Several studies indicated that the gut microbiome might participate in the
beneficial effect of inulin on obesity. However, the mechanisms involved were
still largely unknown. In the present study, inulin supplementation reversed
the changes in the richness, composition, and diversity of
gut microbiota induced by HFD. The abundance of the
genus Alistipes and the level of indole-3-acrylic acid were
considerably increased in response to inulin supplementation.
Both Alistipes and indole-3-acrylic acid were involved in
tryptophan metabolism, meanwhile, they were also positively
related to inulin supplementation and negatively related
to obesity. These findings suggest that inulin accelerates
weight loss in obese mice, possibly due partly to increased
levels of Alistipes and indole-3-acrylic acid. However, the
interrelationship between Alistipes and indole-3-acrylic acid still
need further experiments to prove. Less...