A73 DIETARY FIBRE IMPROVES INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL BARRIER FUNCTION THROUGH TLR4 ACTIVATION

Background: The beneficial effects of dietary fibre have been recognized for many years. These complex polysaccharides are indigestible and fermented by gut microbiota, promoting advantageous effects to intestinal mucosa indirectly. Polysaccharides also have direct effects on intestinal epithelial barrier function and we have previous shown that rhamnogalacturonan (RGal), a polysaccharide isolated from the plant Acmella oleracea, promotes barrier function in human colonic epithelial Caco-2 cells. However, the underlying mechanism of action of RGal remains unclear.