes and prediabetes

Changes in serum or plasma metabolome may reflect gut microbiota dysbiosis, which is also known to occur in patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Thus, developing a robust method for the analysis of microbiota-dependent metabolites (MDMs) is an important issue. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is a powerful approach enabling detection of a wide range of MDMs in biofluid samples with good repeatability and reproducibility, but requires selection of a suitable solvents and conditions. For this reason, we conducted for the first time the study in which, we demonstrated an optimisation of samples preparation steps for the measurement of 75 MDMs in two matrices. Different solvents or mixtures of solvents for MDMs extraction, various concentrations and volumes of derivatizing reagents as well as temperature programs at methoxymation and silylation step, were tested. The stability, repeatability and reproducibility of the 75 MDMs measurement were assessed by determining the relative standard deviation (RSD). Finally, we used the developed method to analyse serum samples from 18 prediabetic (PreDiab group) and 24 T2DM patients (T2DM group) from our 1000PLUS cohort. The study groups were homogeneous and did not differ in age and body mass index. To select statistically significant metabolites, T2DM vs. PreDiab comparison was performed using multivariate statistics. Our experiment revealed changes in 18 MDMs belonging to different classes of compounds, and seven of them, based on the SVM classification model, were selected as a panel of potential biomarkers, able to distinguish between patients with T2DM and prediabetes.

Egg Protein Transferrin-Derived Peptides Irw (Lle-Arg-Trp) and Iqw (Lle-Gln-Trp) Prevent Obesity Mouse Model Induced by a High-Fat Diet via Reducing Lipid Deposition and Reprogramming Gut Microbiota

Egg-derived peptides play important roles in insulin secretion and sensitivity, oxidative stress, and inflammation, suggesting their possible involvement in obesity management. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore the alleviating effects of IRW (lle-Arg-Trp) and IQW (lle-Gln-Trp) on obesity via the mouse model induced by a high-fat diet. The entire experimental period lasted eight weeks. The results demonstrated that IQW prevented weight gain (6.52%), decreased the glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), malonaldehyde, triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), and leptin levels, and increased the concentration of adiponectin (p < 0.05, n = 8). Although IRW failed to prevent weight gain, it reduced the concentration of glucose, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), LDL, and leptin, and increased the concentration of adiponectin (p < 0.05, n = 8). Moreover, IRW and IQW increased glucose tolerance and insulin resistance based on the results of the intraperitoneal glucose test and insulin tolerance test (p < 0.05, n = 8). The quantitative polymerase chain reaction results revealed that IRW and IQW downregulated the mRNA expression of DGAT1 (Diacylglycerol O-Acyltransferase 1), DGAT2 (Diacylglycerol O-Acyltransferase 2), TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β of liver tissue (p < 0.05, n = 8). The results of the 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing showed that IQW and IRW tended to reduce the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Parabacteroides, and that IRW enhanced the abundance of Bacteroides (p < 0.05, n = 8). Collectively, IRW and IQW supplementation could alleviate the progression of obesity due to the fact that the supplementation reduced lipid deposition, maintained energy balance, and reprogrammed gut microbiota.