Effects of a ready‐to‐eat cereal formula powder on glucose metabolism, inflammation, and gut microbiota in diabetic db/db mice

• Published in: Food science & nutrition Vol. 8; no. 8; pp. 4523 - 4533
• Main Authors: Li, Caina, Wang, Xing, Sun, Sujuan, Liu, Shuainan, Huan, Yi, Li, Rongcui, Liu, Quan, Cao, Hui, Zhou, Tian, Lei, Lei, Liu, Minzhi, Shen, Zhufang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.08.2020; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Blood glucose; Carbohydrates; cereal formula powder; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Dietary fiber; Enlargement; fecal metabolome; Glucagon; Glucose; Glucose metabolism; Glucose tolerance; gut microbiota; Hemoglobin; Ileum; inflammation; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Metabolism; Metabolomics; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Mucin; Original Research; Serum levels; Statistical analysis; Tumor necrosis factor; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Minneapolis Minnesota; Beijing China; United States > US; China; fecal metabolome; cereal formula powder; inflammation; glucose metabolism; gut microbiota
• ISSN: 2048-7177; 2048-7177
• DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.1761

The cereal formula powder, Zhengda Jingshan (ZDJS), comprises dietary fiber, multivitamins, fine protein, and various cereal ingredients. The present study evaluated the effects of ZDJS on glucose metabolism and explored the corresponding mechanisms in terms of modulating gut microbiota and the fecal metabolome. Type 2 diabetic db/db mice were given ZDJS (1 g/kg) orally twice daily for 55 days, after which glucose metabolism, inflammation, gut microbiota, and fecal metabolomics were assayed. Repeated administration of ZDJS was associated with a trend toward decreasing fasting blood glucose and a 0.12% decrease in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), as well as statistically significant increases in the insulin sensitivity index and decreases in serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF‐α) and ileum expression of mucin‐2. ZDJS also ameliorated the compensatory enlargement of islets and decreased the ratio of the α‐cell area to total islet area; however, this amelioration of impaired oral glucose tolerance became less pronounced as treatment continued. In addition, ZDJS remarkably decreased the abundance of phylum Proteobacteria and the phylum ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, as well as altered the fecal metabolic profile. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that ZDJS improved glucose metabolism and reduced inflammation in type 2 diabetic db/db mice, which may be associated with a reshaping of the gut microbiome and fecal metabolome in db/db mice. Thus, our study suggests that ZDJS may represent a complementary therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes. The ready‐to‐eat cereal formula powder, ZDJS, improved glycometabolism, ameliorated inflammation, and reshaped gut microbiota and fecal metabolome in diabetic db/db mice, suggesting a complementary therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.