Oral co-administration of a xylanase (CbXyn10C) with wheat bran represents a valuable strategy for alleviating HFD-induced obesity by modulating gut microbiota, lipid metabolism, and intestinal barrier function in mice.
CbXyn10C-catalyzed hydrolysate from wheat bran promoted proliferation of 10 out of 13 tested gut probiotics in vitro.
Feeding 5% wheat bran alone to obese mice was ineffective at reducing body weight or metabolic disorders, while oral administration of CbXyn10C alone reduced body weight and lipid accumulation.
Co-administration of CbXyn10C with wheat bran alleviated HFD-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria.
Oral co-administration of CbXyn10C with wheat bran improved glycolipid metabolic disorders, reduced systemic inflammation, and fortified intestinal barrier function in obese mice.
CbXyn10C with wheat bran greatly affected lipid metabolism pathways, particularly steroid hormone biosynthesis and sphingolipid metabolism.
Spearman correlation analysis revealed close associations between gut microbes, their metabolites, and obesity-related indicators.
This research suggests that taking a specific enzyme called CbXyn10C together with wheat bran by mouth can counteract the harmful effects of a high-fat diet in mice. When mice eating a high-fat diet were given this enzyme alongside wheat bran, they showed reduced body weight gain, less fat accumulation, better blood sugar and cholesterol regulation, lower levels of inflammation throughout the body, and a healthier gut lining. Notably, feeding wheat bran alone had no measurable benefit, highlighting that the enzyme plays a critical role by breaking down the wheat bran into forms that gut bacteria can use. The enzyme-plus-wheat-bran combination worked largely by reshaping the community of microorganisms living in the gut. Beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium became more abundant, while the overall imbalance caused by the high-fat diet was corrected. These microbial changes were accompanied by shifts in how the body processes fats, particularly in pathways related to steroid hormones and a class of fat molecules called sphingolipids. Statistical correlation analysis confirmed that the changes in gut bacteria, the chemical compounds they produced, and the improvements in obesity-related measures were all closely linked to each other. This research suggests that combining a carbohydrate-digesting enzyme with a dietary fiber source like wheat bran could be a practical strategy for managing obesity and related metabolic problems. Rather than relying on the fiber alone, adding an enzyme that unlocks the fiber's prebiotic potential may be necessary to achieve meaningful health benefits. While these findings are from animal studies and further research in humans is needed, the approach points toward a novel dietary or supplemental intervention targeting the gut microbiome as a pathway to better metabolic health.
Hao Z, Ge J, Sun Y, Yang D, Guo K, Wang Y, et al.. (2026). Ameliorating High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity and Metabolic Disorders in Mice by Simultaneous Oral Administration of a Xylanase and Wheat Bran.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c17603