Effects of Glucomannan and Inulin Supplementation on Glial Inflammation in Mice Fed a High-Fat, High-Sucrose Diet

Nita Kurniawati (Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)
Cristoforus Aji Pamungkas (Faculty of Medicine, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)
Shanea Veronica Jovangka (Faculty of Medicine, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)
Bernadette Dian Novita (Department of Pharmacology and Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)
Yudy Tjahjono (Faculty of Pharmacy, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)
Hendy Wijaya (Faculty of Pharmacy, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)
Irene Lingkan Parengkuan (Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)
FX Himawan Haryanto Jong (Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)
Pauline Meryana (Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)
Arya Pandhu Wiratama (Faculty of Medicine, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya)

AKSONA
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026): JULY 2026

Highlight: Inulin and glucomannan modulated IL-6 and IL-10 in HFHS-fed mice. Inulin reduced IL-6, while combined fiber modulated IL-10 expression.   ABSTRACT Introduction: A HFHS (high-fat, high-sucrose) diet induces neuroinflammation through dysregulated glial cell signaling and persistent low-grade inflammation, characterized by elevated IL-6/interleukin-6 and decreased IL-10/interleukin-10 levels. Dietary fibers including glucomannan and inulin are reported to modulate gut microbiota and inflammatory responses; however, their effects on HFHS-induced neuroinflammation remain unclear. Objective: This study examined the effects of glucomannan, inulin, and their joint administration on IL-10 and IL-6 expression in glial cells of mice fed an HFHS diet. Methods: As many as 15 male C57BL/6 mice were allocated at random to five groups: control (AQ), HFHS (KN), HFHS plus glucomannan (GO), HFHS plus inulin (IO), as well as HFHS plus a mixture of inulin and glucomannan (IG), with three animals in each group. During the intervention period, fiber supplements were administered orally. IL-10 and IL-6 expression in glial cells was evaluated through immunohistochemistry and quantified by mean gray value (MGV) analysis using ImageJ software. Statistical analysis was executed via one-way ANOVA with a p < 0.05 significance level. Results: IL-6 expression was lowest in the control (AQ) group, whereas the combination treatment (IG) showed reduced IL-6 expression relative to the other HFHS-fed groups. The IG group also exhibited the lowest IL-10 expression among all groups. These findings suggest that the combined supplementation may attenuate pro-inflammatory IL-6 expression but does not appear to enhance the anti-inflammatory IL-10 response. Conclusion: Combined supplementation with glucomannan and inulin reduced IL-6 expression within HFHS-fed mice but did not increase IL-10 expression. These findings indicate that dietary fiber supplementation may selectively modulate inflammatory pathways associated with diet-induced neuroinflammation.