Effects of pomelo sponge fermented by Monascus ruber on cholesterol metabolism and intestinal microbiota in high-fat diet mice

The purpose of this study is to produce Monascus ruber fermented pomelo sponge products (MFPS) utilizing low-cost pomelo sponge as a solid-state fermentation substrate, and to investigate the effects of MFPS on cholesterol metabolism and gut microbiota in mice. The study of oral MFPS treatment in high-fat diet mice uncovered that a high dosage of MFPS effectively inhibited the increase of body weight, reduced the accumulation of liver and epididymal fat and improved blood cholesterol metabolism in mice. Interestingly, MFPS consumption enhanced the liver's antioxidant capacity, cleared free radicals. Furthermore, HE staining demonstrated that MFPS effec-tively repaired liver damage. UPLC-QTOF/MS analysis of liver metabolomics revealed that MFPS intervention exerts a substantial regulatory impact on metabolic pathways encompassing alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, steroid hormone biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid degradation, folate biosynthesis, etc. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA unveiled that MFPS mitigated the intestinal microbiota imbalance triggered by a high-fat diet, increasing the abundance of probiotics in the intestine, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Therefore, these findings demonstrate that MFPS can improve abnormal cholesterol metabolism and balance intestinal flora, offering valuable insights for developing natural and effective cholesterol-lowering products.