3′-Hydroxydaidzein Improves Obesity Through the Induced Browning of Beige Adipose and Modulation of Gut Microbiota in Mice with Obesity Induced by a High-Fat Diet

Obesity is an important health issue nowadays. 3′-Hydroxydaidzein (OHD) is a metabolite of daidzein (DAI) that can be found in fermented soybean products, such as miso. DAI has been known to affect lipid accumulation, but the effect of OHD on lipid accumulation still needs to be investigated. In this study, we investigated the effects of OHD on mice with obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). The results showed that mice treated with 0.1% OHD (HOHD) significantly reduced their body weight and inguinal fat without altering their food intake compared with the HFD group. The HOHD and DAI groups’ hyperlipidemia were alleviated through decreased serum triacylglycerols and total cholesterol levels. The adipocyte sizes in inguinal fat were significantly smaller in the HOHD and DAI groups compared with the HFD group. Both the HOHD and DAI groups had increased PRDM16, C/EBP β, p-p38, SIRT1, PGC1 α, and UCP1 protein expression in their inguinal adipose tissue compared with the HFD group. Moreover, the OHD and DAI groups had significantly lower amounts of Lachnospira and GCA_900066225 compared with the HFD group. Collectively, OHD can ameliorate HFD-induced obesity in mice by stimulating the browning of the white adipose tissue and modulating gut microbiota.