Polysaccharides from fermented garlic attenuate high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice through gut microbes

The weight loss and lipid-lowering effects of fermented garlic polysaccharides (BGP) in obese mice were analyzed by detecting the intestinal flora and short-chain fatty acids. An obesity model was established by feeding mice a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks. After euthanasia, biochemical index testing and hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed. Spearman analysis was used to assess the relationship between the 16S rRNA sequencing results and the fatty acid content in mouse feces. Compared with the obese model mice, the BGP group had significantly reduced body weight and serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, malondialdehyde, and free fatty acids in the serum. Moreover, BGP reversed HFD-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, as indicated by the elevated populations of Paraclostridium, Lachnospiraceae_UCG_006, Enterorhabdus, and Lachnospiraceae-NK4A136. BGP also significantly increased the contents of acetic, propionic, butyric, and valeric acids. These results indicate that BGP may serve as a potential prebiotic agent that modulates particular bacteria in the gut and their byproducts that play a crucial role in preventing diseases associated with obesity.