BUGS LIVING in the gut can influence the quality of fat in other areas of the body, according to new research carried out in Cork.
The study, just published online in the journal Microbiology, modified a bacterium to be able to generate a beneficial version of a fat molecule called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
After the bacteria were eaten and ended up in the gut, levels of that version of CLA went up in the fat tissues elsewhere in the body.
It shows that the “microbiota” of bacteria in the gut can influence fatty metabolism and fat quality, according to Dr Catherine Stanton, a research officer at Teagasc in Moorepark.
Links have been emerging between obesity and the types of bugs that live in the gut, she explained.
“The quantity of fat has been known previously to affect the composition of the gut microbiota. However, what was not previously known was that the composition of fat, different types of fatty acids that are there, are also influenced by the gut microbiota, and that is what our study is showing.”
The research, which was carried out in conjunction with University College Cork at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, modified a a strain of Lactobacillus so it could produce the beneficial version of CLA.
When it was fed to mice, along with the appropriate fats for it to work on, the particular CLA molecules acted then as a marker for the gut bugs’ effects elsewhere in the body.
“There is no doubt but it is the ability of the bacteria to influence fat metabolism that causes the change in CLA,” said Dr Stanton, noting that the principle could offer insights into approaches to improve health.
“It tells us that influencing the composition of bacteria in the gut can have important implications for human health. CLA has already been shown to alleviate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that often accompanies obesity.”
The study also builds up our knowledge of the interaction between the bacteria in the gut and the host they live in, said Dr Stanton.
“We have plans to undertake human trials next year and look at various bio-markers of the immune system and inflammation,” she said.
The study received support from Science Foundation Ireland, the Higher Education Authority, the Health Research Board and the European Union.
