The anti-obesity effect of Ephedra sinica through modulation of gut microbiota in obese Korean women

Ethnopharmacological relevance Ephedra sinica (Ma Huang) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 5000 years for treatment of various conditions, including modern-day obesity. Ephedra has been used as a supplement for weight loss and its effects have been reported. The current study investigated the influence of ephedra on the composition of gut microbiota, and its correlation with weight loss. Materials and methods Clinical data of subjects were measured at pre- and post-intake of ephedra (4 g of water extract, roughly equivalent of 24 g of crude herb), and analysis of the alteration of gut microbiota was performed simultaneously using 16S rRNA gene based pyrosequencing. Results Body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage of subjects were reduced after intake (p<0.05). In correlation analysis, Subdoligranulum, Oscillibacter, and Akkermansia showed an association with changes of BW and BMI (p<0.05). However, the alteration of gut microbiota varied by indigenous microbiota of each subject, and the dissimilarity between microbiota of subjects at pre- and post-intake were different. Conclusions The influences of gut microbiota are unique according to indigenous microbiota and differences in individual sensitivity to ephedra. Alteration of gut microbiota by ephedra intake showed correlation with loss of BW and BMI.