Plant-derived Polysaccharides Research Articles

Draft Genome Sequence of Mobilitalea sibirica Strain P3M-3T, the Sole Representative of the Genus Mobilitalea.

Mobilitalea sibirica strain P3M-3T is a strictly anaerobic, halotolerant, organotrophic bacterium of the family Lachnospiraceae that can utilize various plant-derived polysaccharides as its carbon source. The strain was originally isolated from a microbial mat in western Siberia (Russia). In this study, we present the draft genome sequence of M. sibirica P3M-3T based on Illumina paired-end sequencing.

Bacteria, guano and soot: Source assessment of organic matter preserved in black laminae in stalagmites from caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca (N Spain)

Speleothems are a recognized source of paleoclimatic information, but their value as a source of signals from human activities in caves with an archaeological record has rarely been explored. Previous studies of speleothems in the Sierra de Atapuerca karst system (Burgos, northern Spain) revealed an important human fossil record, provided information about human activities in and around these caves, and the impacts on their natural environment. The present study reports the results of molecular characterization of dark-colored laminae from the stalagmites Ilargi (Galería de las Estatuas) and GS1, GS2, and GS3 (Galería del Silo), by pyrolysis-GC-MS (Py-GC-MS) and thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM-GC-MS). The features of the organic matter demonstrate the presence of (1) a dominant aliphatic fraction probably from in situ bacterial and ex situ plant-derived lipids, (2) black carbon (from soot and/or charcoal), (3) polysaccharides and N-rich moieties (probably from bat guano and microbial sources), and (4) a signal of terpenoid derivatives that may originate from the overlying limestone (kerogen) and extant gymnosperm resin (soils) or cyanobacteria (cave). Some plant-derived lignin may be present as well but was not identified unambiguously. It is concluded that this approach allows identifying multiple general sources of organic matter which can help understand speleothem formation processes, and evidence of soot deposition could be clearly linked to human activities.

Glucuronoxylan-based quince seed hydrogel: A promising scaffold for tissue engineering applications

Natural gums and mucilages from plant-derived polysaccharides are potential candidates for a tissue-engineering scaffold by their ability of gelation and biocompatibility. Herein, we utilized Glucuronoxylan-based quince seed hydrogel (QSH) as a scaffold for tissue engineering applications. Optimization of QSH gelation was conducted by varying QSH and crosslinker glutaraldehyde (GTA) concentrations. Structural characterization of QSH was done by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Furthermore, morphological and mechanical investigation of QSH was performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The protein adsorption test revealed the suitability of QSH for cell attachment. Biocompatibility of QSH was confirmed by culturing NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblast cells on it. Cell viability and proliferation results revealed that optimum parameters for cell viability were 2 mg mL−1 of QSH and 0.03 M GTA. SEM and DAPI staining results indicated the formation of spheroids with a diameter of approximately 300 μm. Furthermore, formation of extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironment was confirmed with the Collagen Type-I staining. Here, it was demonstrated that the fabricated QSH is a promising scaffold for 3D cell culture and tissue engineering applications provided by its highly porous structure, remarkable swelling capacity and high biocompatibility.

Characterization, prebiotic and immune-enhancing activities of rhamnogalacturonan-I-rich polysaccharide fraction from molokhia leaves

Plant-derived polysaccharides possess potential health benefits that improve intestinal health and the immune system. Molokhia leaves have a large amount of mucilage polysaccharide; in the present study, crude polysaccharide extract was prepared from molokhia leaves. The molecular weight of molokhia leaf polysaccharide fraction (MPF) was estimated to be 51.2 × 103 Da. Polysaccharide was methylated and the structure of MPF was mainly composed of rhamnogalacturonan-I structure with side chains, such as galactans and linear glucan (starch), as shown by GC–MS analysis. To study the biofunctional effects of MPF, its prebiotic and intestinal immune-enhancing activities were assayed in vitro. MPF exhibited good prebiotic activity, as shown by its high prebiotic scores, and increased contents of total short-chain fatty acids on five probiotic strains. In addition, MPF showed immune-enhancing activity on Peyer's patches, as revealed by the high bone marrow cell proliferating activity and production of immunoglobulin A and cytokines. These results demonstrate that MPF may be a potential beneficial prebiotic and intestinal immune-enhancer, which may have wide implications in the food industry.

Exploiting the Amazing Diversity of Natural Source-Derived Polysaccharides: Modern Procedures of Isolation, Engineering, and Optimization of Antiviral Activities.

Naturally occurring polysaccharide sulfates are highly diverse, owning variations in the backbone structure, linkage pattern and stereochemistry, branching diversity, sulfate content and positions of sulfate group(s). These structural characteristics bring about diverse sulfated polymers with dissimilar negative charge densities and structure–activity relationships. Herein, we start with a short discussion of techniques needed for extraction, purification, chemical sulfation, and structural characterization of polysaccharides. Processes of isolation and sulfation of plant-derived polysaccharides are challenging and usually involve two steps. In this context, we describe an integrated extraction-sulfation procedure that produces polysaccharide sulfates from natural products in one step, thereby generating additional pharmacological activities. Finally, we provide examples of the spectrum of natural source-derived polysaccharides possessing specific features of bioactivity, in particular focusing on current aspects of antiviral drug development and drug–target interaction. Thus, the review presents a detailed view on chemically engineered polysaccharides, especially sulfated derivatives, and underlines their promising biomedical perspectives.

Distinct Polysaccharide Utilization Determines Interspecies Competition between Intestinal Prevotella spp.

Prevotella spp. are a dominant bacterial genus within the human gut. Multiple Prevotella spp. co-exist in some individuals, particularly those consuming plant-based diets. Additionally, Prevotella spp. exhibit variability in the utilization of diverse complex carbohydrates. To investigate the relationship between Prevotella competition and diet, we isolated Prevotella species from the mouse gut, analyzed their genomes and transcriptomes invivo, and performed competition experiments between species in mice. Diverse dominant Prevotella species compete for similar metabolic niches invivo, which is linked to the upregulation of specific polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs). Complex plant-derived polysaccharides are required for Prevotella spp. expansion, with arabinoxylans having a prominent impact on species abundance. The most dominant Prevotella species encodes a specific tandem-repeat trsusC/D PUL that enables arabinoxylan utilization and is conserved in human Prevotella copri strains, particularly among those consuming a vegan diet. These findings suggest that efficient (arabino)xylan-utilization is a factor contributing to Prevotella dominance.

Reducing the Side-Effects of Cisplatin to Improve the Social Acceptance of Chemotherapy as CAM Adjunct in Cancer Treatment

Background: In sociology, the prevalence of cancer is interpreted as a broken social contract that requires behaviour change. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a vital social phenomenon, whose usage is socially patterned out. Perceptions of the limitations of chemotherapy and radiotherapy among cancer patients have contributed to the preference for CAM use, particularly plant-derived polysaccharides like HemoHIM, which contain cisplatin. This research was undertaken to show whether co-administration of vitamin C with cisplatin in chemotherapy can prevent or reduce the side-effects of cisplatin nephrotoxicity. Objectives: The objective of this study was to overturn social perceptions of conventional therapy as associated with nephrotoxicity. It investigates the renoprotective effects of high-dose vitamin C by performing an animal experiment to determine body weight, organ weight, and biochemical blood parameters; as well as to measure inflammatory cytokines. Design: Mice were randomly divided into five groups (control; and 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg of vitamin C with cisplatin). All groups except for the control group were intraperitoneally injected with 5- mg/kg cisplatin for 10 days, and the mice in the respective groups were orally administered each 500-, 1000-, 2000- mg/kg vitamin C 2 h prior to cisplatin treatment. After 10 days, the mice were sacrificed, and their blood samples and kidney tissues were obtainedfor further analysis. Setting and location: Republic of Korea Methods: Blood samples from animal experiments and tissue preparation were analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: The intraperitoneal injection of cisplatinreduced body weight, and elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and uric acid. It also triggered an inflammatory response in the mouse kidney by inducing the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-6, and IL-1β and increasing in the expression of iNOS, and IL-4. Renal injury was decreased by the administration of vitamin C; the oral administration of vitamin C (500, 1000, 2000 mg/kg) decreased or normalized the renal function through the attenuation of cisplatin-induced inflammatory cytokines and the modulation of biochemical parameters (ALT, AST, cholesterol, TG, HDL, LDL, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and Uric acid) following the intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin. Conclusion: The results of our present study suggest that the co-administration of vitamin C with cisplatin chemotherapy is a promising method to prevent or reduce the side effects of cisplatin nephrotoxicity. These findings can remodel how the Korean society thinks, approaches and fights cancer by showing how nephrotoxicity can be counteracted to ensure social acceptance of CAM as an adjunctive to cisplatin therapy. Keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine, CAM, Vitamin C, Renoprotective therapy, Cisplatin, Nephrotoxicity, High-dose vitamin C DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/81-11 Publication date: October 31 st 2020

A carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZy) profile links successful metabolic specialization of Prevotella to its abundance in gut microbiota

Gut microbiota participates in diverse metabolic and homeostatic functions related to health and well-being. Its composition varies between individuals, and depends on factors related to host and microbial communities, which need to adapt to utilize various nutrients present in gut environment. We profiled fecal microbiota in 63 healthy adult individuals using metaproteomics, and focused on microbial CAZy (carbohydrate-active) enzymes involved in glycan foraging. We identified two distinct CAZy profiles, one with many Bacteroides-derived CAZy in more than one-third of subjects (n = 25), and it associated with high abundance of Bacteroides in most subjects. In a smaller subset of donors (n = 8) with dietary parameters similar to others, microbiota showed intense expression of Prevotella-derived CAZy including exo-beta-(1,4)-xylanase, xylan-1,4-beta-xylosidase, alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase and several other CAZy belonging to glycosyl hydrolase families involved in digestion of complex plant-derived polysaccharides. This associated invariably with high abundance of Prevotella in gut microbiota, while in subjects with lower abundance of Prevotella, microbiota showed no Prevotella-derived CAZy. Identification of Bacteroides- and Prevotella-derived CAZy in microbiota proteome and their association with differences in microbiota composition are in evidence of individual variation in metabolic specialization of gut microbes affecting their colonizing competence.

Core-shell pea protein-carboxymethylated corn fiber gum composite nanoparticles as delivery vehicles for curcumin

Nanocomposites from plant-derived polysaccharides and proteins are green and sustainable materials that can be applied in various food and biomedical fields. In this work, we developed a novel core-shell nanocomposite from carboxymethylated corn fiber gum (CMCFG) and high nutritious pea protein (PP) for curcumin (Cur) delivery. In the preparation, PP-Cur complexes (PP-Cur) were formed at pH 7.0 and then coated by CMCFG via hydrophobic interactions to form PP-Cur-CMCFG complexes. Furthermore, the interactions between CMCFG and PP-Cur in the complexes were enhanced at pH 3.5 by electrostatic interactions. The resulting nanocomposite exhibited an excellent encapsulation performance for Cur with high Cur loading efficiency, good water dispersibility, and high chemical and thermal stability. Besides, the Cur-loaded core-shell nanocomposite also showed higher antioxidant and radical scavenging activities than Cur. Our results provide support for the use of plant-derived delivery systems as a strategy for the delivery of chemically unstable hydrophobic Cur.

Minimalistic Cellulosome of the Butanologenic Bacterium Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum.

Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum is a mesophilic, anaerobic, butanol-producing bacterium, originally isolated from soil. It was recently reported that C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum possesses multiple cellulosomal elements and would potentially form the smallest cellulosome known in nature. Its genome contains only eight dockerin-bearing enzymes, and its unique scaffoldin bears two cohesins (Cohs), three X2 modules, and two carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). In this study, all of the cellulosome-related modules were cloned, expressed, and purified. The recombinant cohesins, dockerins, and CBMs were tested for binding activity using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based techniques. All the enzymes were tested for their comparative enzymatic activity on seven different cellulosic and hemicellulosic substrates, thus revealing four cellulases, a xylanase, a mannanase, a xyloglucanase, and a lichenase. All dockerin-containing enzymes interacted similarly with the second cohesin (Coh2) module, whereas Coh1 was more restricted in its interaction pattern. In addition, the polysaccharide-binding properties of the CBMs within the scaffoldin were examined by two complementary assays, affinity electrophoresis and affinity pulldown. The scaffoldin of C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum exhibited high affinity for cellulosic and hemicellulosic substrates, specifically to microcrystalline cellulose and xyloglucan. Evidence that supports substrate-dependent in vivo secretion of cellulosomes is presented. The results of our analyses contribute to a better understanding of simple cellulosome systems by identifying the key players in this minimalistic system and the binding pattern of its cohesin-dockerin interaction. The knowledge gained by our study will assist further exploration of similar minimalistic cellulosomes and will contribute to the significance of specific sets of defined cellulosomal enzymes in the degradation of cellulosic biomass.IMPORTANCE Cellulosome-producing bacteria are considered among the most important bacteria in both mesophilic and thermophilic environments, owing to their capacity to deconstruct recalcitrant plant-derived polysaccharides (and notably cellulose) into soluble saccharides for subsequent processing. In many ecosystems, the cellulosome-producing bacteria are particularly effective "first responders." The massive amounts of sugars produced are potentially amenable in industrial settings to further fermentation by appropriate microbes to biofuels, notably ethanol and butanol. Among the solvent-producing bacteria, Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum has the smallest cellulosome system known thus far. The importance of investigating the building blocks of such a small, multifunctional nanomachine is crucial to understanding the fundamental activities of this efficient enzymatic complex.

Physiochemical Features, Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis, Present Status and Application Prospects of Polysaccharide Gums

Gums, generally plant-derived polysaccharides, have been widely used in various fields of the pharmaceutical and food industries in recent years. Natural gums are formed as a result of a protective reaction to plant damage or due to negative conditions (drought), as a result of the destruction of cell walls (gummosis); also bacteria cultures, seaweeds can serve as gum sources. Gums are of great interest due to the wide application spectrum; it is based both on their physicotechnological (structure-forming agents) and the biological properties (inertness). This is an important factor in the development of food products and drugs. They also find applications in cosmetics, inks, paper, and textiles. The article aims to summarize the numerous obtained data and to establish current and prospects for gum quality control and application.

Distinct Polysaccharide Utilization as Determinants for Interspecies Competition between Intestinal <i>Prevotella</i> Spp

Prevotella spp. form one of the most dominant bacterial genera in the human gut. Multiple Prevotella spp. can co-exist in some but not all individuals consuming plant-based diets. To functionally investigate the relationship between Prevotella competition and diet, we isolated several novel Prevotella spp. from the mouse gut, performed genome and metatranscriptome analysis as well as a series of competition experiments under different dietary conditions. These experiments revealed that diverse dominant Prevotella species compete for similar metabolic niches in vivo, which is linked to the upregulation of specific Polysaccharide Utilization Loci (PULs). Complex plant-derived polysaccharides are required, and particularly arabinoxylan is sufficient, for the expansion of Prevotella spp. The most dominant Prevotella species encodes a specific tandem-repeat trsusC/D PUL, which is conserved in highly abundant Prevotella copri strains further expanded in humans consuming a vegan diet. Our data suggest efficient (arabino)xylan-utilization as a factor contributing to Prevotella dominance.

Chemical derivatization-based LC–MS/MS method for quantitation of gut microbial short-chain fatty acids

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are end products of fermentation by anaerobic gut microbiota. They can be used as beneficial metabolites to regulate the host’s physiological processes. Despite their importance, SCFAs are difficult to analyze with mass spectrometric technologies due to their poor ionization efficiency and susceptibility to water loss during ionization of low molecular weight organic acids. Here, we developed a sensitive and reliable method to quantify SCFAs by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. SCFAs were chemically derivatized by Girard’s reagent T (GT), providing a permanent cationic charge. This technique demonstrated an excellent quantitative capacity, showing good linearity (R2>0.99) and limit of quantification (femtomole levels) for five SCFAs (i.e., acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, and caproate). Next, we applied this derivatization method to quantitate SCFAs from a small volume of total extracellular metabolites produced by Eubacterium rectale (E. rectale), one of main butyrate-producing gut bacteria. GT-labeled SCFAs were quantitated well in small volumes of culture medium (5, 10, 15, and 20μL), with the amount of SCFA measured being proportional to the volume of culture medium, as expected. We also investigated plant-derived polysaccharides as prebiotics that could enhance the production of butyrate by E. rectale. Finally, the production of butyrate was successfully monitored in a co-culture system for E. rectale and Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) by analyzing GT-labeled butyrate. Taken together, our results suggest that this highly sensitive method would be useful for quantifying SCFAs extracted from stool in an aqueous solution to monitor gut health.

The Strange Case of Prevotella copri: Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

This issue of Cell Host & Microbe highlights the opposite faces of Prevotella copri (P.copri). Tett etal. (2019) and Fehlner-Peach etal. (2019) unravel the complexity of gut dwelling P.copri, whereas Rolhion etal. (2019) explore the P.copri dark side with its ability to potentiate Listeria monocytogenes pathogenicity.

Compendium of 4,941 rumen metagenome-assembled genomes for rumen microbiome biology and enzyme discovery

Ruminants provide essential nutrition for billions of people worldwide. The rumen is a specialized stomach that is adapted to the breakdown of plant-derived complex polysaccharides. The genomes of the rumen microbiota encode thousands of enzymes adapted to digestion of the plant matter that dominates the ruminant diet. We assembled 4,941 rumen microbial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) using approximately 6.5 terabases of short- and long-read sequence data from 283 ruminant cattle. We present a genome-resolved metagenomics workflow that enabled assembly of bacterial and archaeal genomes that were at least 80% complete. Of note, we obtained three single-contig, whole-chromosome assemblies of rumen bacteria, two of which represent previously unknown rumen species, assembled from long-read data. Using our rumen genome collection we predicted and annotated a large set of rumen proteins. Our set of rumen MAGs increases the rate of mapping of rumen metagenomic sequencing reads from 15% to 50–70%. These genomic and protein resources will enable a better understanding of the structure and functions of the rumen microbiota.

Polysaccharides from New Zealand Native Plants: A Review of Their Structure, Properties, and Potential Applications.

Water-soluble, non-starch polysaccharides from plants are used commercially in a wide range of food and non-food applications. The increasing range of applications for natural polysaccharides means that there is growing demand for plant-derived polysaccharides with different functionalities. The geographical isolation of New Zealand and its unique flora presents opportunities to discover new polysaccharides with novel properties for a range of applications. This review brings together data published since the year 2000 on the composition and structure of exudate gums, mucilages, and storage polysaccharides extracted from New Zealand endemic land plants. The structures and properties of these polysaccharides are compared with the structures of similar polysaccharides from other plants. The current commercial use of these polysaccharides is reviewed and their potential for further exploitation discussed.

Okra polysaccharide: Effect on the texture and microstructure of set yoghurt as a new natural stabilizer.

Four plant-derived polysaccharides including okra polysaccharide (OP), apple pectin (AP), sodium alginate (SA) and konjac glucomannan (KGM) were studied in yoghurt formulation to investigate their effect on gelling characteristics. The results indicated that OP, KGM and AP enhanced the water-holding capacity, firmness and elasticity of yoghurt while SA demonstrated the opposite effects. Gel structure was better improved with OP, the firmness of yoghurt increased from 9.01 g to 14.86 g when 0.08% OP was added. The yoghurt with OP achieved the closest transverse relaxation time (T2) to the control. The free water area (A23) decreased from 1592 for control to 1414 for yoghurt with 0.08% OP addition. All samples exhibited shear-thinning behavior, both apparent viscosity and elastic modulus (G', G″) increased with increasing concentrations of OP and KGM, with peak values at 0.06% OP and 0.015% KGM. Both G' and G'' reduced significantly as pectin concentration rose to 0.1%, while modules went up with the increasing concentration of SA. Microscopy results showed that addition of OP and AP reduced the porous structure of gel and promoted formation of larger protein clusters, which eventually led to more compact protein network. This study provided new insights for food application with plant-derived polysaccharides.

Hypoxia protects against the cell death triggered by oxovanadium\u2013galactomannan complexes in HepG2 cells

BackgroundPolysaccharides from various sources have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. The beneficial pharmacological effects of plant-derived polysaccharides include anti-tumor activity.MethodsHere, we evaluated the anti-cancer effect of the MSAGM:VO complex under hypoxic conditions (1% oxygen). MSAGM:VO is a complex of the hydrolysate of galactomannan (MSAGM) from Schizolobium amazonicum with oxovanadium (IV/V). The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line HepG2 was selected as HCC are one of the most hypoxic solid tumors.ResultsOur results showed that the strong apoptotic activity of MSAGM:VO observed in HepG2 cells under normoxic conditions was completely lost under hypoxic conditions. We found a dynamic balance between the pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 protein family. The expressions of anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 and Bcl-XL increased in hypoxia, whereas the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax decreased. MSAGM:VO strongly induced autophagy, which was previously characterized as a pro-survival mechanism in hypoxia. These results demonstrate total elimination of the anti-cancer activity of MSAGM:VO with activation of autophagy under conditions of hypoxia.ConclusionAlthough this study is a proof-of-concept of the impact of hypoxia on the potential of polysaccharides, further study is encouraged. The anti-tumor activity of polysaccharides could be achieved in normoxia or through raising the activity of the immune system. In addition, combination strategies for therapy with anti-autophagic drugs could be proposed.

Divergent microbial communities in groundwater and overlying soils exhibit functional redundancy for plant-polysaccharide degradation

Light driven primary production by plants is the main source of biomass in terrestrial ecosystems. But also in subsurface habitats like aquifers, life is fueled largely by this plant-derived biomass. Here, we investigate the degradation of plant-derived polysaccharides in a groundwater microbiome to identify the microbial key players involved, and compare them to those from soil of the groundwater recharge area. We quantified the activities of enzymes degrading the abundant plant polymers starch, cellulose and hemicellulose in oligotrophic groundwater samples, despite the low cell numbers present. Normalized to 16S rRNA gene copy numbers, these activities were only one order of magnitude lower than in soil. Stimulation of the groundwater microbiome with either starch or cellulose and hemicellulose led to changes of the enzymatic activity ratios, indicating autochthonous production of enzymes in response to the plant polymers. Furthermore, DNA stable isotope probing with 13C labelled plant polymers allowed us to identify microbes involved in the degradation of these compounds. In (hemi)cellulose microcosms, Bacteroidia and Candidatus Parcubacteria were active, while the active community in starch microcosms mostly comprised Candidatus Saccharibacteria, Cytophagia, and Actinobacteria. Not a single one of the active OTUs was also found to be labelled in soil microcosms. This indicates that the degradation of plant-derived polysaccharides in groundwater is driven by organisms completely distinct from those active in soil. The involvement of members of the candidate phyla Cand. Parcubacteria and Cand. Saccharibacteria, organisms known to be abundant in groundwater, in plant-derived organic matter degradation might strongly impact subsurface carbon cycling.

Effects of dietary supplementation of alfalfa polysaccharides on growth performance, small intestinal enzyme activities, morphology, and large intestinal selected microbiota of piglets

It is suggested that the plant-derived polysaccharides have positive effect on improving the performance of livestock, but little information is available regarding their effects on piglets. This study aimed to assess the effects of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) polysaccharides (APS) on the growth performance and intestinal health of piglets. Two hundred 35-d-old piglets were randomly allotted to five groups fed basal diet supplemented with 0, 300, 500, 800, or 1200 mg APS /kg diet respectively for a 42-d experiment. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed efficiency (ADG/ADFI, G/F), small intestinal morphology, digestive enzymes activities, and selected large intestinal microbial populations were determined. Supplementation with APS to 35- to 77-d-old piglets quadratically (Q) (P < 0.05) or linearly (L) (P < 0.05) increased ADG and G/F values. Among all experimental groups, piglets that received 500 mg/kg diet of APS showed the highest numbers of Lactobacillus in cecum (P < 0.01), colon (P < 0.01), and rectum (P < 0.05). The numbers of Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in all sections of the large intestine were reduced (P < 0.01) L and Q with increasing dietary APS concentration. Villus height presented L (P < 0.05∼0.01) and/or Q (P < 0.05∼0.01) enhancement in duodenum, jejunum and ileum with increasing supplementation of APS. Inclusion of APS L and Q decreased (P < 0.01) crypt depth and increased villus height/crypt depth ratio in jejunum and ileum. Piglets supplemented with increasing levels of APS presented higher protease and amylase activities in the small intestine (P < 0.05). Results showed that supplementation of APS up to 800 mg/kg diet enhanced gut morphological development and amylase and protease activities in the small intestine, promoted beneficial microbial populations in the large intestine, improved growth rate and feed efficiency in a dose-response manner. Combining all measured variables, the optimum dietary APS concentration appeared to be about 500 mg/kg diet.