Lactobacillus gasseri LG-G12 ameliorates high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice via the gut microbiota-bile acid axis, which the authors present as making it a promising candidate for weight management.
L. gasseri LG-G12 showed gut colonization capacity and metabolic regulation potential in vitro.
LG-G12 alleviated high-fat diet-induced weight gain and visceral fat accumulation in mice.
Fecal targeted metabolomics identified bile acid metabolism as a key pathway affected by LG-G12.
LG-G12 might exhibit bile salt hydrolase and hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities, contributing to a bile acid profile with low cholic acid and high ursodeoxycholic acid.
LG-G12 increased the abundance of deoxycholic acid-producing Eubacterium spp., leading to elevated DCA levels.
The altered bile acid profile activated FXR and TGR5 and was associated with reduced lipid accumulation and adipocyte differentiation in liver and epididymal adipose tissue, and with increased thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue.
The authors conclude that LG-G12 ameliorates high-fat diet-induced obesity via the gut microbiota-bile acid axis.
This study tested a probiotic bacterial strain, Lactobacillus gasseri LG-G12, in mice fed a high-fat diet. Mice given the strain gained less weight and accumulated less belly (visceral) fat than expected on that diet. The question matters because the usefulness of probiotics for weight control is still debated. The researchers traced the effect to bile acids, which are digestive compounds made from cholesterol that also act as signals in the body. The strain appeared to change the bile acid mix in the gut, lowering cholic acid and raising ursodeoxycholic acid. It also increased gut bacteria that make deoxycholic acid. This new mix activated two bile acid sensors, FXR and TGR5, which was linked to less fat build-up in the liver and fat tissue and more heat production in brown fat. This research suggests that some probiotic strains may influence body weight by reshaping gut bile acids. The findings come from mice and cell experiments, and some enzyme activities were described only as possible. They do not show that the strain would cause weight loss in people, and human studies would be needed.
Upload your bloodwork. We'll cross-reference your results against this study and 4,700 others.
Upload Your LabsLuo Y, Wu S, Li J, Ren L, Jia W, Yang M, et al.. (2026). Lactobacillus gasseri LG-G12 Alleviates High-Fat Diet-induced Obesity through Gut Microbiota-Bile Acid Axis.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6c03437