Simulated Digestion and Metabolic Outcomes of Tremella fuciformis Polysaccharides and Their Effects on the Gut Microbiota.

Tremella fuciformis

Immune supportMetabolic healthGut & microbiomeSkin & hydration

SpeciesSnow Fungus, Silver Ear

JournalJournal of agricultural and food chemistry

Year2025

Key points

Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFP) were evaluated for their gastrointestinal stability and microbiota-modulating effects using in vitro digestion and fecal fermentation
The results demonstrated that TFP possessed an average molecular weight of 2.21 × 10 3 kDa, primarily composed of glucose (63.67%) and mannose (19.85%), and exhibited resistance to simulated gastrointestinal digestion
During fermentation, TFP was selectively metabolized by the gut microbiota
Compared with the blank control, TFP increased the Shannon index by 7.74% and significantly enhanced SCFA production, with acetate, propionate, and butyrate reaching 21.52, 8.62, and 4.60 mM at 24 h, respectively
TFP fermentation selectively promoted beneficial taxa, including Megamonas (28.3-fold), Prevotella (6.1-fold), and Faecalibacterium (2.4-fold)
Correlation analysis revealed positive associations between SCFA production and specific bacterial genera, indicating that TFP supports a healthy gut environment

Metadata-grounded summary

Citation abstract

Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFP) were evaluated for their gastrointestinal stability and microbiota-modulating effects using in vitro digestion and fecal fermentation. The results demonstrated that TFP possessed an average molecular weight of 2.21 × 10 3 kDa, primarily composed of glucose (63.67%) and mannose (19.85%), and exhibited resistance to simulated gastrointestinal digestion. During fermentation, TFP was selectively metabolized by the gut microbiota. Compared with the blank control, TFP increased the Shannon index by 7.74% and significantly enhanced SCFA production, with acetate, propionate, and butyrate reaching 21.52, 8.62, and 4.60 mM at 24 h, respectively. TFP fermentation selectively promoted beneficial taxa, including Megamonas (28.3-fold), Prevotella (6.1-fold), and Faecalibacterium (2.4-fold). Correlation analysis revealed positive associations between SCFA production and specific bacterial genera, indicating that TFP supports a healthy gut environment. These findings establish TFP as a novel prebiotic candidate and highlight its translational potential for functional food formulations targeting gut microbiome modulation.

Citation

Ye K, Fu C, Du H, Qiu Z, Chen S, Liu D, et al. (2025). Simulated Digestion and Metabolic Outcomes of Tremella fuciformis Polysaccharides and Their Effects on the Gut Microbiota. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c07680 PMID: 41285579

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