Lactobacillus fermentum promotes adipose tissue oxidative phosphorylation to protect against diet-induced obesity

Abstract

Obesity: Microbial defenders of metabolic health The presence of particular bacterial species in the healthy gut microbiome can reduce the risk of obesity by modulating metabolic activity in host tissues. Several studies have suggested that intestinal microbes from the genus Lactobacillus can counteract weight gain and fat accumulation in humans and mice. Researchers in South Korea led by Sungsoon Fang at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, and Hansoo Park at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology have now examined the physiological effects of one such species, Lactobacillus fermentum LM1016, in mice. The researchers showed that this bacterium could reduce the risk of diet-induced obesity and fat accumulation in the liver, and identified relevant shifts in the activity of key metabolic and inflammatory pathways. If these findings are confirmed in humans, this bacterial strain could serve as an effective probiotic.