Digestion characteristics of jujube polysaccharide and its regulatory effect on intestinal microbiota and metabolites during in vitro fermentation

Polysaccharides, a vital bioactive component of jujube ( Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), have shown considerable promise in enhancing studies on and the development of functional foods. In this paper, an in vitro digestive fermentation model was developed to explore the unique structural features, fermentation kinetics in feces, and effects on the gut microbiome and metabolic by-products of jujube polysaccharide (PZMP2). The results demonstrated that the digested PZMP2 was predominantly comprised of seven monosaccharides, with a relative molecular mass of 61.8 kDa. The overall concentration of total sugar, total reduction sugar and pH decreased while SCFAs increased significantly due to the utilization of PZMP2 after 48 h of fermentation. Furthermore, PZMP2 has been shown to stimulate the expansion of beneficial gut bacteria, particularly Firmicutes , Phascolarctobacterium , and Lachnoclostridium , while concurrently suppressing the growth of detrimental microbial species, such as Proteobacteria , Klebsiella , and Escherichia-Shigella . Bioinformatics analysis showed that PZMP2 could regulate host health through bile acid and amino acid metabolisms. In conclusion, PZMP2 functions as an intrinsic prebiotic factor that influences the equilibrium of intestinal microbiota and alters the profile of metabolic byproducts, and hence exerts a significant influence on the intestinal microbial environment. • PZMP2 was partially degraded during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. • PZMP2 increases SCFAs levels in faeces from healthy people. • PZMP2 has different effects on gut microorganisms and metabolites. • PZMP2 has potential prebiotic activity and could be used as functional food.