Differential effects of inulin and fructooligosaccharides on gut microbiota composition and glycemic metabolism in overweight/obese and healthy individuals: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial

作者：Jie Li, Feitong Liu, Yuemei Luo, Anisha Wijeyesekera, Shan Wang, Xiaojiao Chen, Yunhui Lv, Jingling Jin, Hua-Fang Sheng, Gloria Wang, Yuanan Wei, Zhuang Li, Muxuan Chen, Hongwei Zhou · 发表于：BMC Medicine · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s12916-025-04189-6 · 被引用次数：22 · 研究领域：Microbial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology、Gut microbiota and health、Diet, Metabolism, and Disease

BACKGROUND: Modulating the gut microbiota with prebiotics is a promising strategy for managing metabolic diseases. However, the clinical effects on glycemic metabolism across different populations remain uncertain. In this study, we conducted a randomized, double-blind investigation to examine the impact of inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on glycemic metabolism in overweight/obese and healthy adults. METHODS: A total of 131 adults were included, with 44 receiving inulin, 43 receiving FOS, and 44 receiving placebo over a period of 4 weeks. Blood and fecal samples were collected before and after the intervention, and various metabolic parameters, gut microbiota composition, and metabolites were analyzed. RESULTS: Placebo had no effect on glycemic metabolism or gut microbiota. Inulin significantly reduced glucose levels at 1 h (Cohen's d = 0.71, p = 0.041) and 2 h (Cohen's d = 0.73, p = 0.028) during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), increased fasting insulin (Cohen's d = 0.70, p = 0.008), and lowered homocysteine (HCY) levels (Cohen's d = 0.76, p = 0.014) in overweight/obese individuals. These effects were not observed in healthy individuals. In contrast, although FOS significantly decreased HCY (Cohen's d = 0.72, p = 0.023), it did not improve glycemic metrics in either group. Inulin also reduced the abundance of Ruminococcus by 72.0% (from 1.661% ± 1.501% to 0.465% ± 0.594%), positively correlating with improved glycemic outcomes. Propionate levels decreased signifi...