Profiles of gut microbiota in children with obesity from Harbin, China and screening of strains with anti-obesity ability in vitro and in vivo

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of gut microbiota of children with obesity in Harbin, China and to screen anti-obesity strains in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Results: The gut microbiota of children with obesity and normal-weight children were investigated by high-throughput sequencing, and based on the different composition in gut microbiota, the strains with potential anti-obesity properties were screened in vitro and in vivo. Compared with normal-weight children, the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in children with obesity decreased. Moreover the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in children with obesity were decreased, while the relative abundance of Akkermansia increased. After a series of screening in vitro and in vivo, nine strains were found inhibiting the body weight gain of HFD-fed mice, of which two strains showed significant effects (P < 0·05). Conclusions: There were significant changes in gut microbiota of children with obesity from Harbin, China. The obtained strains showed obvious anti-obesity effects, and the screening methods used in this study were effective. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study enriched the research results on the characteristics of gut microbiota of children with obesity in different regions of the world. Moreover we established a new and effective method for screening anti-obesity strains, and obtained effective strains.