ABSTRACT
Normally, the gut microbiota has a mutually beneficial association with host health and maintains its commensal status in mammals. Conversely, it can also negatively influence host physiology under some certain circumstances, including obesity and other disease states. Although numerous gut microbial functions directly affect the gastrointestinal tract, in this paper, we focus on the influences of the gut microbiota on host adipose tissue and energy metabolism, particularly lipometabolism. We thoroughly discuss two important microbial products, short-chain fat acids and lipopolysaccharides, which are linked to several mechanisms involved in obesity and adipose, including differentiation, energy metabolism and immunity. Furthermore, this review also addresses some potentially beneficial functions of probiotics, which can serve to prevent or alleviate host pathological states, including dysbacteriosis, obesity, low-grade inflammation and metabolic syndrome.