GUT MICROBIOME DYSBIOSIS IS ONE OF THE KEY CONTRIBUTORS IN TRIGGERING HOST METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION, LEADING TO DIABETES. DIETARY INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REBALANCE THE GUT MICROBIOME AND RESCUE RELATED METABOLIC DISORDERS EFFECTIVELY. WATERMELON IS A COMMONLY CONSUMED FRUIT RICH IN NUTRIENTS, SUCH AS LYCOPENE, A NON-PRO-VITAMIN A CAROTENOID METABOLIZED BY Β-CAROTENE OXYGENASE 2 (BCO2). THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATERMELON ARE SIGNIFICANT IN, FOR INSTANCE, BOOSTING IMMUNITY AND SCAVENGING OF FREE RADICALS. HOWEVER, DIABETIC PATIENTS ARE RECOMMENDED TO MODERATE THEIR WATERMELON CONSUMPTION DUE TO ITS HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX VALUE. THUS, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT KNOWLEDGE GAP IN UNDERSTANDING THE EXTENT TO WHICH WATERMELON EXERTS ROLES IN PROMOTING THE GUT MICROBIOME HOMEOSTASIS IN HEALTH AND DIABETES. IN THIS PROJECT, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT THE CONSUMPTION OF WATERMELON AS A WHOLE FRUIT WILL PROMOTE GUT HEALTH IN DIABETIC MICE. WE WILL ASSESS THE ROLE OF WATERMELON IN THE MAINTENANCE OF GUT MICROBIOME HOMEOSTASIS AND DETERMINE THE MECHANISM UNDERLYING ITS LYCOPENE EXERTS A ROLE AS A BIOACTIVE COMPOUND IN REGULATION OF GUT MICROBIOME HOMEOSTASIS AND HEALTH IN DIABETIC MICE. WE EXPECT THAT WATERMELON WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE DIVERSITY OF THE COMMENSAL BACTERIA AND ENHANCE THE INTEGRITY OF GUT EPITHELIAL CELL LAYERS THROUGH THE STIMULATOR OF INTERFERON GENES (STING) SIGNALING IN DIABETIC MICE. DEFICIENCY OF LYCOPENE METABOLISM BY BCO2 DEPLETION WILL AT LEAST PARTIALLY ABOLISH THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF WATERMELON. THEREFORE, THIS RESEARCH WILL FUNDAMENTALLY ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WATERMELON AS A WHOLE FOOD, TO PROMOTE GUT HEALTH IN HUMANS, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS.

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK

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