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Microbes & Immunity Management of obesity

generally accepted that all fermentable dietary fibers possess 14.3. Synbiotics
prebiotic properties. A functional food strategy has been A synbiotic refers to a combination of a probiotic and a
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implemented to incorporate inulin into widely consumed prebiotic. Synbiotics may have a more significant impact
items, such as cereals, biscuits, infant foods, yogurts, breads, on gut microbiota and host health compared to the
and beverages at levels capable of eliciting a prebiotic isolated consumption of either prebiotics or probiotics.
effect. Various dietary supplements containing fructo- This is because they provide probiotic bacteria along with
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oligosaccharides, mainly inulin, are also commercially a prebiotic component that enhances the survival and
available. Gut hormones, such as GLP-1 are essential for
transmitting signals regarding nutritional and energy growth of these beneficial microbes within the digestive
status from the gut to the central nervous system, thereby tract. Evidence suggests that synbiotics can be effective
regulating appetite. Research indicates that prebiotics in modifying the composition of the gut microbiota.
upregulate Glp1 expression in obese mice, indicating that For instance, the synbiotic combination of particular
changes in gut microbiota may influence gastrointestinal oligofructose-enriched inulin (SYN1) with Lactobacillus
hormone secretion. In genetically obese mice, prebiotic rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 over a
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treatment was associated with weight loss, improved glucose 12-week period resulted in a 16% and 18% increase in
tolerance, and reduced inflammation, alongside an increase Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus populations, while also
in Bacteroidetes and a decrease in the Firmicutes phylum. In leading to a 31% reduction in Clostridium perfringens
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a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, supplementation counts. In vitro investigations have shown that synbiotics
with oligofructose-enriched inulin in overweight or obese outperform prebiotics and probiotics in their ability
children led to a significant reduction in serum IL-6 levels to modulate gut microflora. However, it is essential to
and body weight. In addition, a randomized, placebo- document these findings through rigorously controlled
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controlled trial examining fecal samples from obese human intervention studies. At present, there is a limited
individuals consuming inulin-type fructans revealed an number of human studies examining the potential benefits
increase in Bifidobacterium abundance and a reduction in of synbiotics in relation to obesity. 121
fecal calprotectin, a marker of gut inflammation, compared 14.4. Fecal microbiota transplantation
to controls. 119 Consequently, incorporating prebiotics into
the diet holds significant potential to beneficially modulate Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is defined as the
gut microbiota composition. introduction of fecal suspension from healthy donors into

Figure 4. Schematic diagram of the fecal microbiota transplantation process

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2025) 53 doi: 10.36922/MI025160036