Targeting gut bacteria with acetate offers new hope for treating obesity

Giorgia Guglielmi

11.07.2025

AceCel is a promising way to help manage obesity by targeting gut bacteria and metabolism together.

What is already known

Obesity is a major health issue linked to conditions such as diabetes and heart problems. Previous research has shown that prebiotics such as fiber help good bacteria to grow, but they work differently for everyone. A promising approach is delivering acetate—a compound made by gut bacteria—directly to the lower gut using a special fiber called acetylated cellulose, which may boost metabolism by affecting both gut bacteria and the body.

What this research adds

Researchers tested acetylated cellulose (AceCel) to see how it affects metabolism and obesity in mice. They found that AceCel changes gut bacteria activity, increasing their use of carbohydrates and producing fermentation products that improve fat burning. This led to reduced body weight and better metabolic health. The effects depended on the presence of gut bacteria, showing that AceCel works by influencing both the microbiota and the host’s metabolism.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that AceCel is a promising way to help manage obesity by targeting gut bacteria and metabolism together.

Obesity is a major health issue linked to conditions such as diabetes and heart problems. Now, researchers have found that delivering acetate—a compound made by gut bacteria—directly to the lower gut boosts beneficial microbial activity, which helps the body burn fat more effectively and reduces obesity.

The findings, published in Cell Metabolism, suggest that this approach is a promising way to help manage obesity by targeting gut bacteria and metabolism together.

Scientists have been long exploring ways to improve metabolism by targeting gut bacteria. For example, prebiotics such as fiber help good bacteria to grow, but they work differently for everyone. Previous research showed that delivering acetate to the lower gut using a special fiber, called acetylated cellulose (AceCel), may boost metabolism by influencing both the microbiota and the host’s metabolism.

Building on those findings, researchers led by Tadashi Takeuchi at RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences in Yokohama, Japan, tested the effects of AceCel, which delivers acetate to the lower intestine, on metabolism and obesity in mice.

Burning fat

The researchers compared AceCel to sodium acetate, which is absorbed earlier during digestion and affects the bloodstream more directly. Unlike sodium acetate, AceCel stayed in the gut and led to higher levels of certain beneficial compounds. It also suppressed weight gain, reduced fat mass, and improved blood sugar levels—without causing muscle loss or reduced appetite.

AceCel triggered the body to burn more fat and activated genes in the liver and fat tissue that are involved in fat breakdown and energy use, the researchers found. These benefits were specific to AceCel and not seen with other similar compounds.

Further experiments showed that AceCel helps the body switch from burning carbohydrates to burning fat, especially during rest or fasting. It does this by activating genes that promote fat breakdown and reducing sugar absorption in the intestine.

Therapeutic strategy

The beneficial effects of AceCel rely on changes in gut bacteria, the team found. AceCel increased the abundance of helpful bacteria such as Bacteroides caccae and Akkermansia muciniphila, which have been linked to metabolic health.

When tested in germ-free mice or mice with only specific gut bacteria, AceCel only worked in those with Bacteroides, indicating that its benefits depend on these microbes. The key player appears to be a gut bacterium called Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, which thrives when acetate is present.

The authors caution that more research is needed to fully understand how acetate and gut bacteria interact, especially in humans. However, they add, “these findings highlight the potential of AceCel as a prebiotic that regulates carbohydrate metabolism in both bacteria and host, offering promise as a therapeutic strategy for obesity.”