Curcumin Reduces Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Alters Gut Microbiota in Diet‐Induced Obese Male Mice

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research 2021-11, Vol.65 (22), p.e2100274-n/a
• Main Authors: Islam, Tariful, Koboziev, Iurii, Albracht‐Schulte, Kembra, Mistretta, Brandon, Scoggin, Shane, Yosofvand, Mohammad, Moussa, Hanna, Zabet‐Moghaddam, Masoud, Ramalingam, Latha, Gunaratne, Preethi H., Moustaid‐Moussa, Naima
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Adipose Tissue, White - metabolism; Animals; Arginase; Body fat; CD11c antigen; CD38 antigen; CD80 antigen; Curcumin; Curcumin - metabolism; Curcumin - pharmacology; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gene sequencing; gut microbiota; High fat diet; Hydrofluorocarbons; Inflammation; Inflammation - drug therapy; Inflammation - metabolism; Interleukin 6; Intestinal microflora; Macrophages; Male; Males; Metabolic disorders; Metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Obese; Microbiota; Microorganisms; mRNA; Obesity; Obesity - chemically induced; Obesity - etiology; Relative abundance; Stat1 protein; TLR4 protein; Toll-like receptors; white adipose tissue
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202100274

Scope Obesity prevalence continues to increase and contribute to metabolic diseases, potentially by driving systemic inflammation. Curcumin is an anti‐inflammatory spice with claimed health benefits. However, mechanisms by which curcumin may reduce obesity‐associated inflammation are poorly understood; thus, it is hypothesized that benefits of curcumin consumption may occur through reduced white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammation and/or beneficial changes in gut bacteria. Methods and Results Male B6 mice are fed high‐fat diets (HFD, 45% kcal fat) or HFD supplemented with 0.4% (w/w) curcumin (HFC) for 14 weeks. Curcumin supplementation significantly reduces adiposity and total macrophage infiltration in WAT, compared to HFD group, consistent with reduced mRNA levels of M1 (Cd80, Cd38, Cd11c) and M2 (Arginase‐1) macrophage markers. Moreover, curcumin supplementation reduces expression of other key pro‐inflammatory genes, such as NF‐κB p65 subunit (p65), Stat1, Tlr4, and Il6, in WAT (p < 0.05). Using microbial 16S RNA sequencing, it is demonstrated that the relative abundance of the Lactococcus, Parasutterella, and Turicibacter genera are increased in the HFC group versus HFD. Conclusions Curcumin exerts protective metabolic effects in dietary obesity, in part through downregulation of adipose tissue inflammation, which may be mediated by alterations in composition of gut microbiota, and metabolism of curcumin into curcumin‐O‐glucuronide. Curcumin reduces white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammation and alters gut microbiota composition: Curcumin reduces high‐fat diet‐induced WAT inflammation by downregulating mRNA levels of Tlr4, p65, Stat1, Il6, and other macrophage markers. This may be in part due to curcumin's ability to change gut microbiota composition.