Fucoidan from Acaudina molpadioides improves insulin resistance by altering gut microbiota dysfunction

Abstract This study evaluated the effects of fucoidan from Acaudina molpadioides (Am-FUC) on modulation of the gut microbiota and improvement in insulin resistance in mice. Results showed that Am-FUC greatly alleviated insulin resistance and modified gut microbiota, involving Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phylum. Am-FUC reducted serum and fecal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations and inhibited transcription of toll-like receptor 4 pathway. Meanwhile, fecal SCFAs were increases in Am-FUC-treated mice, which probably contributed to increases in G-protein-coupled receptor 43 protein and the activation of adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase signaling. Strikingly, microbiota transplantation experiments exhibited that insulin resistance was significantly mitigated in high fat diet-fed recipient of Am-FUC microbiota. These suggest that Am-FUC improves insulin resistance by altering gut microbiota. Thus, it sought to indicate that fucoidan can be developed as food supplement for the improvement of insulin resistance and the human gut health.