Effect of probiotics on obesity-related markers per enterotype: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial

• Published in: The EPMA journal Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 31 - 51
• Main Authors: Song, Eun-Ji, Han, Kyungsun, Lim, Tae-Joong, Lim, Sanghyun, Chung, Myung-Jun, Nam, Myung Hee, Kim, Hojun, Nam, Young-Do
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.03.2020; BioMed Central Ltd; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blood glucose; Body mass index; Body weight; CAT scans; Clinical trials; Diseases; Double-blind studies; Glucose; Health risk assessment; Insulin; Medicine/Public Health; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Obesity; Physiological aspects; Precision medicine; Probiotics; Tomography; Type 2 diabetes; South Korea; Probiotics; Obesity; Clinical trial; Gut microbial enterotype; Predictive preventive personalized medicine
• ISSN: 1878-5077; 1878-5085
• DOI: 10.1007/s13167-020-00198-y

Background Prevention and improvement of disease symptoms are important issues, and probiotics are suggested as a good treatment for controlling the obesity. Human gut microbiota has different community structures. Because gut microbial composition is assumed to be linked to probiotic function, this study evaluated the efficacy of probiotics on obesity-related clinical markers according to gut microbial enterotype. Methods Fifty subjects with body mass index over 25 kg/m 2 were randomly assigned to either the probiotic or placebo group. Each group received either unlabeled placebo or probiotic capsules for 12 weeks. Body weight, waist circumference, and body composition were measured every 3 weeks. Using computed tomography, total abdominal fat area and visceral fat area were measured. Blood and fecal samples were collected before and after the intervention for biochemical parameters and gut microbial compositions analysis. Results Gut microbial compositions of all the subjects were classified into two enterotypes according to Prevotella / Bacteroides ratio. The fat percentage, blood glucose, and insulin significantly increased in the Prevotella -rich enterotype of the placebo group. The obesity-related markers, such as waist circumference, total fat area, visceral fat, and ratio of visceral to subcutaneous fat area, were significantly reduced in the probiotic group. The decrease of obesity-related markers was greater in the Prevotella -rich enterotype than in the Bacteroides -rich enterotype. Conclusion Administration of probiotics improved obesity-related markers in obese people, and the efficacy of probiotics differed per gut microbial enterotype and greater responses were observed in the Prevotella -dominant enterotype.