Healthy Subjects Differentially Respond to Dietary Capsaicin Correlating with Specific Gut Enterotypes.
Previous population studies in evaluating the beneficial effects of capsaicin (CAP) have yielded inconclusive results, and the mechanisms responsible for possible benefit remain unclear.



The objective was to assess the effect of dietary CAP on metabolic and immune profiles and its potential associations with gut microbial patterns in healthy adults.



In a 6-week controlled feeding trial, subjects were given the weight maintenance diet sequentially contained with 0, 5, 0, and 10 mg/d CAP from chili powder.



The study was conducted in 12 healthy subjects enrolled in Third Military Medical University in Chongqing.



At the end of each period, anthropometric and basal metabolism measures together with blood and fecal samples were collected. Plasma metabolic and inflammatory markers and gut microbial ecology of each subject were subsequently assessed.



Dietary CAP increased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and Faecalibacterium abundance, accompanied with increased plasma levels of glucagon-like peptide 1 and gastric inhibitory polypeptide and decreased plasma ghrelin level. Further enterotype analysis revealed that these subjects could be clustered into Bacteroides enterotype (E1) and Prevotella enterotype (E2), and the above beneficial effects were mainly obtained in E1 subjects. Moreover, E1 subjects had significantly higher fecal Faecalibacterium abundance and butyrate concentration after CAP interventions than those in E2 subjects.



Our study showed that gut enterotypes may influence the beneficial effects of dietary CAP, providing new evidence for the personalized nutrition guidance of CAP intervention on health promotion linking with gut microbiota patterns.
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Chao
C
Kang
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Yong
Y
Zhang
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Xiaohui
X
Zhu
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Kai
K
Liu
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Xiaolan
X
Wang
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Mengting
M
Chen
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Jian
J
Wang
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Hua
H
Chen
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Suocheng
S
Hui
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Li
L
Huang
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Qianyong
Q
Zhang
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Jundong
J
Zhu
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Bin
B
Wang
Research Center for Nutrition and Food Safety (C.K., Y.Z., X.Z., K.L., M.T., J.W., S.H., L.H, Q.Z., J.Z., B.W., M.M.), Institute of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chongqing Medical Nutrition Research Center, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Nutrition (J.W.), Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; and Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (H.C.), Shanghai 200444, China.
Mantian
M
Mi
D000328:Adult; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005749:Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000187:drug effects*; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018689:Sensory System Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055815:Young Adult
D054439:Ghrelin; D018689:Sensory System Agents; D005749:Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; D002211:Capsaicin