Synergistic regulation of colon microflora and metabolic environment by resistant starch and sodium lactate in hyperlipidemic rats

Lu Liu; Suzhen Lei; Xiaoli Lin; David Mahoudjro Bodjrenou; Yi Zhang; Baodong Zheng; Hongliang Zeng

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.141933

Synergistic regulation of colon microflora and metabolic environment by resistant starch and sodium lactate in hyperlipidemic rats

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Mar 10;307(Pt 3):141933. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.141933. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Lu Liu¹, Suzhen Lei¹, Xiaoli Lin¹, David Mahoudjro Bodjrenou¹, Yi Zhang², Baodong Zheng², Hongliang Zeng³

Affiliations

¹ College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality Science and Processing Technology in Special Starch, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
² College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality Science and Processing Technology in Special Starch, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
³ College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality Science and Processing Technology in Special Starch, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China. Electronic address: zhlfst@fafu.edu.cn.

PMID: 40074132
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.141933

Abstract

Type 3 resistant starch (RS3) regulates diet-related metabolic diseases by promoting intestinal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and lactate production, and facilitating microbial lactate-to-butyrate fermentation. However, its precise in vivo mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, we studied the effects of type 3 lotus seed resistant starch (LRS3) and sodium lactate (SL) on colonic microbiota composition, metabolism, and lipid parameters. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which LRS3 and SL modulate colonic microbiota and metabolism to mitigate hyperlipidemia in rats induced by a high-fat diet. Results showed LRS3 increased colonic microbial diversity, shifting the composition towards that of healthy rats. LRS3 intake reduced lactic acid-producing bacteria such as Allobaculum, Collinsella, and Blautia in the colon while promoting SCFAs-producing Ruminococcaceae. SL alone stimulated Lachnospiraceae growth. When both were administered, there was a significant increase in Treponema and Ruminococcaceae. The co-intervention of LRS3 and SL significantly affected lipid metabolism-related metabolites, up-regulating palmitic acid while down-regulating androsterone and phosphatidylcholine (PC) substances PC (14:0/20:4(8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)), influencing unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis pathways and inhibiting steroid hormone biosynthesis. Finally, via the microbial-metabolism-lipid correlation network, we identified that LRS3 and SL increased SCFAs production through Treponema and Ruminococcaceae metabolism, influencing organic acid and lipid composition in the colon. This indirectly reduced blood lipid levels in hyperlipidemic rats by modulating intestinal microecology.

Keywords: Colonic microflora; Hyperlipidemic rats; LC-MS untargeted metabolomics; Lotus seed resistant starch; Sodium lactate.