ABSTRACT Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders are closely linked to high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced intestinal inflammation. In this study, we used an HFD‐induced obese mice model to evaluate the regulatory effects of low‐dose, medium‐dose (M‐LA), and high‐dose of α‐linolenic acid (ALA) on intestinal inflammation and dyshomeostasis. After ALA intervention, all dose groups significantly reduced body weight. Especially M‐LA significantly improved serum/hepatic lipid profiles and intestinal histopathology. Furthermore, M‐LA significantly upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins and mucin 2, restored goblet cell numbers, and rebalanced the TH17/Treg cell ratio. M‐LA decreased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in HFD‐fed mice. Additionally, it attenuated hyperproliferation of intestinal stem cells and promoted their differentiation into enteroendocrine cells and goblet cells. We verified its effects on the TLR4/NFκB pathway in both obese mice and LPS‐induced Caco‐2 cells. The intervention effect of ALA was dose‐dependent, with the M‐LA (0.221 g/kg) showing the best improvement effect. This study provides a theoretical foundation for dietary active lipids in obesity regulation and the development of ALA‐based functional foods.
Zhang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.