Targeting the gut microbiota: the application and prospects of probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and natural products in MASLD.

2026-02-24
Frontiers in nutrition 13

PubMed: 41816239
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1735669

Study Design

Type: Review
Methods: This review summarizes characteristic gut microbial alterations in MASLD, examines the relationship between GM and their metabolites in MASLD pathogenesis, and discusses potential mechanistic pathways.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has emerged as the most prevalent chronic liver condition globally. Studies have revealed distinct differences in the gut microbiota (GM) composition between healthy individuals and MASLD patients, suggesting a crucial role of GM in disease initiation and progression. This review summarizes characteristic gut microbial alterations in MASLD, examines the relationship between GM and their metabolites in MASLD pathogenesis, and discusses potential mechanistic pathways. Furthermore, we summarize the possible therapeutic applications of probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and natural products in managing MASLD through GM modulation. Although current evidence indicates these interventions may slow or prevent MASLD progression, most research remains limited to animal experiments and small-scale clinical studies. The scarcity of high-quality clinical evidence has created a significant gap between theoretical research and clinical application. Therefore, this article aims to summarize existing findings, explore the prospects of GM-targeted strategies for MASLD treatment, and propose future research directions in this field.

Research Insights

Supplement	Dose	Health Outcome	Effect Type	Effect Size	Source
Bifidobacterium longum B1-05	—	Improved Gut Microbiota Composition	Beneficial	Small	View source A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study showed that Bifidobacterium longum B1-05 supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and improved the gut microbiota composition in overweight and obese Chinese subjects.
Bifidobacterium longum B1-05	—	Improved Metabolic Parameters	Beneficial	Small	View source ...and improved the gut microbiota composition in overweight and obese Chinese subjects, together with reduced body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and inflammatory markers.
Bifidobacterium longum B1-05	—	Reduced Inflammatory Markers	Beneficial	Small	View source ...together with reduced body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and inflammatory markers.