Wasabi supplementation alters the composition of the gut microbiota of diet-induced obese rats

Dietary intake and obesity can alter the composition of the gut microbiota thereby affecting the health of the host. It is unclear if intake of glucosinolate-containing cruciferous vegetables alters the composition of the gut microbiota in obesity. The aim of this study was to compare the gut microbiota composition between six diet-induced obese rats receiving Wasabia japonica (wasabi) supplementation (5% (w/w)) for eight weeks and six control diet-induced obese rats by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Supplementation with wasabi reduced beta but not alpha diversity in obese rats and was associated with increased abundance of the bacterial genera Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium and Unclassified S24-7 and decreased abundance of Unclassified Enterobacteriaceae, Unclassified Ruminococcaceae, Unclassified Lachnospiraceae and Unclassified Desulfovibrionaceae. Supplementation with wasabi is predicted to result in less bacterial biosynthesis of fatty acids and phospholipids, which may lead to improved host lipid markers in diet-induced obese rats.