Structure of Tremella aurantialba Polysaccharide and Its Regulatory Effect on Cyclophosphamide-induced Intestinal Flora Disturbance in Mice

Purpose To study the effect of Tremella aurantialba polysaccharide (TAP) on the disturbance of intestinal flora in mice.

Methods TAP was extracted from T. aurantialba. The structure of TAP was analyzed by gel chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet spectroscopy; then, based on cyclophosphamide-induced intestinal flora disorders in mice as a model for intervention with TAP, and the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in mouse colonic contents were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the intestinal flora of mice was analyzed by fecal 16S rRNA method.

Results The molecular weight of TAP was 1 740 ku, it was a pyran-type polysaccharide containing β-glycosidic bonds, contained trace proteins and nucleic acids, mainly consisted of three types of monosaccharides: mannose, glucuronic acid and glucose, accounting for 66.09%, 9.51% and 11.45%, respectively. Animal experiments showed that TAP treatment could increased the content of various SCFAs, especially acetic acid and butyric acid. Fecal 16S rRNA showed that TAP could reverse the disturbance of intestinal flora, up-regulated Bacteroidetes, down-regulated Firmicutes and Proteobacteria at the phylum level, and up-regulated Bacteroides and Lactobacillus, down-regulated Helicobacter at the genus level.

Conclusion TAP holds promise as a potential prebiotic to modulate the gut microbiota and reduce the side effects of cyclophosphamide on the gut microbiota.