Effects of functional oligosaccharide on regulating gut microbiota in obese mice: a short review

Abstract

Obesity is considered a complex and multifactorial disease that is rapidly spreading around the world, and it has become a global epidemic. As an "invisible organ" carrying the "second gene" of the human body, the intestinal flora participates in the metabolism of nutrients and energy in the human body. Current research suggested that gut microbiota might play a role in the development of obesity and associated comorbidities, affecting energy intake, lipid metabolism, immune responses, and endocrine functions. Functional oligosaccharides can be utilized by intestinal microorganisms to produce short-chain fatty acids, which affect the body's energy metabolism, absorption, and intestinal permeability, thereby mediating the occurrence and development of obesity. This study took obese mice as the main object and reviewed the effect of obesity on the gut microbiota, the effect of functional oligosaccharides on gut microbiota structure, and the mechanisms of gut microbiota in improving obesity, which aimed to provide therapeutic ideas for the prevention and treatment of obesity.