Polysaccharide from wild morels alters the spatial structure of gut microbiota and the production of short-chain fatty acids in mice

Abstract

Polysaccharides from morels possess many characteristics beneficial to health, such as anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities. The gut microbiota plays a critical role in the modulation of immune function. However, the impact of morel polysaccharides on the gut microbiota has not yet been explored. In this study, a high-throughput pyrosequencing technique was used to investigate the effects of MP, a new heteropolysaccharide extracted from wild morels, on the diversity and composition of microbiota along the intestine in mice, as well as the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The results showed that MP treatment increased the number of operational taxonomic unit (OTUs) and diversity along the intestine, especially in the small intestine. MP treatment induced a significant decrease in the number of Firmicutes and a significant increase in the number of Bacteroidetes in the small intestine microbiota. It was also observed that the relative abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria, especially Lachnospiraceae , was increased in both the cecum and colon of MP-treated mice. Moreover, MP promoted the production of SCFAs in mice. These results provide a foundation for further understanding the health benefits conferred by morel polysaccharides.

Cultivation, nutritional value, bioactive compounds of morels, and their health benefits: A systematic review

“…Bioactive compounds of morels mostly include polysaccharides, phenolics, tocopherols, and ergosterols (42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47). Previous studies demonstrated that morels provided a wide range of health benefits not only due to the nutrient profile, but also the bioactive compounds (26,32,48).…”

“…As described above, some health-promoting effects including anti-cancer, gut health protection and immunoregulation are ascribed to polysaccharides (47,49,53). Therefore, the polysaccharides in morels can be potential functional ingredients that have wide applications on food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical preparations.…”

“…The maintenance of balanced gut microbiota is positively associated with the prevention of many chronic diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, CVD, and cancer (47,49). The investigation of morel polysaccharides and gut health has been a popular trend in recent years.…”

Herbal Medicine, Gut Microbiota, and COVID-19

“…The intestinal flora mainly depends on the intestinal nutrients to survive and participate in the metabolism of nutrients ( Guarner and Malagelada, 2003 ). Some polysaccharides and other ingredients in herbal medicine can be metabolized by bacteria into short-chain fatty acids (SFCA)( Rechkemmer et al, 1988 ; Huo et al, 2020 ), including butyric acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, etc. Among them, butyric acid is helpful for the repair of intestinal mucosa and the prognosis of sepsis.…”

Isolation, Characterization, and Medicinal Potential of Polysaccharides of Morchella esculenta

“…The methanolic extract from the mushrooms has potent antioxidant properties and antibacterial activities against different bacteria [ 17 ]. It has been observed that the utilization of Morchella esculenta polysaccharides as a food in mice increased the useful gut microbiota as well as the short-chain fatty acids in the body [ 18 ]. A 43.6 kDa purified polysaccharide from M. esculenta was shown to contain glucose, mannose, galactose, and arabinose as the monomer units [ 19 ].…”