Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Apr 8;17(1):120.
doi: 10.1186/s13098-025-01681-0.

Changes in gut microbiota following supplementation with chitosan in adolescents with overweight or obesity: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial

Somaye Fatahi #  1 , Mohammad Hassan Sohouli #  2 , Koroush Vahidshahi  3 , Pejman Rohani  2 , Majid Safa  4 , Masoud Salehi  5 , Mihnea-Alexandru Găman  6   7 , Farzad Shidfar  8
Affiliations

Changes in gut microbiota following supplementation with chitosan in adolescents with overweight or obesity: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial

Somaye Fatahi et al. Diabetol Metab Syndr. .

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity have been associated with an altered intestinal microbiome. Recent investigations have demonstrated that fiber supplementation, including chitosan, can exert beneficial and protective effects on the composition of gut microbiota in humans diagnosed with overweight/obesity. However, there is still a great deal of heated debate regarding the impact of chitosan supplementation in overweight and obese adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study is to clarify the effects of chitosan administration on the composition of the gut microbiome in overweight and obese adolescents.

Methods and analysis: Sixty-four overweight and obese adolescents were subjected to supplementation with 3 g of chitosan for 12 weeks. Anthropometric indices and physical activity were measured at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. After DNA extraction and purification, the quantity of bacteria in the patients' stool samples was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The RCT was registered on the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials ( www.irct.ir ) website (IRCT20091114002709 N57; registration date: 2021 - 06 - 20).

Results: Individuals who received chitosan supplementation experienced a significant decrease in the BMI z-score (P < 0.001). Administration of chitosan led to notable significant decrease in the Firmicutes (P < 0.001) populations and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (P < 0.001) as well as a notable increase in the Bacteroidetes (P = 0.008) and Akkermansia (P < 0.001) populations, respectively compare to control group. Mean changes in Lactobacillus populations were marginally significant (P = 0.05). Chitosan administration did not alter the composition in Bifidobacterium populations (P = 0.97).

Conclusion: The present study demonstrates beneficial effects of chitosan administration on some bacterial species associated with overweight and obesity in adolescents. Further research is needed to confirm our findings and clarify the impact of this intervention on the Lactobacillus population in the gut.

Keywords: Adolescence; Chitosan; Gut microbiome; Obesity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the research council and ethics committee of Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (NO: IR.IUMS.REC.1400.104). The study has been registered in IRCT (IRCT20091114002709 N57; registration date: 2021 - 06 - 20). Consent for publication: An informed consent was obtained from all the individuals included in the study. All participants agreed to publish. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Consort flow diagram for the trial
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Weihrauch-Blüher S, Kromeyer-Hauschild K, Graf C, Widhalm K, Korsten-Reck U, Jödicke B, et al. Current guidelines for obesity prevention in childhood and adolescence. Obes Facts. 2018;11(3):263–76. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Berhane Y, Canavan CR, Darling AM, Sudfeld CR, Vuai S, Adanu R, et al. The age of opportunity: prevalence of key risk factors among adolescents 10–19 years of age in nine communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Tropical Med Int Health. 2020;25(1):15–32. - PubMed
    1. Fryar CD, Carroll MD, Ogden CL. Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among children and adolescents aged 2–19 years: United States, 1963–1965 through 2015–2016. 2018.
    1. Flegal KM, Wei R, Ogden C. Weight-for-stature compared with body mass index–for-age growth charts for the United States from the centers for disease control and prevention. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;75(4):761–6. - PubMed
    1. Boyer BP, Nelson JA, Holub SC. Childhood body mass index trajectories predicting cardiovascular risk in adolescence. J Adolesc Health. 2015;56(6):599–605. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources