Reassessing the safety of dietary emulsifiers through the lens of gut microbiota

Abstract Dietary emulsifiers have been linked to various diseases. The recent discovery of the role of gut microbiota-host interactions on health and disease warrants the safety reassessment of dietary emulsifiers through the lens of gut microbiota. Hydrophilic (lecithin (LEC), sucrose esters (SUC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)) and lipophilic (mono- and diglycerides (MDG)) emulsifiers are common dietary emulsifiers with high exposure levels in the population. This study proved that SUC and CMC induced hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. MDG impaired circulating lipid and glucose metabolism. Both hydrophilic and lipophilic emulsifiers changed the intestinal microbiota diversity and induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. Hydrophilic emulsifiers have no impact on mucus–bacterial interactions, whereas MDG tended to cause bacterial encroachment into the inner mucus layer and enhance inflammation potential by raising circulating lipopolysaccharide. Our findings demonstrated the safety concerns associated with using dietary emulsifiers, suggesting that they could lead to metabolic syndromes.