Polysaccharides from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) pulp alleviate obesity by modulating gut microbiota in high fat diet-induced rats

Polysaccharides have attracted widely attention for their ability to alleviate obesity by regulating intestinal flora. The modulating effect of polysaccharides from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) pulp (JFP-Ps) on the intestinal flora and body weight (BW) in obese individuals remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the regulatory effects of JFP-Ps on intestinal flora in obese rats. The obese rat model was established by continuous induction of high-fat diet for 12 weeks, and then changes in intestinal flora were determined by 16S rRNA sequencing after JFP-Ps intervention. Results showed that JFP-Ps restrained BW gain, improved serum lipid profile, increased number of operational taxonomic units, species abundance and diversity, modulated the composition of intestinal flora, and reversed the dysbiosis of intestinal flora caused by high-fat diet. Moreover, JFP-Ps restored intestinal microecology and enhanced the antioxidant capacity of obese rats by increasing the abundance of short-chain fatty acids-producing bacteria (Prevotellaceae_Ga6A1_group, Sphaerochaeta and Alloprevotella) and reactive sulfur species-producing bacterium (Ruminococcaceae). These findings reveal that JFP-Ps may be a promising prebiotic for the treatment of obesity by modulation of intestinal flora.