Effect of Chitooligosaccharides-Combination Fortified Noodles Intervention on Visceral Adiposity and Serum Metabolites in a High-Risk Occupational Cohort of Young Seafarers.

Offshore seafarers face a unique "metabolically obesogenic" environment, predisposing them to an elevated risk of central obesity and metabolic disorders, even at a young age, creating a critical need for feasible, on-board nutritional interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Chitooligosaccharides-combination fortified noodles on body composition in young male seafarers and to elucidate the underlying systemic metabolic mechanisms. A self-controlled trial was conducted with 73 participants, who underwent a 4-week placebo phase followed, after a washout, by a 4-week intervention phase consuming functional noodles every other day. Clinical assessments included body weight, waist circumference, body composition indices, and serum lipid profiles, and untargeted metabolomics was performed on a subset of 38 participants. Compared with the placebo phase, oligosaccharide intervention significantly reduced waist circumference (WC), visceral fat area (VFA), serum leptin and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, and increased skeletal muscle mass index, with no significant change in body weight. Linear mixed models confirmed significant net reductions in VFA (β = -18.36 cm2, 95% CI: -31.56 to -5.16; p < 0.05), WC (β = -7.51 cm, 95% CI: -10.78 to -4.23; p < 0.001), and LDL-C (β = -0.33 mmol/L, 95% CI: -0.55 to -0.11; p < 0.005) following the intervention. Untargeted metabolomics revealed profound perturbations in the serum metabolome, with glycerophospholipid and thiamine metabolism identified as the most significantly dysregulated pathways. Key metabolites in these pathways exhibited marked alterations: phosphatidylethanolamine PE(18:3/12:0) and thiamine triphosphate (ThTP) were upregulated, while lysophosphatidylserine LysoPS(19:0/0:0) was downregulated. These metabolic changes were strongly associated with clinical improvements, with elevations in PE(18:3/12:0) and ThTP being inversely correlated with reductions in VFA, WC, and LDL-C, and the decrease in LysoPS(19:0/0:0) positively correlated with these same clinical changes. Subgroup analysis indicated that seafarers with elevated central adiposity at baseline had a deficient metabolic state with lower levels of PE(18:3/12:0) and ThTP, and these participants derived greater corrective benefits in these metabolites and VFA reduction from the intervention; notably, baseline LysoPS(19:0/0:0) levels were comparable between subgroups, but its downregulation in response to the intervention was more pronounced in non-centrally obese individuals. A four-week dietary intervention with Chitooligosaccharides-combination fortified noodles effectively reduced visceral adiposity and improved body composition in young seafarers, with benefits associated with targeted remodeling of glycerophospholipid and thiamine metabolism. The greater corrective response in individuals with pre-existing central obesity highlights the potential of this strategy for precision nutrition in high-risk occupational groups.