Microbes, oxytocin and stress: Converging players regulating eating behavior

Abstract

Oxytocin is a peptide-hormone extensively studied for its multifaceted biological functions and has recently gained attention for its role in eating behavior, through its action as an anorexigenic neuropeptide. Moreover, the gut microbiota is involved in oxytocinergic signaling through the brain-gut axis, specifically in the regulation of social behavior. The gut microbiota is also implicated in appetite regulation and is postulated to play a role in central regulation of hedonic eating. In this review, we provide an overview on oxytocin and its individual links with the microbiome, the homeostatic and non-homeostatic regulation of eating behavior as well as social behavior and stress.

Keywords: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs); brain-gut axis; eating behavior; food intake; food reward; gut microbiota; microbiota-gut-brain axis; oxytocin; social behavior; stress.