PCP microbial fermentation products alleviated colitis by enriching Bifidobacterium pseudolongum to promote tryptophan metabolism and activate the PPARγ signaling pathway.

ABSTRACT Polygonatum cyrtonema, a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible herb, possesses potential liver‐protecting activities. Its primary active component is fermented polysaccharides (PCP), which exhibit gut microbiota–modulating activity. However, the key metabolites derived from PCP under gut microbiota mediation, along with their hepatoprotective bioactivity and mechanism of action, remain to be elucidated. Our findings demonstrated that microbial fermentation of PCP generated specifically elevated levels of indoleacetic acid, indole‐3‐carbinol, and β‐hydroxybutyrate. The PCP metabolic meta alleviated typical alcohol‐related liver disease symptoms and reduced hepatic lipid accumulation. Meanwhile, it restored gut microbiota dysbiosis, specifically elevating the abundance of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, which was negatively correlated with liver injury indices. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the PCP metabolic meta reduced intestinal levels of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites such as 3R‐HETE, 12‐HEPE, and PGE1 and suppressed hepatic AA metabolism via the gut–liver axis, thereby inhibiting the phosphorylation of JNK and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), downregulating downstream transcription factors c‐Jun and activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2), and attenuating inflammation. B. pseudolongum alone recapitulated these protective effects, inhibiting hepatic AA metabolism and MAPK signaling. Collectively, these findings provide a fresh perspective for investigating the interactions between natural bioactive polysaccharides and the gut microbiota in the context of liver protection.

Dietary components have attracted substantial attention in anti-aging strategies owing to their potential bioactivities. Bound polyphenols from defatted rice bran insoluble dietary fiber (DRB-BP) were proved to possess remarkable health benefits. The study was designed to explore the capacity of DRB-BP in delaying senescence process of Caenorhabditis elegans and to clarify the underlying mechanisms through network pharmacology analysis and transcriptomics. The findings revealed that DRB-BP supplementation (with the optimal concentration of 100 mu g/mL) was capable of extend the lifespan of worms and preserved their healthspan, as manifested by the undiminished reproductive capacity, improved locomotive ability, reduced accumulation of lipofuscin and reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as the enhanced stress resistance and antioxidant enzyme activities. On the basis of the network pharmacology analysis, it was found that the primary constituents of DRB-BP (ferulic acid, pcoumaric acid, vanillin, etc.) played a pivotal role in the anti-aging regulatory network. Further mechanistic explorations conducted via transcriptomics and validation through mutants demonstrated that DRB-BP exerted its effects by modulating the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway. Our findings provided novel insights into the health-promoting properties of DRB-BP and highlight its potential as a natural anti-aging agent.

Polyphenols are a class of plant-derived phytochemicals with potent antioxidant and anti-aging activities. However, current research has largely focused on free polyphenols, whereas dietary fiber-associated bound polyphenols remain insufficiently explored. In this study, bound polyphenols from carrot dietary fiber, referred to as CDF-BP, were investigated for their anti-aging activity in Caenorhabditis elegans. At 50 μg mL-1, CDF-BP extended mean lifespan by 25.58% and improved healthspan, as reflected by enhanced motility and reduced lipofuscin accumulation and lipid deposition. Integrated multi-omics analysis revealed that these effects were driven by coordinated signaling and metabolic remodeling. Transcriptomic profiling and validation assays showed that CDF-BP modulated insulin/IGF-1 signaling and induced stress response genes associated with DAF-16 and SKN-1, including sod-3 and gst-4. In parallel, non-targeted metabolomics revealed broad metabolic remodeling suggestive of metabolic reallocation. CDF-BP shifted lipid metabolism from storage toward utilization, as indicated by activation of the carnitine shuttle through elevated acylcarnitines, and was associated with enhanced xenobiotic response pathways. Genetic analyses using daf-2, daf-16, and skn-1 mutants confirmed that the effects of CDF-BP on promoting longevity depended on these pathways. Collectively, these findings identify CDF-BP as a bioactive modulator of longevity that acts through convergent regulation of stress response signaling and metabolic reprogramming, and further suggest that bound polyphenols may represent an underestimated target in nutritional strategies for healthy aging.

Bound polyphenols (BPs) are critical to the anti-obesity effects of dietary fiber. However, their role in dietary-fiber-mediated intestinal barrier protection remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that rice bran insoluble dietary fiber (RIDF) alleviated intestinal barrier damage in high-fat-diet (high-fat diet)-fed mice, and this beneficial effect was dependent on BPs, as it was attenuated in mice treated with polyphenol-removed dietary fiber (RIDF_DF). Furthermore, fecal supernatant transplantation from RIDF-treated (not RIDF_DF-treated) mice alleviated obesity and reshaped the gut microbiota in recipient mice. Additionally, the fecal supernatant enhanced the intestinal barrier function and augmented the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids. Notably, butyrate administration upregulated intestinal tight junction proteins in Caco-2 cells and HFD-fed mice and increased Oscillospira abundance. Mechanistically, butyrate inhibited apoptosis and promoted autophagy, accompanied by alterations in the AMPK-Akt signaling pathway. These results indicate that BPs contribute to the ameliorative effect of RIDF on intestinal damage.

Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is an important medicinal and edible resource. However, the structure-activity relationships underlying the immunomodulatory activity of its polysaccharides remain incompletely understood. Herein, we aimed to characterize the structure of a novel pectin from Gardenia fruit and clarify its immunomodulatory mechanism. A homogeneous polysaccharide, GJP70-0.2 (Mw = 54.5 kDa), was isolated and purified from gardenia fruit. Structural analysis confirmed that it was a pectic polysaccharide characterized by a notably homogalacturonan (HG)-dominant architecture with minor rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) domains. The main chain structure contains α-D-GalpA-(1→[4)-α-GalpA-6R-(1]a→[3,4)-α-GalpA-(1]b→[2,4)-α-Rhap-(1→4)-α-GalpA(1→]c, and the RG-I region harbors arabinan and type II arabinogalactan side chains. In vitro assays showed that GJP70-0.2 significantly enhanced RAW264.7 macrophage proliferation and phagocytic activity, and induced M1 polarization, as evidenced by increased nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) secretion, as well as upregulated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. Mechanistically, GJP70-0.2 promoted M1 polarization by activating the NF-κB, JAK/STAT, and MAPK signaling pathways. Thus, the HG domain-dominant gardenia pectin polysaccharides exhibit potent immunomodulatory activities, supporting the potential of gardenia pectin polysaccharides as natural immunomodulators.

Ganoderma atrum is an edible and medicinal fungi in oriental countries with various bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. The study was to evaluate the effects of polysaccharide from Ganoderma atrum (PSG) on lifespan, healthspan (locomotion, pumping, lipofuscin, ROS, chemotaxis and intestinal permeability) and defense system (stress resistance, antioxidant enzymes activities), as well as to investigate its anti-aging mechanism in Caenorhabditis elegans. The findings indicated that PSG prolonged the lifespan (optimal concentration at 400 μg/mL, with an increased average lifespan by 23.10 %) and improved senescence-related physiological indicators of worms. Furthermore, the lipid accumulation was reduced, while stress resistance and antioxidant enzymes activities were enhanced after PSG intervention. Meanwhile, studies with mutants demonstrated that DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf-2 were required for lifespan-extension, which might be attributed to the IIS and MAPK pathways. Overall, these demonstrated that PSG was a potential dietary supplement to promote health and ameliorate aging-associated pathologies.

In this paper, the optimal conditions for extracting dietary fiber-bound polyphenols in Canavalia gladiata seed coat using three hydrolysis methods, namely alkali, acid and enzyme, were obtained using response surface methodology. The total phenolic content of alkali hydrolysis products was 2635.97 μg GAE/g DW, which was much higher than that of the acid (1418.87 μg GAE/g DW) and the enzyme method (1316.39 μg GAE/g DW). Qualitative analysis identified a total of 38 compounds, 33 of which were quantified. The results showed that CGDF-BPs were dominated by phenolic acids, especially gallic acid. Overall the alkaline method hydrolyzed dietary fibers more thoroughly, releasing a higher diversity of compounds. However, their in vitro antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were inconsistent at equivalent concentration due to differences in bound polyphenol composition caused by the alkali, acid, and enzyme methods, which served as a reference for studying of the composition and activity of natural plant polyphenols.

Vigna umbellata is an important homologous medicinal and food legume, and its fruit is rich in polyphenols. Acidic, alkaline (highest yield) and enzymatic methods were used to release bound polyphenols from rice bean skin dietary fiber. 44 compounds were identified from the alkaline hydrolysis products. With the increase of polyphenol concentration within a specific range, the scavenging rate of DPPH• and ABTS+• radicals and the reduction ability of ferric ions were increased. Rice bean skin dietary fiber bound polyphenols (RBSDF-BP) showed significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The results showed that Hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic forces were the binding forces for RBSDF-BP to form a stable polyphenol-enzyme complex with α-glucosidase. Molecular docking revealed that the three polyphenols of RBSDF-BP had a strong affinity for the active site in the hydrophobic cavity of the enzyme. This study provides valuable discoveries for the potential application of RBSDF-BP as natural inhibitors of α-glucosidase. Chemical compounds: Protocatechuic acid (PubChem CID: 72); Malic acid (PubChem CID: 525); Isoferulic acid (PubChem CID: 736186); p-Hydroxybenzoic acid (PubChem CID: 135); Citric acid (PubChem CID: 311), (+)-Catechin (PubChem CID: 9064), Fumaric acid (PubChem CID: 444972), Gallic acid (PubChem CID: 370), Azelaic acid (PubChem CID: 2266), (−)-Epicatechin (PubChem CID: 72276).

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) triggered browning during the storage and processing of Dendrobium officinale flower (DoF), impairing their nutritional and aesthetic qualities. This study aimed to investigate the enzymatic properties and enzymatic browning mechanisms of PPO in DoF, providing a theoretical foundation for developing effective strategies to inhibit enzymatic browning. PPO with high purity was obtained by ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography, further identified by electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS. The PPO exhibited optimal activity at 35 °C and pH 6.5, while ascorbic acid, glutathione, and L-cysteine significantly inhibited its activity and furanones demonstrated potential inhibitory effects. Moreover, caffeic acid, identified as the most active PPO substrate in DoF, was determined to be the primary contributor to browning. Molecular docking revealed that caffeic acid exhibited stronger interactions with PPO compared with other phenolic compounds, which further revealed the substrate selection mechanism of PPO and the molecular basis of DoF browning.

This study systematically evaluated eight amino acids and five organic acids as co-pigments to enhance the color stability of Dendrobium officinale flower juice (DOFJ). Comparative evaluation revealed L-methionine (Met) and caffeic acid as the most effective color stabilizers. At their respective optimal concentrations, Met (0.8 % w/v) demonstrated superior performance than caffeic acid (the anthocyanin-to-caffeic acid ratio of 1:180), significantly reducing color degradation (Delta E < 3.5 after 10 days at 25 degrees C) and improving anthocyanin retention (50.6 %). Dendrobium officinale flower anthocyanins (DOFA) characterization identified cyanidin-3-O-(6-O-malonyl-glucoside) (47.9 %) and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (15.3 %) as the major anthocyanins. FT-IR and XRD confirmed hydrogen bonding between Met and DOFA. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry revealed that the incorporation of Met enhanced the thermal stability of DOFA, likely due to the intermolecular interactions between the two components. Molecular docking further demonstrated that the increased stability of Met-DOFA couplings could be attributed to their intermolecular interactions, mainly through hydrogen bonding. Importantly, electronic nose and GC-MS analyses showed that the addition of Met did not adversely affect DOFJ and that the major flavor compounds remained aldehydes, alcohols and alkenes. These results demonstrated Met functionality as a color stabilizer.

In this study, the morphological and structural characteristics of three types of blueberry wine haze (BWH) were observed by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. Results revealed that BWH exhibited a monolayer stacking structure with individual layer thicknesses of 1.1-1.5 nm. Chemical analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and HPLC-MS identified polyphenols (non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds, notably syringic acid (SA) and quercetin-3-O-galactoside (Q3G)) and proteins (enzymes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae origin represented by polygalacturonase (PG)) as key components. The interaction between PG and SA/Q3G in BWH was investigated by establishing a simulated blueberry wine system and employing fluorescence spectroscopy combined with molecular docking, we demonstrated that the binding between PG and SA/Q3G followed a static quenching mechanism, with hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions driving the formation of the polyphenol-protein complex. This study provides theoretical guidance for further research on the formation mechanism of haze in fruit wines and its reduction.

With the increasing prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases, developing baked goods with functional properties to enhance health benefits is essential. This study developed a modified fermented soluble dietary fiber (FSDF) bread, assessing the impact of added F-SDF on starch, protein, and volatile flavor compounds, alongside potential mechanisms. The results showed that incorporating 1.0% F-SDF effectively enhanced bread quality. Specifically, adding 1.0% F-SDF reduced total starch content (1.59%), specific volume (0.48 mL/g), Delta H (1.65 degrees C), hardness and chewiness compared to the control (CK). Additionally, adding 1.0% F-SDF increased the resistant starch content (1.72%), alpha-helix value (1.74%), relative crystallinity (2.68%), the short-range ordered structure (3.78%), and bound water content of bread. Notably, both F-SDF and unmodified soluble dietary fiber (R-SDF) reduced rapidly digestible starch (RDS) without a significant difference. Furthermore, Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) analysis indicated that F-SDF incorporation introduced new volatile compounds, including Butyraldehyde and 1-Hexanol, while preserving key flavor compounds such as Hexanal and Ethyl acetate. Overall, this study expands the applications of F-SDF in baked goods and offers insights into the development of fiber-rich foods.

Polygonatum cyrtonema, a traditional medicinally edible herb, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory activity. Its primary active components are fermentable polysaccharides, which enhance the proliferation of beneficial gut microbiota. However, the role of the gut microbiota in the anti-inflammatory effects of P. cyrtonema polysaccharides (PCPs) has not been adequately explored, and the mechanisms involved remain largely unelucidated. Our results demonstrated that PCP significantly alleviated DSS-induced colitis symptoms and enhanced beneficial gut microbiota abundance and diversity. Notably, gut microbiota modulated by PCP exhibited a similar capacity to mitigate colitis symptoms. Further mechanistic studies revealed that both PCP and the PCP-modulated gut microbiota improved colitis by inhibiting the overactivation of the NOD2-mediated autophagy-inflammation pathway and reducing the synthesis of the bile acid metabolite LTC4. Importantly, LTC4 levels were positively correlated to the NOD2-autophagy-inflammation pathway. Collectively, our findings identified PCP as a novel prebiotic preserving gut health through microbiota-mediated homeostasis regulation, offering new therapeutic strategies for inflammatory disorders.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is characterized by inflammation and oxidative stress induced by excessive alcohol consumption. It is necessary to find a way to use natural active substances to alleviate the liver damage caused by alcohol. The object of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of pure Polygomatum cyrtonemapolysaccharide (PCP-80%) on ALD, and to explore its possible mechanism from the aspect of oxidative stress, inflammation and intestinal microbiota. The results demonstrated that PCP-80% effectively reduced serum biochemical index level and improved liver disease induced by acute alcohol exposure. Furthermore, PCP-80% showed promising outcomes in mitigating oxidative stress and liver inflammation associated with ALD. This might relate to the inhibition of NF-κB pathway and the activation of Keap1/HO-1 pathway. Additionally,PCP-80% enhanced the intestinal barrier and elevated the levels of propionic acid in the colon contents. It also partially reversed the alcohol-induced disturbances in the intestinal microbiome. Overall, PCP-80% exhibited significant therapeutic potential in alleviating acute alcoholic liver injury by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and relieving disturbances in the intestinal microbiome. These findings presented a novel approach for the treatment of acute alcoholic liver injury, offering prospects for improving disease prognosis.

The occurrence and evolution of colitis can cause prejudicial damage to the intestinal barrier, with studies reporting positive effects of saponins on intestinal inflammation. Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence regarding whether Polygonatum cyrtonema Saponin (PCS) can be employed as a food supplement ingredient to restore the intestinal barrier caused by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Here, the potential repair mechanisms of PCS on the intestinal barrier were intensively investigated via 16 S rRNA sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics techniques. The results showed that PCS intake effectively alleviated symptoms such as weight loss and colonic injury in DSS mice, reduced excessive inflammation, and restored intestinal barrier integrities via diminishing intestinal permeability and enhancing tight junction protein expression. Moreover, 16 S rRNA sequence analysis demonstrated that PCS could ameliorate the DSS-disrupted gut microbiota imbalances, especially restoring the abundance of Lactobacillus. Simultaneously, the favorable regulation of the gut microbiota was further bolstered from the improved short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) profile, with a remarkable improvement in the contents of SCFAs by PCS. In addition, alterations in metabolites caused by the PCS intervention correlated significantly with the gut microbiota and PCS intervention subsequently modulated inflammation-associated metabolic pathways, in terms of amino acid metabolisms, ascorbate and aldarate metabolisms, and pyrimidine metabolisms. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that PCS can effectively mitigate intestinal inflammation, which may offer important perspectives for the preventions and treatments of intestinal disorders.

Considering the high abundance of bound polyphenols (BP) in whole grain dietary fiber (DF), this study utilized multi-omics approach to evaluate the impact of BP of defatted rice bran insoluble DF (RIDF) in modulating obesity. Mice on high-fat diet were gavage-administered RIDF, BP-removed or formulated RIDF. The results indicated that DF significantly reduced serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Moreover, hepatic lipid accumulation and damage induced by high-fat diet were significantly ameliorated with DF intervention. The presence of BP increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria g_Akkermansia and g_Butyricicocus, as well as the expression of butyric acid/propionic acid. Furthermore, the expression of hepatic lipids and lipid-like molecules was significantly decreased under the combined intervention of BP and DF, and this was accompanied by alterations in genes related to lipid, sterol, and cholesterol metabolic biological processes. These findings suggest that BP contribute to the anti-obesity effects of DF.

Bound polyphenols in mung bean coat dietary fiber alleviate ulcerative colitis in mice by protecting intestinal barrier and regulating intestinal flora.

The inhibitory mechanisms of purified bound polyphenols extracted from mung bean coat dietary fiber (pMBDFBP) on porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase (PPA) were investigated through inhibition kinetics, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry and molecular docking. It was shown that pMBDFBP exerted significant reversible inhibition on PPA in a mixed-type inhibition manner (IC50 = 18.57 +/- 0.30 mu g/ mL), and the combination of the three major components exhibited a synergistic inhibitory effect on PPA. Further, pMBDF-BP bound to the active site or form a polyphenol-enzyme complex at the inactive site through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic forces, via enhancing the hydrophobicity of the microenvironment surrounding tryptophan and tyrosine residues and promoting the secondary structure of PPA towards a more stable conformation, eventually reducing the enzyme activity. This study provided theoretical evidences for the utilization of bound polyphenols extracted from mung bean coat dietary fiber as a functional component in natural inhibitors of alpha-amylase.

The impact of different forms of dietary fiber (total, insoluble or soluble) derived from the same source on health remains incompletely understood. In this study, the effects of total, insoluble, and soluble dietary fiber extracted from highland barley (HDF, HIDF, and HSDF) on combating obesity were evaluated and compared. A high-fat diet (HFD) was used to induce obesity in a murine model, followed by gavage administration of HDF, HIDF, or HSDF, and a comprehensive multi-omics approach was utilized to assess and compare the effects of these dietary fibers on obesity-related parameters. The results showed that all three dietary fibers significantly reduced body weight, modified blood lipid profiles, and ameliorated tissue damage in HFD-fed mice. Additionally, 16S rRNA sequencing analysis of mice feces showed that three types of dietary fiber exerted varying degrees of impact on the composition and abundance of gut microbiota while simultaneously promoting the biosynthesis of short-chain fatty acids. Specifically, HDF supplementation remarkably enhanced the abundance of Coprococcus, while HIDF and HSDF supplementation elevated the levels of Akkermansia and Allobaculum, respectively. Transcriptomic and proteomic results suggested the PPAR signaling pathway as a central regulatory mechanism influenced by these fibers. HDF and HIDF were particularly effective in modulating biological processes related to triglyceride and fatty acid metabolism, identifying Abcc3 and Dapk1 as potential targets. Conversely, HSDF primarily affected processes related to membrane lipids, ceramides, and phospholipids metabolism, with Pck1 identified as a potential target. Collectively, HDF, HIDF, and HSDF demonstrated distinct mechanisms in exerting exceptional anti-obesity properties. These insights may inform the development of personalized dietary interventions for obesity.