Effects of konjac glucomannan intake patterns on glucose and lipid metabolism of obese mice induced by a high fat diet

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a dietary fiber supplement that exhibits multiple biological activities, including weight control as well as regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. Currently, KGM intake patterns in practical applications include KGM sol, thermal irreversible gel, and frozen thermal irreversible gel. In this study, four intake patterns of KGM, namely KGM sol (KS), deacetylated KGM (DK), KGM gel (KG), and frozen KGM gel (FKG), were used as materials to explore the effects of different KGM intake patterns on glucose and lipid metabolism and intestinal flora in obese mice induced by a high fat diet under the same dose. The results showed that any type of KGM intake could reduce body weight, fat mass, lipid levels, and insulin resistance in obese mice, and alleviate liver damage and inflammation caused by obesity. However, KS has the most significant effect on controlling blood glucose and blood lipid in obese mice. Additionally, it was found that KS, DK, KG and FKG can increase the α-diversity of intestinal microflora in high-fat mice and improve the microflora disorder in high-fat mice. Finally, KS may increase the levels of fasting appetite hormones GLP-1 and PYY in mice, up-regulate the expression of LDLR, GCK and G-6-pase mRNA, and increase the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestinal flora of mice, thus regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. This study systematically investigated the effects of different intake forms of KGM on metabolism and intestinal flora in obese mice, which is of great significance for further understanding the role of KGM in the prevention and treatment of obesity-related metabolic diseases and for developing targeted dietary interventions.