A comprehensive meta-analysis on probiotic metabolites and inflammatory biomarkers in obesity

Introduction: Obesity is a complex disorder characterised by inflammatory and metabolic response system disorders. There is increasing evidence that the gut microbiota influences host physiology by producing bioactive metabolites. The metabolic byproducts of probiotic fermentation, such as branched-chain amino acids and short-chain fatty acids, affect immune regulation. However, we do not know how these metabolites systemically act in host inflammatory signalling. Methods: A meta-analysis was performed to characterise interactions between microbial metabolites and host inflammatory markers related to obesity. The Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) was used to retrieve metabolites, and the STRING database was used to identify host protein targets. Analysis using KEGG and Reactome revealed important involvement in sphingolipid metabolism, antimicrobial peptide activity, and BCAA degradation. Results: With network analysis, cytokine signalling, insulin regulation, and adipocytokine pathways were disturbed. Conclusion: This revealed the immunometabolic importance of the gut microbiota and suggested that probiotic metabolites could be potential therapeutic targets for obesity-induced inflammation.