Exclusive enteral nutrition: An optimal care pathway for use in adult patients with active Crohn's disease

Preoperative Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet and Exclusive Enteral Nutrition in Adults with Crohn's Disease: A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial

Preoperative exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) improves nutritional status, reduces intestinal inflammation, and likely improves surgical outcomes. Crohn's disease exclusion diet with partial enteral nutrition (CDED) also reduces intestinal inflammation but its safety preoperatively is unknown. This single-blinded, multicentre, randomised controlled trial of three preoperative nutritional therapies aimed to assess the feasibility of recruiting and retaining patients and collecting primary and secondary effectiveness outcomes. Adults undergoing elective Crohn's disease surgery with a body mass index (BMI) > 18.5 kg/m2 and without significant weight loss were eligible to participate. Patients were randomly assigned to six weeks of preoperative EEN, CDED, or standard care. Feasibility, nutritional, radiological, and surgical outcomes were recorded. Over 18 months, 48 patients were screened, 17 (35%) were randomised, and 13/17 (76%) patients were retained in the intervention phase. It was feasible to collect primary and secondary effectiveness data; at day 30, three patients had Clavien Dindo Grade 2 complications, and 10 had no complications. Nutritional therapy adherence of patients retained in the study was high. Recruitment and retention of patients who need elective Crohn's disease surgery for preoperative nutritional therapy is possible, although a shorter duration may improve EEN completion. The impact on surgical outcomes should be assessed in a larger study.

Revolution in diet therapy for inflammatory bowel disease

Until recently, diet as a therapeutic tool to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been proven effective. Nearly a century in the making we are in the grips of a revolution in diet therapies for IBD, driven by emerging data revealing diet as a key environmental factor associated with IBD susceptibility, and observational studies suggesting that dietary intake may play a role in the disease course of established IBD. This review summarizes the current evidence for diets trialed as induction and maintenance therapy for IBD. For Crohn's disease, exclusive enteral nutrition and the Crohn's disease exclusion diet with partial enteral nutrition are supported by emerging high-quality evidence as induction therapy, but are short-term approaches that are not feasible for prolonged use. Data on diet as maintenance therapy for Crohn's disease are conflicting, with some studies supporting fortification, and others suppression, of certain food components. For ulcerative colitis, data are not as robust for diet as induction and maintenance therapy; however, consistent themes are emerging, suggesting benefits for diets that are plant-based, high in fiber and low in animal protein. Further studies for both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are eagerly awaited, which will allow specific recommendations to be made. Until this time, recommendations default to population based healthy eating guidelines.

Practical application of the Crohn's disease exclusion diet as therapy in an adult Australian population

There is demand from patients and clinicians to use the Crohn's disease exclusion diet (CDED) with or without partial enteral nutrition (PEN). However, the therapeutic efficacy and nutritional adequacy of this therapy are rudimentary in an adult population. This review examines the evidence for the CDED in adults with active luminal Crohn's disease and aims to provide practical guidance on the use of the CDED in Australian adults. A working group of nine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) dietitians of DECCAN (Dietitians Crohn's and Colitis Australian Network) and an IBD gastroenterologist was established. A literature review was undertaken to examine (1) clinical indications, (2) monitoring, (3) dietary adequacy, (4) guidance for remission phase, and (5) diet reintroduction after therapy. Each diet phase was compared with Australian reference ranges for food groups and micronutrients. CDED with PEN is nutritionally adequate for adults containing sufficient energy and protein and meeting > 80% of the recommended daily intake of key micronutrients. An optimal care pathway for the clinical use of the CDED in an adult population was developed with accompanying consensus statements, clinician toolkit, and patient education brochure. Recommendations for weaning from the CDED to the Australian dietary guidelines were developed. The CDED + PEN provides an alternate partial food-based therapy for remission induction of active luminal Crohn's disease in an adult population. The CDED + PEN should be prioritized over CDED alone and prescribed by a specialist IBD dietitian. DECCAN cautions against using the maintenance diet beyond 12 weeks until further evidence becomes available.

Dietetic advocacy for long-term use of exclusive enteral nutrition resulted in high-risk surgical avoidance for complicated fibrotic Crohn's disease - A case report

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Surgery is often the only therapeutic option for the management of fibrotic Crohn's disease (FCD). Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN), a nutritionally complete liquid formula, is an effective, safe, short-term treatment for Crohn's Disease. No cases were found internationally of adults with FCD on long-term EEN. We report on clinical outcomes and self-reported quality of life (QoL) after longer-term EEN provision in a patient with complex FCD.

METHODS

"Billie", a 54-year-old female, was admitted with ileal FCD diagnosed in 1985. Previous treatments were unsuccessful, including multiple bowel resections. Billie was chronically bedbound with pain and depression. CDAI (Crohn's disease activity index) score was 640 (<150) with ∼3-20 liquid stools/day, and recurrent partial bowel obstructions. Radiological findings were so severe surgeons reluctantly considered surgery but "one more resection will result in short bowel syndrome". Billie trialled EEN given her QoL was "non-existent". Unable to tolerate the taste, EEN was administered via nasogastric tube. After two months, EEN was administered ongoing via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy given patient preference and dietetic advocacy.

RESULTS

After eight weeks on EEN, Billie's pain predominantly resolved, with bowel motions of ∼1-2/day, and nil bowel obstructions. Twelve months after EEN commencement, Billie's CDAI was 52, with 'no indication for surgical intervention' and was self-reporting that "life is good". After 18 months, Billie remains asymptomatic, and in clinical remission.

CONCLUSION

This unique case is a wonderful example of dietetic advocacy and showcases the positive impact long-term EEN may have on surgical avoidance, clinical outcomes and self-reported QoL.

Impact of malnutrition and nutrition support in hospitalised patients with inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has been associated with worse clinical outcomes.

AIMS

This observational study examines trends in protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) amongst hospitalised IBD and non-IBD patients, and the association between (1) malnutrition and (2) nutrition support and hospitalisation outcomes.

METHODS

We queried the Nationwide Readmissions Database from 2010 to 2018 for hospitalisations with and without IBD. Amongst patients with IBD and concurrent PCM, we identified those who received nutrition support. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards and Kaplan-Meier analyses evaluated the associations between PCM and nutrition support and readmission and mortality. Multiple linear regression described the association between compared variables and length of stay (LOS) and total hospitalisation costs.

RESULTS

This study included 1,216,033 patients (1,820,023 hospitalisations) with Crohn's disease (CD), 832,931 patients (1,089,853 hospitalizations) with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 240,488,656 patients (321,220,427 hospitalisations) without IBD. Admitted IBD patients were 2.9-3.1 times more likely to have PCM than non-IBD patients. IBD patients with PCM had a higher risk of readmission and mortality, as well as longer LOS and higher hospitalisation costs. Nutrition support (parenteral and enteral) was associated with a reduced risk of readmission, but higher mortality increased LOS and higher total hospitalisation costs.

CONCLUSIONS

Malnutrition in hospitalised IBD patients remains an important contributor to readmission, mortality, LOS and healthcare costs. Providing nutrition support to IBD patients may reduce the risk of readmission. Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of nutrition support amongst hospitalised IBD patients to optimise disease and healthcare outcomes.

Enteral Nutrition Prescription in Children and Adults with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Gaps in Current Gastroenterology Practice in Saudi Arabia

Background: Evidence for the effectiveness of enteral nutrition (EN) for the management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is well-established. However, there is considerable global variation in EN practices. This study aimed to characterize the practices and perceptions of gastroenterologists regarding the use of EN in patients with IBD in one of the largest countries in the Gulf region. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on pediatric and adult gastroenterologists working in Saudi Arabia who are involved in IBD management. A self-administered web-based survey was distributed via social media platforms and mailing lists of national gastroenterology societies. Results: A total of 80 gastroenterologists completed the survey. However, only 55 reported that they were currently practicing EN in any form. EN was mostly indicated by gastroenterologists who “sometimes” recommend EN for: the prevention and correction of undernutrition (50.9%), preoperative optimization (50.9%), and the induction of remission in patients with active and long-standing CD (36.4%), at initial diagnosis (34.5%), during the management of complications (61.8%), and after failing to respond to pharmacological therapy (58.2%). Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is regularly recommended by 14.5% of gastroenterologists. The prescription of EEN was significantly associated with the pediatric profession (p < 0.01), IBD specialty (p < 0.05), level of nutrition education during training (p < 0.01), and previous training in a unit with regular EN use (p < 0.01). The most reported barriers to using EN were patients’ lack of acceptance (73.8%) and poor adherence (65%). A lack of dietitian support and a lack of standardized protocols were also reported as barriers by many physicians. Pediatric gastroenterologists were more likely to use at least one assessment method to evaluate EN success. Conclusion: EN practices differ between gastroenterologists working in Saudi Arabia. Future EN protocols should be optimized to support both children and adults with IBD. Gastroenterology training programs should offer nutrition support-focused training to help physicians better utilize EN.

Dietary management of adults with IBD - the emerging role of dietary therapy

Historically, dietitians played a minor part in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Patients were commonly referred for consequences of uncontrolled disease, such as malnutrition and bowel obstruction risk. Today, dietitians are fundamental members of the multidisciplinary IBD team, from educating on the role of diet at diagnosis and throughout the lifespan of a patient with IBD to guiding primary induction therapy. This aspect is reflected in published guidelines for IBD management, which previously placed diet as only a minor factor, but now have diet-specific publications. This Review describes a four-step approach in a dietitian's assessment and management of diet in patients with IBD: (1) identifying and correcting nutritional gaps and dietary imbalances; (2) considering diet to treat active disease with the use of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) or emerging diets that could replace EEN; (3) using therapeutic diets to control existing complications of IBD, such as reduced fibre to prevent bowel obstruction in stricturing disease or a fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols diet to manage co-existing functional gut symptoms; and (4) considering the role of diet in preventing IBD development in high-risk populations.

Review article: the future of microbiome-based therapeutics

BACKGROUND

From consumption of fermented foods and probiotics to emerging applications of faecal microbiota transplantation, the health benefit of manipulating the human microbiota has been exploited for millennia. Despite this history, recent technological advances are unlocking the capacity for targeted microbial manipulation as a novel therapeutic.

AIM

This review summarises the current developments in microbiome-based medicines and provides insight into the next steps required for therapeutic development.

METHODS

Here we review current and emerging approaches and assess the capabilities and weaknesses of these technologies to provide safe and effective clinical interventions. Key literature was identified through Pubmed searches with the following key words, 'microbiome', 'microbiome biomarkers', 'probiotics', 'prebiotics', 'synbiotics', 'faecal microbiota transplant', 'live biotherapeutics', 'microbiome mimetics' and 'postbiotics'.

RESULTS

Improved understanding of the human microbiome and recent technological advances provide an opportunity to develop a new generation of therapies. These therapies will range from dietary interventions, prebiotic supplementations, single probiotic bacterial strains, human donor-derived faecal microbiota transplants, rationally selected combinations of bacterial strains as live biotherapeutics, and the beneficial products or effects produced by bacterial strains, termed microbiome mimetics.

CONCLUSIONS

Although methods to identify and refine these therapeutics are continually advancing, the rapid emergence of these new approaches necessitates accepted technological and ethical frameworks for measurement, testing, laboratory practices and clinical translation.

Lessons from an audit of exclusive enteral nutrition in adult inpatients and outpatients with active Crohn's disease: a single-centre experience

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate clinical outcomes, patterns of use, tolerance and nutritional outcomes of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) in adults with Crohn's disease and to compare initiation in the inpatient compared with ambulatory care setting.

DESIGN/METHOD

Adults with Crohn's disease who received EEN at a single centre over 2.5 years were identified and outcomes assessed via examination of patient records.

RESULTS

EEN was initiated in 60 patients (23 as an outpatient) who had objective evidence of active disease. Of 49 in whom the goal was induction of remission, 28 completed EEN and 24 achieved clinical remission/response. Twenty-one withdrew prematurely, due to intolerance in 15 and disease factors in 6. Of 11 with a planned intervention, 6 fulfilled the goal of downstaging disease while two were intolerant. Completion of the prescribed therapy was associated with self-reported adherence to EEN and with improvements in disease activity scores and biochemical markers. Malnutrition halved (40% to 20%) and intentional weight loss (median 5.1 kg) was achieved in six obese patients. The major reason for intolerance was the inability to accept total avoidance of non-formula food. There were no differences in any outcomes according to the location of initiation of therapy.

CONCLUSION

Positive outcomes occur in 70% of adult patients with Crohn's disease tolerating EEN and 81% in those who are able to completely adhere to EEN, without compromise of nutritional status. Similar success occurs when initiated as an inpatient or outpatient. Failure to tolerate EEN is the major hurdle to its use.

Diet in the Pathogenesis and Management of Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease (CD) is chronic immune-related disease of the gastrointestinal tract hypothesized to be caused by an interplay of genetic predisposition and environmental exposures. With the global incidence increasing, more patients are exploring dietary exposures to explain and treat CD. However, most patients report minimal nutritional education from their provider, and providers report few nutritional resources to help them educate patients. This highlights the previous deficit of literature describing the role and influence of diet in CD. To address this need, this article reviews available literature on the possible roles of diet in the pathogenesis, exacerbation, and treatment of CD.

Exclusive enteral nutrition: An optimal care pathway for use in children with active luminal Crohn's disease

AIM

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is recommended as a first-line therapy for active luminal paediatric Crohn's disease, by many contemporary consensus guidelines. However, EEN protocols vary internationally. A key enabler for the use of EEN therapy has been identified as the standardisation of protocols. The aim of this study was to develop an optimal care pathway for use of EEN in children with active luminal Crohn's disease.

METHODS

A working group of 11 paediatric gastroenterology dietitians and one paediatric gastroenterologist from Australia and New Zealand was convened to develop a standard optimal care pathway. Seven key areas were identified; clinical indications, workup assessments, EEN prescription, monitoring, food reintroduction, partial enteral nutrition and maintenance enteral nutrition. Recent literature was reviewed, assessed according to the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines, and consensus statements were developed and voted on. Consensus opinion was used where literature gaps existed.

RESULTS

A total of nineteen consensus statements from the seven key areas were agreed upon. The consensus statements informed the optimal care pathway for children with active luminal undertaking EEN in Australia and New Zealand.

CONCLUSION

This study developed an EEN optimal care pathway to facilitate standardisation of clinical care for children with active luminal Crohn's disease, and hopefully improve clinical outcomes and identify areas for future research.

Nutritional Therapies and Their Influence on the Intestinal Microbiome in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, autoimmune disorder of the gastrointestinal tract with numerous genetic and environmental risk factors. Patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) often demonstrate marked disruptions of their gut microbiome. The intestinal microbiota is strongly influenced by diet. The association between the increasing incidence of IBD worldwide and increased consumption of a westernized diet suggests host nutrition may influence the progression or treatment of IBD via the microbiome. Several nutritional therapies have been studied for the treatment of CD and UC. While their mechanisms of action are only partially understood, existing studies do suggest that diet-driven changes in microbial composition and function underlie the diverse mechanisms of nutritional therapy. Despite existing therapies for IBD focusing heavily on immune suppression, nutrition is an important treatment option due to its superior safety profile, potentially low cost, and benefits for growth and development. These benefits are increasingly important to patients. In this review, we will describe the clinical efficacy of the different nutritional therapies that have been described for the treatment of CD and UC. We will also describe the effects of each nutritional therapy on the gut microbiome and summarize the strength of the literature with recommendations for the practicing clinician.

Is frequency of dietitian support associated with greater clinical improvements in adults with Crohn's disease undertaking Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN)?

INTRODUCTION

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is considered an effective, low-risk therapy in the treatment of Crohn's Disease (CD). Frequent dietetic support may assistadults to succeed. This observational study aimed to compare whether frequency of dietetic support during EEN therapy was associated with differences in clinical and nutritional outcomes across two gastroenterologyinflammatory bowel disease services. Site Aprovided ≥3 visits plus more if clinically indicated and Site B provided weekly support.

METHODS

Eligible patients were adults with active CD recommended to be treated with oral EEN for ≥6weeks between February 2018 to December 2019.Demographic, anthropometric, clinical, medications, pathology and EEN treatment descriptors were sourced from the medical chart. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared and t-tests were used to compare data between sites.

RESULTS

Eighty-four CD patients were eligible (44±14yrs, 54% female, baseline Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) 259.5±113.1, n=51Site A) and completed EEN for median(range) 6.1(1-12) weeks. Most patients (82%, n=69/84) completed ≥6 weeks of EEN treatment. CDAI score and calprotectin improved across the total sample from pre- to post-EEN by -109.8±92.1 (p<0.001) and -65µg/g(-65230-4370) (p=0.002), respectively. Dietitian occasions of service were more frequent at Site B (7(4-12) occasions vs. 3(1-8), p<0.001). However, changes in clinicaland biomarker datawere similar between sites (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

EEN with regular dietetic input resulted in clinical and biochemical improvements for patients with active CD. Tailoring dietetic support based on the client'sneeds and preference may achieve similar clinical improvements as providing weekly dietetic support to adults on EEN. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Current Use of EEN in Pre-Operative Optimisation in Crohn's Disease

Despite the increasing array of medications available for the treatment of Crohn's disease and a focus on mucosal healing, approximately 35% of patients with Crohn's disease undergo bowel surgery at some stage. The importance of nutritional optimisation before Crohn's surgery is well-highlighted by surgical, nutritional, and gastroenterological societies with the aim of reducing complications and enhancing recovery. Surgical procedures are frequently undertaken when other treatment options have been unsuccessful, and, thus, patients may have lost weight and/or required steroids, and are therefore at higher risk of post-operative complications. EEN is used extensively in the paediatric population to induce remission, but is not routinely used in the induction of remission of adult Crohn's disease or in pre-operative optimisation. Large prospective studies regarding the role of pre-operative EEN are lacking. In this review, we evaluate the current literature on the use of EEN in pre-operative settings and its impact on patient outcomes.

Exclusive enteral nutrition with oral polymeric diet helps in inducing clinical and biochemical remission in adults with active Crohn's Disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is not routinely used as induction therapy for adults with active Crohn's Disease (CD). The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of EEN with oral polymeric formula as an adjunct for inducing clinical and biochemical remission in adults with active CD.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of data from January 2018 to September 2019 on all patients with active CD who commenced EEN. Primary endpoint was clinical remission (CDAI ≤150) or response (100-point decrease in CDAI) at 8 weeks. Secondary endpoint was achievement of biochemical remission (CRP ≤5 mg/L or faeces calprotectin ≤150 mcg/g) at 8 weeks in those whose baseline values were elevated. We also aimed to identify predictors of response to EEN therapy.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients commenced EEN, 53/66 (80.3%) completed the prescribed EEN course. At 8 weeks, 42/66 (63.6%) patients achieved primary endpoint and secondary endpoint was achieved in 30/53 (56.6%) of patients. Patients receiving EEN for ≥ 6 weeks achieved primary (72% vs 47.8%, OR 2.8, p = 0.047, CI 0.97 -8.16) and secondary endpoint (67.6% vs 36.8%, OR 3.58, p = 0.035, CI 1.1- 11.63) more frequently when compared with patients who received EEN for <6 weeks. Nine patients reported adverse effects (4 nausea,3 diarrhoea,1 constipation and 1 abdominal pain), none of whom ceased therapy.

CONCLUSION

Polymeric EEN is well tolerated, safe and effective in inducing clinical and biochemical remission in adults with active CD. EEN duration of ≥ 6 weeks has better outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Review of exclusive enteral therapy in adult Crohn's disease

Background

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is a potentially effective but underused therapy for Crohn’s disease (CD) in adults. It is first-line induction treatment for paediatric patients but remains a second-line or third-line therapy in adults.

Objective

To analyse the evidence for EEN in adult patients with CD, and summarise this in a narrative review.

Methods

In April/May 2020 and July 2021, a literature search was performed using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms: ‘Crohn’s disease’, ‘CD’, ‘inflammatory bowel disease’, ‘IBD’, ‘exclusive enteral nutrition’, ‘enteral nutrition’, ‘EEN’, in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane. Additional studies were obtained from references of search result articles as well as general reading. Studies with adult patients with CD treated with EEN were selected. 79 articles of relevance were found. Where data in adults were lacking, data from paediatric studies as extrapolated with care.

Results

EEN in adult patients been shown to improve clinical, biomarker, endoscopic and radiologic measures of disease activity. EEN avoids the potential adverse effects of recurrent corticosteroids for induction such as metabolic derangements and opportunistic infections. EEN has also demonstrated benefits among adult patients with fistulising and stricturing CD. It may avoid surgery in such patients. Preoperative EEN has also been shown to reduce postoperative complications and recurrence. There appears to be benefits in combing EEN with antitumour necrosis factor agents, however, benefits of combination therapy with other biologics are less clear. A major drawback of EEN therapy in adults has been poor compliance. More palatable polymeric formulations improved patient education and dietitian support may overcome this. Evidence in adults is limited to small studies, often with suboptimal control arms and lack of blinding. Larger scale studies with improved study design are needed to confirm these beneficial effects.

Conclusion

Despite limitations in evidence EEN should be considered in treating adults with CD.

Optimizing Inpatient Nutrition Care of Adult Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the 21st Century

Malnutrition is highly prevalent in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and disproportionately affects those admitted to hospital. Malnutrition is a risk factor for many complications in IBD, including prolonged hospitalization, infection, greater need for surgery, development of venous thromboembolism, post-operative complications, and mortality. Early screening for malnutrition and prompt nutrition intervention if indicated has been shown to prevent or mitigate many of these outlined risk factors. There are many causes of malnutrition in IBD including reduced oral food intake, medications, active inflammation, and prior surgical resections. Hospitalization can further compound pre-existing malnutrition through inappropriate diet restrictions, nil per os (NPO) for endoscopy and imaging, or partial bowel obstruction, resulting in "post-hospital syndrome" after discharge and readmission. The aim of this article is to inform clinicians of the prevalence and consequences of malnutrition in IBD, as well as available screening and assessment tools for diagnosis, and to offer an organized approach to the nutritional care of hospitalized adult IBD patients.

Enteral nutrition modulation with n-3 PUFAs directs microbiome and lipid metabolism in mice

Nutritional support using exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has been studied as primary therapy for the management of liver diseases, Crohn’s disease, and cancers. EEN can also increase the number of beneficial microbiotas in the gut, improve bile acid and lipid metabolism, and decrease the number of harmful dietary micro-particles, possibly by influencing disease occurrence and increasing immunity. This study investigated the effects of EEN-n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (3PUFAs) (EEN-3PUFAs) on the gut microbiome, intestinal barrier, and lipid or bile acid metabolism in mice. Metagenomic sequencing technology was used to analyze the effects of EEN-3PUFAs on the composition of gut microbiome signatures. The contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids in the feces and liver of the mice were assayed by gas chromatography and ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography/high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. The levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and D-lactic acid in the blood were used to assess intestinal permeability. The results indicated that EEN-3PUFAs could improve the composition of gut microbiome signatures and increase the abundance of Barnesiella and Lactobacillus (genus), Porphyromonadaceae, and Bacteroidia (species), and Bacteroidetes (phylum) after EEN-3PUFAs initiation. In addition, EEN-3PUFAs induced the formation of SCFAs (mainly including acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid) and increased the intestinal wall compared to the control group. In conclusion, EEN-3PUFAs modulate the alterations in gut microbiome signatures, enhanced intestinal barrier, and regulated the fatty acid composition and lipid metabolism shifts and the putative mechanisms underlying these effects.