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[Display omitted] • Fermented Tartary buckwheat dietary fiber was prepared using Aspergillus niger for the first time. • Liquid fermentation improves the content of soluble dietary fiber in Tartary buckwheat. • Liquid fermentation changes the physicochemical properties of Tartary buckwheat soluble dietary fiber, such as water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, water swelling capacity, and cholesterol adsorption capacity. • Fermented Tartary buckwheat dietary fiber has excellent anti-obesity activity. • Fermented Tartary buckwheat dietary fiber regulates the composition of intestinal flora and inhibits obesity in HFD mice. Tartary buckwheat is a popular natural grain commonly used as a functional food in various countries. This study aimed to prepare buckwheat dietary fiber with improved biological activity using liquid fermentation of Aspergillus niger and to elucidate its physicochemical properties and related mechanisms. Compared with unfermented buckwheat dietary fiber, Aspergillus niger fermentation increased the soluble dietary fiber content, thereby improving dietary fiber's physical and chemical properties such as water, oil retention capacity, and swelling cholesterol-binding capacity. Fermented Tartary buckwheat dietary fiber treatment for 14 weeks significantly decreased the hepatic lipid profile, oxidative stress, and protein expression in mice. In addition, fermented Tartary buckwheat dietary fiber intervention could regulate high-fat diet-induced disorders of gut microbiota. These results suggested that fermented Tartary buckwheat dietary fiber has potential "prebiotic" effects in ameliorating obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• L. plantarum AR113 could alleviate symptoms of colitis and prevent tissue damage effectively. • L. plantarum AR113 could maintains intestinal barrier by recover goblet cell and tight junction. • HO-1 upregulated could inhibit TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway and reduce pro-inflammatory factors. • L. plantarum AR113 could mitigate dysbiosis of gut microbiota induced by DSS. Probiotics are a potential treatment agent for IBD. In this study, the effects of probiotics on intestinal immune responses and gut microbiota in colitis were investigated. The result showed that L. plantarum AR113 and L. casei AR342 were 2–3 times more effective than other strains to alleviate epithelial damage indicators, improve colon length (+10–30%) and maintain the integrity of the epithelial barrier, as compared to DSS-treatment mice. The supplementation downregulated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and upregulated that of the colonic anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10). The results strongly suggested that anti-inflammatory effect of probiotics is associated with the increase in HO-1 expression and the decrease in TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway expression in mouse colonic tissues. Further, Microbiota analysis and the correlation of microbiota with colitis parameters revealed that the dysbiosis of gut microbiota induced by DSS treatment could be mitigated to a certain extent by supplementation with L. plantarum AR113. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal dysbiosis is one of the major causes of the occurrence of metabolic syndromes, such as obesity, diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Polysaccharide-based microbial therapeutic strategies have excellent potential in the treatment of metabolic syndromes, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Identification of the internal regulatory mechanism of the gut microbiome and the interaction mechanisms involving bacteria and the host are essential to achieve precise control of the gut microbiome and obtain valuable clinical data. Polysaccharides cannot be directly digested; the behavior in the intestinal tract is considered a "bridge" between microbiota and host communication. To provide a relatively comprehensive reference for researchers in the field, we will discuss the polysaccharide extraction and purification processes and chemical and structural characteristics, focusing on the polysaccharides in gut microbiota through the immune system, gut-liver axis, gut-brain axis, energy axis interactions, and potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotherapy, the most common class of anticancer drugs, is considerably limited owing to its adverse side effects. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the protective effect and mechanism of action of large-leaf yellow tea polysaccharides (ULYTP-1, 1.29 × 104 Da) against chemotherapeutic 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu). Structural characterisation revealed that ULYTP-1 was a β-galactopyranouronic acid. Furthermore, ULYTP-1 promoted autolysosome formation, activating autophagy and reducing the oxidative stress and inflammation caused by 5-Fu. Our in vivo study of 4 T1 tumour-bearing mice revealed that ULYTP-1 also attenuated 5-Fu toxicity through modulation of the gut microbiota. Moreover, ULYTP-1 effectively protected immune organs and the liver from 5-Fu toxicity, while promoting its tumour-inhibitory properties. The current findings provide a new strategy for optimising chemotherapy regimens in the clinic. [Display omitted] • Polysaccharide ULYTP-1 was extracted from large-leaf yellow tea. • ULYTP-1 is a β-galactopyranouronic acid with a spongy steric configuration. • ULYTP-1 activates autophagy to alleviate 5-fluorouracil-induced liver injury. • ULYTP-1 alleviated gut dysbiosis in 4 T1 tumour-bearing mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a complication of diabetes mellitus, has been the leading cause of death in people with chronic kidney disease. This study was conducted to examine the potential health benefits of Cordyceps cicadae polysaccharides (CCP) on kidney injury and renal interstitial fibrosis that occur in DN rats. First, a DN model was established using SD rats fed with a high-fat diet for 8 weeks, then injected with STZ (35 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. The rats were then supplemented with CCP (75, 150 and 300 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. The results indicated that CCP improve insulin resistance and glucose tolerance in DN rats. Furthermore, CCP intervention significantly suppressed the inflammation, renal pathological changes and renal dysfunction, slowing down the progression of renal interstitial fibrosis. Moreover, high-throughput pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA suggested that CCP modulated the dysbiosis of gut microbiota by enhancing the relative abundance and proliferation capacity of probiotics. In vitro, CCP can markedly decrease LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine levels and TGF-β1-induced fibroblast activation. In summary, the results provided evidence that CCP exerted a beneficial effect on tubulointerstitial fibrosis in DN rats by possibly suppressing the inflammatory response and modulating gut microbiota dysbiosis, via blocking the TLR4/NF-κB and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance : Sennoside A is a natural anthraquinone component mainly derived from rhubarb and has been routinely used as a clinical stimulant laxative. However, long-term application of sennoside A may lead to drug resistance and even adverse reactions, thus limiting its clinical use. Therefore, to reveal the time-dependent laxative effect and potential mechanism of sennoside A is of critical importance. Aim of the study : This study was conducted to investigate the time-dependent laxative effect of sennoside A and unveil its underlying mechanism from the perspective of gut microbiota and aquaporins (AQPs). Materials and methods : Based on a mouse constipation model, 2.6 mg/kg sennoside A was administered orally for 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days, respectively. The laxative effect was assessed by the fecal index and fecal water content, the histopathology of the small intestine and colon was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Gut microbiota changes was observed by 16S rDNA sequencing, and colonic AQPs expression was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Partial least-squares regression (PLSR) was used to screen out the effective indicators contributing to the laxative effect of sennoside A. The effective indicators were then fitted to time by a drug-time curve model to analyze the trend of efficacy of sennoside A, and the optimal time of administration was derived by comprehensive analysis with a three-dimensional (3D) time-effect image. Results : Sennoside A had a significant laxative effect at 7 days of administration with no pathological changes in the small intestine or colon; however, at 14 or 21 days of administration, the laxative effect diminished and slight damage to the colon was observed. Sennoside A affects the structure and function of gut microbes. The alpha diversity showed that the abundance and diversity of gut microorganisms reached the highest value after 7 days of administration. Partial least squares discriminant analysis showed that the composition of the flora was close to normal when administered for less than 7 days, but was closest to the composition of constipation over 7 days. The expression of aquaporin 3 (AQP3) and aquaporin 7 (AQP7) decreased gradually after the administration of sennoside A, with the lowest expression at 7 days, and then increased gradually afterwards, while the expression of aquaporin 1 (AQP1) was the opposite. The PLSR results showed that AQP1, AQP3, Lactobacillus , Romboutsia , Akkermansia and UCG_005 contributed more to the laxative effect of the fecal index, and after fitting with the drug-time curve model, each index showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing. The comprehensive evaluation of the 3D time-effect image concluded that the laxative effect of sennoside A reached its best after 7 days of administration. Conclusion : Sennoside A should be used in regular dosages for less than one week, as it provides significant relief of constipation and exhibits no colonic damage within 7 days of administration. In addition, Sennoside A exerts its laxative effect by regulating gut microbiota of Lactobacillus Romboutsia , Akkermansia and UCG_005 and water channels of AQP1 and AQP3. [Display omitted] • For constipation relief, Sennoside A should be used at regular dose for less than 7 days. • Sennoside A exerts the laxative effect by regulating gut microbiota and aquaporins. • The optimal time is obtained through a comprehensive analysis of fecal index, intestinal histopathology, gut microbiota and aquaporins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ORP-1 can restore a healthy gut microbial population to handle age-related gut microbiota dysbiosis mainly by facilitating the proliferation and adhesion of intestinal probiotics L. acidophilus and B. bifidum in the colon to compete with pathogenic microbes E. coli for ecological niches. Furthermore, ORP-1 strengthened the intestinal structural integrity primarily by abolishing the aggravation of apoptosis and the age-associated alterations of TJ protein expression in intestine. [Display omitted] • ORP-1 is a novel bioactive component of edible fungus Oudemansiella raphanipes. • ORP-1 facilitates the adhesion of probiotics to compete with intestinal pathogenic. • ORP-1 abolishes the aggravation of apoptosis and heightened intestinal structural integrity. • ORP-1 strengthens intestinal barrier integrity by abolishing TJ proteins and mRNA expression. Age-associated increase in intestinal permeability is known to relate with gut microbiota dysbiosis and loss of epithelial tissue integrity. To improve healthy aging and prevent age-associated chronic disabilities, the protective potential of polysaccharides from Oudemansiella raphanipes (ORP-1) against age-associated intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction in d -galactose-induced Caco-2 cells monolayer was investigated. In-vitro results demonstrated that ORP-1 can restore a healthy gut microbial population to handle age-related gut microbiota dysbiosis mainly by facilitating the proliferation and adhesion of probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) and Bifidobacterium bifidum (B. bifidum) to compete with intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) for ecological niches and nutrition. Meanwhile, ORP-1 strengthened the intestinal structural integrity primarily by abolishing the aggravation of apoptosis and the age-associated alterations of tight junction (TJ) proteins expression in intestine. These findings highlighted that ORP-1 could be a potential functional food component with preventive utility against age-associated intestinal barrier injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]