This　study　aimed　to　investigate　the　beneficial　effects　of　the　oral　administration　of　Lactobacillus　brevis　FZU0713-fermented　Laminaria　japonica　(FLJ)　on　lipid　metabolism　and　intestinal　microbiota　in　hyperlipidemic　rats　fed　with　a　high-fat　diet　(HFD).　The　results　demonstrated　that　the　oral　administration　of　FLJ　significantly　inhibited　obesity　and　improved　the　serum　and　hepatic　biochemical　parameters　in　HFD-fed　rats.　Histopathological　results　also　indicated　that　FLJ　intervention　could　significantly　reduce　the　accumulation　of　lipid　droplets　in　the　liver　induced　by　HFD　feeding.　Furthermore,　FLJ　intervention　up-regulated　the　fecal　short-chain　fatty　acid　(SCFA)　levels　(mainly　acetate,　propionate　and　isobutyrate)　in　HFD-fed　rats.　Intestinal　microbiota　profiling　by　16S　rRNA　gene　sequencing　revealed　that　FLJ　intervention　increased　the　relative　abundance　of　Akkermansia,　Collinsella,　Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013,　Defluviitaleaceae_UCG-011,　Intestinimonas,　Actinomyces　and　Tyzzerella,　but　decreased　the　abundance　of　Flavonifractor,　Collinsella,　Sporosarcina　and　Lacticigenium.　Based　on　Spearman＇s　correlation,　the　fecal　levels　of　TC,　TG,　acetic　acid　and　butyric　acid　were　positively　correlated　with　the　relative　abundance　of　Akkermansia　and　Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214,　but　negatively　correlated　with　the　relative　amount　of　Flavonifractor　and　Collinsella.　The　metabolic　function　of　intestinal　microbiota　predicted　by　PICRUSt　analysis　of　16S　rRNA　gene　sequences　demonstrated　that　primary　and　secondary　bile　acid　biosyntheses,　fatty　acid　biosynthesis,　taurine　and　hypotaurine　metabolism,　arachidonic　acid　metabolism,　glycolysis/gluconeogenesis,　etc.　were　significantly　down-regulated　after　8　weeks　of　FLJ　intervention.　Additionally,　FLJ　intervention　significantly　regulated　the　hepatic　mRNA　levels　(including　BSEP,　CYP7A1,　LDLR,　HMGCR,　CD36　and　SREBP1-C)　involved　in　lipid　metabolism　and　bile　acid　homeostasis.　In　conclusion,　these　findings　support　the　possibility　that　Laminaria　japonica　fermented　with　probiotic　Lactobacillus　has　the　potential　to　reduce　the　disturbance　of　lipid　metabolism　by　regulating　intestinal　microflora　and　liver　gene　expression　profiles,　so　it　can　be　employed　as　a　potential　functional　food　to　prevent　hyperlipidemia.　This　journal　is　©　The　Royal　Society　of　Chemistry.