ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Food Microbiology
Sodium propionate modulates gut microbiota and blood parameters in healthy mice
Provisionally accepted
- Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
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Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly propionate, play crucial roles in host metabolism, immunity, and gut barrier function. However, the direct physiological effects of propionate on healthy organisms remain unclear. This study investigated the impact of sodium propionate (SP) supplementation on intestinal barrier function, gut microbiota, and hematological parameters in healthy C57BL/6 mice. Mice were orally administered 200 mg/kg SP for 21 days. Results showed no significant changes in body weight, intestinal histopathology, or blood parameters. The immunohistochemical results showed decreased IL-6 expression, while IL-10 and occludin expression were increased. Gut microbiota analysis revealed decreased α-diversity in the SP group, along with shifts in microbial composition, including increased Akkermansia and Bacteroides. No significant differences in colonic SCFA concentrations were observed. These findings suggest that propionate modulates gut microbiota and hematological parameters in healthy mice, providing insights into its physiological roles under normal conditions.
Keywords: Sodium propionate, Gut Microbiota, histopathology, Blood parameters, healthy mice
Received: 21 Jul 2025; Accepted: 05 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Cheng, Zhu, Yi, Song, Xie, Che and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sumei Zhao
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