The imbalance of reactive oxygen species is the main cause in aging, accompanied by oxidative stress. As the most abundant in human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), 2′-Fucosyllactose (2′-FL) has been confirmed to have great properties in immunity regulation and anti-inflammatory. The research on 2′-FL is focused on infants currently, while there is no related report of 2′-FL for the elderly. A d-galactose-induced accelerated aging model was established to explore the protective effect of 2′-FL on the intestines and brain in mice. In this study, 2′-FL significantly reduced oxidative stress damage and inflammation in the intestines of aging mice, potentially by regulating the sirtuin1 (SIRT1)-related and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathways. In addition, 2′-FL significantly improved the gut mucosal barrier function and increased the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestine. The gut microbiota analysis indicated that 2′-FL mainly increased the abundance of probiotics like Akkermansia in aging mice. Moreover, 2′-FL significantly inhibited apoptosis in the brains of aging mice, also increasing the expression of SIRT1. These findings provided a basis for learning the benefits of 2′-FL in the aging process.

Galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) has been added to infant formula as prebiotics and can bring many benefits to human health. This study proved the effect of GOS in prevention and alleviation against E. coli O157 invasion and colonization and the mechanism behind this was explored in a mice model. The results showed that the expression of Muc2 and Occlaudin were both significantly down-regulated (p < 0.05) by E. coli O157 infection, while GOS alleviated this phenomenon, which means that GOS can reduce the colonization of E. coli O157 by enhancing the gut barrier function. Through the determination of inflammatory cytokines, we found that GOS can relieve inflammation caused by pathogens. At the same time, GOS can promote the growth of probiotics such as Akkermansia, Ruminococcaceae and Bacteroides, thus modulating microorganism environments and improving short chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in the intestine. This study provides an explanation for the mechanism behind the protection of GOS against pathogen infection.

Sugar reduction and sugar control are advocated and gaining popularity around the world. Sucrose, as the widely consumed ingredient in our daily diet, has been reported a relation to gastrointestinal diseases. However, the role of sucrose in inflammatory bowel disease remains controversial. Hence, our study aimed to elucidate the potential role of three doses of sucrose on DSS-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that low-dose sucrose intervention alleviated colitis in mice, reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines and repairing mucosal damages. In contrast, high-dose sucrose intervention exacerbated colitis. Furthermore, three doses of sucrose administration markedly altered gut microbiota composition. Notably, the low-dose sucrose restored microbial dysfunction and enhanced the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Specifically, the abundance of SCFAs-producing bacteria Faecalibaculum, Bacteroides, and Romboutsia were increased significantly in the LOW group. Consistently, PPAR-γ, activated by SCFAs, was elevated in the LOW group, thereby inhibiting the MAPK/NF-κB pathway. Together, our study demonstrates the differential effects of sucrose on colitis at different doses, providing a scientific basis for measuring and modifying the safe intake level of sugar and providing favorable evidence for implementing sugar reduction policies.

Cold-brewed jasmine tea (CB-JT) is regarded to possess characteristic flavors and health benefits as a novel resource of functional tea beverages. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying CB-JT-mediated protective effects on obesity, we evaluated the serum biochemistry, histological condition, glucose tolerance, gene expression profile and intestinal microbial diversity in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Our results demonstrate that cold-brewed jasmine tea can significantly attenuate HFD-induced body weight gain, abnormal serum lipid levels, fat deposition, hepatic injury, inflammatory processes as well as metabolic endotoxemia. CB-JT also modified the microbial community composition in HFD-fed mice and altered the balance to one closely resembled that of the control group. The differential abundance of core microbes in obese mice was reversed by CB-JT treatment, including an increment in the abundance of Blautia, Mucispirillum, and Bilophila as well as a decrease in the abundance of Alloprevotella. CB-JT was proved to regulate the mRNA expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes such as Leptin, Pgc1a Il6, and Il1b in the adipose tissue coupled with Cyp7a1, Lxra, Srebp1c, and Atgl in the liver. These findings indicate that cold-brewed jasmine tea might be served as a potential functional tea beverage to prevent obesity and gut microbiota dysbiosis.