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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Microbes
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1503879
This article is part of the Research Topic Nutriomic Analysis of Food and Functional Compounds for MAFLD Prevention View all articles

Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods on the Liver: Insights from Gut Microbiome and Metabolomics Studies in Rats

Provisionally accepted
Liping Shi Liping Shi Zhuoyuan Li Zhuoyuan Li Xiaojun Ma Xiaojun Ma Junru Wang Junru Wang Yueping Wu Yueping Wu Yongbin Zhu Yongbin Zhu Yanrong Wang Yanrong Wang Yue Yang Yue Yang Minxiu Luo Minxiu Luo Jiangping Li Jiangping Li Xian Sun Xian Sun Shulan He Shulan He *
  • Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    High consumption of Ultra-processed foods (UPF) have been identified as a potential risk factor for Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Nevertheless, there is limited empirical evidence regarding the impact of UPF, which are typical combination of processed foods, on liver health through alterations in gut microbiota and metabolic processes. We aim to examine the potential impact of UPF on liver health and to explore the role of gut microbiota and metabolites.This study used Sprague-Dawley rats to mimic modern UPF diets for 90 days. Some serum biochemical indices, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress markers, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of the liver, 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) of rat feces were detected.The UPF diet-induced simple steatosis of the liver in rats without affecting the levels of IL-6, GSH-PX, MDA, and SOD. Additionally, it modified the gut microbiota, increasing potentially harmful bacteria, such as norank_f__Desulfovibrionaceae and Staphylococcus, while also elevating the relative abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria, including Dubosiella and Allobaculum. Furthermore, the consumption of UPF led to a metabolomic disorder characterized by disruptions in the sphingolipid signaling pathway, sulfur relay system, and arachidonic acid metabolism.In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that the consumption of UPF influences the development of simple hepatic steatosis, potentially through alterations in gut microbiota and metabolomics.

    Keywords: Ultra-Processed foods, gut microbiome, Metabolomics, Liver, rat

    Received: 29 Sep 2024; Accepted: 23 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Shi, Li, Ma, Wang, Wu, Zhu, Wang, Yang, Luo, Li, Sun and He. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Shulan He, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China

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