The Prebiotic Effects of an Extract with Antioxidant Properties from Morus alba L. Contribute to Ameliorate High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice.

Obesity is a global health issue, in which modifications in gut microbiota composition have a key role. Different therapeutic strategies are being developed in combination with diet and exercise, including the use of plant extracts, such as those obtained from Morus alba L. leaves. Recent studies have revealed their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The aim of the present work was to evaluate whether the beneficial effects of M. alba L. leaf extract in high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice is correlated with its impact on gut microbiota. The extract reduced body weight gain and attenuated lipid accumulation, as well as increased glucose sensitivity. These effects were associated with an amelioration of the obesity-associated inflammatory status, most probably due to the described antioxidant properties of the extract. Moreover, M. alba L. leaf extract mitigated gut dysbiosis, which was evidenced by the restoration of the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio and the decrease in plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels. Specifically, the extract administration reduced Alistipes and increased Faecalibaculum abundance, these effects being correlated with the beneficial effects exerted by the extract on the obesity-associated inflammation. In conclusion, anti-obesogenic effects of M. alba L. leaf extract may be mediated through the amelioration of gut dysbiosis.

The Beneficial Effects of Lippia Citriodora Extract on Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice Are Associated with Modulation in the Gut Microbiota Composition.

SCOPE: Obesity is characterized by a dysfunction in the adipose tissue and an inflammatory subclinical state leading to insulin resistance and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is also associated with intestinal dysbiosis that contributes to inflammation development. Lippia citriodora (LCE) contains high levels of polyphenolpropanoids and has shown promising results in obesity. The aim of this study is to investigate a well-characterized extract of LCE in a model of metabolic syndrome in mice, focusing on its effects on metabolic tissues, endothelial dysfunction, and microbiome. METHODS: Mice are fed a high fat diet (HFD) for six weeks and treated daily with LCE (1, 10, and 25 mg kg-1 ). Glucose and lipid metabolism is investigated. The inflammatory state in the metabolic tissues and the intestinal microbiota composition are characterized, as well as the endothelium-dependent vasodilator response to acetylcholine. RESULTS: LCE reduces fat accumulation and improves plasma glycemic and lipid profiles, as well as the inflammatory process and vascular dysfunction. Moreover, LCE lessens intestinal dysbiosis, as it reduces the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and increases Akkermansia abundance in comparison with untreated HFD mice. CONCLUSION: The antiobesity therapeutic properties of LCE are most probably mediated by the synergic effects of its bioactive compounds.

Probiotics Prevent Dysbiosis and the Rise in Blood Pressure in Genetic Hypertension: Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids.

SCOPE: The objective of this study is to determine the cardiovascular effects of the probiotics Bifidobacterium breve CECT7263 (BFM) and Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 (LC40), and the short chain fatty acids butyrate, and acetate in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS AND RESULTS: Ten five-week old Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and fifty aged-matched SHR are randomly distributed into six groups: control WKY, control SHR, treated SHR-LC40, treated SHR-BMF, treated SHR-butyrate, and treated SHR-acetate. Chronic treatments with LC40 or BFM increase butyrate-producing bacteria and prevent the blood pressure increase in SHR. Oral treatment with butyrate or acetate also prevents the increase in both blood pressure and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio. All treatments restore the Th17/Treg balance in mesenteric lymph nodes, normalized endotoxemia, and prevent the impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine, as a result of reduced NADPH oxidase-driven reactive oxygen species production. These protective effects might be mediated by both the reduction in vascular lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway and the increase in Treg infiltration in the vasculature. CONCLUSION: The probiotics LC40 and BFM prevent dysbiosis and the development of endothelial dysfunction and high blood pressure in genetic hypertension. These effects seem to be related to endotoxemia reduction and to increase Treg accumulation in the vasculature.

The prebiotic properties of Hibiscus sabdariffa extract contribute to the beneficial effects in diet-induced obesity in mice.

The metabolic syndrome has been associated with an alteration of intestinal microbiota, which can be considered as a target for the management of these patients. Phenolic extracts from Hibiscus sabdariffa have shown beneficial effects on obesity and its related complications. However, their effects on gut microbiota have not been investigated yet. This study evaluates the effects of a chemically characterized polyphenolic extract of H. sabdariffa (HSE) in an experimental model of diet-induced obesity (DIO) in mice. HSE was administered daily by oral gave for 42 days. HSE reduced weight increase in high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, and improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and normalized LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio. It also enhanced the inflammatory state in the liver, reducing the expression of different adipokines and proinflammatory mediators, and reinforced gut integrity by increasing the expression of mucins and proteins involved in the maintenance of mucosal barrier. Moreover, HSE had a prebiotic effect, ameliorating the changes in the gut microbiota induced by the HFD. Thus, HSE improved the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, which may contribute to the beneficial effects. Consequently, HSE could be considered for the development of a complementary treatment for the metabolic syndrome due to its beneficial properties.