Microencapsulated OPO Enhances Intestinal SCFA Production by Optimizing Lipid Digestion and Regulating Bile Acid...

Area of Science:

• * Nutritional Science
• * Gut Microbiome Research
• * Food Chemistry

Background:

• * 1,3-Dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol (OPO) structurally mimics human breast milk fat.
• * The precise mechanisms by which OPO influences gut short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production are not fully understood.
• * SCFAs play crucial roles in host health and gut barrier function.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To investigate the impact of OPO microcapsules on SCFA levels in the murine gut.
• * To elucidate the molecular pathways involved in OPO's effects on host digestion and SCFA metabolism.
• * To explore the potential of OPO as a functional food ingredient.

Main Methods:

• * Preparation of stable OPO microcapsules using soy protein isolate and maltodextrin.
• * Administration of OPO microcapsules to mice and subsequent analysis of jejunum and colon contents.
• * Integration of metabolomics and transcriptomics (multi-omics) to analyze changes in metabolites and gene expression.

Main Results:

• * OPO intervention significantly increased acetic, propanoic, and butyric acid concentrations in a dose-dependent manner.
• * Multi-omics analysis revealed OPO upregulated genes critical for lipid digestion (e.g., FABP2, NPC1L1, MTTP) and bile secretion (e.g., ABCA1).
• * A strong correlation was observed between OPO administration, enhanced host nutrient processing, and increased SCFA production.

Conclusions:

• * OPO microcapsules effectively increase gut SCFA levels in mice.
• * OPO appears to promote SCFA production by optimizing host lipid digestion and absorption, creating a favorable environment for microbial fermentation.
• * These findings suggest a novel mechanism for OPO's health benefits and support its use in functional foods.