Guar Gum β-Manno-Oligosaccharides Alleviate Ulcerative Colitis in Mice Models via Gut Microflora Modulation.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Microbiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by gut dysbiosis.
• Microbiota-directed therapies, including prebiotic supplements, show promise in restoring gut health and alleviating UC symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of prebiotic guar gum β-manno-oligosaccharides (GG-β-MOS) in ameliorating dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in a mouse model.
• To evaluate the impact of GG-β-MOS on gut microflora composition, microflora-associated characteristics (MACs), and inflammatory markers.

Main Methods:

• Adult male C57BL/6 mice were administered DSS to induce colitis.
• Mice were treated with varying doses of GG-β-MOS (500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg).
• Evaluated parameters included food/water intake, disease activity index (DAI), histopathology, cytokine levels, MACs, and gut microbiota profiling.

Main Results:

• GG-β-MOS significantly attenuated colonic inflammation and reduced inflammatory proteins.
• Supplementation improved the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and promoted the growth of probiotics like *Lactobacillus* and *Bifidobacteria*.
• GG-β-MOS enriched beneficial bacteria, correlating positively with anti-inflammatory metabolites and negatively with pro-inflammatory ones.

Conclusions:

• GG-β-MOS supplementation effectively restored altered gut microflora and metabolome in a DSS-induced ulcerative colitis mouse model.
• These changes led to improved mucosal repair and reduced intestinal inflammation.
• GG-β-MOS represents a potential therapeutic strategy for managing ulcerative colitis by modulating the gut microbiota.