Flaxseed- and Buckwheat-Supplemented Diets Altered Enterobacteriaceae Diversity and Prevalence in the Cecum and Feces of Obese Mice

ABSTRACT

Dietary intake may cause variable bacterial prevalence in the gastrointestinal tract. The objective of this research was to determine the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae in the cecum and feces and its relationship to weight changes following flaxseed-, health-promoting compounds of flaxseed-, or buckwheat-supplemented diets. Seventy-two C57BL/6J male mice were randomly assigned to a diet group and fed for 8 weeks: high fat (45% kcal fat); 10% whole flaxseed (45% kcal fat); 6% defatted flaxseed (45% kcal fat); 4% flaxseed oil (45% kcal fat); 10% buckwheat (45% kcal fat); and low fat (16% kcal fat) diet groups. Significant differences in the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae in the cecum (p < .0348) and feces at posttreatment (p < .0033) were observed. The prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae affected posttreatment weight (p < .0001). Our results indicate that there may be a relationship between an increase in Enterobacteriaceae prevalence and weight gain.

KEYWORDS:

• buckwheat
• flaxseed
• gut microbiota
• obese mice

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Curt Doetkott for aiding in statistical analyses and Dr. Darrin Haagenson in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at North Dakota State University for providing buckwheat for the study.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Funding

This study was supported by grants from North Dakota State University College of Human Development and Education and the Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences.

About the authors

Margaret Pulkrabek, MS, RD, LRD, is a lead dietitian for The Dolce Diet and owner and dietitian at Team4D, Fargo, ND; at the time of the study, she was a master's student at North Dakota State University. Her research interests include nutrition, prebiotics, and probiotics.

Yeong Rhee, PhD, RD, is a professor in the department of health, nutrition, and exercise sciences at North Dakota State University. Her research program focuses on chronic disease prevention by nutritional interventions, especially health-promoting compounds of foods.

Penelope S. Gibbs, PhD, is an associate professor in the department of microbiological sciences at North Dakota State University. Her research areas include enteric diseases precipitated by Escherichia coli and other enteric organisms.

Clifford Hall, PhD, is a professor in the cereal and food sciences programs in the department of plant sciences at North Dakota State University. His primary research areas include the utilization of non-traditional crops in food products.