16S rRNA sequencing of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetic rats treated with Ophiopogon japonicus oligosaccharides

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Ophiopogon japonicus oligosaccharides (OJO) on gut microbiota in a type 2 diabetes (T2DM) rat model using 16S rRNA sequencing. Seventy male Sprague-Dawley rats were obtained from the Laboratory Animal Centre of Southern Medical University (license number SCXK (Guangdong) 2016-0041). After four weeks of a high-fat diet, rats were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin (30 mg/kg) to induce diabetes. Fifty rats that developed stable hyperglycemia (fasting blood glucose >16.7 mmol/L) were randomly assigned to five groups (n=10 each): diabetes model (MOD), metformin (MET, 250 mg/kg/day), and low-, medium-, and high-dose OJO groups (112, 225, and 450 mg/kg/day). A control group (CON, n=10) received a basal diet. All groups underwent daily oral gavage for four weeks. Fecal samples were collected at the end of the intervention for 16S rRNA V3-V4 region sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. The study provides insight into gut microbiota modulation by OJO and its potential role in ameliorating T2DM.