Zhou Xu, Li Yangyou, Yang Yuhan, Wei Li, Wang Chen, Xu Jiahui, Song Jiajia, Liu Shijian, Bai Junying, Suo Huayi
College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Animal Experimental Center, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong City, China.
NPJ Sci Food. 2025 Apr 22;9(1):53. doi: 10.1038/s41538-025-00416-9.
Dietary polysaccharides have long been recognized for their capacity to modulate gut microbiota composition and metabolic activities, making them promising resources for functional food development. In this study, we investigated the effects of Poria cocos (P. cocos) polysaccharides on the structure and metabolism of human gut microbiota using an in vitro fecal fermentation model. Our results revealed that P. cocos polysaccharides were readily utilized by the gut microbiota, as evidenced by a significant decrease in pH and an increase in SCFAs concentrations. Notably, the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) increased, whereas that of potentially pathogenic taxa (e.g., Escherichia-Shigella and Bilophila) decreased. Furthermore, P. cocos polysaccharides enhanced the production of key microbial metabolites, significantly upregulating compounds such as L-cystine and etelcalcetide. Collectively, these findings underscore the beneficial role of P. cocos polysaccharides in promoting intestinal health and highlight their potential as prebiotics in the functional food industry.
膳食多糖长期以来因其调节肠道微生物群组成和代谢活动的能力而受到认可，使其成为功能性食品开发的有前途的资源。在本研究中，我们使用体外粪便发酵模型研究了茯苓多糖对人体肠道微生物群结构和代谢的影响。我们的结果表明，肠道微生物群很容易利用茯苓多糖，这表现为pH值显著降低和短链脂肪酸浓度增加。值得注意的是，有益菌（如乳酸杆菌和双歧杆菌）的相对丰度增加，而潜在致病类群（如大肠杆菌-志贺氏菌属和嗜胆菌属）的相对丰度降低。此外，茯苓多糖增强了关键微生物代谢物的产生，显著上调了如L-胱氨酸和依替卡肽等化合物的水平。总的来说，这些发现强调了茯苓多糖在促进肠道健康方面的有益作用，并突出了它们在功能性食品行业中作为益生元的潜力。
