Protective Effects of Pectin From Honey‐Processed Hawthorn on Acute Myocardial Ischemia

ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown that both hawthorn and honey‐processed hawthorn (HH) can prevent heart injury in acute myocardial ischemia (AMI). Hawthorn pectin (HP) and stir‐fried hawthorn pectin (FHP) have been identified as protective agents against AMI, with the effects closely related to their structural characteristics. This study aims to investigate the effects of pectin of HH (HHP) in preventing AMI. Results showed that the esterification degree, the content of galacturonic acid, and the viscosity‐average molecular weight of HHP were lower than those of HP. Rats pretreated with HHP exhibited improvements when suffering from AMI in maintaining the levels of myocardial enzyme as well as indicators related to oxidative stress. In terms of gut microbiota and short‐chain fatty acids, HHP enriched Monoglobus and increased the content of propionic acid, while HP enriched Lachnospira and increased the content of acetic acid in the intestine. The different effects of HHP from HP on regulating gut microbiota and short‐chain fatty acids might be attributed to structural alterations of the HHP after processing of hawthorn. These results contributed to the established connection between pectin consumption and its protective effect from AMI.