Abstract
Obesity is related to the consumption of energy-dense foods in addition to changes in the microbiome where a higher abundance of gut Bacteroidetes can be found in lean subjects or after weight loss. Lactitol, a sweet-tasting sugar alcohol, is a common sugar-replacement in foods. Polydextrose (PDX), a highly branched glucose polymer, is known to reduce energy intake. Here, we test if the combined effects of lactitol or PDX in combination with Bacteroides species will have a beneficial metabolic response in rats fed a high-fat (HF) diet. A total of 175 male Wistar rats were fed either a LF or HF diet. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (1010 bacteria/animal/day) was orally administered with or without lactitol (1.6−2 g/animal/day) or PDX (2 g/animal/day) for 8 days. Postprandial blood samples, cecal digesta, and feces were collected on the last day. Measurements included: body weight, feed consumption, cecal short-chain fatty acids, fecal dry matter and heat value, blood glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and satiety hormone concentrations. Lactitol and PDX decreased the mean body weight when administered with B. thetaiotaomicron or when lactitol was administered alone. Levels of postprandial plasma triglycerides declined with lactitol and PDX when administered with B. thetaiotaomicron. For intestinal hormone release, lactitol – alone or with B. thetaiotaomicron – increased the release of gastrointestinal peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) as well as the area under the curve (AUC) measured for PYY (0–8 h). In addition, levels of insulin AUC (0–8 h) decreased in the lactitol and PDX-supplemented groups. Lactitol and PDX may both provide additional means to regulate postprandial metabolism and weight management, whereas the addition of B. thetaiotaomicron in the tested doses had only minor effects on the measured parameters.
Highlights
Managing postprandial glucose and lipid responses can decrease the risk of metabolic diseases and influence body weight management
Lactitol is not absorbed in the small intestine or hydrolyzed by gastrointestinal tract enzymes but, unlike polydextrose (PDX), it is metabolized rapidly by the gastrointestinal microbes [for review, see Ref. [4]]
The fat and energy content of the HF diet used in this study (42% calories from fat) were modified so that it resembled the Western human diet
Summary
Managing postprandial glucose and lipid responses can decrease the risk of metabolic diseases and influence body weight management. Several studies have demonstrated that the gut microbiota contributes to the control of body weight and energy homeostasis [2, 3]. Lactitol is not absorbed in the small intestine or hydrolyzed by gastrointestinal tract enzymes but, unlike polydextrose (PDX), it is metabolized rapidly by the gastrointestinal microbes [for review, see Ref. PDX is widely recognized as a soluble fiber [5] and due to its very low energy density, PDX might reduce energy intake and influence the gastrointestinal microbiome. As PDX passes through the small intestine, it is partially metabolized by the colonic microbes [6]. PDX has already shown to enhance satiety and reduce energy intake during a sequential ad libitum lunch [8,9,10]
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