Impact of traditional fermented soybean-supplemented diet on gut microbiota for ameliorating atherosclerosis in mice

The primary objective of this experiment is to investigate the impact of traditional fermented soybean on the composition and functionality of the gut microbiota, as well as its overall influence on gut health and atherosclerosis. In this study, traditional fermented soybean supplementation was administered to both normal chow and atherogenic C57BL/6 mice. The atherogenic diet resulted in a notable decline in gut microbial diversity, manifesting as gut dysbiosis, characterized by an increased relative abundance of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, and a concomitant decrease in Bacteroidetes. Upon supplementation with traditional fermented soybean, there was a marked amelioration in microbial diversity. The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes increased, while that of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria decreased. The supplementation further enhanced gut health by promoting the proliferation of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, including Butyribacter intestini, Blautia faecicola, Kineothrix alysoides, Clostridium spp., Intestinimonas butyriciproducens, Akkermansia muciniphila, and Schaedlerella spp.