Glycerol monolaurate (GML) has potent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. The present study aimed to assess the dose-dependent antimicrobial-effects of GML on the gut microbiota, glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammatory response in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were fed on diets supplemented with GML at dose of 400, 800 and 1600 mg kg⁻¹ for 4 months, respectively. Results showed that supplementation of GML, regardless of the dosages, induced modest body weight gain without affecting epididymal/brown fat pad, lipid profiles and glycemic markers. A high dose of GML (1600 mg kg⁻¹) showed positive impacts on the anti-inflammatory TGF-β1 and IL-22. GML modulated the indigenous microbiota in a dose-dependent manner. It was found that 400 and 800 mg kg⁻¹ GML improved the richness of Barnesiella, whereas a high dosage of GML (1600 mg kg⁻¹) significantly increased the relative abundances of Clostridium XIVa, Oscillibacter and Parasutterella. The present work indicated that GML could upregulate the favorable microbial taxa without inducing systemic inflammation and dysfunction of glucose and lipid metabolism.

The altered circulating bile acids (BAs) modulate gut microbiota, energy metabolism and various physiological functions. BA profiles in liver, serum, ileum and feces of HFD-fed mice were analyzed with normal chow diet (NCD)-fed mice after 16-week feeding. Furthermore, gut microbiota was analyzed and its correlation analysis with BA was performed. The result showed that long-term HFD feeding significantly decreased hepatic and serum BA levels, mainly attributed to the inhibition of hepatic BA synthesis and the reduced reabsorption efficiency of BAs in enterohepatic circulation. It also significantly impaired glucose and lipid homeostasis and gut microbiota in mice. We found significantly higher bile salt hydrolase activity in ileal microbes and a higher ratio of free BAs to conjugated BA content in ileal contents in HFD groups compared with NCD group mice, which might account for the activated intestinal farnesoid X receptor signaling on liver BA synthesis inhibition and reduced ileal reabsorption. The decreased circulating BAs were associated with the dysregulation of the lipid metabolism according to the decreased TGR5 signaling in the ileum and BAT. In addition, it is astonishing to find extremely high percentages of taurocholate and 12-OH BAs in liver and serum BA profiles of both groups, which was mainly attributed to the high substrate selectivity for 12-OH BAs of the intestinal BAs transporter during the ileal reabsorption of enterohepatic circulation. This study revealed a significant effect of long-term HFD feeding on the decreased circulating BA pool in mice, which impaired lipid homeostasis and gut microbiota, and collectively resulted in metabolic disorders and obesity.

Ligilactobacillus acidipiscis YJ5 modulates the gut microbiota and produces beneficial metabolites to relieve constipation by enhancing the mucosal barrier.

Glycerol monocaprylate (GMC) is a glycerol derivative of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and is widely used as a preservative in food processing. However, GMC and its hydrolytic acid (octylic acid) have antibacterial properties that may affect the physiology and intestinal microecology of the human body. Therefore, in this study, the effects of two different dosages of GMC (150 and 1600 mg kg⁻¹) on glucose, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and intestinal microecology of normal diet-fed C57BL/6 mice were comprehensively investigated. The obtained results showed that the level of triglycerides (TGs) in the low-dose group down-regulated significantly, and the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) significantly increased, while the pro-inflammatory cytokines monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) and interleukin 1beta (IL-1β) in the high-dose group were significantly decreased. Importantly, GMC promoted the α-diversity of gut microbiota in normal-diet-fed mice, regardless of dosages. Additionally, it was found that the low-dose treatment of GMC significantly increased the abundance of Lactobacillus, while the high-dose treatment of GMC significantly increased the abundance of SCFA-producers such as Clostridiales, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcus. Moreover, the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was significantly increased by GMC supplementation. Thus, our research provides a novel insight into the effects of GMC on gut microbiota and physiological characteristics.