Vanillin, a simple phenolic compound, exists marginally in some plants and can be produced by microbes. This study uses high-fat-diet (HFD) induced obese mice to study the effect of
vanillin on
obesity and obtain positive results. First, both body and adipose tissue weight are reduced. Second, the blood properties signaling certain disorders such as ALT, LDH,
glucose,
cholesterol, LDL-C, TG and HDL-C are ameliorated and both
insulin sensitivity, and
glucose tolerance are improved. Third,
vanillin reduced elevated levels of inflammatory factors including LPS,
IL-6, and TNF-α in plasma and liver tissue resulting from
obesity. Finally, the production of
short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) is enhanced. Additionally, study results demonstrate that
vanillin significantly alleviates
obesity-related gut microbiota (GM) disorders including the decrease of alpha- and beta-diversity. Furthermore,
vanillin reduces the abundance of Firmicutes phylum, increases the richness of Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobiota phyla, and inhibits the expansion of the
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-producing bacteria Bilophila genus and the H2S-producing bacteria Desulfovibrio genus.