Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the changes in trimethylamine (TMA) levels in cecal contents, intestinal microflora structure and physiological homeostasis indicators in mice receiving dietary supplementation of choline, dietary supplementation of choline and arabinoxylan, dietary supplementation of choline and arabinoxylan plus interventions with inhibitors of key enzymes of glycolysis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metabolomics and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to explore the effect of dietary supplementation of arabinoxylan and interventions with glycolysis inhibitors on the contents of choline and its metabolites TMA and trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) in cecal contents, intestinal microbiota composition, and homeostasis indicators such as serum glucose, serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The results showed that compared with the choline supplementation group, addition of arabinoxylan and interventions with glycolysis inhibitors significantly increased the species richness and evenness of the gut microbiota (P < 0.05), increased the number of beneficial bacteria, reduced the levels of TMA and TMAO in the digesta (P < 0.05), significantly reduced the levels of serum glucose, IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α levels (P < 0.05), and increased HDL-C levels. The findings of this study provide new insights for understanding how choline metabolites cause diseases and for the prevention and treatment of related metabolic syndromes.

Key words: choline; trimethylamine; homeostasis; arabinoxylan; glycolysis inhibitors