Modulation of gut microbiota by berberine and metformin during the treatment of high-fat diet-induced obesity in rats

Accumulating evidence suggests that the gut microbiota is an important factor in mediating the development of obesity-related metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes. Metformin and berberine, two clinically effective drugs for treating diabetes, have recently been shown to exert their actions through modulating the gut microbiota. In this study, we demonstrated that metformin and berberine similarly shifted the overall structure of the gut microbiota in rats. Both drugs showed reverting effects on the high-fat diet-induced structural changes of gut microbiota. The diversity of gut microbiota was significantly reduced by both berberine- and metformin-treatments. Nearest shrunken centroids analysis…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 31330005, 31121064, 81273720
• NS
  National Science and Technology Major Project