Potential Efficacy of Bacillus coagulans BACO-17 to Modulate Gut Microbiota in Rats Fed High-Fat Diet

This study aimed to evaluate the potential efficacy of Bacillus coagulans BACO-17 in ameliorating body fat accumulation as well as gut microbiota dysbiosis in animals, which were given a high-fat diet to mimic the adverse effect of an unhealthy dietary pattern. Compared with normal control, high-fat consumption resulted in significant (p < 0.05) elevations in weight gain (168%), feed efficiency (176%), visceral fat accumulation (228%), and a lesser total fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) (−27.5%). A significant shift of fecal Fimicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio from 1.13 to 3.14 was also observed. After 12 weeks of experiment, a supplementation of B. coagulans BACO-17 at high dose (9 log CFU/day) along with a high-fat diet could exert an apparent fat reduction ability by decreasing weight gain (by 23.7%) and visceral fat mass (by 24.0%). It was found that B. coagulans BACO-17 was able to increase fecal SCFA concentrations and revert Fimicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio back to the level comparable with the normal control. It could play a probiotic effect by increasing and decreasing the abundance of Muribaculaceae and Allobaculum, respectively. Therefore, a supplementation of adequate amount of B. coagulans BACO-17 might confer a concreted amelioration of deteriorated bacteria profiles and body fat accumulation due to high-fat consumption.