Antiobesity Effect of Prebiotic Polyphenol-Rich Grape Seed Flour Supplemented with Probiotic Kefir-Derived Lactic Acid Bacteria

The interaction between prebiotics and probiotics may exert synergistic health benefits. This study investigated the combined effects of polyphenol-rich wine grape seed flour (GSF), a prebiotic, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) derived from kefir, a probiotic, on obesity-related metabolic disease in high-fat diet (HFD) induced obese (DIO) mice. DIO mice were fed with HFD with 6% microcrystalline cellulose (CON) or HFD supplemented with GSF (5% or 10% GSF), HFD with LAB orally administrated (LAB), or HFD with a combination of GSF and LAB orally administrated (GSF+LAB) for 9 weeks. The vehicle, saline, was also orally administered to the CON and GSF groups. In comparison to CON, all GSF and LAB groups showed a reduction (P < 0.05) in HF-induced weight gain, liver and adipose tissue weights, plasma lipid concentrations, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance. The combination of 10% GSF and LAB showed synergistic effects (P < 0.05) on body weight gain, plasma insulin and total cholesterol concentrations, and cecum propionate contents. Plasma zonulin and cecum propionate concentrations and intestinal FXR gene expression were (P < 0.05) correlated with body weight gain. A pathway analysis of microarray data of adipose tissue showed that the combination of GSF and LAB affected genes involved in metabolic and immunological diseases, including inflammasome complex assembly (P < 0.05). In conclusion, a combination of GSF and LAB inhibited HF-induced obesity and inflammation via alterations in intestinal permeability and adipocyte gene expression.