Abstract

Obesity is a major global health concern associated with metabolic disorders. This study investigated the anti-obesity effects of tangerine peel polysaccharide, a citrus-derived prebiotic, and elucidated its microbiota-dependent mechanisms. In high-fat diet (HFD)–induced obese mice, tangerine peel polysaccharide supplementation markedly reduced body weight gain, improved insulin sensitivity, and alleviated hepatic steatosis and systemic inflammation. Depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics abolished these beneficial effects, indicating that tangerine peel polysaccharide acts in a microbiota-dependent manner. 16S rRNA sequencing and targeted metabolomics revealed that tangerine peel polysaccharide enriched acetate-producing Bacteroides and increased acetate levels. Furthermore, acetate administration mimicked tangerine peel polysaccharide's effects, attenuating hepatic lipid accumulation and reducing body weight gain in HFD-fed mice. Collectively, these findings suggest that tangerine peel polysaccharide exerts anti-obesity effects that are associated with gut microbiota modulation and potentially mediated through increased microbial acetate production, highlighting its potential as a natural dietary intervention for obesity management.