Abstract
The growing prevalence of obesity poses a significant challenge to public health. This research explored the impact of oat protein isolate (OPI) on mitigating obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in rats. The results indicate that OPI, administered at a dose of 100 mg/kg, reduced the gain of body weight and fat deposits, ameliorated glucose metabolism, promoted antioxidant capacity, and alleviated inflammation. Results from the 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples reveal that OPI mitigated the gut microbiota disorder induced by an HFD, significantly raising the proportion of beneficial genera, such as Ruminococcus, Blautia, Allobaculum, Romboutsia, and Dubosiella. Furthermore, OPI promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria, elevated the production of short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs), and improved glucose and lipid metabolism and reduced inflammation, collectively contributing to its anti-obesity effects. These findings confirm OPI's efficacy in reducing obesity induced by an HFD in rats. Future clinical trials are needed to further validate the efficacy of OPI as a functional food.