Rheological properties of a neutral polysaccharide extracted from maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) roots with prebiotic and anti-inflammatory activities

Gut microbiota modulation, prebiotic and bioactive characteristics of date pomace polysaccharides extracted by microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent

This study investigated the characteristics of polysaccharides from date pomace using microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvents. The impact on the gut microbiota and probiotics growth was examined in vitro. The study also examined its antioxidant properties, ability to inhibit enzymes linked to diabetes and high blood pressure, impact on cell growth, and physical properties. The isolated MPS had an average molecular weight of 8073.38 kDa and contained mannose, galacturonic acid, galactose, glucose, and fructose in specific proportions. At a concentration of 1000 mg/L, MPS showed strong antioxidant activity, with significant scavenging rates in various tests such as DPPH (57.0 ± 1.05 %) and ABTS (66.4 ± 2.48 %). MPS displayed 77 %, 80 %, and 43 % inhibition for α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE-inhibition, respectively. MPS displayed significant antiproliferative effects, achieving 100 % and 99 % inhibition against Caco-2 and MCF-7 cells at 2500 mg/L, respectively. MPS showed broad-spectrum antibacterial properties against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative foodborne bacteria. Gemmiger formicilis, Blautia species, Collinsella aerofaciens, and Bifidobacterium longum showed strong positive correlations, suggesting increased SCFA production. Network analysis indicated species correlations, with 86 % showing negative correlations with Escherichia and Enterococcus saccharolyticus. MPS was abundant in Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria phyla. Date pomace could serve as a dietary fiber source, promoting better health.

Biopolymers as Seed-Coating Agent to Enhance Microbially Induced Tolerance of Barley to Phytopathogens

Infections of agricultural crops caused by pathogen ic fungi are among the most widespread and harmful, as they not only reduce the quantity of the harvest but also significantly deteriorate its quality. This study aims to develop unique seed-coating formulations incorporating biopolymers (polyhydroxyalkanoate and pullulan) and beneficial microorganisms for plant protection against phytopathogens. A microbial association of biocompatible endophytic bacteria has been created, including Pseudomonas flavescens D5, Bacillus aerophilus A2, Serratia proteamaculans B5, and Pseudomonas putida D7. These strains exhibited agronomically valuable properties: synthesis of the phytohormone IAA (from 45.2 to 69.2 µg mL-1), antagonistic activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani (growth inhibition zones from 1.8 to 3.0 cm), halotolerance (5-15% NaCl), and PHA production (2.77-4.54 g L-1). A pullulan synthesized by Aureobasidium pullulans C7 showed a low viscosity rate (from 395 Pa·s to 598 Pa·s) depending on the concentration of polysaccharide solutions. Therefore, at 8.0%, w/v concentration, viscosity virtually remained unchanged with increasing shear rate, indicating that it exhibits Newtonian flow behavior. The effectiveness of various antifungal seed coating formulations has been demonstrated to enhance the tolerance of barley plants to phytopathogens.

Arabinose confers protection against intestinal injury by improving integrity of intestinal mucosal barrier

There is a growing amount of research that highlights the significant involvement of metabolic imbalance and the inflammatory response in the advancement of colitis. Arabinose is a naturally occurring bioactive monosaccharide that plays a crucial role in the metabolic processes and synthesis of many compounds in living organisms. However, the more detailed molecular mechanism by which the administration of arabinose alleviates the progression of colitis and its associated carcinogenesis is still not fully understood. In the present study, arabinose is recognized as a significant and inherent protector of the intestinal mucosal barrier through its role in preserving the integrity of tight junctions within the intestines. Also, it is important to note that there is a positive correlation between the severity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC), as well as chemically-induced colitis in mice, and lower levels of arabinose in the bloodstream. In two mouse models of colitis, caused by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or by spontaneous colitis in IL-10-/- mice, damage to the intestinal mucosa was reduced by giving the mice arabinose. When arabinose is administrated to model with colitis, it sets off a chain of events that help keep the lysosomes together and stop cathepsin B from being released. During the progression of intestinal epithelial injury, this process blocks myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) from damaging tight junctions and causing mitochondrial dysfunction. In summary, the results of the study have provided evidence supporting the beneficial effects of arabinose in mitigating the progression of colitis. This is achieved through its ability to avoid dysregulation of the intestinal barrier. Consequently, arabinose may hold promise as a therapeutic supplementation for the management of colitis.

The maca protein ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in mice by modulating the gut microbiota and production of SCFAs

Maca is a functional food with anti-inflammatory activity, and it is rich in protein. Currently, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common gastrointestinal disease. However, there is little research focusing on the effect of maca protein (MCP) on IBD. In this study, we extracted MCP from maca root and explored its effect and mechanism on improving dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced IBD in mice. The results indicated that MCP intervention alleviated the clinical symptoms and colon tissue damage of mice with DSS-induced colitis and inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors. Moreover, it can modulate the gut microbiota composition in mice with DSS-induced colitis. The regulation is achieved by reducing the relative abundance of the IBD-exacerbating key bacterial genera: Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Bacteroides, Desulfovibrio, Prevotella, Helicobacter and Sutterella, while increasing the relative abundance of the IBD-alleviating key bacterial genera: norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Lactobacillus, Oscillospira, Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium. MCP can also promote the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The further western blotting results indicated that MCP can regulate the Treg/Th17 immune balance in mice with colitis via the SCFAs-GPR41/43/HDAC1 signaling pathway. Overall, MCP can alleviate colitis by comprehensively regulating the gut microbiota and inflammatory response. It may be a promising functional component that reduces the risk of colitis by maintaining intestinal health.

Gelling and rheological properties of a polysaccharide extracted from Ocimum album L. seed

In this study, a new polysaccharide was isolated from Ocimum album L. seed (OA), and its physicochemical and rheological properties were investigated. Ocimum album polysaccharide (OAP) was an acidic heteropolysaccharide with a molecular weight of 1935 kDa, and it was composed of five types of sugars: mannose (32.95 %), glucose (27.57 %), galactose (19.29 %), rhamnose, (15.96 %) and galacturonic acid (4.23 %). According to the results obtained from Huggins and Kraemer equations, the intrinsic viscosity was 6.9 dL/g in distilled water. The OAP solutions at a concentration between 0.1 and 1.5 %, showed shear-thinning behavior, and the Herschel-Bulkley and Cross models exhibited a high ability to describe the flow behavior of OAP solutions. The apparent viscosity of 1 % OAP solution was decreased in the presence of different concentrations of NaCl (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 M), at different pHs (3-11), and in temperatures between 5 and 100 °C. Also, the pseudoplastic behavior was observed in all samples. In OAP solutions (0.1-1.5 %), the up and down curves in the shear stress-shear rate diagram did not coincide, which indicated time-dependent (thixotropic) behavior. Although, the thixotropic properties of 1 % OAP solution were weakened with adding NaCl (0.1-0.5 M) and at different pH (3-11). The results obtained from the dynamic oscillatory test showed that the OAP solutions at concentrations higher than 0.1 % had a gel-like behavior, and the viscoelastic moduli (G' and G″) were weakened in the presence of salt and with a change in pH. Also, in the temperature sweep test, the 1 % solution showed the behavior of thermally irreversible gels.

Pectin from sunflower by-products obtained by ultrasound: Chemical characterization and in vivo evaluation of properties in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a public health challenge and the use of pectin for symptom amelioration is a promising option. In this work, sunflower pectin has been extracted without (CHP) and with assistance of ultrasound (USP) using sodium citrate as a food-grade extracting agent. At optimal conditions (64 °C, 23 min) the highest yield was obtained with ultrasound application (15.5 vs. 8.1 %). Both pectins were structurally characterized by 1H NMR, HPSEC-ELSD, FT-IR and GC-FID. Unlike CHP, USP showed a lower molecular weight, higher galacturonic acid, lower degree of methyl-esterification and, overall, higher viscosity. These characteristics could affect the anti-inflammatory activity of pectins, evaluated using DSS-induced IBD model mice. So, USP promoted the defence (ICAM-1) and repair of the gastrointestinal mucosa (TFF3, ZO-1) more effectively than CHP. These results demonstrate the potential amelioration of acute colitis in IBD mice through USP supplementation. Taking into account the biomarkers analysed, these results demonstrate, for the first time, the positive impact of sunflower pectin extracted by ultrasound under very soft conditions on inflammatory bowel disease that might open up new possibilities in the treatment of this serious pathology.

Extraction of polysaccharides from Maca enhances the treatment effect of 5-FU by regulating CD4+T cells

In our previous studies, we used a graded alcohol precipitation method to extract four maca polysaccharide components (MCP1, MCP2, MCP3, and MCP4) from maca with various molecular weights. Compared to other three components, MCP2 had stronger immunoregulatory abilities on CD4⁺T cells. To avoid the immunosuppressive effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), maca polysaccharides in combination with 5-FU treatment were investigated in this study. The results show that 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg MCP2 could significantly delay the growth of tumor and enhance the anti-tumor effect of 5-FU in vivo. Furthermore, MCP2 can partly recover the proliferation of CD4⁺T cells after being suppressed by 5-FU in vitro. Additionally, in order to explore the mechanism in which MCP2 acts on CD4⁺T cells, the MCP2 is marked with FITC fluorescence and synthesis MCP2-Tyr-FITC for the first time. Confocal microscope results show that MCP2-Tyr-FITC can directly bind to the surface of CD4⁺T cells. Together, our work demonstrates that maca polysaccharides could enhance the anti-tumor effect when combined with 5-FU by regulating CD4⁺T cells, suggesting a novel potential immunomodulator in tumor therapy.

Isolation, structure elucidation, and biological activity of polysaccharides from Saussurea involucrata

The optimum extraction condition for the Saussurea involucrata polysaccharide (SIP) was determined to be a temperature of 80 °C, time 2 h, and a liquid-solid ratio of 30 mL/g with a yield of 11.37 %. An acidic homogenous polysaccharide, namely SIP-II was isolated from Saussurea involucrate through anion exchange and gel permeation column chromatography. The structure of the SIP-II was elucidated through the combination of HPLC, GC-MS, IC, peroxide oxidation, smith degradation, methylation, NMR analysis, it was mainly composed of arabinose, rhamnose, galactose, galacturonic acid, and glucose with the molar ratio of 19.85:20.30: 27.12:11.95:8.69 with a molecular weight of 237,570 Da. The glycosidic linkages of SIP-II mainly composed of →1)-α-L-Rhap-(2→, T-Araf, →1)-β-D-GalpA-(4→, →1)-β-D-Galp-(3,6→, →1)-β-D-Galp-(6→, →1)-α-L-Rhap-(2,4→, T-Galp, and →1)-α-L-Araf-(5→. Meanwhile, the structures were characterized through extensive analysis of UV, FT-IR, SEM-EDX, CD, XRD, and TG. SIP-II possessed a remarkable anti-inflammatory activity by effectively inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammation-related mediators in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, and the anti-inflammatory response of SIP-II might be attributed to the regulation of the NF-κB, MAPK and JAK/STAT pathways. The results showed that polysaccharides from Saussurea involucrate could be a potential ingredient in the functional food and pharmaceutical industry.

Pharmaceutical Potential of High-Altitude Plants for Fatigue-Related Disorders: A Review

Natural plants from plateaus have been the richest source of secondary metabolites extensively used in traditional and modern health care systems. They were submitted to years of natural selection, co-evolved within that habitat, and show significant anti-fatigue-related pharmacological effects. However, currently, no review on high-altitude plants with anti-fatigue related properties has been published yet. This study summarized several Chinese traditional high-altitude plants, including Rhodiola rosea L., Crocus sativus L., Lepidium meyenii W., Hippophaerhamnoides L., which are widely used in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and surrounding mountains, as well as herbal markets in the plains. Based on phytopharmacology studies, deeper questions can be further revealed regarding how these plants regulate fatigue and related mental or physical disease conditions. Many active derivatives in high-altitude medical plants show therapeutic potential for the management of fatigue and related disorders. Therefore, high-altitude plants significantly relieve central or peripheral fatigue by acting as neuroprotective agents, energy supplements, metabolism regulators, antioxidant, and inflammatory response inhibitors. Their applications on the highland or flatland and prospects in natural medicine are further forecast, which may open treatments to reduce or prevent fatigue-related disorders in populations with sub-optimal health.

Rheological properties of polysaccharides from Pholiota nameko with different temperature extraction: Concentration, pH, temperature, and saltion

Cold and hot water extracted polysaccharides (CW-PNPs and HW-PNPs) were isolated from Pholiota nameko. The rheological properties of PNPs were investigated by steady shear and oscillatory rheological measurements. The PNPs exhibited typical non-Newtonian and shear-thinning behavior, which are affected by PNP concentration, temperature, pH value, salt ion, and concentration. Specifically, the apparent viscosity of the two PNPs solutions at concentration of 1% (w/w) was shown as HW-PNPs > CW-PNPs. The apparent viscosity of PNPs decreases under acidic and alkaline conditions and when the temperature rises; K⁺ and Na⁺ cause the apparent viscosity of CW-PNPs to decrease, while Ca²⁺ and Al³⁺ are opposite. The addition of four different salt ions all caused the apparent viscosity of the HW-PNPs to decrease. The results of dynamic rheological experiments show that G' and G″ showed slightly frequency dependency with G' exceeding G″ throughout the accessible range of frequency for CW-PNPs and HW-PNPs.

The structure-activity mechanism of the changes in the physicochemical properties of Flammulina velutipes polysaccharides during ultrasonic extraction

BACKGROUND

The high yield of ultrasonic extraction has been widely studied. However, the effects of ultrasound on the properties of products has generally been ignored. In this study, the structural characteristics, rheological properties, and thermal stability of Flammulina velutipes polysaccharides (FVPs) under different ultrasonic power (200, 600, 1000 W) and time (10, 20, 30 min) were investigated to explore the effects of ultrasonic extraction on FVPs and the structure-physicochemical properties relationship. The ultrasonic intensity at the corresponding rated power was also measured.

RESULTS

The results showed that the molecular weight, particle size, and zeta potential of FVPs decreased as the ultrasonic intensity or time increased. The galactose, mannose, and fucose contents were increased, but the glucose content was decreased by ultrasonic extraction. Viscosity and weak gel strength were positively correlated with molecular weight. Thermal degradation enthalpy was positively correlated with the galactose and fucose contents.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound reduced the viscosity and gel strength of FVPs by breaking the polysaccharide chain and improving the galactose and fucose contents, which improved the thermal stability of FVPs. This work provides a theoretical basis for the development of FVP foods with a clear structure-function relationship, which makes it possible to directionally produce FVPs by adjusting ultrasonic parameters during extraction. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

The potential roles of natural plant polysaccharides in inflammatory bowel disease: A review

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a long-term chronic disease, about 20% of IBD patients deteriorate to colorectal cancer. Currently, there is no radical cure for IBD. Natural plant polysaccharides (NPP) have low toxic and side effects, which have immune and prebiotic activities and possesses positive effect on alleviating IBD. In this review, we will focus on the alleviating effect of NPP on IBD in vitro and in vivo from three aspects: regulating intestinal flora imbalance, repairing intestinal barrier injury and improving immunity. The relationship between the chemical structure of natural plant polysaccharides and the therapeutic effect of IBD are highlighted. Finally, the synergistic role of NPP as a carrier of drugs or active molecules to reduce side effects and enhance targeting function are discussed, especially pectic polysaccharides. Broadly, this review provides a valuable reference for NPP to be developed as functional food or health products to alleviate IBD.

Comparison between the Biological Active Compounds in Plants with Adaptogenic Properties (Rhaponticum carthamoides, Lepidium meyenii, Eleutherococcus senticosus and Panax ginseng)

BACKGROUND

In the 1960s, research into plant adaptogens began. Plants with adaptogenic properties have rich phytochemical compositions and have been used by humanity since ancient times. However, it is not still clear whether the adaptogenic properties are because of specific compounds or because of the whole plant extracts. The aim of this review is to compare the bioactive compounds in the different parts of these plants.

METHODS

The search strategy was based on studies related to the isolation of bioactive compounds from Rhaponticum carthamoides, Lepidium meyenii, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Panax ginseng. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed.

RESULTS

This review includes data from 259 articles. The phytochemicals isolated from Rhaponticum carthamoides, Lepidium meyenii, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Panax ginseng were described and classified in several categories.

CONCLUSIONS

Plant species have always played an important role in drug discovery because their effectiveness is based on the hundreds of years of experience with folk medicine in different nations. In our view, there is great potential in the near future for some of the phytochemicals found in these plants species to become pharmaceutical agents.

Chemical elucidation and rheological properties of a pectic polysaccharide extracted from Citrus medica L. fruit residues by gradient ethanol precipitation

Citron (Citrus. medica L.) fruits are commonly utilized in the production of essential oil, therefore, the fruits residues turn out to be industrial byproducts. In the present study, a crude polysaccharide was extracted from citron fruit residues by hot water extraction and precipitation of ethanol (95%), after deproteinization, a major polysaccharide component (CMLP-2) was obtained by gradient ethanol precipitation (20%-80%). The physicochemical properties of CMLP-2 such as surface morphology, functional groups, and thermostability were examined by FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM, and thermogravimetric analysis. Moreover, the chemical structure of CMLP-2 was elucidated that CMLP-2 is an acidic pectic polysaccharide consisting of arabinose (Ara), galacturonic acid (GalA), and rhamnose (Rha) in a molar ratio of 4:2:1 with a molecular weight of 202.18 kDa. CMLP-2 is a novel pectic polysaccharide rich in rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I). Moreover, rheological tests revealed that CMLP-2 solution is pseudoplastic and temperature resistant. The result could be a good basis for the utilization of Citrus medica L. fruits residues as plant-derived food additive.

Physicochemical properties, structural characterization and biological activities of polysaccharides from quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) seeds

In this paper, membrane separation technology was employed to separate polysaccharide fractions from the water extract of quinoa seeds. The chemical composition, structure characteristic and morphology were analyzed by chemical methods and instrumental analysis including HPLC-DAD, UV, FT-IR, Congo red test, SEM, AFM, XRD, TGA and NMR. Results indicated that three polysaccharide fractions named as QPs-I, QPs-II and QPs-III were successfully separated using microfiltration and ultrafiltration membrane with MWCO of 300 and 10 kDa in sequence. The Mw and polysaccharide content of three fractions were QPs-I (4609 Da, 33.75%), QPs-II (15,932 Da, 45.31%) and QPs-III (960,895 Da, 34.65%), respectively. The polysaccharide in three fractions was heteropolysaccharide that mainly consisted of glucose, galactose and arabinose, with their combined monosaccharide percentage being 91.17% in QPs-I, 87.81% in QPs-II, and 91.72% in QPs-III, respectively. All three polysaccharide fractions contained triple-helix structure. Biological experiment showed that antioxidant and antidiabetic activities in dose-dependent manners and also revealed immunoregulatory activity on RAW264.7 cells. These results indicated that QPs has the potential to be used in a natural agent in antioxidant, antidiabetic and immunoregulation functional food.

Polysaccharide extracted from Althaea officinalis L. root: New studies of structural, rheological and antioxidant properties

A water-soluble acidic polysaccharide (AOP-2) from Althaea officinalis L. root was isolated by water extraction and purified by ion exchange chromatography (Cellulose DEAE-52) and gel filtration (Sephadex G-200). The structure characteristics of AOP-2 was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC_MS). The results indicated that the AOP-2 was an acidic hetropolysaccharide with the molecular weight of 639.27 kDa. The AOP-2 composed of 51% galacturonic acid, 32.56% rhamnose, 12.73% glucose and 3.71% galactose. It could be found that the main backbone chain of AOP-2 consisted of →3)-α-D-GalpA-(1→, →3)-α-D-Rhap-(1→ and→3,4)-β-D-Galp-(1→ with branches of →4)-α-D-Rhap-(1→, →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→ and α-D-Rhap-(1 → . Thermal analysis revealed that the AOP-2 had high thermal stability and according to the results obtained from XRD analysis, it had a semi-crystalline structure. The results of Steady-shear flow and dynamical viscoelasticity showed that AOP-2 solutions exhibited shear-thinning behavior with high viscosity and a weak gel-like behavior at concentrations above 1% in linear viscoelastic region. In addition, it showed relatively high antioxidant property.

Effects of maca (Lepidium meyenii) on nutrient digestibility and major nutrient transporters in rats fed a high-fat diet

SCOPE

This study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of a new combination of root extracts of the Lepidium meyenii (maca) plant, known for its nutritional and energizing features as well as its antioxidant properties, on nutrient digestibility and nutrient transporters expression.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 28 Sprague-Dawley rats (8-week-old) were divided into four groups: (i) control, (ii) Lepidium m., (iii) high-fat diet (HFD), and (iv) HFD+Lepidium m. Maca was given to the rats as a powdered combination of the plant roots with a daily dose of 40 mg per kg BW. Maca administration significantly increased the digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and ether extract (EE), and some nutrient transporter (Pept1/2, Fatp1, Glut1/2, and Sglt1)-expressions compared with non-treated control and HFD groups in the jejunum and ileum tissues (p < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Maca supplementation improved the digestibility of nutrients and expressions of nutrient transporters in the small intestine of the rats. These results indicate the positive communication between maca consumption and nutrient absorption in the small intestines of the animals.

A polysaccharide from Lignosus rhinocerotis sclerotia: Self-healing properties and the effect of temperature on its rheological behavior

This work investigated the self-healing properties of Lignosus rhinocerotis polysaccharide (LRP) and the effect of temperature on its rheological behavior. Dynamic sweep tests (strain sweep, frequency sweep, and time sweep) showed that the LRP/water system possessed self-healing properties due to the entangled network formed by hyperbranched LRP molecular chains. The flow activation energy of LRP solution calculated by Arrhenius equation was shown to decrease with increasing LRP concentration, indicating that LRP solution at higher concentration was less sensitive to temperature. Temperature ramp test exhibited that LRP had a glass transition temperature (T_g) determined as 49.35 °C and the temperature effect was irreversible. Microrheological test revealed that the LRP aqueous solution can form a gel at room temperature with the concentration ≥ 20 mg/mL. This work provided a theoretical basis for the development of LRP-based self-healing materials and facilitated a deep understanding of the temperature effect on rheological behavior of LRP.

Regulation effects of indigestible dietary polysaccharides on intestinal microflora: An overview

The human intestinal contains rich and diverse microbiota that utilizes a variety of polysaccharides. The intestinal microflora extends the metabolic functions of the body, obtaining energy from indigestible dietary polysaccharides. It is not only a highly competitive environment but also a comprehensive collaboration for these polysaccharides, as the microbiota work to maximize the energy harvested from them through the intestine. Indigestible dietary polysaccharides help to manage colon health and host health by affecting the gut microbial population. These polysaccharides also influence the metabolic activity of the intestinal microbiota by stimulating the formation of SCFAs. Most of these metabolic activities affect host physiology because the epithelium absorbs secondary metabolites and end products or transports them to the liver, where they could exert other beneficial effects. This article reviews the carbohydrates existing in the human intestine, the regulating actions of indigestible polysaccharides on intestinal microflora, and the molecular basis of the degradation process of these polysaccharides. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Large deals of researches have shown that indigestible polysaccharides possess an outstanding regulation effect on the intestinal microflora, which indicates that indigestible polysaccharides have the potential to be used as prebiotics in the functional food and pharmaceutical industries. However, it is not clear how gut microbiota metabolizes these dietary polysaccharides, and how the resulting gut metabolites may further affect the intestinal microflora population and metabolism. This paper reviews the indigestible dietary polysaccharides existing in the human intestine, the regulation of polysaccharides on gut microbiota, and the molecular basis of the degradation process of these polysaccharides. This review helps to better understand the relationship between indigestible dietary polysaccharides and intestinal microflora, which will provide powerful evidence for the potential use of these polysaccharides as functional foods.