AMAZONIAN POT-POLLEN REDUCES FASTING GLUCOSE AND MODULATES THE GUT MICROBIOTA IN HIGH-FAT/HIGH-SUCROSE FED MICE

Pot-pollen (PP) is produced from the fermentation of flower pollen by the enzymes of stingless bees and associated microorganisms. This study aimed to analyze the effect of Melipona seminigra PP on the gut microbiota in high-fat/high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet-induced obese mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a low-fat/low-sucrose diet, a HF/HS diet or a HF/HS diet containing 0.1% PP for 12 weeks. Weight, body composition, and food intake were monitored. In addition, insulin tolerance (ITT) and oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) tests were performed. Feces and fecal contents of the ileum, cecum, and colon were collected to evaluate the modulation of the intestinal microbiota. After fecal DNA extraction, the V4 region libraries of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified and sequenced using the MiSeq (Illumina) system. Data were analyzed using bioinformatics tools in the R statistic program. Intake of PP improved the glucose disappearance rate in ITT (KITT), displayed a tendency to increase insulin secretion, and reduced fasting glucose, without modifying weight gain, body composition, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity. These changes were inversely associated with relative abundance (RA) of Romboutsia and positively associated with RA of Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group. Despite the lack of significant effect on body weight, pot-pollen supplementation resulted in changes in the composition of the gut microbiota, which correlated with the lowering of fasting glucose levels and an improved KITT.