Xylan-oligosaccharides ameliorate high fat diet induced obesity and glucose intolerance and modulate plasma lipid profile and gut microbiota in mice

[Display omitted] •Xylan-oligosaccharides reduced the progression of high-fat diet induced obesity.•Xylan-oligosaccharides supplement improved glucose intolerance.•Xylan-oligosaccharides increased the relative population of Bifidobacterium.•Xylan-oligosaccharides influenced plasma diacylglycerol and ceramide levels. In recent years, xylan-oligosaccharides (XOS) have attracted much interest as an alternative sweetener for formulating an anti-obesity diet. The present study combining the plasma metabolic profile and gut microbiota analyses investigated the anti-obesity activity of XOS and the possible mechanism in mice. Our results showed that the dietary supplementations with 5% and 10% XOS could significantly slow down the body weight gaining and improve glucose intolerance. Lipidomic analyses revealed an alternation in 31 metabolic molecules, in particular the ceramide and diacylglycerol species, in the plasma, which were associated with the XOS supplement. Furthermore, gut microbiota analysis showed that XOS changed the composition of gut microbiota, leading to an increase in the relative population of genus Bifidobacterium, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Roseburia. In conclusion, the XOS supplementation could reduce the progression of obesity, improve glucose intolerance, and change the plasma lipid profile and gut microbiota composition.