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Cui et al. Microbiome Res Rep. 2025;4:31 Microbiome Research
DOI: 10.20517/mrr.2025.25
Reports

Mini Review Open Access

Recent advances in gut microbiota-mediated
regulation of fat deposition and metabolic disorders

Xiaoyan Cui , Qianwen Yuan, Jiali Long, Jiaxin Zhou

College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
Correspondence to: Dr. Xiaoyan Cui, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, No. 88 South University
Road, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China. E-mail: xycui@yzu.edu.cn

How to cite this article: Cui X, Yuan Q, Long J, Zhou J. Recent advances in gut microbiota-mediated regulation of fat deposition
and metabolic disorders. Microbiome Res Rep. 2025;4:31. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/mrr.2025.25

Received: 25 Apr 2025 First Decision: 8 Jul 2025 Revised: 20 Jul 2025 Accepted: 7 Aug 2025 Published: 20 Aug 2025

Academic Editor: Marco Ventura Copy Editor: Pei-Yun Wang Production Editor: Pei-Yun Wang

Abstract
The gut microbiota critically regulates lipid metabolism through microbial metabolites and host signaling pathways.
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), derived from dietary fiber fermentation, suppress hepatic lipogenesis via inhibition
of SREBP-1c and enhance mitochondrial β-oxidation through GPR41/43 activation. Microbial enzymes convert
primary bile acids into secondary bile acids, which activate FXR to inhibit lipogenesis and TGR5 to promote adipose
thermogenesis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from dysbiotic microbiota triggers TLR4-NF-κB signaling, exacerbating
insulin resistance and adipose inflammation. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), metabolized by gut microbes,
drive adipogenesis via mTORC1-PPARγ signaling, with elevated circulating BCAAs linked to obesity. In livestock,
microbiota modulation optimizes fat deposition: probiotics in pigs enhance intramuscular fat via Lactobacillus-
enriched communities, while dietary succinate or coated sodium propionate reduces abdominal fat in broilers by
reshaping cecal microbiota. Fecal microbiota transplantation confirms microbial causality in transferring fat
phenotypes. Dysbiosis-associated mechanisms are conserved across species, where SCFAs and bile acids
ameliorate metabolic inflammation, whereas LPS and BCAA imbalances worsen lipid dysregulation. Metabolic
disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), are tightly linked
to gut microbiota perturbations. Dysbiosis drives LPS translocation and barrier impairment. These changes, along
with altered metabolites, promote inflammation and fat deposition. Future strategies should integrate multi-omics
and precision engineering of microbial consortia to advance therapies for both livestock and human metabolic
health.

Keywords: Gut microbiota, fat deposition, short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, metabolic disorders, chicken, obesity

© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as
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