Effect of <sc>l</sc>-arabinose and lactulose combined with Lactobacillus plantarum on obesity induced by a high-fat diet in mice

l-Arabinose, lactulose, and Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) have been reported to have glucolipid-lowering effects. Here, the effects of l-arabinose and lactulose combined with L. plantarum on obesity traits were investigated. According to the experimental results, the combination of l-arabinose, lactulose, and L. plantarum was more effective at reducing body weight, regulating glucolipid metabolism, and improving insulin resistance. Besides, this combination showed immunomodulatory activity by adjusting the T lymphocyte subsets and reduced the immune-related cytokine production. Moreover, it improved the gut barrier, ameliorated the disorder of gut microbiota, and upregulated the levels of SCFAs. More importantly, the AL group, LP group, and ALLP group showed different regulatory effects on the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus due to the presence of lactulose and L. plantarum. These findings elucidate that the combination of l-arabinose, lactulose, and L. plantarum constitutes a new synbiotic combination to control obesity by modulating glucolipid metabolism, immunomodulatory activity, inflammation, gut barrier, gut microbiota and production of SCFAs.