Modulation of the Gut Microbiota of Diabetes-Induced Mice Through Curcumin-Enriched Dietary Fibers Intervention

This study aimed to investigate the effect of innovative dietary fiber mixtures, comprised predominantly of resistant dextrin together with insoluble citrus fibers, fructooligosaccharides, long-chain inulin, and gum arabic, with or without curcumin or resveratrol/grape seed extract, on the intestinal microbiota of a mouse model with T2DM. The applied innovative formulations resulted in the desired changes in the distribution of gut microbiome species associated with T2DM, as revealed by QIIME2 and additionally confirmed by ANCOM. This effect was particularly pronounced in the curcumin-supplemented formulation, as evident from the enrichment of the Verrucomicrobiota representative Akkermansia muciniphila and short-chain fatty acid producers Faecalibaculum and Dubosiella, while also leading to a decrease in Patescibacteria, as well as Chlamydia muridarum, Desulfovibrio, Candidatus Saccharimonas, and Alistipes species. The administration of the examined innovative dietary fiber formulations statistically reduced the alpha diversity and altered the beta diversity of the gut microbiota in a mouse model with T2DM, in terms of abundance and presence of species analyzed with MicrobiomeAnalyst. Due to the strong influence on the composition of the gut microbiota, the innovative dietary formulations can be further evaluated for inclusion in food for special medical purposes specifically designed for the dietary management of diabetes.