Jamun (Eugenia jambolana Lam.) Fruit Extract Prevents Obesity by Modulating the Gut Microbiome in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

SCOPE: Published data support that gut microbiota play an important role in the pathological process of obesity and related metabolic disorders. In the current study, we investigated whether a standardized extract from Jamun (Eugenia jambolana), a widely consumed tropical fruit, could alleviate obesity and alter gut microbial community in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice.

METHODS AND RESULTS: C57BL/6 mice were fed either a standard diet (SD) or HFD with or without Jamun fruit extract (JFE; 100 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage for 8 weeks. JFE supplementation significantly alleviated diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance and liver steatosis. JFE supplementation also improved HFD-induced gut dysbiosis by restoring the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes as revealed by 16S rDNA analyses. The relative abundance of certain genera, as well as levels and proportion of intestinal-derived short-chain fatty acids were improved in JFE treated mice in comparison to the HFD-fed control group.

CONCLUSION: These promising data point the potential association between gut microbiota modulation and metabolism improvement of the JFE administration, and support the utilization, and further investigation, of Jamun fruit as a dietary intervention strategy for the prevention of obesity and related metabolic disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.