Improvement of intestinal environment and inhibition of fatty liver by resistant starch

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K15950
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53010:Gastroenterology-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Hatazawa Yuri 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 医学研究員 (10898745)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: レジスタントスターチ / 脂肪肝 / 腸内細菌叢 / 短鎖脂肪酸

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Resistant starch, an indigestible starch, has been known to improve fatty liver, but the detailed mechanism of this effect was not known. On the other hand, fatty liver is a multifactorial disease, but it has been shown that intestinal bacteria are related to one of its factors. In this study, using a mouse model of fatty liver fed a high-fat diet, it was shown that resistant starch alters the intestinal microbiota and suppresses the development of fatty liver by increasing the number of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. The results of this study are as follows

Free Research Field

肝臓病学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、食物繊維に多く含まれるレジスタントスターチ（難消化性でんぷん）がbifidobacteriumやlactobacillusといった短鎖脂肪酸を産生する菌群がふえることにより、高脂肪食で生じた著しい腸内細菌叢の乱れを是正することによって脂肪肝改善につながっていることを明らかとした。肥満、脂肪肝が社会的に問題となる中、レジスタントスターチが脂肪肝抑制効果を持つことの科学的に検証されたと考えている。