Metagenomics Approach to the Intestinal Microbiome Structure and Abundance in High-Fat-Diet-Induced Hyperlipidemic Rat Fed with (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Nanoparticles

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-07, Vol.27 (15), p.4894
• Main Authors: Chen, Zhiyin, Liu, Baogui, Gong, Zhihua, Huang, Hua, Gong, Yihui, Xiao, Wenjun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate; Apolipoproteins; Bacteroidetes; Bioavailability; Catalase; Cholesterol; Cyclodextrins; Digestive system; Drug delivery systems; Encapsulation; Epigallocatechin gallate; Experiments; Food; High fat diet; Homeostasis; Hyperlipidemia; Infrared spectroscopy; intestinal microbiome; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Laboratory animals; Liver; Low density lipoprotein; Metabolism; Metagenomics; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Molecular docking; Nanoparticles; Oral administration; Particle size; Physiological effects; Polydispersity; Scanning electron microscopy; Self-assembly; Spectrum analysis; Verrucomicrobia; X-ray diffraction; Zeta potential; β-Cyclodextrin
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27154894

The effects of nanoparticles (NPs) on microbiota homeostasis and their physiological relevance are still unclear. Herein, we compared the modulation and consequent pharmacological effects of oral administration of (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)-loaded β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) NPs (EGCG@β-CD NPs) and EGCG on gut microbiota. EGCG@β-CD NPs were prepared using self-assembly and their influence on the intestinal microbiome structure was analyzed using a metagenomics approach. The “Encapsulation efficiency (EE), particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential” of EGCG@β-CD NPs were recorded as 98.27 ± 0.36%, 124.6 nm, 0.313 and –24.3 mV, respectively. Surface morphology of EGCG@β-CD NPs was observed as spherical. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and molecular docking studies confirmed that EGCG could be well encapsulated in β-CD and formed as EGCG@β-CD NPs. After being continuously administered EGCG@β-CD NPs for 8 weeks, the serum cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the rats were significantly decreased, while the levels of catalase (CAT) and apolipoprotein-A1 (apo-A1) in the liver increased significantly in the hyperlipidemia model of rats, when compared to the high-fat-diet group. Furthermore, metagenomic analysis revealed that the ratio of Verrucomicrobia/Bacteroidetes was altered and Bacteroidetes decreased in the high-fat diet +200 mg/kg·bw EGCG@β-CD NPs group, while the abundance of Verrucomicrobia was significantly increased, especially Akkermansia muciniphila in rat feces. EGCG@β-CD NPs could be a promising EGCG delivery strategy to modulate the gut microbiota, enhancing its employment in the prevention of hyperlipidemia.