Polysaccharide Extracts Derived from Defloration Waste of Fruit Pitaya Regulates Gut Microbiota in a Mice Model

Bao-Hong Lee,You-Lin Tain,Wei-Hsuan Hsu,You-Zuo Chen,Yong-Chong Lin,Chih-Yao Hou,Kung-Ting Hsu

doi:10.3390/fermentation8030108

Abstract

Flower thinning is often used during the planting of fruit trees to improve fruit quality and promote large fruit. Flower buds become an agricultural by-product of the planting process. Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) is a popular fruit in many tropical regions, which is widely cultivated in Southeast Asian countries. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus plantarum have been shown to exhibit an anti-obesity effect by regulating gut microbiota. This study investigated the effect of polysaccharides from pitaya flower buds (PFW) extracted with water on the regulation of gut microbiota and body weight control in mice fed with a high-fat diet. The effects of PFW on the growth of L. plantarum were analyzed and the propagation of L. plantarum was promoted in an aqueous solution containing PFW. In an in vivo study, mice were fed with a high-fat diet supplemented with PFW for 12 weeks; PFW treatment effectively controlled body weight and reduced short bowel syndrome of mice induced by the high-fat diet. Gut microbiota sequencing revealed that Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillaceae were the main bacteria targeted by PFW. Moreover, transcript analysis demonstrated that PFW alleviated obesity through amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and glycan metabolism. Overall, PFW is a valuable food supplement that can regulate gut microbiota and may have potential to ameliorate the physiological damage caused by a high-fat diet.

Highlights

Introduction iationsModern dietary patterns are gradually being westernized, and the problem of obesity is increasingly becoming serious worldwide
This study investigated whether the polysaccharides from pitaya flower buds extracted with water (PFW) promoted the growth of L. plantarum and modulated the gut microbiota of high-fat diet mice
To evaluate whether PFW has the potential to modulate gut microbiota and obesity, whether PFW could promote the growth of probiotic L. plantarum was firstly tested in whether PFW could promote the growth of probiotic L. plantarum was firstly tested in vitro

Summary

Introduction

Introduction iationsModern dietary patterns are gradually being westernized, and the problem of obesity is increasingly becoming serious worldwide. The harmful health effects of being obese at a young age have been discussed in copious studies. Brinkworth et al (2009) [1] found that different diets (low-carbohydrate, high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet, high-fat diet, and high-fiber diet) affected the health and functional index of gut microbiota differently. They observed that a high-fat diet reduced feces weight and impacted the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and excretion rate of feces. Long-term intake of a high-fat diet increases the risk of gastrointestinal diseases. High-fat diets in mice cause intestinal metabolic disorders [2]. In Japan, functional constipation in 3–8-year-old children was reported to be related to a high-fat diet [3]; strategies for reducing the damage caused by a high-fat diet have attracted the interest of researchers

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