Excerpted from a press release
In a recent study published in Microbiology Spectrum, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, researchers identified two strains of probiotics that can be used to reduce weight in obese dogs.
In the new study, the research team investigated metabolic diseases in companion animals and set out to identify probiotics designed for long-term and safe treatment.
“The first challenge involved selecting specific metabolic diseases for analysis, leading us to focus on the widespread issue of ‘obesity in pets,'” said study principal investigator Younghoon Kim, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS), Seoul National University in Korea.
The global prevalence of obesity is higher in older pets, accounting for approximately 50% of the total pet population in all age groups. A large portion of these pets are already undergoing treatments, including dietary interventions, Kim said.
“Given this context, our team began experiments with the main goal of identifying probiotics capable of reducing body fat percentage in domestic animals,” said Kim.
Probiotics reduce body fat, correcting intestinal imbalances
To identify suitable probiotic candidates for companion animals, Kim and colleagues investigated differences in the composition of the intestinal microbiota between young and old dogs, which showed a decrease in the population of lactic acid bacteria , Bifidobacterium species and Enterococcus species in older dogs. This insight guided their decision to use these specific strains.
In the experimental phase, they administer selected strains, Enterococcus faecium IDCC 2102 and Bifidobacterium lactis IDCC 4301, along with a high-fat diet, in a group of beagles. The results showed the effectiveness of the strains in reducing body fat and correcting imbalances in the intestinal microflora caused by obesity.
“The strains we carefully selected showed remarkable success in reducing body fat percentage in dogs,” Kim said. “What separates these strains is their ability not only to limit dietary intake or enhance excretion to reduce body weight but, above all, to activate energy metabolism. Even when exposed to a high calorie diet, we observed a decrease in body weight, a reduction of subcutaneous fat accumulation and an increase in energy metabolism. This confirmed a change in the metabolic orientation of the body towards fat consumption, instead of fat accumulation.
Kim added that because fat accumulation often leads to systemic inflammation and disruption of hormone metabolism, the study revealed remarkable improvements. In the group that ingested the selected strains, the researchers observed decreased levels of inflammation and improved vital metabolic activities such as insulin production. The researchers also successfully increased the proportion of commensal bacteria, which normally inhabit the body, acting as a defense against harmful bacteria and boosting immunity.
Long-term benefits of using probiotics
Kim said what’s particularly encouraging is that the changes aren’t fleeting. Instead, they remain in the dog’s body, ensuring that the positive changes observed can be maintained over time. This long-term effect emphasizes the potential long-term benefits of including these probiotic strains in the health regimen for companion animals.
The growing population of individuals with companion animals has led to increased awareness of health functional foods, particularly probiotics, for furry friends. Despite this increased interest, research on tailored probiotics for all companion animals, including the dogs investigated in this study, remains remarkably inadequate compared to research in humans. .
“While the types of probiotics suitable for human consumption or commercial animals have been identified and established, the lack of standardized guidelines for companion animals is a glaring gap,” Kim said. “Our study aims to address this deficiency by working to broaden the spectrum of probiotics applicable to domestic animals in different environments.”
