Fermented Black Soybean and Dehulled Adlay Improve Metabolic Syndrome via AMPK-SIRT1 Activation and Gut Microbiota Modulation.

FBA supplementation attenuated body weight gain and visceral adiposity in HFFD-fed mice more effectively than UFBA.

• C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat, high-fructose diet (HFFD) and supplemented with either fermented black soybean and dehulled adlay (FBA) or its unfermented counterpart (UFBA)
• FBA exhibited superior effects compared to UFBA in reducing body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation
• The study used Bacillus subtilis as the fermentation organism for FBA preparation
• Fermentation was found to significantly potentiate the bioactivity of the substrate

FBA supplementation improved dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis in HFFD-fed mice.

• FBA showed superior effects in attenuating dyslipidemia compared to UFBA
• Hepatic steatosis was reduced with FBA supplementation
• These effects were associated with modulation of hepatic AMPK-SIRT1 and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways
• The signaling modulation suggested enhanced lipid oxidation and suppressed lipogenesis

FBA supplementation improved insulin sensitivity in HFFD-fed mice.

• Insulin sensitivity improvements were observed with FBA supplementation
• Benefits were consistent with modulation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway
• FBA showed superior insulin-sensitizing effects compared to UFBA
• These effects were observed in the context of a high-fat, high-fructose diet-induced metabolic syndrome model

FBA restructured gut microbiota by reversing HFFD-induced dysbiosis and decreasing the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio.

• FBA supplementation notably decreased the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio, which had been elevated by HFFD feeding
• FBA reversed HFFD-induced dysbiosis in the gut microbiota
• Gut microbiota restructuring was more pronounced with FBA compared to UFBA
• Changes in gut microbiota composition were associated with metabolic improvements

FBA supplementation specifically elevated cecal propionate levels in HFFD-fed mice.

• FBA treatment resulted in increased cecal propionate concentrations
• Propionate elevation was identified as a specific short-chain fatty acid change associated with FBA treatment
• This finding was associated with the gut microbiota restructuring induced by FBA
• Elevated propionate levels are consistent with improved metabolic outcomes

Fermentation of black soybean and dehulled adlay with Bacillus subtilis potentiated bioactivity compared to the unfermented form.

• Direct comparison between FBA and UFBA demonstrated that fermentation significantly enhanced metabolic efficacy
• FBA showed superior effects across multiple metabolic parameters including body weight, adiposity, dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and insulin sensitivity
• FBA demonstrated greater gut microbiota modulation than UFBA
• The findings suggest FBA as a potential dietary strategy that may attenuate metabolic syndrome features