Gut microbiota in obesity and related complications: Unveiling the complex interplay

Life Sci. 2023 Dec 1:334:122211. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122211. Epub 2023 Oct 29.

Abstract

In recent years, the obesity epidemic has escalated into a serious public health catastrophe that is only getting worse. However, research into the pathophysiological pathways behind the obesity development and the illnesses that it is associated with is ongoing. In the last decades, it is now clear that the gut microbiota plays a significant role in the genesis and progression of obesity and obesity-related illnesses, particularly changes in its metabolites and composition as obesity progresses. Here, we provide a summary of the processes by which variations in gut metabolite levels and the composition of gut microbiota affect obesity and associated disorders. The bacteria residing in the gut release several chemicals that influence the appetite control, metabolism, and other systems. Since it can either encourage or restrict the deposition of fat in several different ways, the gut microbiota's role in obesity is debatable. Additionally, we go over potential therapeutic approaches that could be utilized to alter gut microbiota composition and focus on the important metabolic pathways associated with obesity and metabolic disorders linked to obesity.

Keywords: Appetite control; Gut microbiota; Inflammatory response; Metabolic disorder; Obesity.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Obesity / metabolism