Amelioration impact of gut-brain communication on obesity control by regulating gut microbiota composition through the ingestion of animal-plant-derived peptides and dietary fiber: can food reward effect as a hidden regulator?

Abstract

Various roles of intestinal flora in the gut-brain axis response pathway have received enormous attention because of their unique position in intestinal flora-derived metabolites regulating hormones, inducing appetite, and modulating energy metabolism. Reward pathways in the brain play a crucial role in gut-brain communications, but the mechanisms have not been methodically understood. This review outlined the mechanisms by which leptin, ghrelin, and insulin are influenced by intestinal flora-derived metabolites to regulate appetite and body weight, focused on the significance of the paraventricular nucleus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex in food reward. The vagus nerve and mitochondria are essential pathways of the intestinal flora involved in the modulation of neurotransmitters, neural signaling, and neurotransmission in gut-brain communications. The dynamic response to nutrient intake and changes in the characteristics of feeding activity requires the participation of the vagus nerve to transmit messages to be completed. SCFAs, Bas, BCAAs, and induced hormones mediate the sensory information and reward signaling of the host in the complex regulatory mechanism of food selection, and the composition of the intestinal flora significantly impacts this process. Food reward in the process of obesity based on gut-brain communications expands new ideas for the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Keywords:

• Gut-brain communications
• food reward
• brain-gut peptides
• vagus nerve
• brain mitochondria
• obesity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The research was financially supported by Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi (No. 2023-ZDLNY-33), State Administration for Market Regulation Science and Technology Plan Project (No. 2022MK123), and Technology Innovation Leading Program of Shaanxi (Program No. 2023KXJ-051).