Consumption of avenanthramides extracted from oats reduces weight gain, oxidative stress, inflammation and regulates intestinal microflora in high fat diet-induced mice

Avenanthramides (AVA) are specific polyphenolic compounds from oats that possess several potential bioactivities. Three types of AVA from whole oats were prepared and identified, using solvent extraction coupled with HPLC-MS. Consumption of AVA at 100 and 300 mg/kg per day significantly reduced body weight gain by 9.6% and 14.8%, respectively. AVA consumption effectively improved the lipid profile; decreased serum glucose; increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT); and downregulated the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, interleukin-6, and nuclear factor-кB genes. The Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes was 0.27 in high dose group, and the average relative abundance of Posteobacteria was decreased 4%, indicating that AVA effectively inhibit the obesity of C57BL/6 mice by regulating the intestinal flora, and further inhibit the growth of harmful microflora. The results indicated that AVA could alter body weight by alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation, and regulate intestinal microflora in diet-induced obesity.