AUTHOR=Ren Chuanying , Hong Bin , Zhang Shan , Yuan Di , Feng Junran , Shan Shan , Zhang Jingyi , Guan Lijun , Zhu Ling , Lu Shuwen 

TITLE=Autoclaving-treated germinated brown rice relieves hyperlipidemia by modulating gut microbiota in humans

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1403200

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2024.1403200

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Germinated brown rice is a functional food with a promising potential for alleviating metabolic diseases. This study aimed to explore the hypolipidemic effects of autoclaving-treated germinated brown rice (AGBR) and the underlying mechanisms involving gut microbiota.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Dietary intervention with AGBR or polished rice (PR) was implemented in patients with hyperlipidemia for 3 months, and blood lipids were analyzed. Nutritional characteristics of AGBR and PR were measured and compared. Additionally, 16S rDNA sequencing was performed to reveal the differences in gut microbiota between the AGBR and PR groups.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>AGBR relieves hyperlipidemia in patients, as evidenced by reduced levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein-B, and elevated levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein-A1. In terms of nutrition, AGBR had significantly higher concentrations of free amino acids (10/16 species), γ-aminobutyric acid, resistant starch, soluble dietary fiber, and flavonoids (11/13 species) than PR. In addition, higher microbial abundance, diversity, and uniformity were observed in the AGBR group than in the PR group. At the phylum level, AGBR reduced <italic>Firmicutes</italic>, <italic>Proteobacteria</italic>, <italic>Desulfobacterota</italic>, and <italic>Synergistota</italic>, and elevated <italic>Bacteroidota</italic> and <italic>Verrucomicrobiota</italic>. At the genus level, AGBR elevated <italic>Bacteroides</italic>, <italic>Faecalibacterium</italic>, <italic>Dialister</italic>, <italic>Prevotella</italic>, and <italic>Bifidobacterium</italic>, and reduced <italic>Escherichia-Shigella</italic>, <italic>Blautia</italic>, <italic>Romboutsia</italic>, and <italic>Turicibacter</italic>.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>AGBR contributes to the remission of hyperlipidemia by modulating the gut microbiota.</p></sec>