Soybean isoflavones modulate gut microbiota to benefit the health weight and metabolism

Abstract

Soybean isoflavones (SIs) are widely found in food and herbal medicines. Although the pharmacological activities of SIs have been widely reported, their effects on the intestinal microecology of normal hosts have received little attention. Five-week-old Kunming (KM) mice were administered SIs (10 mg/kg/day) for 15 days. Food intake, body weight, and digestive enzyme activity were measured. Small intestine microbiota, including lumen-associated bacteria (LAB) and mucosa-associated bacteria (MAB), were analyzed using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (16S rRNA) gene sequencing. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the mice that consuming SIs showed a higher food intake but a lower body weight gain rate than that of normal mice. Sucrase, cellulase, and amylase activities reduced, while protease activity increased after SIs intervention. Moreover, SIs increased the intestinal bacterial diversity in both LAB and MAB of normal mice. The composition of LAB was more sensitive to SIs than those of MAB. Lactobacillus, Adlercreutzia, Coprococcus, Ruminococcus, Butyricicoccus, and Desulfovibrio were the differential bacteria among the LAB of mice treated with SIs. In addition, acetic acid, valeric acid, isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, and caproic acid decreased, while butyric acid and propionic acid increased in the mice treated with SIs. Taken together, SIs are beneficial for weight control, even in short-term interventions. The specific mechanism is related to regulating the gut microbiota, changing digestive enzyme activities, and further affecting carbohydrate absorption and metabolism.

Visual trends and hot research on the relationship between intestinal microbiota and major lipids: a bibliometric analysis

“…Consequently, they hold significant potential as a therapeutic approach to managing these interconnected diseases. Isoflavones have great potential to improve quality of life by lowering cholesterol, lowering blood lipids, and enhancing lipid metabolism (Kim, 2021 ; Huang et al, 2022 ). Furthermore, isoflavones exhibit the capacity to modulate inflammatory signaling pathways, impact intestinal barrier function, and influence microbial flora (Wu et al, 2020 ).…”

Improvement of Estrogen Deficiency Symptoms by the Intake of Long-Term Fermented Soybeans (Doenjang) Rich in Bacillus Species through Modulating Gut Microbiota in Estrogen-Deficient Rats

“…It indicates that the action of estrogen could be linked with the gut microbiota, although this involvement remains inconsistent. Since the changes in the bioactive components in soybeans are also associated with the host’s gut microbiota, the effects of the soybean intake on the host metabolism are somewhat varied [ 7 ]. Long-term soybean consumption can modulate the gut microbiota to improve its effectiveness.…”

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Astaxanthin Ameliorates Worsened Muscle Dysfunction of MDX Mice Fed with a High-Fat Diet through Reducing Lipotoxicity and Regulating Gut Microbiota

“…Additionally, AX increased the abundances of Bifidobacterium , Butyricicoccus , and Staphylococcus in this study, all of which exhibited average abundances below 1%. Bifidobacterium and Butyricicoccus had been demonstrated to be associated with improved metabolic function in pathological conditions [ 67 ]. Although Staphylococci are benign members of the natural flora, many species, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis , have the capacity to be opportunistic pathogens.…”