Arbutin ameliorates obesity-related inflammation and metabolic disorders via gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acid production, as demonstrated through antibiotic depletion and fecal microbiota transplantation experiments in obese mice.
Arbutin treatment reduced body weight and improved glucose and lipid profiles in obese mice.
Arbutin strengthened intestinal barrier integrity in obese mice.
Arbutin elevated gut microbial α-diversity and enriched beneficial bacterial genera in obese mice.
Antibiotic-mediated gut microbiota depletion abolished arbutin's antiobesity effects, confirming microbiota dependence.
Fecal microbiota transplantation from arbutin-treated donors recapitulated metabolic improvements in recipient mice.
SCFA elevation was correlated with enrichment of specific bacterial taxa following arbutin treatment.
KEGG pathway enrichment analysis implicated carbohydrate and lipid metabolism as the primary pathways affected by arbutin-associated microbiota changes.
This research suggests that arbutin, a naturally occurring compound found in certain plants and foods, can help reduce obesity-related problems in mice by changing the composition of bacteria living in the gut. When obese mice were given arbutin, they lost weight, had better blood sugar and fat levels, experienced less inflammation, and had a stronger gut lining. The gut bacteria in treated mice became more diverse and included higher levels of beneficial bacteria like Muribaculaceae and Lactobacillus. To confirm that gut bacteria were driving these benefits rather than arbutin acting directly on the body, the researchers conducted two key experiments. First, they wiped out gut bacteria with antibiotics, which eliminated arbutin's beneficial effects. Second, they transferred gut bacteria from arbutin-treated mice into untreated obese mice, and those recipient mice also showed metabolic improvements. Together, these experiments provide strong evidence that arbutin works through the gut microbiome. The beneficial bacteria stimulated by arbutin produce higher levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—including acetate, propionate, butyrate, and valerate—which are known to support metabolism and reduce inflammation. This research matters because it identifies a potential dietary or therapeutic strategy for obesity management that works through the gut microbiome rather than directly suppressing appetite or blocking fat absorption. Arbutin is already found in foods like pears and blueberries, making these findings relevant to understanding how diet shapes gut bacteria and metabolic health. However, these findings are in mice, and further research would be needed to understand whether similar effects occur in humans.
Zhao C, Li J, Li L, Hou H, Zhang Y, Xue H, et al.. (2026). Arbutin Reshapes Intestinal Microbiota to Ameliorate Lipid Metabolic Dysfunction and Inflammation.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c16710