Relationship between fatty acids intake and Clostridium coccoides in obese individuals with metabolic syndrome

Dietary habits exert a strong influence on gut microbial composition and may result in an imbalance of gut microbes, representing a predisposition to obesity and metabolic disorders. We aimed to investigate a potential relationship between gut bacterial species and metabolic parameters and dietary intake. Bacterial DNA was extracted from feces of 34 obese subjects with and without metabolic syndrome (MS and n-MS group, respectively). We then used real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for quantifying specific sequences to Akkermansia muciniphila, Bifidobacterium spp., Clostridium coccoides, and Lactobacillus spp. and analyzed them with respect to clinical characteristics. Our data showed that the MS group had a 6.7-fold higher level of C. coccoides in their stool samples than the n-MS group. The abundance of C. coccoides was positively correlated with a high intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, an excessive dietary level of MUFA was identified as a predictor of C. coccoides abundance. Alterations in the gut microbial ecology were positively correlated with levels of triacylglycerol in obese individuals. Therefore, the type and quantity of dietary fat may alter the gut microbial ecology in obese individuals with MS and may predispose them to dyslipidemia.