Modulatory effects of black jujube melanoidins on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in high-fat diet-induced obesity

IntroductionObesity, a growing public health issue, is closely associated with excessive energy intake and gut microbiota imbalances. Despite the increasing attention given to black jujube as a blackened fermented food in recent years, the role of its melanoidins (MLD) in obesity-related biological...

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Main Authors: Xi Che, Yifei Zhao, Yuxiao Wang, Xin Sun, Hongxun Tao, Rentang Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Nutrition
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1580439/full
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author Xi Che
Yifei Zhao
Yuxiao Wang
Xin Sun
Hongxun Tao
Rentang Zhang
author_facet Xi Che
Yifei Zhao
Yuxiao Wang
Xin Sun
Hongxun Tao
Rentang Zhang
author_sort Xi Che
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionObesity, a growing public health issue, is closely associated with excessive energy intake and gut microbiota imbalances. Despite the increasing attention given to black jujube as a blackened fermented food in recent years, the role of its melanoidins (MLD) in obesity-related biological mechanisms has yet to be thoroughly investigated.MethodsThis study investigated the effects of black jujube MLD on obesity induced by a high-fat diet in C57BL/6J mice. We hypothesize that MLD exerts an anti-obesity effect, potentially mediated by alterations in gut microbiota composition and the modulation of metabolic responses.ResultsThe results demonstrate that MLD administration mitigated HFD-induced weight gain, improved insulin resistance, and enhanced glucose metabolism by reducing blood glucose and insulin levels (p < 0.05). MLD also protected the liver, as evidenced by a 16.4% decrease in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and a 29.6% decrease in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (p < 0.05). Furthermore, MLD treatment restored the compromised intestinal microbiota to a healthier state at the genus level by lowering the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (38.9%), suppressing the abundance of pathogenic bacteria, such as Erysipelatoclostridium and Bacteroides descendants, and promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacterium and norank_f_Muribaculaceae. Metabolomic profiling revealed that MLD can alleviate metabolic disorders by downregulating arginine metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism. Its metabolites are significantly correlated with several bacterial genera, including Bacteroides, Roseburia, Erysipelatoclostridium, Bacteroides, norank_f_Muribaculaceae, and Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group.DiscussionBased on these findings, MLD may mitigate obesity and other associated metabolic disorders by modulating the gut microbiome–metabolism axis.
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spelling doaj-art-1f1641ce48a44d8680b476bebcddb7442025-08-20T02:14:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2025-05-011210.3389/fnut.2025.15804391580439Modulatory effects of black jujube melanoidins on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in high-fat diet-induced obesityXi Che0Yifei Zhao1Yuxiao Wang2Xin Sun3Hongxun Tao4Rentang Zhang5College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, ChinaCollege of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, ChinaIntroductionObesity, a growing public health issue, is closely associated with excessive energy intake and gut microbiota imbalances. Despite the increasing attention given to black jujube as a blackened fermented food in recent years, the role of its melanoidins (MLD) in obesity-related biological mechanisms has yet to be thoroughly investigated.MethodsThis study investigated the effects of black jujube MLD on obesity induced by a high-fat diet in C57BL/6J mice. We hypothesize that MLD exerts an anti-obesity effect, potentially mediated by alterations in gut microbiota composition and the modulation of metabolic responses.ResultsThe results demonstrate that MLD administration mitigated HFD-induced weight gain, improved insulin resistance, and enhanced glucose metabolism by reducing blood glucose and insulin levels (p < 0.05). MLD also protected the liver, as evidenced by a 16.4% decrease in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and a 29.6% decrease in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (p < 0.05). Furthermore, MLD treatment restored the compromised intestinal microbiota to a healthier state at the genus level by lowering the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (38.9%), suppressing the abundance of pathogenic bacteria, such as Erysipelatoclostridium and Bacteroides descendants, and promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacterium and norank_f_Muribaculaceae. Metabolomic profiling revealed that MLD can alleviate metabolic disorders by downregulating arginine metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism. Its metabolites are significantly correlated with several bacterial genera, including Bacteroides, Roseburia, Erysipelatoclostridium, Bacteroides, norank_f_Muribaculaceae, and Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group.DiscussionBased on these findings, MLD may mitigate obesity and other associated metabolic disorders by modulating the gut microbiome–metabolism axis.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1580439/fullblack jujubemelanoidinobesitygut microbiotametabolomics
spellingShingle Xi Che
Yifei Zhao
Yuxiao Wang
Xin Sun
Hongxun Tao
Rentang Zhang
Modulatory effects of black jujube melanoidins on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in high-fat diet-induced obesity
Frontiers in Nutrition
black jujube
melanoidin
obesity
gut microbiota
metabolomics
title Modulatory effects of black jujube melanoidins on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in high-fat diet-induced obesity
title_full Modulatory effects of black jujube melanoidins on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in high-fat diet-induced obesity
title_fullStr Modulatory effects of black jujube melanoidins on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in high-fat diet-induced obesity
title_full_unstemmed Modulatory effects of black jujube melanoidins on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in high-fat diet-induced obesity
title_short Modulatory effects of black jujube melanoidins on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in high-fat diet-induced obesity
title_sort modulatory effects of black jujube melanoidins on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in high fat diet induced obesity
topic black jujube
melanoidin
obesity
gut microbiota
metabolomics
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1580439/full
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