Sucralose or rebaudioside A at recommended doses did not alter the gut microbiota composition in rats under two dietary conditions

抄録

Abstract
Research reported that non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS), including sucralose, elicit metabolic changes through the gut microbiota (GM) modulation, nonetheless, this topic remains controversial. Furthermore, the impact of rebaudioside A (reb A) on GM has received limited scrutiny. Consequently, we aim to investigate the response of GM composition to both sucralose and reb A in rats, considering two distinct dietary conditions. Male Wistar rats (150–200 g) fed either a normal diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD) were randomly assigned to receive sucralose (SCL), reb A (REB), glucose (GLU, control), or sucrose (SUC). The NNS were administered in water at doses equivalent to the human acceptable daily intake (ADI). Following eight weeks, the GM composition in fecal samples was analyzed through 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. The NNS did not modify the diversity, the structure, the composition at the phylum level, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio of the GM. At the class level, REB with HFD decreased Bacilli and increased Faecalibacterium abundance. SCL and REB in combination with ND reduced the genera Romboutsia and Lactobacillus . On the other hand, the analysis of the effect of the diet without NNS showed that HFD increased the proportions of Bacilli and Coriobacteriia , despite not observing changes in the F/B ratio. Our study indicates that when sucralose or reb A is consumed at recommended doses, there is no observed alteration in the diversity and composition of the GM at the phylum level. Consequently, our data suggest that these NNS do not substantially impact the GM. We encourage further research to delve into the potential modifications of the GM at the level of specific bacterial taxa, as this could offer valuable insights for clinical interventions.