Effect of gut microbiota transplantation from Chenpi-fed mice on obesity in high-fat diet-fed mice

The human gut harbors an intricate ecosystem of microorganisms, and disturbances in this microbial equilibrium have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disorders, and metabolic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The dynamic interplay between gut microbiota and host physiology underscores the critical role of maintaining a balanced microbial composition for overall health. Recent advancements in next-generation sequencing technologies, particularly high-throughput amplicon sequencing of conserved genetic markers like 16S rRNA (for bacteria), 18S rRNA (for eukaryotes), and ITS regions (for fungi), have revolutionized the exploration of gut microbial communities. These techniques, combined with bioinformatics tools such as principal component analysis (PCA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), enable researchers to decode shifts in microbial diversity and functional profiles across different physiological or pathological states. By comparing microbial signatures before and after disease onset, such approaches provide mechanistic insights into how microbial dysregulation contributes to disease progression and highlight potential therapeutic targets for restoring gut homeostasis.