Dried chicory root improves bowel function, benefits intestinal microbial trophic chains and increases faecal and circulating short chain fatty acids in subjects at risk for type 2 diabetes

• Published in: Gut microbiome (Cambridge, England) Vol. 3; p. e4
• Main Authors: Puhlmann, Marie-Luise, Jokela, Roosa, van Dongen, Katja Catharina Wilhelmina, Bui, Thi Phuong Nam, Hangelbroek, Roland Willem Jan van, Smidt, Hauke, de Vos, Willem Meindert, Feskens, Edith Johanna Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Cambridge University Press 2022
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Blautia; Chicory root; Cichorium; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Digestive system; Fasting; Fatty acids; Feces; Gastrointestinal tract; Glucose; gut microbiota; Homeostasis; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; intrinsic fibre; Microbiota; Propionic acid; short-chain fatty acids; type 2 diabetes; Netherlands; Blautia; intrinsic fibre; Chicory root; type 2 diabetes; short-chain fatty acids; gut microbiota
• ISSN: 2632-2897; 2632-2897
• DOI: 10.1017/gmb.2022.4

We investigated the impact of dried chicory root in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial with 55 subjects at risk for type 2 diabetes on bowel function, gut microbiota and its products, and glucose homeostasis. The treatment increased stool softness (+1.1 ± 0.3 units; p =  0.034) and frequency (+0.6 ± 0.2 defecations/day; p  < 0.001), strongly modulated gut microbiota composition (7 % variation; p =  0.001), and dramatically increased relative levels (3-4-fold) of Anaerostipes and Bifidobacterium spp., in a dose-dependent, reversible manner. A synthetic community, including selected members of these genera and a Bacteroides strain, generated a butyrogenic trophic chain from the product. Faecal acetate, propionate and butyrate increased by 25.8 % (+13.0 ± 6.3 mmol/kg; p  = 0.023) as did their fasting circulating levels by 15.7 % (+7.7 ± 3.9 μM; p =  0.057). In the treatment group the glycaemic coefficient of variation decreased from 21.3 ± 0.94 to 18.3 ± 0.84 % ( p =  0.004), whereas fasting glucose and HOMA-ir decreased in subjects with low baseline Blautia levels (−0.3 ± 0.1 mmol/L fasting glucose; p =  0.0187; −0.14 ± 0.1 HOMA-ir; p =  0.045). Dried chicory root intake rapidly and reversibly affects bowel function, benefits butyrogenic trophic chains, and promotes glycaemic control.