Exploring the Prebiotic Potentials of Hydrolyzed Pectins: Mechanisms of Action and Gut Microbiota Modulation

The intestinal microbiota is a complex ecosystem where the microbial community (including bacteria) can metabolize available substrates via metabolic pathways specific to each species, often related in symbiotic relations. As a consequence of using available substrates and microbial growth, specific beneficial metabolites can be produced. When this reflects the health benefits for the host, these substrates can be categorized as prebiotics. Given that most prebiotic candidates must have a low molecular weight to be further metabolized by the microbiota, the role in the preliminary biological pretreatment is crucial. To provide proper substrates to the intestinal microbiota, a strategy could be to decrease the complexity of polysaccharides and reduce the levels of polymerization to low molecular weight for the target molecules, driving better solubilization and the consequent metabolic use by intestinal bacteria. When high molecular weight pectin is degraded (partially depolymerized), its solubility increases, thereby improving its utilization by gut microbiota. With regards to application, prebiotics have well-documented advantages when applied as food additives, as they improve gut health and can enhance drug effects, all shown by in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials. In this review, we aim to provide systematic evidence for the mechanisms of action and the modulation of gut microbiota by the pectin-derived oligosaccharides produced by decreasing overall molecular weight after physical and/or chemical treatments and to compare with other types of prebiotics.