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Food Science and Human Wellness 2022, 11(1): 119-128 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2021.07.013
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 11 September 2021

Foxtail millet supplementation improves glucose metabolism and gut microbiota in rats with high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetes

Show Author's Information Xin Rena,b,  Linxuan Wanga,  Zenglong Chenc,  Min Zhanga,  Dianzhi Houb,  Yong Xueb,  Xianmin Diaod,  Ruihai Liue,  Qun Shenb( )
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
Key Laboratory of Plant Protein and Grain processing, National Engineering and Technology Research Center for Fruits and Vegetables, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Institute of Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
Keywords:
Gut microbiota, Glucose metabolism, Short-chain fatty acids, Foxtail millet
Cite this article:
Ren X, Wang L, Chen Z, et al. Foxtail millet supplementation improves glucose metabolism and gut microbiota in rats with high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Food Science and Human Wellness, 2022, 11(1): 119-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2021.07.013
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Abstract Full text About this article

Foxtail millet (FM) whole grain has received special attention in recent years. To confirm the hypoglycemic effects of FM, we investigated the effects of FM supplementation on glucose metabolism and gut microbiota in rats with high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ)-induced diabetes. Specifically, we fully assessed the blood biochemical profiles, pancreatic histopathology, insulin-glucagon immunofluorescence, short-chain fatty acids, and gut microbiota composition of rats with HFD/STZ-induced diabetes before and after FM supplementation. Results showed that both 30% and 48% FM supplementation significantly decreased concentrations of fasting blood glucose, 60-min blood glucose, and blood triglycerides (P < 0.05); additionally, 48% FM supplementation significantly improved blood glucose tolerance and insulin resistance (P < 0.05). However, FM supplementation could not effectively repair damage to β-cells over a short period of time. In addition, 4 weeks of 48% FM supplementation siginificantly increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and concentration of butyrate, suggesting that the hypoglycemic effects of FM supplementation might be partially mediated by gut microbiota. Collectively, we found a dose-dependent relationship between FM supplementation and improvement of blood glucose metabolism, but did not find a synergistic effect between FM supplementation and metformin (Met) treatment. Our findings provide further support that consuming more whole-grain FM might be beneficial to individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes.


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About this article

Foxtail millet supplementation improves glucose metabolism and gut microbiota in rats with high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetes

Show Author's information Xin Rena,b, Linxuan Wanga, Zenglong Chenc, Min Zhanga, Dianzhi Houb, Yong Xueb, Xianmin Diaod, Ruihai Liue, Qun Shenb( )
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
Key Laboratory of Plant Protein and Grain processing, National Engineering and Technology Research Center for Fruits and Vegetables, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Institute of Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States

Abstract

Foxtail millet (FM) whole grain has received special attention in recent years. To confirm the hypoglycemic effects of FM, we investigated the effects of FM supplementation on glucose metabolism and gut microbiota in rats with high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ)-induced diabetes. Specifically, we fully assessed the blood biochemical profiles, pancreatic histopathology, insulin-glucagon immunofluorescence, short-chain fatty acids, and gut microbiota composition of rats with HFD/STZ-induced diabetes before and after FM supplementation. Results showed that both 30% and 48% FM supplementation significantly decreased concentrations of fasting blood glucose, 60-min blood glucose, and blood triglycerides (P < 0.05); additionally, 48% FM supplementation significantly improved blood glucose tolerance and insulin resistance (P < 0.05). However, FM supplementation could not effectively repair damage to β-cells over a short period of time. In addition, 4 weeks of 48% FM supplementation siginificantly increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and concentration of butyrate, suggesting that the hypoglycemic effects of FM supplementation might be partially mediated by gut microbiota. Collectively, we found a dose-dependent relationship between FM supplementation and improvement of blood glucose metabolism, but did not find a synergistic effect between FM supplementation and metformin (Met) treatment. Our findings provide further support that consuming more whole-grain FM might be beneficial to individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes.

Keywords: Gut microbiota, Glucose metabolism, Short-chain fatty acids, Foxtail millet

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Publication history

Received: 25 August 2020
Revised: 26 October 2020
Accepted: 26 October 2020
Published: 11 September 2021
Issue date: January 2022

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© 2021 Beijing Academy of Food Sciences. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFD0401200), China Agriculture Research System (CARS-07-13.5-A17), General S&T project of Beijing Municipal Commission of Education (KM202010011006), and BTBU Youth Fund (PXM2019_014213_000007). The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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