A synbiotic combination of arabinogalactan and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron ameliorates ulcerative colitis in mice.

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease associated with excessive inflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Synbiotic intervention represents a novel management strategy for IBD. However, there remains a critical need to identify new synbiotic combinations and to elucidate their effects on microbial structure and metabolic profiles. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of a combination of arabinogalactan (AG) and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (BT) in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. AG-BT treatment ameliorated colitis-associated phenotypes, reduced intestinal inflammation, and promoted the expression of intestinal barrier-related proteins. They modulated the gut microbiota composition by promoting the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as unclassified Lachnospiraceae and Oscillospira, while suppressing the abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria such as Streptococcus and Ruminococcus. Notably, AG-BT reshaped the intestinal metabolic profile, enhancing the metabolic pathways of arginine and proline metabolism and arginine biosynthesis, and promoting arginine levels. Correlation analysis revealed associations between colitis-related parameters, microbiota, and metabolites. These findings highlight the potential of the AG-BT as a synbiotic candidate in managing IBD and improving gut health, and also offer new insights into the application of AG in the food and pharmaceutical industries.