Consumption of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) attenuates obesity, ameliorates lipid metabolic disorders and modifies the gut microbiota composition in mice fed a high-fat diet

Mung bean is shown having several health benefits, but a little bit of knowledge is known about its effects on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity or its relationship with gut microbiota composition changes. Here, it was observed that consumption of HFD supplemented with cooked mung bean (30%, w/w) for 12 weeks effectively alleviated body weight gain and lipid metabolic disorders, which was accompanied by a decrease in hepatic steatosis and adipocyte size. Furthermore, high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA revealed that mung bean supplementation prevented the HFD-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, which was likely associated with the decreased relative abundance of several HFD-dependent taxa (Ruminiclostridium_9, Mucispirillum, Bilophila, Blautia, Ruminiclostridium, and Odoribacter), and the increased relative abundance of norank_f__Muribaculaceae. Spearman’s correlation analysis indicated that those genera were closely correlated with obesity-related indices. Collectively, the prevention of obesity by mung bean supplementation was at least partially mediated by structural modulation of gut microbiota.