The Impact of Apple Pectin on Gut Microbiota and Bile Acid Homeostasis in mice treated with an alternating Low-Fat/High-Fat Diet

Dietary components play a critical role in modulating gut microbiota composition. Pectin has a positive regulatory effect on the disorder of gut microbiota-metabolites caused by a high-fat diet. A cyclic low-fat/high-fat diet (CLHFD), the alternating cycle between short-term low-fat and high-fat diets (HFD), capitalizes on the rapid adaptability of gut microbiota to short-term HFD interventions. Building on this plasticity, the effect of CLHFD on the composition of the gut microbiota and bile acids (BAs) with and without apple pectin (AP) treatment have attracted our attention. The experimental results showed that CLHFD has the higher Acetatifactor abundance than low-fat diet LFD, while AP selectively enriched Duncaniella and Bacteroides under CLHFD. Notably, AP upregulated hepatic CYP7A1 expression and mitigated CLHFD-induced BA metabolic abnormalities. Our results position AP as a microbiota-modulating supplement to buffer the metabolic stress of dietary shifts, with potential applications in personalized nutrition programs.