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 Sep 24;20(9):e0331981.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0331981. eCollection 2025.

Combined effect of probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids on blood and liver function biomarkers and gut microbiota diversity in male mice with high fat diet-induced obesity

Kwang Hee Son  1   2 , Jeongwook Lee  3 , Hee-Young Yang  2 , Yerim Heo  3 , Jong Seo Lee  3 , Dong-Seok Lee  1   4 , Kum-Joo Shin  3 , Tae-Jun Kwon  2
Affiliations

Combined effect of probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids on blood and liver function biomarkers and gut microbiota diversity in male mice with high fat diet-induced obesity

Kwang Hee Son et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

This study investigates the combined effects of probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids on blood and liver function biomarkers, as well as gut microbiota diversity, in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity model in male mice. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), often linked to obesity, are major global health issues driven by abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Omega-3 fatty acids, known to lower triglycerides and prevent CVD, and probiotics, which enhance gut microbiota balance and nutrient absorption, were evaluated for their combined effects. The experiment involved five groups of male C57BL/6J mice: a normal diet group, an HFD group, an HFD + probiotics group, an HFD + omega-3 group, and an HFD + combined probiotics and omega-3 group. Over six weeks, the combined treatment group showed significant reductions in body weight gain, a significant improvement in ALT levels (a key liver function biomarker), and enhanced anticoagulation markers, such as prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, compared to the HFD group. Gut microbiota analysis via 16S rRNA sequencing also revealed significant increases in microbial diversity in the combined treatment group. These findings suggest that co-administration of probiotics and omega-3 offers potential therapeutic benefits in reducing obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions by improving lipid metabolism, liver health, and blood circulation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Efficacy of combined administration of probiotics and omega-3 in high fat diet fed obese mice.
(A) Body weight gain in mice, (B) food intake gain, and (C) food efficiency ratio at 6 weeks. Values represent the mean ± SD (n = 10 per group). Significance is indicated by *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001 as compared with the HFD group.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Analysis of liver function bio-markers in mice co-administered with probiotics and omega-3.
(A-B) Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in liver tissue, (C-D) Serum AST and ALT levels. Values represent the mean ± SD (n = 10 per group). Significance is indicated by *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001 as compared with the HFD group, and # p < 0.05, and ## p < 0.01 as compared with ND group.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Obesity-related bio-markers in plasma of mice co-administered with probiotics and omega-3.
Graphs showing results of quantitative analysis of (A) total cholesterol, (B-C) LDL and HDL, and (D) triglyceride levels. Values represent the mean ± SD (n = 10 per group). Significance is indicated by *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001 as compared with the HFD group.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Anticoagulation analysis in the plasma of probiotic-omega3 co-administered mice.
Graphs showing results of analysis of Assessment of prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Values represent the mean ± SD (n = 10 per group). Significance is indicated by *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001 as compared with the HFD group.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Gut microbiota analysis in mice co-administered with probiotics and omega-3.
Graphs showing results of (A) Lactobacillus abundance, (B) alpha diversity (Shannon index), and (C) beta diversity analysis in cecal microbiota of mice administered high-fat diet (HFD), HFD + DSF, HFD + Omega3, or HFD + DSF + Omega3. Lactobacillus abundance and alpha diversity index were significantly increased in the HFD + DSF + Omega3 group compared to other groups. Beta diversity (PCoA plot) showed distinct microbial clustering between groups, with a significant difference in microbial community composition (p = 0.001). Pairwise PERMANOVA results are described in the main text. Values represent the mean ± SD (n = 10 per group). Significance is indicated by *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 compared with the HFD group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kyung Chung H, Shin M-J, Cha Y-J, Lee K-H. Effect of onion peel extracts on blood lipid profile and blood coagulation in high fat fed SD rats. Korean J Food & Nutr. 2011;24:442–50.
    1. Hwang W, Bae J, Kim KY. Impacts of atherosclerotic coronary risk factors on atherosclerotic surrogates in patients with coronary artery disease. Korean Circ J. 2005;35:131–9.
    1. Cheon J, Lee J, Kim J, Park M, Lee S, Kong C. Effects of fermented Sargassum thunbergii on platelet aggregation and serum lipid levels in obese rat induced by high fat diet. J Life Sci. 2015;25:456–62.
    1. Mason RP, Libby P, Bhatt DL. Emerging Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Protection for the Omega-3 Fatty Acid Eicosapentaenoic Acid. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2020;40(5):1135–47. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.119.313286 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yoon-Ho C, Hyun-Jin S. Effect of high-molecular-weight poly--glutamic acid from Bacillus subtilis (chungkookjang) on Ca solubility and intestinal absorption. J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2005;15:855–8.