[Development of a dietary factor evaluation method based on the gut microbiota health index]

The gut microbiota is closely related to human health, and various gut microbiota health indices have been developed to assist in evaluating the health of the gut microbiota and even the overall health of the human body. Diets are one of the main factors that regulate the gut microbiota, while there is still no good method for evaluating the regulatory effects of dietary factors. To assess the regulatory effects of dietary factors on the gut microbiota of overweight individuals, we conducted an in vitro fermentation experiment based on 17 dietary factors, and developed an evaluation method for the regulatory effects of dietary factors based on the health index with principal component analysis (hiPCA). The results showed that most dietary factors had positive regulatory effects on the gut microbiota of overweight individuals. Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and puerarin were the most significant dietary factors in regulating the gut microbiota of overweight individuals. The analysis of the contribution of species to the hiPCA indicated that GOS and puerarin might inhibit the activities of bacteria associated with overweight by regulating Eubacterium dolichum, Lactobacillus salivarius, Clostridium clostridioforme, Clostridium citroniae, and Lachnospiraceae bacterium 9_1_43BFAA. In addition, GOS may further enhance the inhibition of these activities by regulating Lachnospiraceae bacterium 6_1_63FAA, thereby reducing the gut health risks in overweight individuals. In summary, this study evaluated the health effects of dietary factors based on the hiPCA and specifically analyzed the role of different dietary factors in regulating the gut microbiota of overweight individuals. This provides new ideas and methods for improving gut microbiota health and has potential applications in the field of precision nutrition.