Fermented Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae alleviates high fat diet-induced obesity in association with regulation of intestinal permeability and microbiota in rats

• Published in: Scientific reports 2015-02, Vol.5 (1), p.8391-8391, Article 8391
• Main Authors: Wang, Jing-Hua, Bose, Shambhunath, Kim, Hyung-Gu, Han, Kyung-Sun, Kim, Hojun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Animals; Anti-Obesity Agents - chemistry; Anti-Obesity Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Obesity Agents - therapeutic use; Aspartate transaminase; Asteraceae - chemistry; Asteraceae - metabolism; Bifidobacterium - isolation & purification; Bifidobacterium - physiology; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Line; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Diet, High-Fat; Digestive system; Fermented food; Gastrointestinal tract; Gastrointestinal Tract - microbiology; HCT116 Cells; High density lipoprotein; High fat diet; Humans; Inflammation; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Intestines - drug effects; Intestines - metabolism; Intestines - microbiology; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Mice; Microbiota; Obesity; Obesity - etiology; Obesity - prevention & control; Obesity - veterinary; Permeability; Permeability - drug effects; Plant Roots - chemistry; Plant Roots - metabolism; Principal Component Analysis; Probiotics; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Relative abundance; Rhizome - chemistry; Rhizome - metabolism; Rodents; Transaminase
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep08391

Accumulating evidence suggests the anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity activities of Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (RAM). Here, we evaluated the anti-obesity impact of unfermented (URAM) versus fermented RAM (FRAM) using both in vitro and in vivo models. Both URAM and FRAM exhibited marked anti-inflammatory, anti-adipogenic, and anti-obesity activities, and modulation of the gut microbial distribution. However, FRAM, compared to URAM, resulted in more efficient suppression of NO production and normalization of transepithelial electrical resistance in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 and HCT 116 cells, respectively. Compared to URAM, FRAM more effectively reduced the adipose tissue weight; ameliorated the serum triglyceride and aspartate transaminase levels; restored the serum HDL level and intestinal epithelial barrier function in the LPS control group. The relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia as well as Bacteriodetes/Firmicutes ratio in the gut of the LPS control group was significantly enhanced by both URAM and FRAM. However, FRAM, but not URAM, resulted in a significant increase in the distribution of Bacteriodetes and Lactobacillus in the gut of the HFD + LPS group. Our results suggest that FRAM with probiotics can exert a greater anti-obesity effect than URAM, which is probably mediated at least in part via regulation of the intestinal microbiota and gut permeability.