Issue 14, 2024

Urinary enterolignans and enterolignan-predicting microbial species are favourably associated with liver fat and other obesity markers

Abstract

Aims: Plant-derived lignans may protect against obesity, while their bioactivity needs gut microbial conversion to enterolignans. We used repeated measures to identify enterolignan-predicting microbial species and investigate whether enterolignans and enterolignan-predicting microbial species are associated with obesity. Methods: Urinary enterolignans, fecal microbiota, body weight, height, and circumferences of the waist (WC) and hips (HC) were repeatedly measured at the baseline and after 1 year in 305 community-dwelling adults in Huoshan, China. Body composition and liver fat [indicated by the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP)] were measured after 1 year. Multivariate-adjusted linear models and linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze single and repeated measurements, respectively. Results: Enterolactone and enterodiol levels were both inversely associated with the waist-to-hip ratio, body fat mass (BFM), visceral fat level (VFL), and liver fat accumulation (all P < 0.05). Enterolactone levels were also associated with lower WC (β = −0.0035 and P = 0.013) and HC (β = −0.0028 and P = 0.044). We identified multiple bacterial genera whose relative abundance was positively associated with the levels of enterolactone (26 genera) and enterodiol (22 genera, all P false discovery rate < 0.05), and constructed the enterolactone-predicting microbial score and enterodiol-predicting microbial score to reflect the overall enterolignan-producing potential of the host gut microbiota. Both these scores were associated with lower body weight and CAP (all P < 0.05). The enterolactone-predicting microbial score was also inversely associated with the BFM (β = −0.1128 and P = 0.027) and VFL (β = −0.1265 and P = 0.044). Conclusion: Our findings support that modulating the host gut microbiome could be a potential strategy to prevent obesity by enhancing the production of enterolignans.

Graphical abstract: Urinary enterolignans and enterolignan-predicting microbial species are favourably associated with liver fat and other obesity markers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Dec 2023
Accepted
29 May 2024
First published
14 Jun 2024

Food Funct., 2024,15, 7305-7313

Urinary enterolignans and enterolignan-predicting microbial species are favourably associated with liver fat and other obesity markers

Y. Mo, Y. Li, S. Liang, W. Wang, H. Zhang, J. Zhao, M. Xu, X. Zhang, H. Cao, S. Xie, Y. Lv, Y. Wu, Z. Zhang and W. Yang, Food Funct., 2024, 15, 7305 DOI: 10.1039/D3FO05632E

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