Enzymatically modified grass carp fish oil (MFO), rich in medium- and long-chain triglycerides, ameliorated HSHF-induced MASLD in mice by remodeling gut microbiota, increasing short-chain fatty acids, strengthening intestinal barrier integrity, and modulating hepatic glycerophospholipid metabolism through key genes including Mboat1, Lpin1, and Pnpla3.
MFO supplementation significantly alleviated obesity in high-sucrose high-fat diet-fed mice.
MFO supplementation significantly alleviated hepatic steatosis and improved liver function in HSHF diet-fed mice.
MFO supplementation remodeled gut microbiota composition, elevating beneficial bacterial genera in HSHF diet-fed mice.
MFO supplementation increased fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels and strengthened intestinal barrier integrity.
Lipidomics and transcriptomics revealed that MFO regulated hepatic glycerophospholipid metabolism and modulated key genes including Mboat1, Lpin1, and Pnpla3.
An integrated system-level network linked gut microbiota, SCFAs, lipid species, and host gene expression to explain MFO's metabolic benefits.
MFO was characterized as rich in medium- and long-chain triglycerides produced through enzymatic modification of grass carp fish oil.
This research suggests that a specially modified form of grass carp (freshwater fish) oil can protect against the kind of fatty liver disease caused by eating too much sugar and fat. Scientists enzymatically processed the fish oil to create a product called MFO, which contains a unique combination of medium- and long-chain fats. When mice were fed a high-sugar, high-fat diet and also given MFO supplements, they showed significantly less weight gain, less fat accumulation in the liver, better cholesterol levels, and improved liver function compared to mice that did not receive MFO. The study found that MFO works through two main pathways. First, it changes the community of bacteria living in the gut, increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria and boosting the production of short-chain fatty acids — molecules that help maintain gut health and reduce inflammation. Second, it directly alters how the liver processes fats, particularly by influencing specific genes (Mboat1, Lpin1, and Pnpla3) involved in fat metabolism. Notably, Pnpla3 is a gene already known to be strongly linked to fatty liver disease in humans. By combining gut bacteria analysis, fat profiling, and gene expression data, the researchers mapped out a detailed picture of how MFO connects gut health to liver health through what they call a 'gut-liver axis.' This research suggests that enzymatically modified fish oil could be a promising dietary supplement strategy for helping to prevent or manage metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), a condition affecting a large and growing portion of the global population. The findings highlight how changing the specific fat composition of fish oil — rather than simply adding conventional fish oil — may offer enhanced health benefits by simultaneously targeting gut bacteria and liver fat metabolism.
Li J, Zhou H, Xu L, Bai J, Sun Y, Wang H, et al.. (2026). Modified Freshwater Fish Oil Ameliorates Metabolic Disorders by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Liver Metabolism in High-Sucrose High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6c03383