Effect of dark sweet cherry ( Prunus avium ) supplementation on the fecal microbiota, metabolic endotoxemia, and intestinal permeability in obese subjects: a single-blind randomized trial.

This single blind placebo-controlled study has as its main objectives to investigate the influence of dark sweet cherries (DSC) consumption on obesity-related dysbiosis, metabolic endotoxemia, and intestinal permeability. Participants (>18 years old, BMI: 30-40 kg m -2 ) consumed 200 mL of DSC juice with 3 g of DSC powder ( n = 19) or a placebo drink ( n = 21) twice per day for 30 days. The gut microbiota abundance was investigated using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing on fecal DNA. Metabolic endotoxemia was evaluated by measuring lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) in fasting plasma samples. Intestinal permeability was assessed using the lactulose/mannitol (L/M) test and by measuring regeneration islet-derived protein 4 (REG4), and interleukin-22 (IL-22) mRNA levels in stool samples. Results showed that DSC supplementation decreased the abundance of Anaerostipes hadrus ( p = 0.02) and Blautia ( p = 0.04), whose changes were significant in BMI ≥ 35 participants ( p = 0.004 and p = 0.006, respectively). Additionally, DSC prevented the increase of Alistipes shahii ( p = 0.005) and Bilophila ( p = 0.01) compared to placebo. Notably, DSC intervention favored the abundance of bacteria supporting a healthy gut ecosystem such as Roseburia intestinalis ( p = 0.01), Turicibacter ( p = 0.01), and Bacteroides vulgatus ( p = 0.003) throughout the intervention, along with Clostridium leptum ( p = 0.03) compared to placebo. The LBP, L/M ratio, REG-4 and IL-22 mRNA levels remained unchanged in placebo and cherry groups, implying that participants did not experience alterations in intestinal permeability. These findings highlight the potential gut-health benefits of DSC and encourage future research among individuals with BMI ≥ 35 and increased intestinal permeability.