The gut microbiome, endocannabinoids and metabolic disorders

Abstract

Two complex systems are emerging as being deeply involved in the control of energy metabolism. The intestinal microbiota, with its warehouse of genes, proteins and small molecules, that is, the gut microbiome; and the endocannabinoid system, with its recent extension to a more complex signalling apparatus including more than 100 lipid mediators and 50 proteins, that is, the endocannabinoidome. Both systems can become perturbed following bad dietary habits and during obesity, thus contributing to exacerbating this latter condition and its consequences in both peripheral organs and the brain. Here, we discuss some of the multifaceted aspects of the regulation and dysregulation of the gut microbiome and endocannabinoidome in energy metabolism and metabolic disorders, with special emphasis on the emerging functional interactions between the two systems. The potential exploitation of this new knowledge for the development of new pharmacological and nutritional approaches against obesity and its consequences is also briefly touched upon.