Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is known as healthy food for its anti-obesity and lipid modulating properties. However, the effects of flaxseed polysaccharide (FSP) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) and gut microbiota are still poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of FSP on lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in high-fat-diet-fed mice. FSP effectively reduced the serum fasting glucose, total triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. FSP consumption adipose accumulation impacted the gut microbiome at different taxonomic levels by increasing the proportions of beneficial Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium and decreasing the disease or obesity associated Oscillospira and Odoribacteraceae. These changes were highly correlated with the regulation of expression levels of lipid metabolism involved genes in the liver. The restoration of total SCFAs, especially propionate and butyrate might be an important strategy for mitigating HFD induced metabolic disorders. These findings suggest that FSP may use as a prebiotic for preventing MetS by modulating the gut microbiota.

亚麻籽（Linum usitatissimum L.）因其抗肥胖和调脂特性而被称为健康食品。但是，亚麻籽多糖（FSP）对代谢综合征（MetS）和肠道菌群的影响仍知之甚少。在这里，我们调查了全脂多糖对高脂饮食喂养小鼠脂质代谢和肠道菌群的影响。FSP有效降低了空腹血糖，总甘油三酸酯和总胆固醇水平。FSP食用脂肪积累通过增加有益的阿克曼病和双歧杆菌的比例并减少与Oscillospira和Odoribacteraceae相关的疾病或肥胖症，在不同的分类学水平上影响了肠道微生物组。这些变化与肝脏中脂质代谢相关基因的表达水平的调节高度相关。恢复全部SCFA，尤其是丙酸和丁酸可能是缓解HFD引起的代谢紊乱的重要策略。这些发现表明，FSP可以作为益生元，通过调节肠道菌群来预防MetS。