Blueberry and Blackberry Anthocyanins Ameliorate Metabolic Syndrome by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids Metabolism in High-Fat Diet-Fed C57BL/6J Mice

Abstract

In this study, blueberry (Vaccinium ssp.) anthocyanins (VA) and blackberry (Rubus L.) anthocyanins (RA) were used to investigate the effects on metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the potential mechanisms. Importantly, all of the data presented in this study were obtained from experiments conducted on mice. As a result, VA and RA reduced body weight gain and fat accumulation while improving liver damage, inflammation, glucose, and lipid metabolism induced by a high-fat diet. Moreover, VA and RA regulated the gut microbiota composition, decreasing the pro-obesity and proinflammation bacteria taxa, such as the phylum Actinobacterium and the genera Allobaculum and Bifidobacterium, and increasing those negatively associated with obesity and inflammation, such as the phylum Bacteroidetes and the genera Prevotella and Oscillospira. Additionally, the supplementation with VA and RA reversed the elevated levels of valeric, caproic, and isovaleric acids observed in the high-fat diet (HFD) group, bringing them closer to the levels observed in the Chow group. This reversal indicated that alterations in the composition and abundance of gut microbiota may contribute to the restoration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels. Additionally, PICRUSt2 exhibited that cyanamino acid metabolism and betalain biosynthesis might be the major metabolic pathways in the HVA group compared with the HFD group, while in the HRA group, it was the phosphotransferase system. These findings suggest that VA and RA can ameliorate MetS by modulating the gut microbiota and production of SCFAs.

Diet-Induced Rodent Obesity Is Prevented and the Fecal Microbiome Is Improved with Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis) Juice Powder

“…For example, in our study, no impact on Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes from HFEB was observed. This is in line with observations from a study using freeze-dried strawberries but not with studies based on extracts from berries. , In addition to the possible discrepancy in dietary lipids, it is plausible that the inclusion of high amounts of nutrient-deprived fruit extracts is often not matched appropriately in protein and carbohydrate content, which can lead to spurious effects on Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. On the other hand, we report an increased abundance of Actinobacteria and Verrumicrobia (and Tenericutes), phyla that have repeatedly (alone or in combination) been associated with anthocyanin-based dietary interventions. − …”

“…Several other studies have also reported on the effect of dietary polyphenols on Akkermansia. − A recent discussion on the prebiotic expansion of Akkermansia describes how polyphenols prohibit the growth of opportunistic and/or pathogenic bacteria while creating niches for health-promoting populations to thrive, thereby exerting both protective effects on the colonic environment as well as fueling phenolic metabolite production . A recent study claimed that dietary anthocyanins reduced the amount of Bifidobacterium in mice gut microbiota, but the surprising increase of Bifidobacterium by the HFD prevents comparison with the current findings. Indeed, Bifidobacterium species have long been known to be among the most active polyphenol metabolizers among the gut microbiota, and Bifidobacterium are reported to increase with dietary intervention .…”

Fu Loose Tea Administration Ameliorates Obesity in High-Fat Diet-Fed C57BL/6J Mice: A Comparison with Fu Brick Tea and Orlistat

“…Du et al [19] demonstrated that FBT could enhance the abundance of Prevotella, the same as the present data. Du et al [53] proved that the increased abundance of Bifidobacterium in the mice fed by HFD, likely to be associated with polysaccharide and other complex carbohydrates consumption and indicating the gut microbiota imbalance or inflammatory response, was reduced by blueberry anthocyanins and blackberry anthocyanins administration, which is similar to this study. KEGG analysis of the detected gut microbiota revealed that carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism were dominantly enriched metabolic pathways after different treatments.…”