Fructooligosaccharides and Aspergillus enzymes increase brain GABA and homocarnosine by modulating microbiota in adolescent mice

Abstract Recent research suggests that dietary prebiotics, probiotics, or healthy fecal-microbiota transplantation attenuate gut microbiota dysbiosis and ameliorate neurological disorders, in which gut-microbiota-derived γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has gained much attention as one of key mediators in...

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Main Authors: Jason D. Braga, Yongshou Yang, Tomoka Nagao, Norihisa Kato, Noriyuki Yanaka, Kyoichi Nishio, Masamichi Okada, Manabu Kuroda, Shotaro Yamaguchi, Thanutchaporn Kumrungsee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:npj Science of Food
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00383-1
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author Jason D. Braga
Yongshou Yang
Tomoka Nagao
Norihisa Kato
Noriyuki Yanaka
Kyoichi Nishio
Masamichi Okada
Manabu Kuroda
Shotaro Yamaguchi
Thanutchaporn Kumrungsee
author_facet Jason D. Braga
Yongshou Yang
Tomoka Nagao
Norihisa Kato
Noriyuki Yanaka
Kyoichi Nishio
Masamichi Okada
Manabu Kuroda
Shotaro Yamaguchi
Thanutchaporn Kumrungsee
author_sort Jason D. Braga
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Recent research suggests that dietary prebiotics, probiotics, or healthy fecal-microbiota transplantation attenuate gut microbiota dysbiosis and ameliorate neurological disorders, in which gut-microbiota-derived γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has gained much attention as one of key mediators in the gut-brain axis. Although it is widely accepted that prebiotics and probiotics induce gut and brain GABA production via modulating gut microbiota, only evidence of probiotics has been solidly demonstrated while this evidence of prebiotics is scarce. Here, we demonstrated that prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides and Aspergillus-derived enzymes elevated gut and brain GABA concentrations by modulating gut microbiota. Interestingly, we found that the prebiotic and enzymes increased a brain-specific dipeptide, homocarnosine. Gut GABA levels were found correlated with brain GABA/homocarnosine levels. Parabateroides, Akkermansia, Muribaculum, Hungatella, Marvinbryantia, Flavonifractor, and Incertae_sedis exhibited a positive correlation with gut GABA and brain GABA/homocarnosine levels, while Blautia, Unclassified_Lachnospiraceae, Colidextribacter, Acetatifactor, Roseburia, Unclassified_Oscillospiraceae, Romboutsia, and Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes exhibited a negative correlation with those levels.
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spelling doaj-art-3baf57d3bfd64a2889c7cc71e94c8cca2025-08-20T03:04:53ZengNature Portfolionpj Science of Food2396-83702025-04-019111210.1038/s41538-025-00383-1Fructooligosaccharides and Aspergillus enzymes increase brain GABA and homocarnosine by modulating microbiota in adolescent miceJason D. Braga0Yongshou Yang1Tomoka Nagao2Norihisa Kato3Noriyuki Yanaka4Kyoichi Nishio5Masamichi Okada6Manabu Kuroda7Shotaro Yamaguchi8Thanutchaporn Kumrungsee9Program of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Anhui UniversityProgram of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima UniversityProgram of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima UniversityProgram of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima UniversityAmano Enzyme Inc.Amano Enzyme Inc.Amano Enzyme Inc.Amano Enzyme Inc.Program of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima UniversityAbstract Recent research suggests that dietary prebiotics, probiotics, or healthy fecal-microbiota transplantation attenuate gut microbiota dysbiosis and ameliorate neurological disorders, in which gut-microbiota-derived γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has gained much attention as one of key mediators in the gut-brain axis. Although it is widely accepted that prebiotics and probiotics induce gut and brain GABA production via modulating gut microbiota, only evidence of probiotics has been solidly demonstrated while this evidence of prebiotics is scarce. Here, we demonstrated that prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides and Aspergillus-derived enzymes elevated gut and brain GABA concentrations by modulating gut microbiota. Interestingly, we found that the prebiotic and enzymes increased a brain-specific dipeptide, homocarnosine. Gut GABA levels were found correlated with brain GABA/homocarnosine levels. Parabateroides, Akkermansia, Muribaculum, Hungatella, Marvinbryantia, Flavonifractor, and Incertae_sedis exhibited a positive correlation with gut GABA and brain GABA/homocarnosine levels, while Blautia, Unclassified_Lachnospiraceae, Colidextribacter, Acetatifactor, Roseburia, Unclassified_Oscillospiraceae, Romboutsia, and Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes exhibited a negative correlation with those levels.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00383-1
spellingShingle Jason D. Braga
Yongshou Yang
Tomoka Nagao
Norihisa Kato
Noriyuki Yanaka
Kyoichi Nishio
Masamichi Okada
Manabu Kuroda
Shotaro Yamaguchi
Thanutchaporn Kumrungsee
Fructooligosaccharides and Aspergillus enzymes increase brain GABA and homocarnosine by modulating microbiota in adolescent mice
npj Science of Food
title Fructooligosaccharides and Aspergillus enzymes increase brain GABA and homocarnosine by modulating microbiota in adolescent mice
title_full Fructooligosaccharides and Aspergillus enzymes increase brain GABA and homocarnosine by modulating microbiota in adolescent mice
title_fullStr Fructooligosaccharides and Aspergillus enzymes increase brain GABA and homocarnosine by modulating microbiota in adolescent mice
title_full_unstemmed Fructooligosaccharides and Aspergillus enzymes increase brain GABA and homocarnosine by modulating microbiota in adolescent mice
title_short Fructooligosaccharides and Aspergillus enzymes increase brain GABA and homocarnosine by modulating microbiota in adolescent mice
title_sort fructooligosaccharides and aspergillus enzymes increase brain gaba and homocarnosine by modulating microbiota in adolescent mice
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00383-1
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