A Combined Supplement of Probiotic Strains AP-32, bv-77, and CP-9 Increased Akkermansia mucinphila and Reduced Non-Esterified Fatty Acids and Energy Metabolism in HFD-Induced Obese Rats

Abstract

Obesity is referred to as a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to an extent that it causes negative impacts on health. The formation of body fat is regulated by complicated networks in relation to energy metabolism, and gut microbiota have been regarded as a key player. Studies have shown that supplements of probiotics provide benefits to health, including an improvement in metabolic syndrome and the control of body weight. In the present study, three probiotic strains, AP-32, bv-77, and CP-9, stood out from nine candidates using a lipid consumption assay, and were subsequently introduced to further animal tests. A rodent model of obesity was induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and three probiotic strains were administered either separately or in a mixture. A low dose (5 × 109 CFU/kg/day) and a high dose (2.5 × 1010 CFU/kg/day) of probiotics were orally provided to obese rats. The bioeffects of the probiotic supplements were evaluated based on five aspects: (1) the body weight and growth rate; (2) ketone bodies, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), and feed efficiency; (3) blood biochemistry; (4) fat content; and (5) gut microbiota composition. Our results demonstrated that the supplement of AP-32, CP-9, and bv-77 alleviated the increasing rate of body weight and prevented the elevation of NEFAs and ketone bodies in obese rats. Although the effect on fat content showed a minor improvement, the supplement of probiotics displayed significant improvements in HFD-induced poor blood biochemical characteristics, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate Transaminase (AST), and uric acid, within 4 weeks. Furthermore, the combined supplement of three strains significantly increased Akkermansia mucinphila as compared with three individual strains, while its enrichment was negatively correlated with NEFAs and energy metabolism. In general, a mixture of three probiotic strains delivered a better outcome than a single strain, and the high dose of supplements provided a more profound benefit than the low dose. In conclusion, three probiotic strains, AP-32, bv-77, and CP-9, can alleviate body fat formation in obese rats. Furthermore, a combined supplement of these three probiotic strains may have potential in treating or controlling metabolic disorders.

Probiotic Mechanisms Affecting Glucose Homeostasis: A Scoping Review

“…Since energy metabolism is related to gluconeogenesis and the production of ketone bodies during starvation or diets with very low availability of digestible carbohydrates [ 223 ], more importance of analysing ketone bodies in the context of hypo- and more recently hyperglycaemic states in in vivo studies should be considered. Furthermore, the effect of probiotics on ketone body levels and energy metabolism reduction as well as their positive correlation, has been demonstrated in animal models [ 224 ].…”

Safety and the probiotic potential of Bifidobacterium animalis CP‐9

“…The tolerance of B. animalis CP‐9 to acid and bile salts was also demonstrated in this study. These properties of B. animalis CP‐9 increase the chance for the oral supplement of lyophilized powder to reach and colonize in the intestine, and the oral supplement of B. animalis CP‐9 was recently reported to modulate gut microbiota in high‐fat diet‐treated rats (Liao et al., 2022).…”

A multi-strain probiotic blend reshaped obesity-related gut dysbiosis and improved lipid metabolism in obese children

“…The multi-strain probiotic supplement used in this trial contained three species from two genera. The effects of mono- (AP-32, bv-77, or CP-9) and multi-strain (AP-32/bv-77/CP-9) probiotic supplementations have been previously investigated in obese rats ( 14 ). Consistent with the animal study, improved blood lipid profiles and gut microbiota modulation was observed in the subjects of this trial who received multi-strain probiotics.…”

“…Therefore, there is a keen need to clarify specific probiotic strains or products that can provide positive effects on weight control in obese children. In our previous study, the weight-reducing effect of a multi-strain probiotic supplement was validated in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats ( 14 ). The multi-strain probiotic supplement contained three strains: L. rhamnosus bv-77, B. lactis CP-9, and L. salivarius AP-32.…”