Sodium alginate improves lipid disruption and alters the composition of the gut microbiota in farnesoid X receptor-null mice

Seaweed-derived dietary fibre sodium alginate (SA) has been shown to present with health benefits in food-derived disease models. To determine whether SA improves the disease rather than merely suppressing its progression, we assessed its effects using farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-deficient mice to provide a model of advanced hyperlipidaemia. Fxr-null mice were fed with a 5% SA-supplemented diet for nine weeks and showed significant decreases in the levels of liver triglycerides (<i>p</i> < 0.05), total cholesterol (<i>p</i> < 0.05), serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The expression levels of fatty acid-synthesizing genes (<i>Fas</i> and <i>Scd1</i>) and cholesterol-metabolizing genes (<i>Hmgcr, Hmgcs</i>, and <i>Abca1</i>), were significantly reduced. Furthermore, the SA supplementation has altered the gut microbiota and significantly increased the abundance of the genus <i>Oscillospira</i> (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and <i>Parabacteroides</i> (<i>p</i> < 0.01). These results suggest that SA improves lipid disruption and influences the composition of the gut microbiota in the Fxr-null mice.