A purified polysaccharide, designated as SE-WGP_I, was isolated from wheat germ modified by steam explosion. The primary structure characteristics were determined by HPGPC, GC, periodate oxidation-Smith degradation, methylation analysis, FT-IR, NMR and Congo red test. The results showed that SE-WGP_I was a homogeneous hetero-polysaccharide with the average molecular weight of 5.6 × 10³ Da. The monosaccharide composition mainly consisted of glucose, arabinose and xylose with a molar ratio of 59.51: 20.71: 19.77. The main backbone of SE-WGP_I consisted of →4,6)-α-D-Glcp(1→6)-α-D-Glcp(1→3)-β-D-Xylp(1→5)-α-L-Araf(1→ and the side chain was α-D-Glcp(1→ linked at the C4-position of →4,6)-α-D-Glcp(1→. SE-WGP_I likely has a complex netted structure with triple helix conformation and good thermal stability. In addition, SE-WGP_I had valid in vitro radical scavenging activities on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. This study may provide structural information of SE-WGP_I for its promising application in the fields of functional foods or medicines.

The reassembly of microbial communities in response to short‐term environmental changes within the phyllosphere of detached leaves remains poorly understood. Using the withering process of Fenghuang Dancong tea leaves as a model system, we observed a rapid decline in water content over a 10‐h period under stable temperature conditions. This was accompanied by significant accumulations of water extracts, total soluble sugars, flavonoids, and amino acids. Microbial community analysis revealed an increase in bacterial richness but a decrease in fungal richness, with markedly divergent reassembly patterns between the two groups. Dominant bacterial taxa included Sphingomonas , Methylobacterium – Methylorubrum , Aureimonas , and Acidovorax , whereas Setophoma and Phaeosphaeria were prevalent among fungi. Correlation analysis indicated that bacterial genera such as Allorhizobium–Neorhizobium–Pararhizobium–Rhizobium , Thermobifida , and Geobacillus were significantly associated with water extracts ( p < 0.05). Corynebacterium , Atopostipes , Deinococcus , Ureibacillus , and Thermopolyspora showed positive correlations with flavonoids. Multiple amino acids were positively correlated with Allorhizobium–Neorhizobium–Pararhizobium–Rhizobium , Chryseobacterium , Acidovorax , and Methylobacterium – Methylorubrum . Among fungi, Pseudopestalotiopsis was specifically linked to water extracts, while Phaeosphaeria and Paraphaeosphaeria were correlated with nearly all amino acids. These results explicitly link dynamic microbial reassembly to flavor compound formation in tea leaves postdetachment, providing new insights into phyllosphere ecology and the role of microbial communities in shaping tea quality during processing.

The medicinal plant Phyllanthus emblica Linn. has been recognized for its health‐beneficial properties and has a long history of cultivation in ancient China and India. However, its effects and main mechanism in high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced metabolic syndrome (MetS) have not been revealed yet. According to our findings, emblica fruit powder (EFP) through the freeze‐drying process was able to modulate the composition of the intestinal microbiota, with a significant increase in the beneficial bacteria genera Lactobacillus and Turicibacter. In addition, fecal metabolite profiling revealed that 20 metabolites were deferentially expressed, which were mainly organic acids, amino acids, and their derivatives. They are primarily enriched in the biological process of lipid metabolism, including the metabolism process of cholic acid, glycerophospholipid, and α‐linoleic acid. Subsequent qPCR testing of the liver tissue suggested that the regulatory effects of EFP in HFD mice may stem from its influence on the expression levels of over 20 key genes involved in host metabolic processes. In conclusion, EFP is able to alleviate the MetS caused by HFD, and this positive impact may be partially through the regulation of the “gut‐liver axis.” Consequently, EFP holds potential as a functional food ingredient for the prevention and management of MetS.