Amaranth Supplementation Improves Hepatic Lipid Dysmetabolism and Modulates Gut Microbiota in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

Abstract

Diet-induced obesity is often associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, lipid metabolism disorders, and chronic inflammation. Consumption of the pseudocereal <i>Amaranthus mangostanus</i> has multiple nutritional benefits. We investigated the effects of dietary amaranth on lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in high-fat (HF) diet-fed mice. C57BL/6J mice were provided either a control diet, HF diet, or HF diet containing 10% amaranth powder (Ama) for 8 weeks. Ama supplementation significantly reduced the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and phospholipids in the liver. Moreover, Ama supplementation downregulated the expression of lipogenesis-related genes including <i>Hmgcr</i>, <i>Fdt1</i>, and <i>Sgle</i> in the liver. The gut microbiota analysis showed that Ama supplementation reversed HF diet-induced reduction in bacterial diversity and richness. Additionally, beta diversity analysis of the inter-group variability in community structure showed a clear separation between the HF and Ama groups. Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis revealed that 11 taxa were enriched in the Ama group, whereas 9 taxa were increased in the HF group. We found that family Porphyromonadaceae and unclassified S24-7 showed a strong positive and negative correlation with the lipid parameters, respectively. Taken together, these results indicated that dietary Ama may attenuate HF diet-induced deterioration of gut microbiota structure and hepatic lipid metabolism.