# Fermented Black Soybean and Dehulled Adlay Improve Metabolic Syndrome via AMPK–SIRT1 Activation and Gut Microbiota Modulation

## TL;DR

Fermented black soybean and adlay help reduce metabolic syndrome symptoms in mice by improving gut health and metabolic pathways.

## Contribution

The study shows fermentation enhances the health benefits of black soybean and adlay through gut microbiota and metabolic pathway modulation.

## Key findings

- FBA reduced body weight, fat, and liver fat in mice on a high-fat diet.
- FBA improved insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism via AMPK–SIRT1 and PI3K–Akt pathways.
- FBA reversed gut dysbiosis and lowered the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio.

## Abstract

This study investigated the metabolic efficacy ofBacillus subtilis-fermented black soybean and dehulled
adlay (FBA) compared to its unfermented black soybean and dehulled
adlay (UFBA) in high-fat, high-fructose-diet (HFFD)-fed C57BL/6J mice.
FBA supplementation exhibited superior effects in attenuating body
weight gain, visceral adiposity, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis
while improving insulin sensitivity. These benefits were consistent
with the modulation of hepatic AMPK–SIRT1 and PI3K–Akt
signaling pathways, suggesting enhanced lipid oxidation and suppressed
lipogenesis. Furthermore, FBA restructured the gut microbiota by reversing
HFFD-induced dysbiosis, notably decreasing the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes
(F/B) ratio and specifically elevating cecal propionate levels. These
findings demonstrate that fermentation significantly potentiates the
bioactivity of the substrate, suggesting FBA as a potential dietary
strategy that may attenuate metabolic syndrome (MetS) features.