Structural characterization of the exopolysaccharide produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JM033 and evaluation of its ability to regulate immunity and intestinal flora

The probiotic strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JM033 (B. amyloliquefaciens JM033), isolated from the traditional Chinese fermented food Sufu (also known as Fu-ru or fermented bean curd), is distinguished by its high production of exopolysaccharides (EPS). The EPS (BAP-1) produced by this strain was purified and its structure analyzed. BAP-1 is a novel hybrid fructan with a molecular weight of 17.6 kDa. It is composed of →6)-β-D-Fruf-(2 → and →1,6)-β-D-Fruf-(2→, which form the backbone, with a branched chain of β-D-Fruf-(2 → attached at the 1-position of residue B. In vivo studies on mice indicated that BAP-1 improves immunity in immunosuppressed mice by enhancing humoral immunity (P < 0.01), monocyte-macrophage phagocytosis (P < 0.01), and NK cell killing activity (P < 0.05). Additionally, BAP-1 was found to improve the composition of the intestinal microbiota and stimulate the production of short-chain fatty acids. Notably, BAP-1 exhibited a significant effect on the proliferation of Akkermansia. Therefore, BAP-1 shows promise as a prebiotic and may contribute to the development of new immunomodulatory agents.