Effect of Artificial Sweeteners on Gut Microbiota in Mice and Rats: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Studies

It is a systematically examine of randomized controlled studies in mice and rats examining effects of artificial sweeteners on gut microbiota. Based on the PRISMA declaration, 4 databases were used, namely PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOHost and Google Scholar, and a systematic search was conducted to identify randomized controlled studies on all rats and mice published between January 1, 2000-December 31, 2020. Studies using advantam, acesulfame-K, aspartame, neotame, saccharine, cyclamate, and sucralose as artificial sweeteners are included. As a result of first screening, a total of 901 studies on mice and rats were obtained. Eleven randomized controlled trials that met the study objective and inclusion criteria were included in systematic review. Two of studies were carried out on rats and nine of them were performed on mice. No study with advantam and cyclamate meeting the inclusion criteria was found in literature. Due to small sample size, meta-analysis could not be performed. Although artificial sweeteners have an effect on intestinal microbiota in mice and rats, no clear evidence for its effect has been demonstrated. It is important to investigate how changes in gut microbiome affect human health, and therefore it is essential to increase number of randomized controlled clinical trials evaluating effect of artificial sweetener consumption on the microbiota.