Lc-qtof-based metabolomics identifies aberrant tissue metabolites associated with a higher-fat diet and their “reversion to healthy’ with dietary probiotic supplementation

Authors: DAILEY, ALLYSON - George Mason University; Solano-Aguilar, Gloria; URBAN, JOSEPH - Retired ARS Employee; COUCH, ROBIN - George Mason University

Submitted to: Metabolites
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/24/2023
Publication Date: 2/28/2023
Citation: Dailey, A., Solano Aguilar, G., Urban, J.F., Couch, R.D. 2023. Lc-qtof-based metabolomics identifies aberrant tissue metabolites associated with a higher-fat diet and their “reversion to healthy’ with dietary probiotic supplementation. Metabolites. 13(3):358. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030358.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030358

Interpretive Summary: Nearly 33% of American adults and 1 in 6 children are labeled as obese, leading the World Health Organization to designate obesity as a major public health problem. One consequence of obesity is the development of metabolic syndrome, a condition which has been correlated to an increased risk for developing other chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Prolonged ingestion of a high fat diet results in alterations to the composition of gut bacteria. These alterations are implicated with the evolution and progression of obesity-linked diseases. Probiotics, or beneficial bacteria are associated with positive health effects such as limiting pathogen colonization, immune stimulation, aiding in digestion, and vitamin synthesis. Using Ossabaw pigs as a model for obesity, and in conjunction with our previous research, we performed an in-depth metabolomic analysis on select organs to elucidate the effects of dietary supplementation with probiotics. We focused our analysis on the effects of probiotic supplementation on a high-fat (obesogenic) diet and its relationship to a nutritionally balanced diet. Our findings reveal that with probiotic supplementation, several aberrant metabolites associated with a higher-fat diet revert to healthy levels, thus demonstrating the potential for a prebiotic/probiotic intervention for obesity.

Technical Abstract: Nearly 33% of American adults and 1 in 6 children are labeled as obese, leading the World Health Organization to designate obesity as a major public health problem. One consequence of obesity is the development of metabolic syndrome, a condition which has been correlated to an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Prolonged ingestion of a higher-fat diet, one cause of obesity, results in alterations to the gut microbiome. These alterations are implicated to have a profound role in the evolution and progression of obesity-linked diseases. Probiotics are associated with positive health effects such as limiting pathogen colonization, immune stimulation, aiding in digestion, and vitamin synthesis. Using Ossabaw pigs as a model for obesity, and in conjunction with our previous research, we performed an in-depth nontargeted metabolomic analysis on select organs to elucidate the effects of dietary supplementation with probiotics. We focused our analysis on the effects of probiotic supplementation on a higher-fat (obesogenic) diet and its relationship to a nutritionally balanced diet. Our findings reveal that with probiotic supplementation, several aberrant metabolites associated with a higher-fat diet revert to healthy levels, thus demonstrating the potential for a prebiotic/probiotic intervention for obesity.