Published online Nov 21, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i43.6131
Peer-review started: August 25, 2022
First decision: September 2, 2022
Revised: September 21, 2022
Accepted: October 31, 2022
Article in press: October 31, 2022
Published online: November 21, 2022
Processing time: 83 Days and 1.3 Hours
Obesity is a world health problem. A growing number of studies have suggested that gut microbiota is an important regulator of host metabolism, and the dysregulation or imbalance of gut microbiota (GM) is closely related to obesity and its complications. Mounting evidence suggests that improving the structure of the GM balance to regulate metabolism, particularly lipid metabolism, is a viable strategy for treating obesity or obesity-related disease.
Salvia miltiorrhiza extract (Sal) has shown good efficacy in experimental obese rats induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Also, disturbances in gut microbiota have been observed in various diseases, including metabolic disease. However, few studies have explored the role of Sal on gut microbiota and lipid metabolism when treating obesity.
To investigate whether Sal can alleviate obesity induced by an HFD by regulating gut microbiome and lipid metabolism.
Rats were given an HFD (with purified ingredients and a total caloric value of 475 Kcal/100 g, with lard as the main source of fat) for 7 wk, while Sal (0.675 g/1.35 g/2.70 g/kg/d) was administered for 8 wk. Serum lipid test, liver and fat tissue histopathologic examination, ELISA, 16S RNA sequencing, and LC-MS/MS analysis were used to evaluate the efficacy of Sal on obesity.
Sal effectively improved blood lipids and reshaped the balance of gut microbiota and lipid metabolism in obese rats, reversing weight gain and fat accumulation caused by HFD. Correlation analysis further demonstrated that Sal exerted anti-obesity effects through lipid metabolites of intestinal flora, which laid a good foundation for the subsequent study.
Sal may exert an anti-obesity effect in HFD-induced obese rats by modulating the gut microbiome and lipid metabolism.
This study addressed an important topic of the development of obesity, i.e., the role of gut microbiota and lipid metabolism in the development of obesity, using an extract from a Chinese herb that has been found to have anti-obesity effects in various diseases.