Exopolysaccharide from Lactobacillus rhamnosus ZFM231 alleviates DSS‐induced colitis in mice by regulating gut microbiota

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 102; no. 15; pp. 7087 - 7097
• Main Authors: Wan, Cheng, Qian, Wen‐Wen, Liu, Wei, Pi, Xionge, Tang, Meng‐Ting, Wang, Xiao‐Lin, Gu, Qing, Li, Ping, Zhou, Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-12-2022; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Anticancer properties; Antitumor activity; Butyric acid; Dextran; Dextran sulfate; Dextrans; Digestive system; DSS‐induced colitis; exopolysaccharide; Exopolysaccharides; Fatty acids; Flora; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; Gastrointestinal tract; Growth factors; gut microbiota; Homeostasis; Immunoregulation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Lactobacilli; Lactobacillus rhamnosus; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Probiotics; Propionic acid; short‐chain fatty acid; Ulcerative colitis; Weight loss; exopolysaccharide; short-chain fatty acid; DSS-induced colitis; Lactobacillus rhamnosus; gut microbiota
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.12070

BACKGROUND
The exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by Lactobacillus and other probiotics are associated with many benefits, such as immune regulation, antioxidant properties, antitumor effect, and regulation of intestinal microbe homeostasis. In the present study, the modulatory effect of EPS produced by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ZFM231 on the intestinal flora of mice with inflammatory bowel disease induced by dextran sulfate solution was investigated.
RESULTS
Results indicated that weight loss, colonic length, the disease activity index score and colonic tissue damage in mice were significantly improved by EPS treatment. Compared with the model group, in the EPS‐treated group, the diversity of and the composition of gut microbiota at both phylum and genus levels were found to recover to the levels of normal group, indicating the effective modulation on gut microbiota by EPS; short‐chain fatty acids, including acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid produced by intestinal microbial metabolism, increased significantly; the level of anti‐inflammatory factor transforning growth factor‐β significantly increased and the level of pro‐inflammatory factor tumor necrosis factor‐α significantly decreased in the colonic cells of EPS‐treated mice.
CONCLUSION
It is clear that EPS produced by L. rhamnosus ZFM231 could find application in functional foods with the property of anti‐ulcerative colitis. The experimental results provide new insights into the probiotic effect of EPS. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.