Abstract
PURPOSE: Due to the adverse effects of antidiabetic drugs, nowadays, nutraceuticals have been of much interest to investigators. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the potential effects of enteral nutritional (EN) formulas on the gut microbiota and metabolic regulation of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice and compare the differences between whey protein and soy protein. METHODS: EN formulas made of whey protein or soy protein were administered for five weeks and then mice tissue samples were obtained to examine the metabolic parameters and histopathology of the pancreas, liver, jejunum and colon. 16S rRNA V3-V4 region gene sequencing was used to analyze the changes in the gut microbiota. RESULTS: After the five-week intervention, the alpha diversity had recovered slightly, and the soy protein group (SPG) achieved a better effect than the whey protein group (LPG). The overall composition of gut microbiota was regulated. The abundance of Bacteroidetes and TM7 had raised significantly and the abundance of Firmicutes and Deferribacteres had declined after treatment, with no significant difference between the LPG and SPG. The types of beneficial bacteria were increased at the genus and species level. The level of hexokinase (HK) and pyruvate kinase (PK) had significantly recovered and inhibited the level of α-glucosidase. In addition, the EN formulas treatment reduced the levels of inflammatory factor (TNF-α) in liver and muscle. The level of glucose transporter type 2 (GLUT-2) levels in the liver and intestine also significantly increased. Moreover, the metabolism regulation of the SPG was better than that of the LPG. The EN formulas treatment improved the pancreas, liver, jejunum and colon histology. CONCLUSION: The EN formulas regulated the overall structure of the gut microbiota and improved the metabolic level in streptozotocin/high-fat diet (STZ/HFD) diabetic mice. Therefore, EN formula may potentially become an effective nutritional adjunctive therapy for T2DM.