Wheat β-glucan reduces obesity and hyperlipidemia in mice with high-fat and high-salt diet by regulating intestinal flora.

Unbalanced diets, characterized by high fat or high salt content, are contributing to the obesity epidemic. Wheat bran, recognized as a promising by-product, has the potential to regulate metabolic disorders (MD) associated with obesity. Beta-glucan (BG) has multiple biological activities, but the effect of BG in wheat bran on MD remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of wheat BG (WBG) on dyslipidemia and gut microbiota dysregulation in high fat (HF) or high fat-high salt (HFHS) fed mice. The results demonstrated that WBG significantly reduced the weight gain of mice fed with HF and HFHS diets (from 9.74 g to 2.43 g and from 6.74 g to 2.48 g, respectively). Additionally, WBG led to significant reductions in TG (26.26 % in HFG and 33.78 % in HFHSG) and TC (34.69 % in HFG) levels. The liver and adipocyte damage were also reduced after dietary supplementation with WBG. Moreover, WBG significantly reduced Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (9.52 at HF, 0.62 at HFG, 17.38 at HFHS and 0.61 at HFHSG). Concurrently, there was a reduction in acetic acid levels observed at rates of 26.11 % for HF and 32.18 % for HFHS. Additionally, WBG reduced the abundance of Coriobacteriaceae UCG-002, Romboutsia, Faecalibaculum, and Enterorhabdus that positively associated with obesity. These changes in gut microbiota may explain the anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemia effects of WBG. In conclusion, our findings suggest that WBG is a promising dietary supplement. Our research can provide new insights into the development of foods rich in dietary fiber.