Ingredients that focus on reducing the risk of obesity by maintaining a healthy gut microbiota and preventing obesity-related adverse effects may represent a management option appropriate in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of specialized nutrition carbohydrates for preventing obese-associated dysbiosis, as well as avoiding excessive fat deposition in an animal model of childhood obesity induced by feeding a high fat diet (HFD).
Growing rats were assigned to one of the three nutritional groups: LEAN group fed on standard rodent diet; OBE group fed on HFD containing rapid-digesting CHO; and SDC group fed on HFD containing slow-digesting CHO. A linear mixed-effects model was used to determine the abundance changes of gut microbiota, analyzed by 16S rRNA-based metagenomics. Short-chain fatty acids production was analyzed in feces by UPLC-MS/MS system. The effect of the diets on the lipid and glucose homeostasis were also analyzed.
The specialized carbs ingredients (SDC) prevented the obese-associated dysbiosis, showing differences at the phylum levels (decreasing Firmicutes and increasing Bacteroidetes) and at the genus level (increasing Alistipes, Bifidobacterium, and Bacteroides) as compared to OBE group. Associated to these changes, the SDC group showed higher levels of acetate and propionate than OBE group. In the SDC group, body weight gain, body composition, insulin and leptin resistances and vascular risk factors were significant lower as compared to obesogenic group and closer to the values found in the lean group. Liver steatosis and systemic inflammation were observed after the consumption of OBE diet. Conversely, the SDC diet significantly prevented these obesity-associated comorbidities.
In this animal model of childhood obesity, the consumption of SDC might preserve the gut microbiota composition from dysbiosis and its adverse metabolic complications.