Non‐Starch Purple Sweet Potato Polysaccharide Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharides‐Induced Acute Colitis by Regulating Gut Function and Inactivating the NOD‐Like Receptor Protein 3 Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT The incidence of ulcerative colitis is increasing annually, impacting the daily work, studies, and overall health of people across all age groups. Non‐starch purple sweet potato polysaccharides (PSPs) are highly pharmacologically active components isolated from purple sweet potato and offer various health benefits and exhibit anti‐inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo. However, the anti‐colitis mechanism of purified PSP targeting the gut and its association with the NOD‐like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome have not been completely explored. In this work, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of PSP on lipopolysaccharide‐induced ulcerative colitis in mice and explore its possible mechanism under a systemic LPS induction. It was found that PSP contained mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, and xylose at a molar ratio of 2.0:1.0:29.0:100.0:2.0:1.0 and can effectively alleviate weight loss and colitis, and the higher the concentration of PSP, the better the inhibitory effect. Besides, PSP dose‐dependently decreased the accumulation of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, enhanced the expression of antioxidant enzymes in serum, and improved the amino acid content in the intestine. Mechanistic explorations revealed that PSP exerted anti‐colitis effects by modulating gut microbiota composition, short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) secretion, and intestinal barrier protein expression, as well as inactivating NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, with the 800 mg/kg PSP group demonstrating the most evident effects. These findings indicated that PSP may be a potential agent for the administration of inflammation‐related pathophysiological processes and disorders.