Analytical strategies for gut microbiome studies of prebiotic β-glucan in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: A mini-review

High-throughput sequencing techniques have become essential tools for understanding how prebiotic β-glucan modulates the gut microbiome to alleviate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, studies in this area vary considerably in their choice of sequencing methods (16S rRNA gene sequencing or shotgun metagenomic sequencing), sampling sites, and analyses of microbial diversity (α and β), differential abundance, functions, correlation, and underlying mechanisms. This mini-review summarizes current approaches from β-glucan-related microbiome studies in the context of MASLD and highlights the need for standardized research practices. While this review focuses on β-glucan, the proposed recommendations may also guide future research on other emerging prebiotics aimed at preventing or treating different diseases.