Characterization of sea buckthorn polysaccharides and the analysis of its regulatory effect on the gut microbiota imbalance induced by cefixime in mice

Abstract

Sea buckthorn pomace is a by-product of sea buckthorn products that is not effectively utilized. This study obtained sea buckthorn polysaccharides (SPs) from pomace, analyzed its structure, and investigated its regulatory effect on the gut microbiota imbalance induced by cefixime. The results showed that SPs had an average molecular weight of 6.26 × 103 kDa and mainly consisted of galacturonic acid, galactose, and rhamnose. Biochemical analysis showed that SPs increased the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and the abundance of Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and Akkermanis in the gut of cefixime-treated mice. Correlation analysis suggested that various microorganisms had a significant (p < 0.05) relationship with SCFAs. Consequently, the underlying mechanism of SPs in restoring cefixime-induced gut microbiota disorder may be due to the promotion of SCFAs and SCFA-producing bacteria in the gut and gut microbiota regulation, benefiting gut health. This study is significant for developing and utilizing sea buckthorn pomace.