Collagen peptide from Walleye pollock skin attenuated obesity and modulated gut microbiota in high-fat diet-fed mice

Currently, anti-obesity drugs are limited by their high costs and numerous adverse effects. In this study, collagen peptide (CP), with molecular weights ranging from 500 to 5000, was enzymatically hydrolyzed using Walleye pollock skin. We further demonstrated the effective anti-obesity effects of CP in a High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice. The microbial analysis showed that CP treatment could regulate the overall composition of the gut microbiota. Specifically, CP intervention increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, Parabacteroides, and Odoribacter spp. CP intervention decreased the abundance of intestinal inflammation bacteria, such as Erysipelatoclostridium and Alistipes. To the best of our knowledge, this study was the first of its kind to provide evidence that CP could restore the composition of the gut microbiota destroyed in the HFD mouse model. These results indicate that CP from Walleye pollock skin is a potential agent for further development as an adjuvant treatment for obesity and related metabolic diseases.