Alterations in gut microbiome and metabolite profiling during in vitro fermentation of duckweed (Wolffia globosa) and its extracts by gut bacteria from obese adults

This study investigated the impact of the digesta after an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of duckweed powder (DWP) and its polysaccharide (DPS) and protein (DPT) extracts on the modulation of gut microbiome and metabolite production at 24 h in vitro fecal fermentation from obese adults. The findings indicate that all duckweed samples enhanced the growth of beneficial intestinal microbial genera, including Megamonas, Bifidobacterium, Phocaeicola, Bacteroides, and Blautia , while the DPS and DPT promoted the growth of bacterial genera Fusobacterium. Furthermore, all duckweed samples contributed to an increase in total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) synthesis compared to the control. DPS showed the greatest promotion of SCFAs, followed by DPT and DWP which played a more important role in metabolite alterations compared to DPS and DPT. Pathway analysis results showed that altered metabolites were mostly related to tryptophan metabolism. Therefore, duckweed and its extracts showed potential for use as a dietary supplement to improve gut health benefits in obese adults.