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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #333339
Title: Neoagarotetraose protects mice against intense exercise induced stress by modulating gut microbial composition and function

Author
item ZHANG, NA - Ocean University Of China
item MAO, XIANGZHAO - Ocean University Of China
item HOU, ENLING - Ocean University Of China
item WANG, YUMING - Ocean University Of China
item XUE, CHANGHU - Ocean University Of China
item Li, Robert
item TANG, QINGJUAN - Ocean University Of China

Submitted to: Molecular Nutrition and Food Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2017
Publication Date: 3/20/2017
Citation: Zhang, N., Mao, X., Hou, E., Wang, Y., Xue, C., Li, R.W., Tang, Q. 2017. Neoagarotetraose protects mice against intense exercise induced stress by modulating gut microbial composition and function. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201600585.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201600585

Interpretive Summary: Gastrointestional symptoms, such as nausea, heartburn, diarrhoea, and bleeding, are common during exhaustive exercise, due to various mechanic, ischemic, and nutritional factors. Exercise is known to increase gut microbal diversity and plays an important role in host immunity. Prebiotics possess the potential to reduce gut disturbances and inflammation associated with exhaustive exercise. In this study, we investigated the potential prebiotic effect of a novel oligosaccharide, neoagarotetraose, on modulating the microbial composition and function of the gut microbiome and all alleviating intense exercise induced stress using an animal model.

Technical Abstract: Exhaustive exercise stress has emerged as an important health issue, and gastrointestinal problems are a common concern during intense exercise. In this study, we investigated potential anti-fatigue effects of neoagarotetraose (NAT) in mice under intense exercise stress. Exhaustive exercise stress significantly weakened several physiological and physical parameters of mice and led to a decreased food intake, reduced body weight, and impaired intestinal epithelial barrier integrity. Our data show that a 30-day NAT treatment resulted in a profound change in microbiome structure, which subsequently led to widespread shifts in the gut functional potential. Furthermore, NAT administration significantly increased the fecal concentration of total short-chain fatty acids . Together, our findings suggest that NAT may protect mice against intense exercise-induced fatigue and provide insights into mechanisms of NAT as a potential prebiotic.