Swimming combined with corn peptide counteracts high-fat diet-induced obesity through rescuing imbalanced gut flora

To investigate the effects of swimming and corn peptide on counteracting obesity of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced mice and uncover the underlying mechanisms through analyzing the compositions and structure of gut flora and corresponding metabolites, an obesity model was established using C57BL/6 mice with HFD feeding. The obese mice underwent swimming intervention, oral administration of corn peptide, or a combination of both interventions for 8 consecutive weeks. After the interventions, blood lipid levels were measured, and fecal samples were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing and broad-targeted metabolomics analysis. Metabolic pathway enrichment analysis was performed using the MetaboAnalyst software, and the correlations between differential phenotypes, gut flora, and metabolites were analyzed using the Spearman method. The combination of swimming and corn peptide interventions effectively reduced hyperlipidemia in obese mice. Swimming combined with corn peptide intervention partially reversed the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in obese mice. This included an increase in the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Prevotellaceae and Oscillospiraceae , and a decrease in the relative abundance of Alloprevotella . Additionally, all three interventions improved four key metabolic pathways: glycerophospholipid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, and folate synthesis. Therefore, the combinatorial intervention of swimming and corn peptide can at least partially ameliorate HFD-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and corresponding metabolic changes, promote energy metabolism, and contribute to body weight control and lipid-lowering effects in obese mice.