Gut microbiota regulation by natural polysaccharides: A strategy for disease intervention and probiotic stabilization

Natural polysaccharides serve a dual role in the context of probiotics: as selective prebiotic substrates that stimulate the growth and metabolic activity of beneficial microorganisms, and as versatile biopolymer backbones that can be enzymatically or chemically modified to enhance functional properties.Recent studies have demonstrated that probiotic fermentation can markedly alter the molecular weight, branching degree, and conformational structure of polysaccharides, leading to improved antioxidant, antimicrobial, and gut microbiota-modulating activities.Moreover, polysaccharide-based biomaterials such as microcapsules, edible films, and hydrogels have emerged as promising carriers for probiotic encapsulation and targeted delivery, effectively enhancing probiotic survival during processing, storage, and gastrointestinal transit.This review systematically summarizes the latest advances on the interplay between natural polysaccharides and probiotics, highlights the novel concept of polysaccharides as both prebiotics and biopolymer modifiers, and discusses their translational potential in functional food development and health promotion.