Palmitoylethanolamide counteracts high-fat diet-induced gut dysfunction by reprogramming microbiota composition and affecting tryptophan metabolism
Laboratory studyOther animals
- Design
- Laboratory study
- Subjects
- Male mice on a high-fat diet, 5 to 6 in each of three groups
- Dose used in the study
- 30 mg/kg a day of ultramicronised palmitoylethanolamide by mouth
- Duration
- 7 weeks, starting after 12 weeks on the high-fat diet
- What was measured
- Inflammation in the colon, the tryptophan to kynurenine pathway, serotonin levels and the make-up of gut bacteria
What the authors reported
Inflammatory markers in the colon were lower, serotonin was higher and kynurenine lower, with a shift in gut bacteria towards butyrate-producing types. The ratio of the two main bacterial groups returned to the level seen on a standard diet.
Limits of this study
A study in 5 to 6 male mice per group, in one model of obesity. The authors name these limits. A human trial in this database, Batacan 2024, found no significant change in gut bacteria. The study was partly funded by Epitech Group, which makes the product.
Source
Entry checked against the full text at the publisher (Frontiers) on 2026-09-21. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.