Ameliorating Effect of Bifidobacterium breve CM02‐09T on High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice

Evidences have demonstrated that the regulation of gut microbiota by probiotics can be utilized to prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); Bifidobacterium was widely used as a potential therapeutic alternative for metabolic diseases. In this study, the probiotic functions of Bifidobacterium breve CM02‐09T and its effects on NAFLD were investigated through genome annotation and high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced mouse model. The genome of B. breve CM02‐09T consists of a single circular chromosome of 2 372 890 bp. Eighteen male C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal chow diet (NCD), a high‐fat diet, and a high‐fat diet (HFD) with B. breve CM02‐09T separately for 12 weeks. Histopathology, lipid content, biochemical markers in the liver and blood, and metagenomics were assessed and compared. Our results indicate that supplementation with B. breve CM02‐09T alleviated liver damage, reduced fat accumulation in the liver and epididymal adipose tissue, decreased TNF‐α concentration, and improved NAFLD activity scores. Metagenomic analysis revealed that administration of B. breve CM02‐09T promoted a decreased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (F/B), an increase in beneficial bacteria, and enhanced lipid metabolism functions. Correlation analysis between the differential species and NAFLD‐related indicators suggested that the anti‐NAFLD effect of B. breve CM02‐09T is related to the gut microbiota. Therefore, B. breve CM02‐09T attenuates NAFLD by modulating the gut microbiota and could be used as an alternative therapeutic strategy.