A complex polymicrobial ecology exists in the human gut at the interface of internal and external environment [1]. These microbes grow within the mucin layer, as an essential component of the gut barrier [2–4]. The barrier strongly contributes, among others, to the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. Therefore, disruption of the gut barrier secondary to dysbiosis can lead to metabolic disorders, altered energy balance, and disrupted signals linked to central appetite and food reward. In particular, altered gut microbiota has been linked with obesity [5], one of the most important chronic metabolic disorders, and a major contributor to poor health in most countries [6].
