Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) inhibited the intestinal inflammation through the regulation of commensal microbiota

Background: The aim of the present study was to elucidate the beneficial effect of partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG), which is a water-soluble dietary fiber, on colonic mucosal damage in murine colitis model. Materials and methods: After 2 weeks of prefeeding of PHGG (5%), acute colitis was induced with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in male C57BL/6 mice. Colonic mucosal inflammation was evaluated using macroscopic damage scores. The expressions of TNF-alpha mRNA in colonic mucosa was also measured by real time RT-PCR. In addition, the intestinal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were assessed by real time RT-PCR and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively.Results: The increased colonic damage after TNBS administration was significantly inhibited by the treatment with PHGG. Furthermore, PHGG significantly inhibited the increases in neutrophil accumulation and TNF-alpha mRNA in colonic mucosa after the induction of TNBS colitis. In the analysis of intestinal microbiota, Clostridium cluster XI was decreased and Lactobacillus group was increased in the mice treated with PHGG. In the analysis of SCFAs, the cecal succinate content increased in the mice treated with PHGG.Conclusions: These results suggest that chronic ingestion of PHGG prevents the development of TNBS-induced colitis in mice through the modulation of intestinal microbiota and SCFAs.