Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the effects of Perfluorolauric Acid (PFLA) on the gut microbiota community and the physiological health of mice. The experiment was conducted by setting a control group (CTRL) and an experimental group (PFLA), exposing mice to PFLA and observing changes in their gut microbiota community and physiological health indicators. The results showed that exposure to PFLA significantly altered the β diversity of the gut microbiota in mice, as evidenced by NMDS, PCoA, and PCA analyses, indicating a clear change in microbial community structure between the PFLA group and the CTRL group. Moreover, PFLA led to a decrease in α diversity of the gut microbiota, with certain specific species such as CryptoBacteroides significantly increasing in the PFLA group while Odoribacter_laneus decreased. In terms of physiological health, exposure to PFLA resulted in increased liver inflammation, lipid abnormalities, and caused histological changes in the colon, such as ulcerative colitis and damage to glandular structures. These findings suggest that PFLA has adverse effects on the gut microbiota community and physiological health of mice. This study can provide foundational data and references for the pollution control of PFLA.