Effects of flaxseed powder in improving non-alcoholic fatty liver by regulating gut microbiota-bile acids metabolic pathway through FXR/TGR5 mediating

• Published in: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy Vol. 163; p. 114864
• Main Authors: Yang, Chao, Yang, Ligang, Yang, Yafang, Wan, Min, Xu, Dengfeng, Pan, Da, Sun, Guiju
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Elsevier Masson SAS 01.07.2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Bile acid; Bile Acids and Salts - metabolism; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Flax; Flaxseed; FXR; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gut microbiota; Lipids - pharmacology; Liver - metabolism; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Non-alcoholic fatty liver; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - metabolism; Powders - pharmacology; TGR5; Gut microbiota; TGR5; FXR; Non-alcoholic fatty liver; Flaxseed; Bile acid
• ISSN: 0753-3322; 1950-6007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114864

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is gradually becoming one of the most common and health-endangering diseases. Flaxseed powder (FLA) is rich in α-linolenic acid, dietary fiber, lignans, and other active ingredients, which have lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects. Here, we investigated whether the FLA improves host metabolism by gut bacteria modulation and further bile acid modulation in mice fed a high-fat diet. At the end of the experiment, we found that FLA can significantly reduce the body weight, body fat content, and serum TG, LDL-C, and TNF-α levels of mice, and improve liver steatosis. FLA intervention has a significant effect on preventing and regulating the gut flora disturbance caused by HFD. FLA intervention affects bile acid metabolism in the intestine and causes significant changes in functional bile acids, which can play a lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory role by activating the intestinal Fxr- Fgfr4-Cyp7a1 and Tgr5-Tlr4-Tnfα pathways. [Display omitted] •Flaxseed powder modulates gut microbiota activity to affect gut bile acid transformation.•Flaxseed powder enriches bacterial species involved in bile salt hydrolase and the production of conjugated bile acids.•Flaxseed powder regulates body weight gain, lipid metabolism, and liver inflammation in an FXR/TGR5-dependent manner.