Neoagarotetraose alleviates high fat diet induced obesity via white adipocytes browning and regulation of gut microbiota

Obesity is nowadays a serious public health issue. Neoagarotetraose (NA4) is a marine oligosaccharide produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of agar by β-agarase. The present study is aimed to determine the effect of NA4 on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice and uncover the regulating role of gut microbiota and microbial metabolites. The results showed that the intervention of NA4 significantly reduced the body weight gain, insulin resistance, hepatic adipose accumulation, serum lipid levels, oxidative damages, and inflammation responses in HFD-induced obese mice. NA4 also promoted lipolysis and browning of white adipose tissue, inhibit lipogenesis, and protect the integrity of gut barrier. Moreover, NA4 restructured the altered gut microbiota and enhanced the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the feces with compared with the HFD group. Cumulatively, these findings suggest that NA4 can relieve obesity by stimulating white adipose tissue browning, regulating intestinal flora, and promoting microbial metabolism.