Obesity is a metabolic disease and
causes significant changes in
host and gut microbial metabolite levels. However, little research
has been done on the relationship between host and gut microbial metabolites.
Thus, this study investigated the connection of the chemicals, based
on the different effects of two
Inonotus obliquus
extracts on high-fat-diet-induced mice and their mechanisms. In
this study, C57BL6/J mice fed with a high-fat diet were given
I. obliquus
ethanol extract (IOE) and polysaccharide
(IOP).
1
H NMR-based metabolomics, 16S rRNA sequencing,
and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
were used to detect metabolites, cecal microbes, and expressions of
genes in liver. IOE and IOP effectively improved the obesity of mice,
including the adjustment of body weight gain, energy intake, energy
efficiency, liver glucose metabolism and triglyceride metabolism,
tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and degradation of three major nutrients
(carbohydrate, lipid, and protein). IOE significantly increased cecal
propionate based on
Bacteroides
and
Akkermansia
, thereby inhibiting energy intake and fat accumulation in mice.
IOP remarkably improved the level of cecal butyrate by
Lactobacillus
and the
Bacteroidales
S24-7 group, resulting in
increased energy consumption, and fat degradation by regulating the
TCA cycle of the host. Two extracts containing different bioactive
substances of
I. obliquus
improved
obesity in mice through different effects on production of cecal microbial
metabolites. Moreover, cecal butyrate (not propionate) was connected
with chemicals of mice, including four metabolites of the TCA cycle
and other metabolism-related chemicals.