Effects of <i>Solanum Nigrum</i> on caecal microbiome of high fat fed rats in a randomized control study

Abstract

Background: Diet influences gut microbiota which in turn affects both metabolism and overall human health. Solanum nigrum is an African leafy vegetable which has previously been shown to have both nutritional and medicinal value. However, its effect on gut microbiome has not been elucidated.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of Solanum nigrum on gut microbiome.
Methods: Solanum nigrum leaves were collected from Kiambu County Kenya, which were later tested on Sprague Dawley high fat fed rats randomized and divided into 7 groups of n=5 rats for 11 weeks to determine its effect on abundance and diversity of the gut microbial community.
Results: All groups had Campylobacterota, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacterota, Bacteriodota, Deferribacterota, Spirochaetota but with varying amounts.
Conclusion: Solanum nigrum extract at different dosages had similar effect on the microbiome as that of the standard obesity drug (Orlistat) and could be used as an anti-obesity treatment.