Prebiotic effects of commercial apple juice in high-fat diet fed rat

Abstract Apples are one of the most frequently consumed fruits and are effective in preventing lifestyle-related and other diseases. However, some people may avoid consuming apples because of the time required to peel them. Processed apple products such as juice are easy to consume, but few studies have been conducted to evaluate their health benefits. In this study, we analyzed the health benefits of consuming commercially available apple juice, focusing on changes in the gut microbiota, which plays an important role in maintaining human health. Rats were fed apple juice ad libitum , and the relative abundances of various gut microbes in fecal samples were analyzed. In addition, rats fed apple juice were treated with a high-fat diet, and body weight, plasma triglyceride, glucose, and cholesterol levels were measured. The relative abundance of Clostridium cluster XIVa did not change with the treatment of apple juice, but the relative abundance of Clostridium cluster IV was significantly decreased. In contrast, the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium , which provide benefits to the human body, were significantly increased by 3-fold and 10-fold, respectively, with apple juice consumption. When apple juice-treated rats were fed a high-fat diet, the increase in body weight, liver fat, and blood lipid parameters were all suppressed compared to high-fat alone group. This study suggests that the consumption of commercial apple juice changes the gut microbiota, exerts a prebiotic effect, and is effective in improving lifestyle-related diseases.