Intermittent fasting has a diet-specific impact on the gut microbiota and colonic mucin O-glycosylation of mice

The colonic mucus layer and the microbiota adhered to it are vital in mediating host metabolic, immune, and gut health. However, the impacts of intermittent fasting on the colonic mucosal microbial communities and mucin O-linked glycans, the predominant component of the colonic mucus layer, remain unexplored. Here, using a C57BL/6J mouse model fed either a high-fat diet or normal chow, we examined the impact of an intermittent fasting regimen on host physiology, faecal and colonic mucosal microbiota, and mucin O-glycosylation.