Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) Diet Affects the Gut Microbiome and Obesity Markers in Rat

Abstract

Lentil, a moderate-energy high-protein pulse crop, provides significant amounts of essential nutrients for healthy living. The objective of this study was to determine if a lentil-based diet affects food and energy intake, body weight, percent body fat, liver weight, and body plasma triacylglycerols (TGs) as well as the composition of fecal microbiota in rats. A total of 36 Sprague−Dawley rats were treated with either a standard diet, a 3.5% high amylose corn starch diet, or a 70.8% red lentil diet for 6 weeks. By week 6, rats fed the lentil diet had significantly lower mean body weight (443 ± 47 g/rat) than those fed the control (511 ± 51 g/rat) or corn (502 ± 38 g/rat) diets. Further, mean percent body fat and TG concentration were lower, and lean body mass was higher in rats fed the lentil diet than those fed the corn diet. Fecal abundance of Actinobacteria and Bacteriodetes were greater in rats fed the lentil or corn starch diets than those fed the control diet. Fecal abundance of Firmicutes, a bacterial phylum comprising multiple pathogenic species, decreased in rats fed the lentil and high-amylose corn starch diets vs the control diet. The lentil-based diet decreased body weight, percent body fat, and plasma triacylglycerols in rats and suppressed intestinal colonization by pathogens.

Calcium Oxalate Nephrolithiasis and Gut Microbiota: Not just a Gut-Kidney Axis. A Nutritional Perspective

“…Legume intake can favorably affect the microbiota composition in terms of increased representation of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli and reduced Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio [152]. This assumption is supported by human studies where soy or derivatives were administered to small samples of healthy subjects [152] and also by animal studies with dietary supplementation of soy or lentils [153,154]. However, these effects are probably not mediated by fibers, and depend on isoflavone-derived compounds that can be found in high amounts in legumes, and particularly in soy [155].…”

The roles and potential of lentil prebiotic carbohydrates in human and plant health

“…As lentils provide significant levels of prebiotic carbohydrate, we propose they are an ideal food source for increasing prebiotic carbohydrates in people's diets and for imparting the health benefits these may provide. Indeed, the results from a recent study in rats further support the notion that a lentil-rich diet may have significant health benefits because of the superior nutritional value of its prebiotic carbohydrates and the concomitant increase in the activity of hindgut bacteria (Siva, Johnson, et al, 2018).…”

“…Red lentil glycemic index (21%) compares favorably to other grain carbohydrate sources, such as multigrain bread (62%), basmati rice (69%), and whole-wheat pasta (55%; Henry, Lightowler, Strik, Renton, & Hails, 2005). A lentil-based diet reduces total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease (Abeysekara, Chilibeck, Vatanparast, & Zello, 2012), increases satiety (McCrory, Hamaker, Lovejoy, & Eichelsdoerfer, 2010), and is considered a potential solution to help combat obesity (Siva, Johnson, et al, 2018). Many of lentil's health benefits are likely due to the type and concentration of prebiotic carbohydrates present in the seed and how these change during cooking, cooling, and reheating (Johnson, Thavarajah, Combs, & Thavarajah, 2013).…”

Modulation of gut microbiota in healthy rats after exposure to nutritional supplements

“… ↓ Clostridiales order, Peptostreptococcus spp., Lachnoanaerobaculum spp . 62 Walnuts 20, male Fischer 344 rats (mature, ˃250 g) n = 10, walnut n = 10, replacement Fecal samples collected from descending colon and stored at −80°C 10 weeks DNA extraction using QIAamp DNA Stool Kits PCR Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform Microbial analysis-QIIME ↑ species diversity ↑ Firmicutes ↓ Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria ↑ Oscillospira , Lachnospiraceae , and Turicibacter ↑ Lactobacillus, Ruminococcaceae and Roseburia (all probiotic type bacteria) ↓ Bacteroides ↓ Carnobacteriaceae ↑ Moyella , Peptococeaceae , and Ruminococcaecea ↓ Anaerotruncus, Dehalobecteriaceae , Blautia and Coprococus ↑ Streptophyta order ↓ 4COD-2 ↓ Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria , and Tenericutes ↓ Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria 63 Black raspberries ( Rubus occidentalis ) (BRB) 32, 4 to 5-week-old, male Fischer 344 rats n = 8, control n = 8, 5% whole BRB powder n = 8, 0.2% BRB anthocyanins n = 8, 2.25% BRB derived residue Fecal material collected at weeks 0, 3 and 6. 6 weeks Bacterial DNA in feces was extracted using powerbead tubes V1–V3 regions of the bacterial 16 S gene were amplified Roche 454 pyrosequencing Data processing using QIIME time-dependent changes in bacterial diversity within each diet whole BRB powder: ↑ Anaerostipes , Ruminococcus, Akkermansia and Coprobacillus , ↓ Acetivibrio at weeks 3 and 6 transiently ↑ Allobaculum , and a transiently ↓ Anaerotruncus at week 3 BRB-derived anthocyanin fraction: ↑ Anaerovorax and Dorea , ↓ Bifidobacterium and Lactococcus at weeks 3 and 6 transiently ↑ Asaccharobacter , and a transiently ↓ Prabacteroides at week 3 BRB-derived residue fraction: ↑ Anaerotruncus, Coprobacillus, Desulfovibrio, Victivallis , and Mucispirilum ↓ Streptococcus, Turicibacter , and Acetivibrio at weeks 3 and 6 transientl...…”